#LEADSTAND: The Importance of Ecological Vision
Hi there, welcome to my first post that I would like to announce it with hashtag #LEADSTAND or LEADERSHIP UNDERSTANDING. #LEADSTAND will be help you and me to reflect my journey as leader, manager, coordinator, all of experiences that push me to generate policy and take the control of chaos situation. #LEADSTAND will help readers found the meaning of being responsible as leader. Hope you enjoy my first examination about ecological vision.
When my boss in previous office appointed me to move and live abroad in East Kalimantan at the end of 2018, I was disappointed. I felt guilty to left my tasks in Jakarta as general coordinator of young writers community named Agenda18. Those days I was busy not only because of my daily occupation as journalist but also my responsibility managed some organizations focusing on media literacy against radicalism.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t against those decision. It were made by my editor and highs up structure of my office. They said, it was a part of development program for journalists, so I had to explored it since I had the offer. Chance of moved abroad not only create new perspective of people outside Java, particularly Jakarta as my birth town, but I could learn how to managed branch office. Then, I agreed to take the challenges.
Obviously, my colleagues and closer friends were disappointed with my decision, but, as someone who love exploring new things and never stop learning, I knew it was one chance of a life time, and it gain my capacity as journalist also future leader (I wish). I believe good leader should lead themselves before lead people. So, I was sure it wasn’t wasting my time as I feared for the first time.
When I touched down in Balikpapan, I started understanding the city by walked around from my office to the harbor. I took selfie for my own collection of course, and I sent it to my family using WhatsApp, just to made them envious of my experience coming up.
Balikpapan known as source of mining in Indonesia. East Kalimantan one of the biggest and richest province in Indonesia. This province is in top three biggest contributor of Indonesian GDP. I couldn’t lie that I love Balikpapan because the vibe is quiet and intense with nature. You can see mountains and sea through your eyes. Geographically, Balikpapan near ocean and strait that connected to Sulawesi Island. No wonder, if half of people in Balikpapan are migrant from South Sulawesi and West Sulawesi, which both are nearest province to Balikpapan.
Less than a month, my editor chosen me to be in charged on in depth report about Balikpapan. As the newcomer of this region, I realized that my lack experience will not benefit me. How could I accept my editors demand? I tried to search more details about problems in this place, and I found the newest problem in Balikpapan was about flood and it related to the fact that Balikpapan defeated by Bontang City and Surabaya City on Adipura Award, one of the prestigious award for regional government on environmental management.
Based on the research, I created a report about the causes of flood, and I also put the history of Balikpapan as a background and supported evidence. I was comfortable with my new position, that encouraged me to dig more and searching for any kind of issues that need to be solved. Due my time in Balikpapan, I entered journalism journalism workshop by Alliances of Independent Journalists Indonesia as participant. Surprisingly, like a blessing in disguise, my proposal for reporting was accepted and I got fellowship on Sustainability Reporting. Fortunately, this fellowship helped me on creating report about the new oil refinery of Pertamina. I tried a different angle, not only mentioned the development progress but I focused on the impact of the refinery to quality of the water in Balikpapan that people used on daily life.
After three months lived in Balikpapan, my editor picked me moved to Samarinda, the capital city of East Kalimantan. Honestly, I was disappointed because my comfort zone in Balikpapan just began, but suddenly, I should let it go. I kept saying to myself, ‘It’s Ok, It’s Life just face it bravely!”
As I hoped, my next journey in Samarinda wasn’t that bad. It brought me learnt more about the coal mining business as the core business in Samarinda, specifically in Mahakam River that use as transportation route on distributed the coal. Mahakam River and the coal boat became my daily vision and I used to enjoy it rather than complaint it.
Not only Samarinda, I explored Berau which near Tanjung Selor, capital city of North Kalimantan Province. I spent 3 days, 2 night in beautiful beach spots, Derawan dan Maratua. Both are icons of East Kalimantan tourism sector and has been develop to be the future source of GDP.
On rest of my official duty in EAST Kalimantan, I spared time and went to Sangatta in East Kutai. I also went toNational Park of Kutai just to saw with my naked eyes the origin Orangutan of Kalimantan. I also went to saw coal mining development area, which due my duty, I had reported cases of deaths cause of left mine pit.
Last but not least, absolutely I continue reported government plans developing Indonesia new national capital city which already been pointed in East Kalimantan. We still assume there are three possibilities location of new capital city; between Balikpapan-Samarinda, Kutai Kertanegara, or North Penajam Paser.
Chance of lived in East Kalimantan build me a new motto of life, especially as a leader. Due my experiences there, I learn by example about the true meaning of ‘ethics of care’. During Presidential Election 2019, environmental issues were trending, and citizen were hoping the changes. There was only one way to fix those environmental challenges in Benua Etam such as’; forest burning, flood, and most importantly climate change as the impact. It called as ‘ethics of care to our nature.’
Ethics of care as principle might didn’t enough to fix the complexity of our society. It might take longer time that we expected, so, patience and resilience also the requirements of starting a solution. However, I am convinced that Indonesia need leaders who has ecological thoughts and ethics of care as a based paradigm before they make a public policy. This reflection has been put in my heart as my motivation to study abroad learning media and development. I am hoping for your pray, so I can make it next year, fellas!
To conclude, I can say the lack of ethics of care to mother nature has been creating a long-term challenges and problems. If the leaders only think about improvement without sustainability, then no wonder if there were no hope to help our world to be a better place to live. Shall we switch our planet from Earth to Mars?
