Jakarta, IO – By giving thanks to the presence of Rabbi Allah Subhanahu wataála and conveying greetings and prayers to the chief of Allah’s messengers, Muhammad Sallallaahu álaihi wassalam, along with his family, friends, followers and God willing, all of us, the author is happy to be able to meet dear readers again in the year. This is by reissuing KATULISTIWA (Kumpulan Artikel akTUaLISasi dan ikhTIar jiWA – a Collection of Actualization and Writings of Soul Endeavors).
The book “KATULISTIWA” contains a collection of writings (in English and Indonesian) about the technical and intellectual experiences of the sons and daughters of the Indonesian nation (intellectual exercises) which are cross-sectoral (intermestic) and held in the form of discussion forums, face-to-face sessions and workshops, by presenting the empirical experiences of speakers and technicians from Indonesia, in various technical fields, before foreign participants. The notes on technical activities presented in this article are very concise and practical, so that readers are expected to continue to explore and deepen their substance from the technical sources. As is the nature of this book, it is an introductory volume.
Dear readers, it is important to know that this intellectual activity was carried out in the period 2021 to the end of 2022, when nations in the world and in Indonesia were facing the dynamics of the spread and impact of the deadly COVID-19 virus. Meanwhile, when the epidemic began to recede, the world was faced with unilateral and anomalous attitudes and policies created by the leaders of the world’s big countries (superpowers) which had sparked and resulted in non-natural disasters in the form of war which had burdened the world community during the period. it’s a war between Russia and Ukraine; Israel’s Act of Genocide against the Palestinian People; narrow sectarian conflicts in South Asia and the African continent, even in Southeast Asia itself, there was the tragedy of the expulsion of the Rohingya ethnic group by the leadership of the Myanmar junta, in addition to natural disasters that occurred in various parts of the world, both medium to large scale.
What magnifies and encourages us as Indonesians is that in the midst of this concern, various elements of the Indonesian nation continue to face these challenges with a persistent and diligent attitude in order to produce an applicable activity product which is expected to minimize the negative impacts of war/conflict events and the spread of the Covid 19 virus, while striving to create conditions that are more conducive to interaction and cooperation between nations in various fields. In other words, we continue to work to manage existing world challenges into positive opportunities for cooperation between nations that can encourage creativity and productivity, as well as employment opportunities for communities in the world.
The author is also grateful that with the existence of information technology and adequate resources, the empirical experience of the nation’s children can be conveyed through virtual/digital/online means, while in certain cases it is done in person or a hybrid configuration.
As a state civil servant under the auspices of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and serving as a diplomat, the author tries as much as possible to participate in carrying out what has been mandated in the preamble to the 1945 Constitution, paragraph 4, namely contributing to creating world peace, increasing the intelligence and welfare of the nation and encourage cooperation that provides benefits for Indonesia and friendly countries.
It is in this context that the author, during his assignment period in his homeland and at Indonesian representatives abroad, continues to strive to maintain friendship and explore as much information as possible regarding the needs of the people of a given region while at the same time also understanding the capacity of the Indonesian people, so that they can be brought together to provide mutual benefits.
The author feels that sources of information both from within the country and from abroad constitute a circle of information that needs to be continuously managed, so that technically and substantively it can be combined into a technical activity which is expected to open up opportunities for the dissemination of Indonesia’s best experiences, which can open up markets for Indonesian exports and boost Indonesia’s image more positively in the international world.
In particular, in this book entitled KATULISIWA, the author attempts to generate feelings/intuition that foster enthusiasm in readers to participate in and explore the situation of the social/surrounding environment, including optimal experiences of the community or local institutions, in order to be used as material to strengthen the interaction of Indonesian society at large, in both national and international spheres. In this book, we attempt to present a simple discussion of community empowerment issues related to environmental and social health; dissemination of science and technology in the field of fisheries and marine affairs; aspects of empowering people with special needs, managing library resources as a source of literacy based on social inclusion, professionalism of young people who are interning within government institutions; the best experience from aviation education institutions to a touch of psychology based on appreciation of religious values, as reflected in the celebration of holidays and the anniversary of the nation’s independence.
Therefore, what is presented in the book “KATULISTIWA” is the author’s effort to bring readers closer to the social environment in the sphere, both when they are in/on duty and when they have managed to become an instrument of relationship and cooperation that can bring various elements of the nation closer together, both in the context of people-to-people contacts, government with government or international organizations, private institutions and non-governmental organizations with their partners and various levels in society which are constitutionally worthy and competent subjects to become actors in international relations.
In the end, the author would like to express his highest thanks and prayers to my parents (who have passed away) for everything in my life, my extended family and my wife who have encouraged the author to always do the best for the benefit of the community, to the teaching staff, leaders and colleagues. work at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and colleagues at Indonesian Representatives Abroad where the author has served (Tunisia, India, Saudi Arabia and Libya) as well as Indonesian communities abroad (Tunisia and Libya), colleagues from various Ministries and Institutions in other matters, resource persons, technicians from ulama/Clerics from Indonesia and friendly countries and of course the publishers who have collaborated and helped the emergence of the KATULISTIWA, including media partners, both electronic and print, who have made it possible for the author’s articles to be published in English-language online dailies and print and online tabloids published in Indonesia such as Mina News, The Independent Observer and English-language print dailies published in Libya, namely, the Libya Observer.
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The author hopes that all information related to the actualization and writing contained in the book “KATULISTIWA” can be a friend and reference for various groups to jointly explore and explore their own capacities and the environment, and always be open to interacting and exchanging the best experiences with the world community for the best for the Indonesian nation and state.
This hope is increasingly being raised when we are currently witnessing and hearing about the threat of war in the Middle East following various legacy problems created by Israel against the Palestinian people and due to Israel’s attack on the Iranian Embassy in Syria. At the same time, we witness flash floods in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, a city that was seen as far from disaster, but the floods have paralyzed strategic areas. Of course, we are very saddened to witness the loss of innocent victims who have sparked retaliatory attacks by world nations who have been hurt by Israel and also for the victims of the natural disasters above. May peace in the region be maintained.