HI!Folks M A G A Z I N E
HUMAN RELATIONS & THE PANDEMIC
ISSN # 2655 - 2566 VOL.III / ISSUE 8 HUMAN RELATIONS & THE PANDEMIC 2021
EDITOR'S LETTER I
Hi Folks! Together we have entered another year of uncertainty and we are so glad that we are pulling through these tough times together with you! After our last successful release on ‘Human Security’, we felt that there were still so much more aspects and deeper complexities of the pandemic that we wanted to cover—and so, we have decided to release another special issue. HI!Folks presents to you our 8th issue under the topic of ‘Human Relations & The Pandemic’ where we cover many of the global changes, the good and the bad, that have happened in the past two years. The pandemic brought with it suffering and misery— these are things we cannot deny—but it has made the world more mature and vigilant. Relations between states, communities, and individuals have grown to be more advanced. More modern solutions emerged in response to this difficult time. All of this has shown the world one very certain thing: that amidst all the turbulence and hardship, there is always a glimmer of hope. The team invites you to celebrate your strength and your resilience. It has not been an easy year—we are all challenged as a family, as a community, and as global citizens—but challenges we face these past few years have and will show very clearly how humanity is always advancing and transforming for the better. We sincerely hope this issue can help you in facing the adversities the pandemic is bringing upon us, while giving you a different perspective on the pandemic. For now, stay safe and stay healthy. Cheers!
Chiara Farahangiz Samandari Editor-in-Chief
Table of Contents Editor’s Letter........................................................................................................... I Table of Contents...................................................................................................... II HiFolks Teams & Contributors.................................................................................. III #Kata Mereka.............................................................................................................. 1 Highlighted News
G20 Presidency - A More Inclusive Goals.................................................................. 3 Features Articles
Not All Anti-Vaccine Movements are Equal: A Brief Commentary on Asia and Europe....................................................................................................................... More Than a Hollywood Trope: Intimate Partner Violence..................................... Understanding the Significances and Changes in Diplomacy Through Indonesia’s Ambassador in Venezuela......................................................................................... Changes in Everyday Interaction During the Pandemic............................................
8 16 22 26
Self Help
Being Mindful Towards Ourselves and Towards Others During COVID-19 Pandemic................................................................................................................... 31 Mental Health Issues in The Pandemic..................................................................... 34 Arts and Literature
Photos by Raya Dakota............................................................................................... 39 Miscellaneous
INR Highlighted News.............................................................................................. 43 The Reviews.............................................................................................................. 46 HiFolks Megahits...................................................................................................... 49
II
Editor-in-Chief
Chiara Farahangiz Samandari Sub-Editor
Andreas Hartauer Samantha Deo Christian Content Writer
Andi Bintang Bramastha Andreas Hartauer Chiara Farahangiz Samandari Dwiantono Aninditiya Asrun Gabrian Cornelis Risqi Sofy Dwi Cahyani Samantha Deo Christian Contributors
Raya Dakota Waraney Immanuel Dendeng Design & Illustration
Alexandrina Medianti Amira Maulidine Maura Rebecca Sukamto Publication
Andi Bintang Bramastha Chiara Farahangiz Samandari Samantha Deo Christian Contact
We would like to hear from you; please send your feedback and contributions to us by email hifolks.magazine@gmail.com Cover Illustration III
Maura Rebecca Sukamto
#KATA In your opinion, how does the pandemic affect relations between states? and how does it change international relations?
MEREKA 1
Dr. FG Cempaka Timur, M.Si (Han)
COVID-19 has made an impact on the existing international relations architecture in a short period of time. Regardless of political regimes and social traditions, economic affluence, or military power, the COVID-19 epidemic has affected every country on the planet. The pandemic has revealed the modern world’s fragility, as well as the mounting threats and difficulties that, if neglected, might send the globe into a downward spiral of self-destruction. The fight against the epidemic has shown that many international structures are becoming increasingly out of touch with modern realities, demonstrating their inability to mobilize swiftly enough to make a difference in our rapidly changing world. All governments, regardless of archetype, will face an increasingly complex terrain of threats from both state and non-state actors, both outside and inside their borders. Governments will need to become more flexible, nimble, and innovative in order to solve national security concerns—all characteristics that can be difficult for a state actor to achieve. National leaders, on the other hand, have the best chance of protecting their citizens and infrastructure from increasingly complex dangers and crises by collaborating with non-state actors.
Lukas Tambunan
Well, the pandemic for sure changes the relation between states. As we have observed for the last couple of years before the pandemic struck, most of the countries prefer to have bilateral relations toward each other. During the pandemic, we see that multilateral relations are really obvious. As the pandemic needs global action and collective efforts, the stage of international relations will be adjusted as well.
Ningsih Susilawati, M.Si (Han)
Covid-19 has changed the direction of relations between states. Several traditional diplomatic practices, which are generally carried out on an F to F basis, are currently being carried out on a V to V basis using artificial intelligence. However, this is not just a replication of traditional diplomatic by using online platforms. In the future, we will watch how digital diplomacy will be used as an effort to overcome global issues. In fact, through AI, states are able to understand global trade patterns and foreign policies. This new approach is more responsive and informed in the decision-making process. However, it should be noted that there are still many developing states that need to be supported by modern states through digital diplomacy infrastructure, therefore we can manage the gap between states. 2
Highlighted News
G20 Presidency: A More Inclusive Goal
By Chiara Farahangiz Samandari
4
In December 2021, for the first time in history, Indonesia was elected to succeed Italy in holding the presidency of one of the most crucial international economic cooperation that aims to empower global economy and achieve sustainable growth – the G20.
5
Highlighted News
As the global economy faces a serious impediment due to the pandemic, Indonesia bears Herculean responsibility in leading and determining the direction of global economy. Hence, its biggest goal during the period is to achieve economic recovery, as displayed within its selected theme, Recover Together, Stronger Together. In addition, Indonesia will actively push for discussions and dialogues of contemporary global issues, such as digital economy, labor rights, and small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia, H.E. Retno Marsudi, stated that Indonesia holds high the principles of inclusivity and cooperation, and will give attention to the interests of developing countries and vulnerable groups in cooperation with women, youths, academics, business groups, and parliaments worldwide.
Based on a report posted by the Bank of Indonesia, the Ministry of Finance and the Bank of Indonesia will represent Indonesia in proposing six priority topics of the G20 Financial Track, mainly regarding economic recovery, growth, financial technology, sustainable finance, financial inclusion, and international taxation, whilst continuing previous discussions of risk monitoring, global financial safety net, capital flows, data gap initiative, financial sector regulation, debt sustainability, infrastructure investment, multilateral development banks, pandemic preparedness, and Compact with Africa. The Finance Track of the G20 will be discussed in the Finance and Central Bank Deputies Meeting (FCBD) in early December 2021 in Bali. Through this opportunity, Indonesia is given a chance to renew its image in the global sphere by showing values, such as excellence
6
in leadership and reliability, opening up a path for Indonesia to be entrusted to lead other high-level conferences in the future – that is if, and only if, Indonesia is able to achieve its goal during the G20 presidency. Furthermore, success in the agenda will strengthen Indonesia’s ties and interests with developing and underdeveloped countries. Although the G20 is only one of many other economic cooperation, the pact and that the member states decide during discussions have considerable impact. The pandemic has shown that no one is safe until everyone is. This points out the crucial responsibility of Indonesia’s presidency in guiding the G20 member states to recovery – together through cooperation with both member states and non-member states, particularly with countries that are hit the hardest. Hopefully, Indonesia can seize this opportunity of presiding the G20. These next twelve months are a crucial period for Indonesia, as the G20 forum is a major opportunity for Indonesia to show their capability in the global sphere. It is indeed a go big or go home moment for Indonesia, as their leadership in guiding the direction of the global economic recovery and ensuring inclusivity, will highly determine whether Indonesia possesses or lacks the capacity to lead other high-level conferences in the near future.
7
FEATURES ARTICLE Find deeper insights about Human Relations & The Pandemics from our features articles written by our contributors!
8
By: Andreas Hartauer, Samantha Deo Christian
Not Not All All ANti-VAcciNe ANti-VAcciNe MoVeMeNts MoVeMeNts Are Are equAl equAl ::
9
A Brief coMMeNtAry oN AsiA ANd europe
Europe has recently been in the spotlight after a surge of COVID-19 cases and anti-vaccine movements. Whilst it is true that many anti-vaxxers simply do not believe in the existence of the pandemic or are generally misinformed about the vaccines, not all anti-vaccine movements are the same. The concerns of some anti-vaccine movements seem to go beyond the contents of a syringe – they are concerned about freedom and trust. Admitted, it might sound senseless to talk about freedom amidst the pandemic, but for residents of countries that had to face authoritarian governments or even dictatorships in the past, seemingly draconian measures such as lockdowns, mandatory vaccines, and rules that separate those who are vaccinated from those who are not bring back nothing but unpleasant memories.
tAlkiNg ABout uNpleAsANt MeMories:
pharmacy scandals are extremely present in the minds of many Europeans and distrust towards pharmaceutical companies in Europe have led people to consciously, and proudly, decide to not be vaccinated in refusal of feeding multibillion-dollar companies more profit. Perhaps one of the most distressing incidents took place in the 1950s and 1960s, when Thalidomide (also distributed as Contergan), was widely used as a medi10
cine against insomnia, anxiety, and morning sickness. Yet, the seemingly harmless drug led to more than 10.000 birth defects, along highly deformed children and permanent disabilities, leaving behind a trail of scepticism and thousands of heartbroken mothers and families. We may also recall that many European nations host some of the most powerful and manipulative pharmacy companies in the world, such as BASF and Roche, and unlike in Asia or in the US where lobbyism has been penetrating parliaments equally as societies, in Europe many are aware of the unethical behaviours of these companies. BASF, for example, is known for having acquired Monsanto’s Roundup glyphosate pesticide – an until today highly controversial product. 11
Where trust was not broken, freedom was put in shackles. France, for instance, imposed rather strict regulations, which led to a backlash. Meanwhile, the infamous Yellow Vests keep protesting for various reasons, amongst them against COVID-19 restrictions. The French legislator is suspected of brushing aside acquis sociaux during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, which includes important labour rights. Whilst labour rights have been in the focal point of political turmoil and protests in France in the months prior the virus outbreak, the legislator seems to politically instrumentalize the pandemic in order to liberalize the labour market.
Racial Science and Eugenics. Whilst there is no correlation, some seem to end up drawing a connection to mRNA vaccines – genetic vaccines, which are highly popular in Europe. In a country where individual freedom is highly respected and of paramount significance, the newly elected government’s plan to impose tougher regulations on unvaccinated individuals has ignited anti-vaccine movements in fear of discriminatory practices and demonisations. The movement had previously attempted an assassination of the state premier, Michael Kretschmer, a plot that was thwarted by the German police. Then again, the movement is popular in Saxony – a stronghold of right-wing extremists, conspiracists and the German Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) – perhaps one worse than the other one.
France’s neighbour, Germany, was host to one of the worst authoritarian dictatorships in human history – the NationalSocialist reign that killed millions in their crusade against those that are different, often in the name of 12
Both countries stand in stark contrast with Singapore, where the government has released even tighter COVID-19 restrictions, ruling that people unvaccinated by choice will have to pay their own medical bills should they be hospitalized with COVID-19. The policy was released in assumption that unvaccinated individuals would require more intensive inpatient care, occupying more beds and consequently affecting the healthcare system disproportionately. The policy has been lauded and receives support from the Singaporean public – yet the same ruling would never be possible in Europe. The Japanese public was one of the most vaccine-sceptic communities in the world due to past vaccination scares and failures, particularly
13
about the HPV vaccine, leading to various media reports covering a story of adverse reactions towards the vaccine, such as cognitive decline. Despite no scientific evidence available, Japan experienced a deep plunge in vaccination rates, simultaneously turning it into the one of the least vaccine-confident countries in the world. Only 30% of the public believed that the vaccines were safe – a way smaller figure compared to the 50% figure found amongst U.S. Americans. Yet, when the Japanese government pushed for the 2020 Olympics, the public was enraged and full of concerns. Eventually, the sporting event led to vaccination booths opening everywhere, covering a large chunk of the country, and becoming the reason why many Japanese got vaccinated in the first place.
The various reasons for Europe’s scepticism seem conceivable, but the question remains: what is the reason behind Asia’s lack of scepticism? Japan, as we learnt, had its fair share of vaccine scandals, and yet, its vaccination rate increased on a higher rate than in many other countries during the pandemic.
In an attempt to answer this mystery, some have cited Confucian beliefs as the reason why East Asian countries and other Confucianisminfluenced Asian countries tend to have little anti-vaccine resistance. Confucian values dictate that collective societal concerns surpass personal concerns. Obedience towards authority is deeply rooted in many Asian societies, and since the discourse of personal freedom is often viewed negatively in various cultures across Asia, the ruling authority, that is the government, may impose necessary measures to achieve what is seen as best for society. When the Japanese government announced the Olympics, the society was immediately concerned about their collective wellbeing – and the only way to ensure such was through widespread vaccinations. Whilst many Europeans have shown themselves to be more concerned about the political implications of vaccinations, many Asians are more concerned about health implications and safety. Or one could say, most anti-vaccine movements in Asia are concerned about what is inside the syringe and not what is outside it. 14
Nonetheless and regardless of all, it is important to remember that the idea of a ‘New Normal’ simply should not exist – there is nothing normal about the ‘New Normal’. Sometimes we should remind ourselves to accept the harsh reality of the pandemic, whilst looking forward to returning the pre-pandemic state of actual normality. We do not endorse any anti-vaccination movements – nor do we try to point out, or imply, that Europe does it better than Asia or vice versa. As it is not our intention to foster a narrative of competition, we must realize that the difference between Europe and Asia is indeed of cultural nature, but often times differences are just that – differences. Instead, we agree wholeheartedly with Deng Xiaoping: it does not matter whether the cat is black or white, as long as it catches the mice.
15
More Than a Hollywood Trope: Intimate Partner Violence By Samantha Deo Christian
WARNING:
this article contains mentions and descriptions of intimate partner violence. All names have been changed to protect the interviewees’ identities. 16
The Netflix show Maid received a plethora of praises for its portrayal of intimate partner violence (IPV) and its complexities. The show tells the heart-wrenching and poignant story of Alex, a young, 23-year-old mother with a toddler, who made the decision to leave her emotionally abusive boyfriend, Sean, and follows her journey through the adversityfilled road of reaching out, finding a job, and going in-and-out of the legal system. Whilst the show itself is what it is—a show— what it depicts is more than a mere Hollywood trope. The world is, alas, not as benevolent to let it remain as such. Alex’s bitter account is reality for one third of women worldwide, from overly complicated bureaucratic challenges to the resounding sneers and scorns by the people around her. After realizing that Sean could punch more than a wall, Alex had nowhere to run to—emotional abuse is often not even recognized as abuse. Yet, more times than not, it is the precursor to physical violence— even more, emotional abuse destroys one’s own self in the worst possible of ways, binding them to their abusers even deeper.
I interviewed Lisa, a young woman in her twenties who went through two emotionally and physically abusive relationships where she was repeatedly beaten and struck. “They instilled a mindset in me—that I was always the one in the wrong, that it was always my fault, I should not make any excuses and I deserved to be beaten”, she added, “it made me scared to report what he did to me to the police or to the authorities. I am scared. I am very scared that I would end up shooting myself in the foot— perhaps they were right, that I was the toxic one, that I made them toxic, they are the victims, and that I am the source of the problem”. Lisa’s statement shows just how far emotional abuse and constant manipulation can go and how deep it can intertwine itself with physical abuse. Emotional manipulation, however, is not limited to manipulation—it comes in various forms, such as not allowing one to meet other friends, to go out, or even to work with friends and colleagues of the opposite gender. The things that are often brushed off as normal or is just plain jealously sometimes hold more to it than what meets the eye. Her decision to not report her abusers to the police might come as a questionable action for many.
Why would you not want to report the person who hurt you to the police? Do you not want to put them behind bars? 17
Some things are easier said than done—social stigmas that stick to IPV victims and justice systems that are far from being victim-centred, often lead to harsh victim-blaming, and the whole process turns into a spiralizing hellhole for many. In some instances, IPV is even normalized and accepted as customs. I talked to Alice, who attempted to report her father for violently hitting and beating her mother. “I tried to contact the National Commission on Violence Against Women, I immediately tried to look for people I can talk to within the community and tried my best to find people who can help”, she explained, “Instead of receiving help, I was instead asked to withdraw my reports. The people told me that it’s normal for him to kick and beat her up occasionally. I was told to still serve my father, and my mother was told that she must be able to capture his heart. They referred to him cheating in the past and said that how come other people can seduce him but not her—they told her that she should learn to look like whoever seduced him. If the other person wears make up, then she must learn to do her make up, too”. Alice’s story was nothing less than stomach-turning—yet thousands of women receive the very treatment Alice’s mother did every single day, repeatedly being told that being abused is normal—that ultimately, the victims are the reason for broken relationships and marriages. The victim needs to change—they need to be the one to wear the prettiest dresses, to put on make up, to look better, to please better. This is an oxymoronic paradox that sustains the vicious cycle of abuse: when a victim does not report to the authorities, they are wrong for staying silent—when a victim report to the authorities, they are wrong for speaking up.
#NoViralNoJustice I myself question how the Indonesian justice system would deal with Lisa and Alice’s cases. The police have recently come under fire with hashtags such as #NoViralNoJustice, referring to an abundance of cases neglected by the police until it went viral. As the cherry on top, the pandemic has caused many victims of IPV to be stuck under the same roof with their abusers, limiting their access to reporting and seeking help. Assuming that the cases are processed and the court rules in favour of the victim, though, the question remains: for whom is justice served? Does putting a perpetrator behind bars, where for the next few years—or their whole lives—they will not have to worry about food on the table or a roof above their heads, mean justice for the victims? Will it mend the wounds left by years of abuse and lift the weight of psychological trauma they will have to bear their whole lives? Does punishment equal justice? 18
Is this what we call justice?
When the justice system fails—or often times, before someone decides to take a case to court—one might seek support from those closest or from loved ones. Whilst some receive console and encouragement, that is not always the case— when Lisa told her mother, she received a stinging and sullen response instead. “Until today, she still blames me for what happened to me. Before I broke up with my second ex, I was brutally beaten up—she came up to me and angrily yelled at me. She told me that I should not have been so cheap and insisted that everyone has their own flaws”. Lisa added that her mother still tries to maintain a good relationship with the same ex that beat her up and shared with me how social perception affected her experience. As her abuser had a rather thin and small stature, had multiple history of falling ill in the past, and on top of that was known as a “a happy-go-lucky goofball”, Lisa, who had also been with him once in the past, did not expect him to turn so violent. Moreover, his reputation made it hard for her to convince people just how violent he could be. I asked if that being the case had led to people blaming her or mentioning how should have been more than able to defend herself against him, and she responded, “With the first ex, I did not dare to fight back. He would bring a machete and hold it against me—it was beyond terrifying.
With the second ex, I tried defending myself and even striking back at first, but he just hit me harder and harder. He flew into a rage whenever his body was hurt—it was like he sought to destroy whoever hurt him. I do not quite know whether it was the anger or something else, but despite his stature, he was much more powerful when he was beating me up. I was overpowered and I could not fight back”. This is not isolated to Lisa’s personal situation. When posts go viral on social media, or when news media reports about IPV, many comments sound like a broken record: Stupid, why not leave them from the beginning? Why do you just stay with them for a long time? 19
“It always upsets me when people ask these things. Most of the people who commented such things have never experienced what I and other survivors went through. There is always a reason why someone cannot just leave their partner so easily—often times, it was manipulation that bound one to another very deeply. In my case, I have my own issues—I could not be alone, and they made use of that. They made me feel worthless and that whatever they do to me, I still need them. They threw me down to my lowest point and made me believe that no one else would ever want me”, Lisa answered, again highlighting the nature of victim-blaming and habit of nitpicking whatever the victim did or did not do. She noticed that people—strangers, internet users, friends—only saw the tip of the iceberg, yet are quick to judge and to leave comments that has potential to further anguish the already physically and emotionally traumatized victims. “I do not want to be pitied”, she said very sternly, “I want people to learn from my experience”. Prior to this, Lisa had mentioned many times to me about how she had hoped no one would ever have to go through such abuses. She had agreed to the interview to share her experience to shed light to the issue—but above all, she wanted to stop the cycle, so that what happened to her will not happen to anyone else. “Find someone who loves you and treasures you, who knows how much you mean to them from the very beginning. If someone really loves you, they will not even dare to think of hurting you— it would never cross their mind at all. There is no such thing as an ‘accident’. If they hit you once, they will do it again. If you are stuck in an abusive relationship, know that no matter how many times they say they will change, they will never do. No one can change overnight, and even if they do change, it can only be done with the help of a professional, not sheer willpower. Hitting is not love. Please, you are precious. If they do not respect you, leave them—remember to always put yourself and your happiness first”, she remarked. Lisa’s experience has inspired me to write this article. When I was a teenager, I thought that abusive partners were a thing of the big screens—that they were so rare, I would never have bumped into them even if I were to look for them. For many of us, this mindset is still tightly stuck in our heads. We perceive abusive relationships as a distant misfortune that would never hit us even once, yet it is closer to us than we think—if the statistics show that at least one out of three women have been abused, then, that makes up a large chunk of our circle of closest friends and loved one. In such, I share the same vision with Lisa: this is a problem, and problems do not resolve themselves.
Lisa and Alice’s experience is not a made-up fictional story, nor it is exaggerated for dramatization— these are real stories of real people, not fictional characters on a screen.
20
In Indonesia alone, there are at least 40 million Lisas and Alices—almost twice the population of Australia and eight times the population of Norway—each of them trying to find peace, console, and justice in their own ways, and the numbers keep increasing in the face of the pandemic. This is the shadow pandemic—one that has no vaccine and no medicines. The only cure to it is to work hand-in-hand and fight for a better system—to fight for proper police intervention, to fight for trauma and emotional counselling, and to fight for a proper regulation. The National Commission on Violence Against Women recorded a massive increase of reports of 68% concerning violence against women during the pandemic compared to 2019—and these are only the cases that are reported. Thousands of others chose to remain silent like Lisa, but the question that we must ask ourselves is why— not to Lisa, but to ourselves and to the justice system.
Perhaps, in exploring these endless questions of why, we will find the answer in Alice’s experience.
21
UNDERSTANDING THE SIGNIFICANCES AND CHANGES IN DIPLOMACY THROUGH INDONESIA’S AMBASSADOR IN VENEZUELA
By Chiara Farahangiz Samandari
22
Venezuela is a multi-crisis country. They have been facing economic, political, and social crises within the past year—the economic crisis initially caused by inflation was then exaggerated by Western sanctions, consequently leading to a hyperinflation, whilst a power struggle between the government and the opposition has exacerbated the situation. As the circumstances worsen, by 2021, six million Venezuelans have no other choice but to leave the country through both, legal and illegal means to neighboring countries such as Colombia, Chile, and Brazil – prompting social frictions and xenophobia in host countries. Even so, the turmoil Venezuela is facing does not affect the good bilateral relationship between Indonesia and Venezuela, as mutual visits, cooperation, and agreements are constantly done. Recently, both countries signed an MoU to establish a Political Consultation Mechanism during the 60th Non-Alignment Movement (NAM) anniversary. Indonesia’s ambassador to Venezuela, who is accredited to Trinidad & Tobago, Grenada, St. Lucia, Dominica, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines – H.E. Imam Edy Mulyono – explained that in being a representative of Indonesia, there are five diplomatic functions that must be fulfilled based on the 1961 Vienna Convention, namely:
23
5
INDONESIA’S DIPLOMATIC FUNCTIONS IN VENEZUELA
1. Representing
Ambassadors and diplomats do not only represent their country in conferences, ceremonies or diplomatic receptions, but must also be well-mannered and possess good interpersonal skills.
2. Negotiating
Ambassadors and diplomats should be able to negotiate with the government and other stakeholders to achieve a consensus that serves their interests.
3. Promoting Ambassadors and diplomats are also required to promote good economic and sociocultural relations not only to the government of the host country but also to stakeholders involved. Indonesia, through the Indonesian Embassy in Caracas, alongside actively promoting Indonesian culture and tourism, recently hosted a meet and greet session with Venezuelan entrepreneurs to discuss opportunities in trade and investment.
4. Reporting
Representatives should report to their home country. The Indonesian embassy in Caracas serves this function by routinely reporting to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other stakeholders with respect to political, security, economical, and socio-cultural issues as well as its development in host countries.
5. Protecting
Ambassadors and diplomats also protect the national interest of the sending state. One of the priorities of Indonesia’s foreign policy in the period of 2019 to 2024, as an example, is to place a particular attention and protection on overseas workers.
In addition, His Excellency then reminded that language is the weapon in diplomacy and for that reason, mastering foreign languages, particularly the six official languages of the United Nations, such as Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish, is of paramount importance in carrying diplomatic duties. This includes, for instance, understanding basic conversations and phrases. Even simply having the basic knowledge of a language, perhaps by knowing how to say ‘hello’, ‘good afternoon’, or ‘thank you’ reflect one’s willingness to learn and respect other cultures, thus paving the way for further communication, persuasion, and negotiation. The world today, however – being a world that always advances forward – has introduced new ways of practicing diplomacy and factors that impact it. The ambassador introduced fast development of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and the emergence of nonstate actors as progressive factors that allows for the existence of virtual diplomacy and public diplomacy, respectively.
24
“ the growing participation of non-State actors marks the change of international politics.” Whilst the former utilizes technology and cyberspace to conduct diplomacy, such as by having virtual business forums as Latin American and Caribbean countries have been doing with Indonesia through the INALAC forum, the latter aims to influence public opinion and attitudes of actors in other states. In this case, Indonesia utilizes its vast network of exchange students to promote Indonesian culture to other countries. In addition, diplomatic actors these days also make use of social networking sites to engage with both, the domestic audience and most importantly, with foreign audience, providing information, sharing their experiences, and promoting their home countries. The function of ambassadors and diplomats has indeed grown far beyond the ones listed in the Vienna Convention – as it has also turned out, citizens too, today, hold great significance to public diplomacy and thus are ambassadors themselves. As His Excellency, Imam Eddy Mulyono, remarked, the growing participation of non-State actors marks the change of international politics.
25
26
COVID-19 has undoubtedly changed the way we interact with others – especially with friends who we used to always hung together with. The pandemic has now forced all of us to stay at home and adhere to the government-mandated health protocols. On the positive side, however, the pandemic situation in Indonesia appears to be getting better recently, with a decrease in positive active cases from July to November 2021. Even Jakarta, by November 9, has a current positivity rate of 0,5 per cent, less than the WHO maximum safe limit of 5 per cent. We still remember the moment the virus first appeared in Indonesia in March 2020 – all of a sudden, our lives were turned upside down by official announcements of large-scale social restrictions. Massive groups of people flocked to buy medical masks, hand sanitizers, vitamins, and other medications in enormous quantities – also known as a panic buying. In fact, until today there are people that hoard vital necessities and resell them at a higher price. People in Indonesia were overly paranoid at the start of the pandemic due to the lack of knowledge regarding the COVID-19 virus. The unfortunate fact is that, prior to the pandemic starting in Indonesia, people had a very careless attitude – they ignored how dangerous this virus was, and some even made a joked about it because the virus had yet entered Indonesia compared to other countries that had imposed a full lockdown at the time.
2020 WAS ONE OF THE WORST YEARS OF MANY Perhaps, many of us had no idea that the pandemic would still go on until this very second. Various activities that we were used to doing outside of our homes had to be done at home now, virtually. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, many plans must be cancelled and reconsidered because we are advised not to meet each other. As we have not seen each other in a long time, our interactions with friends become intermittent or perhaps we do not meet at all. 27
CHANGE OF BEHAVIOR This has made it difficult for us to interact with one another. We realized that in the two years since the COVID-19 pandemic, we may have changed into someone else. The way we behave towards our friends, as well as changes in our habits that emerged or disappeared during the pandemic, may have an impact on our loved ones who are unaware of our current conditions. Of course, for many, staying in contact with those closest to us can be solved with social media.
THE CYBERSPACE The cyberspace, including social media, has become our main way to cope with the pandemic. We are now more active there than ever as a result of staying at home almost all the time – and this includes reading news sites. Yet, fake news is uncontrollably propagated and disseminated alongside misleading headlines—both of which can cause feelings of insecurity, anxiety, or even misunderstanding of the content. Whilst the cyberspace can benefit us, it seems that its benefits last only for a very short term—perhaps for only one or two months. It does not solve the fluctuations of emotions we experience throughout the pandemic – anxiety, anger, sadness, overthinking, and maybe even depression.
FEELINGS MANAGEMENT Managing our feelings is highly important as stress has an impact on every aspect of our body. When our stress level is high, our chances of getting sick increase significantly. We try to manage these feelings by attempting to reconnect with our family at home, but we are still more occupied with time-consuming work, our studies, and other activities. For some of us, we are closer with our friends than our families despite living under the same roof because of the amount of activity we spend with them, online or offline. This pandemic is, thus, also a wake-up call to be more honest with ourselves and to try to open our hearts to family from here – discussing and sharing stories as well as experiences with our parents, brothers, sisters, wife, husband, or even children. Most of us are tired of this situation and want to get out of the house so we can travel and explore new places. We miss the crowd that usually surrounds us, where the situation feels more alive and meaningful to us. Yet, we have managed to survive in this situation so far.
28
The majority of us are perhaps nervous about seeing our friends again – perhaps we feel awkward around people after not meeting people for so long, and so, if I may give some advice, we should start by seeing friends that are closest to us too in this new normal era, where we can continue our normal activities, but with masks and applying a distance of two meters between each other. Indeed, it can feel weird in certain situations, such as when a pair of lovers is trying to walk together but the distance between them is rather large, or when one visits a supermarket and hearing someone cough within a crowd, prompting one to leave the place immediately, but the policy has effectively helped reduce the transmission of the virus. The situation in Indonesia is currently getting better. Since July 2021, the daily case and deaths have decreased. Many red zones in Indonesia’s various regions have begun to transition to green or safe zones – we can finally breathe a sigh of relief.
In the end, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed us into someone different. We must face the fact that the pandemic ruins many, many moments of our togetherness. We can only connect with each other via social media, which, for many of us, is less fun than meeting up over a cup of coffee. We have dealt with our own sets of issues as well as the burdens on our shoulders—when the situation becomes better, we will once again be strengthened.
29
Self Help "Life should be touched, not strangled. You've got to relax, let it happen at times, and at other move forward with it."
YOU’RE ABOUT TO ENTER SELF HELP SECTION
image: pinterest (edited)
Being
Mindful
Towards
Ourselves &Towards Others During COVID-19 Pandemic by Risqi Sofy Dwi Cahyani
[1] for more than a year, the COVID-19 pandemic has been dominating the news, capturing our minds, stoking our concerns, and triggering, stirring up, or heightening a wide variety of emotions in ways that were unexpected to many of us at the time. It has been wreaking havoc on our lives. [2] it has resulted in the loss of life, the disruption of livelihoods, and severe influence on education today. [3] feeling overwhelmed by a lockdown, as well as making the adjustment to completely adapt to e-learning or working from home, can be challenging. Amidst the global pandemic, we have all had to alter our ways of living and doing our jobs. [4] healthcare employees may be overburdened, overworked, afraid, struggling to balance their time between work and home. Patients who already suffer from anxiety, stress, or mental health problems may feel overwhelmed by the prospect of experiencing additional concern or terror.
31
[5] people who abuse substances may become increasingly reliant on anything they can get their hands on to fulfil their addictions. Caregivers may be burdened with an additional load of work. Children and young adults have lost connection to the learning environment they were used to and facilities offered by school, while also facing their own anxieties and fears in their own because of the lack of assistance from sources other than their own family. [6] older individuals have struggled managing themselves and their needs, and may have lost not just external assistance, but they may also have the idea that once one reaches a certain age one is deemed as fragile and no longer valuable. Now, let us throw financial and employment volatility into the equation, and we have a social structure that is under threat. [7] however, despite the hopelessness, dread, and worries, there have been glimpses of a society in which there is a greater feeling of solidarity and compassion. It is normal to feel worried and scared, but prolonged stress may have a negative impact on our mental health and emotional wellbeing. Therefore, the importance of looking after our mental health is equal to that of looking after our physical health.
being healthy is more than simply physical – it begins in the mind. With all the chaos that surrounds us, it may be difficult to recognize the silver lining, or the positive aspects of the most difficult situations.
the present moment is an excellent opportunity to stand back and take a deep breath. One of my favourite quotes about breathing originates from a Vietnamese monk named Thich Nhat Hanh, who once stated that “feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor”.
32
[10] indeed, breathing is the most effective tool for bringing us out of our swirling, worrying thoughts and getting us back into our senses. Additionally, we may bring our attention back to the things we are listening to right now, or to the feeling of a light breeze touching our skins and fingers, while walking outside and looking at the sun. This is the act of returning to our senses in our body, which assists us in returning to the present. If your thoughts begin to wander, simply recognize that they have done so, accept that they have done so, and bring your focus back to your breathing pattern. That was a basic example of mindfulness – stress-reduction method that can involve a simple sort of meditation or a variety of other ways that help you slow down and be present in the present moment.
[11] mindfulness is a method that may be an excellent daily practice in alleviating worries and anxiety. Take a few minutes to reflect on the things you are thankful for. Know, that much of what is happening right now is beyond our control, which led us to feel overwhelmed – this type of feeling is usually followed by immense thoughts such as what if or if only. [12] put those ideas aside for a split second and try to forget about them. Take a few deep breaths in and out many times. It is possible for us all to practice mindfulness, by paying attention to our experience of the present moment, which includes acknowledging our emotions and thoughts. Some of our experiences are enjoyable, while others are painful, or at least unpleasant to us. Rather than responding negatively to our experiences, mindfulness encourages us to create wiser, more compassionate outcomes while dealing, especially with the current pandemic, which comes with a high degree of uncertainty about the future.
[14] mindfulness also teaches us how to continue in the most compassionate way possible, both towards ourselves and towards others. Even though we are all in this together, it is vital to remember that each of us has their own sets of circumstances.
[15] we have all gone through the same storm, but we have not all been in the same boat. It is impossible to precisely know who, for instance, has underprivileged family members, which may be under higher risk of danger, or which already struggle with depression and hence are exposed to uncertainties and severe anxiety. Therefore, it is more important than ever to be kind and understanding.
once we understand what we can control and what we cannot, we will be able to distinguish between the two more clearly. 33
[16] all in all, the pandemic’s influence on people’s well-being will be with us for a long time. It may be important to recall that everyone is impacted by the coronavirus issue and that they may feel more worried and irritated than they did before the pandemic. The practice of being mindful towards others can be done by listening to one another’s concerns and caring for oneself, focusing on what draws us together and what we hope to see in the upcoming years. For many people, contentment and normality will return rather quickly. Some people will take far longer to heal than others, particularly those who have lost families, jobs, or other important aspects of their own existence. This year has taught us that in the next several years of recovery, we are required to deliberately begin creating a future based on mindfulness, compassion, and sincerity.
34
Dealing with mental health – and issues related to such – has always been and will always be a great challenge for university students. One’s mental health is incredibly important, and even in the online-learning era, it should always be nothing short of a priority. Yet, it is a big problem for many students, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
FIRST
with a worldwide pandemic, mental health and how it may deteriorate is the least of the government’s concern. The fact that social mobility is now limited may cause students that suffer from mental health problems to feel isolated, scared, and alone in facing their problems. Feelings of loneliness cannot be fought unless it is one’s own will, which grows from a journey of healing. Recovery starts with the courage to speak up and to seek help, yet garnering the strength and valor to do that is no easy task. From my own experience, I know how difficult it is to open up to other people. Perhaps you think you are ready – but when the moment comes, you face a lot of hesitation, or you question whether the person is trustworthy or not; how the person will react; or maybe even you feel embarrassed and ashamed. If you have taken this first step, you should know that you are a very brave person and that you are stronger than you think.
SECOND
on top of loneliness and feelings of isolation, expectations that students have of their own selves may also be one of the triggers of mental health problems. Every student who comes to university has their own hopes and dreams they want to achieve. Some focus more on hands-on experience, some focus more on joining organizations, and others focus more on their academic studies, depending on the paths they want to go on in the future. Whilst expectations can keep students motivated, it can also push them to work themselves out too hard, turning it into pressure instead. If these expectations are not attained, then they will put even more pressure on themselves. For me, in my first and second semester, I pushed myself to get a lot of good grades – not to please my parents, but for my own personal satisfaction, as prior to entering university, I was not the brightest student. 35
IS IT WORTH IT? FINALLY Getting A-scores in many university subjects made me feel good about myself and I wanted to keep it going, so in the process, I neglected myself. I understand that expectations are the one that wakes us up in the morning and helps us survive doing whatever we have to during the day, but is it worth sacrificing our mental health?
I would like to share a technique that I used facing anxiety – the mindfulness technique. Some of you may already be familiar with this technique, but for others who are new to this, in short, mindfulness is a meditative cognitive behavioral method that helps you to focus more on your surroundings and to live in the moment, and it can be done anywhere, anytime. Some of the predominant issues for people This pandemic forces us to learn from home who suffer from anxiety are overthinking where we spend countless hours in front of and constant negative thinking, and thus, this our laptops, interacting merely with moving technique specifically aims to redirect your images on a flat screen. Considering the attention to redirect your attention and regain circumstances, I have just laid out, I think it control over your mind. There are many forms is wise to reconsider or even reduce our own of mindfulness exercises, but one form that I expectations. Nonetheless, the only person has personally find effective is paying attention. the right to decide how much expectation you It might sound like an easy, no-brainer thing want to carry on your shoulders is yourself – to do, but in reality, it is very difficult. Paying and only yourself. If you feel good and you are attention means to slow down in everything capable, then you should carry on. If you feel that we are doing and to concentrate. For that you are starting to struggle, there is always example, when eating, try to fully enjoy your time and it is completely okay to choose a meal and feel the different textures of it. When you put on your clothes try to feel the way the different path. fabric touches your skin. Is the fabric soft? Is it made of linen, cotton, or polyester? When you do all these things, remember to do it without fear of judgment or stress. The idea of this mediation is to release the pentup stress and anxiety in your mind. At first, it might be challenging, wearisome, or even infuriating because we are used to having our mind ceaselessly thinking, but the more you do it, you will be more and more familiar with it.
36
37
BY RA YA 39
DA KO TA
40
By Raya Dakota 41
Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, many aspects of daily life required change and adaption to a technology-reliant lifestyle. One evident example are those events that were brought to you by the IULI International Relations Students’ Organization, or Himpunan Mahasiswa Hubungan Internasional (IULI). Consequently, we had to rely on social media and other online platforms as venues for events we planned to do, and eventually decided to initiate the so-called Weekly HI programme and Instagram live events. Both required nothing less than the amazing wonders of technology and the internet. Our very first release of the Weekly HI programme dates to April, earlier this year, when we covered three stories per week, including the case of George Floyd, the demise of the Indonesian submarine KRI Nanggala-402, and the case of Myanmar’s junta chief after a coup d’état. Weekly HI was initiated as one of the main routines that would be posted on the HIMAHI Instagram feed, covering stories and latest news in the field of International Relations. Weekly HI aimed at the creation of more insights for International Relations students. Furthermore, the programme turned out to be a great opportunity for HIMAHI members to furtherly improve their knowledges and skillsets gained through regular academic activities. We continued to provide audience with 10 different stories and cases after the first week of April 2021, featuring a wide coverage of topics, ranging from India’s pandemic-induced oxygen crisis to the 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis.
43
Going back to the Instagram live events mentioned earlier, HIMAHI has been a dominant advocate of mental health at the IULI campus – thus specifically with regards to mental health amidst university life. The choice of such should not be surprising, considering the stressful pressure that university life may bring with it during the pandemic – with technological shortcomings, online-classes, lack of social life and many other issues that have drastically impacted student life.
44
Our Instagram live events continued throughout the span of five days within one week, featuring posts, intended to raise awareness about just how important mental health is and mini-podcast under themes of Overworking = Burnout and Trying To Control Yourself. Another topic covered by us worth mentioning, went under the title of Underlying Symptoms of Social Anxiety, which in fact would render the main topic of the main event to follow later that week. This main event – hosted and moderated on our digital platform on Instagram – was attended by our guest speaker, Miss Devi Sani, M.Psi., child and adolescent clinical psychologist. As hoped, the event provided its attendees and Miss Devi with a wonderful opportunity to have a fruitful and deeper discussion on what social anxiety is and how we should engage the people who have it or how we should take care of ourselves if we have it. Looking back at this event and a year full of turmoil, we are looking forward to 2022, which hopefully provides us with more creative and innovative opportunities to shape the world of International Relations and student life at the IULI campus.
45
BY ANDI BINTANG BRAMASTHA
AN AVERAGE JOE REVIEW As we are continuing our second year of the pandemic, films have become the primary source of entertainment during these trying times. The film industry – much like other businesses – was greatly impacted by the pandemic. However, now as we are progressing through this, theaters have once again become available to most, meaning that we can finally get back to the full experience of watching movies in a theater! This year has been a comeback for the entertainment industry, with postponed films finally coming out and new ones as well. At this point, superhero flicks are the go-to films for most with their growing popularity ever since Marvel blasted off the Marvel Cinematic Universe – also known as the MCU. Though some might find the genre repetitive, the others still enjoy it, nonetheless.
46
This year, Marvel released the standalone film Black Widow. Our beloved ex-Russian spy is back after we departed with her on Avengers: Endgame. When one is an ordinary human amongst gods, it may be difficult to stand out— however, in this film, the viewers got to see a more humane side of the character, which, in return, makes her departure more meaningful. In addition, it might be the first Marvel film that does not really feel like a typical Marvel film – in a good way. The first fifteen minutes of the film have an action-spy vibe to it, which slowly transitions to a contemporary Marvel film afterwards. In a cinematic universe filled with countless of characters, it might appear difficult to create and show a memorable character, but in the case of Black Widow, the film has, in fact, successfully introduced what people might call a fan favorite (in the Red Guardian portrayed by David Harbour), whilst at the same time contributing to future plot despite being a prequel. There seems to be a recurring theme of family in this film as it was seen in Scarlett Johansson’s portrayal of Natasha Romanoff in Avengers: Endgame, though there is an added essence of vulnerability within the character’s newest appearance. In short, Black Widow brings a unique narrative in contrast to traditional MCU films, whilst providing the audience with an appropriate prequel to its character as the MCU is heading towards future projects and new frontiers. 47
Various blockbusters such as Harry Potter and The Lord of The Rings are deemed good examples of perfect book-to-screen adaptation. In 2021, another example of a successful adaptation has made its way to the big screen: Dune. Admittedly, I arrived in the theater with no prior knowledge whatsoever about its lore, and yet it quickly became a personal sciencefiction favorite. Aside from the stacked casts, one factor of the film that really elevated it was the costumes – the costumes were amazing, adding more sophistication to its already pleasing cinematography. One thing that viewers might find unpleasing is that the film is essentially a set-up to its massive lore, hence why the pacing feel rather slow – however, it might pay off in its sequel and a potential, future franchise. Some sciencefiction masterpieces and shows have problems establishing their lore for viewers, yet in Dune, the lore is relatively understandable, whilst at the same time not ending up in shallow waters – something we should celebrate, considering what happened to the Star Wars franchise, which like many other science-fiction shows
and films is based upon integral elements of the original Dune novel from 1965. Dune is about to bring the audience to explore the vast world it has so far been establishing with only brief glimpses of a cinematic universe that remains largely undiscovered, yet forever enshrined in Frank Herbert’s legendary books. Its vastness and resourcefulness have been described by many as the Lord of the Rings of science-fiction. However, the Dune novels should better be labelled as an anti-thesis of The Lord of the Rings, since its motives capture the story of an anti-hero, the darkness of humans and their cruelty, whilst The Lord of the Rings wishes to establish the positive side and ‘warmth’ of humanity – even in darkest times. Dune, the film – being a bright star in the cinematic universe of 2021 – therefore awaits us with unexpected darkness. All in all, with the established lineup of casts bringing life to their characters along with its visually pleasing cinematography and costumes, this film is certainly one of the best blockbusters released in 2021 and recent years overall – and with this in mind, I keep the fingers crossed for a full recovery of cinema in 2022 and hopes for even more to come.
48
49
HI!Folks M A G A Z I N E
We would like to hear from you; please send your feedback and contributions to us by email hifolks.magazine@gmail.com
