Archive of English and Indonesian Articles
(including PDF files)
Decline of pluralism, a cause for concern?
by Jennie S. Bev Indonesia is a pluralistic country, and it shows how people of different religions and ethnic groups can live side-by-side in harmony. The Indonesian brand of Islam is generally considered to be moderate and liberal. However, a survey conducted by the...
This election, a little Socrates for debate
by Jennie S. Bev Prior to Socrates (469-399 BC), there were the Monists and the Sophists. While the Monists subscribed to superstitious primitive beliefs, the Sophists were much more sophisticated. They taught and philosophized. Above all, they were well-versed in the...
Martin Luther King, jr lives on with new White House
by Jennie S. Bev On Jan. 19, 2009, Martin Luther King, Jr. would have been 80 years old. His hair would have been all gray and his hardships would have been marked with deep wrinkles on his face. And he would have been the proudest person on earth to see the first...
Fighting crimes against humanity
by Jennie S. Bev Wednesday was the 60th anniversary of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We have come a long way from the first legal system, which was Hammurabi’s Code; to the universal concept of jus gentium; to the Magna Carta; to the first...
Writing for an imaginary homeland
by Jennie S. Bev Everything starts with words. Throughout history, every individual of any degree of importance in society has had at least one book and multiple short pieces written by, inspired by, or dedicated to him or her. Every major event and phenomenon is...
Life’s impermanence and momentary motherhood
by Jennie S. Bev Life is a series of impermanence. People and things come and go. There are hellos and goodbyes throughout our lifetime. But the most painful goodbye for a woman is the death of her child, either born or unborn. I did not realize how painful it was...
The politics of compassion
by Jennie S. Bev This November marks the 10th year commemoration of the 1998 Semanggi Tragedy I, which occurred on Nov. 11-13, 1998, which caused 17 deaths. Almost one year later, Semanggi Tragedy II occurred on Sept. 24, 1999, resulting in one death and 217 injuries....
Terminator’s lessons in leadership
by Jennie S. Bev I was invited to attend an annual presentation by the 38th governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, as organized by The Commonwealth Club, a public affairs forum, at the historical Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco last month. Beyond my...
Screening political soaps
by Jennie S. Bev If life were show business, then politics must have been a soap opera with twists and turns as well as climaxes and anti-climaxes found in Greek tragedies. The only difference is all scenes and chapters are reality and directly affect our well-being....
Hope from Silicon Valley
by Jennie S. Bev In September I attended a presentation by a group of distinguished movers and shakers in the region and by Silicon Valley Joint Venture Network’s President and CEO Russell Hancock. In the midst of a bleak economy, those who reside in...
Jennie M. Xue is an award-winning author and a bilingual columnist based in Northern California. She writes in English and Indonesian and is known as one of the most prolific Indonesia-born bilingual authors and columnists. Her English-only site and writing portfolio is JenniferXue.com.
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