The Problem is: COMMUNICATION

Why my Indonesia is never have any progress from his Independence Day, August 17, 1945? I think I could answer it. Because we never never never have good communication each other. Who? All of us. People to government, government to people. And how unlucky me, becoming a part of media who should make them communicate.

It began when I wrote a news about Asia Source II that will be arrange on January 22-30, 2007. That’s an event where Open Source geeks from about 20 Asia Pacific countries will make a digital camp. “Sharing the knowledge,” said the coordinator, Bona, who is my friend also. This friend of mine said they don’t involve Indonesia, Go Open Source (IGOS), a program powered by Ministry of Research and Technology (Ristek). So, Mr. Kusmayanto Kadiman, The Minister, complain about it. He said to me that his office invited by Onno Purbo, Bona’s friend. Okay, maybe it’s just misscommunication.

But that’s not the end of the problem. As a journalist, is normal if I ask to make a report about the event. I want to make reporting from Sukabumi, the location of the event. Suddenly, Ristek’s PR call me that they initiated to handle the media coordination. Hmm I just realize there’s something wrong here. Asia Source is not Ristek’s program. Not at all. But why they’re took it?

“The minister will be a keynote speaker, Mer,” Bona told me from SMS.
“We did had a conversation last night and we will handle the media stuffs,” said Wawan, Ristek’s PR. “We also want you to help us to coordinate all the medias who want to follow us to Sukabumi.”

As a goodhearted person, I just said yes. Then I published it to the journalist mailing list. A brief invitation that if there any journalist who want to go to the event, could make a registration to me. And then so many journalist friends call me. Asked about where the location, where the legal invitation, the program schedule, etc. Hey, I don’t know anything about all of that! I am not the legal coordinator.

So I tried to ask it to Bona or Ristek’s PR. But too hard to reach them from the cell phone or office phone. Oh please! What the hell is goin on? Am I a fucking looser or what? How could we have a better quality of life if you can not communicate each other so well??

That just a sample how difficult to make a good communication between government (Ristek), people (Bona) and media (me). That’s only one case between the thousands and millions case in this country.