Roy
Kadek, I have been postponing replying to your post without having first read it several times, thinking about it very seriously, and even having some additional consultation with my family about how they view this very important issue, which is at the heart of Bali’s future.
If I may, I would first like to start “my take” on this, by saying this issue is by far the most topical, current, and vital of all conversations I have with my Balinese family and friends, and with what I call resolved expats as well. Resolved expats are simply those expats who have a long history of living here, and in their lives, they have become part of the Bali I know, which admittedly, is primarily the Ubud area.
My first point, or may I say, our first point would be, how is it possible to even begin conversations or discussions about Bali being able to compete on a global scale when Bali is only a province of Indonesia? In other words, how can Bali compete globally when it is no more of an entity than a province? As one expat pointed out, is this much different than asking about the state of Maine, in the US, to compete globally? More financially essential to this is the fact that unless Bali were able to retain all its revenues obtained from its current economic activity, then surely Bali as a competitor in the world arena is impossible. Just consider the VOA fees collected at Ngurah Rai each year....trillions of rupiah, that all leave Bali to the central government in Jakarta.
DCC is totally right...”competitive or not, Bali will never be a significant player owing to matters of population size and logistics.” And I would further add, as a province of Indonesia.
I have yet to meet a Balinese who does not support Bali as being an essential and great contributor to the central Indonesian government. I find the Balinese to be very patriotic and supportive of the Indonesian central government, and some of the best TNI soldiers are Balinese. Within this context, I don’t run across many Balinese who think much at all about competing in a world market, except as a contributor within the greater Indonesian economy.
Kadek, you wrote,
[quote]“Well, I have just been in a two days Summit on Sustainability. Although this is a different kind of sustainability, but I do think that Balinese should start to consider what will be in its best interest and how will it cope with the changing world.”[/quote]
I shared this post with my cousin, Wayan Dedik, who is soon to head off to Chicago to earn his doctorate in ethnomusicology with a full fellowship, and his response was akin to, “yes, I agree, but within our greater nation, Indonesia.” As he elaborated, and in his mind, he feels it is better for Balinese representation within the national congress in Jakarta to politic for better future positioning for Bali.
What can I say? That sounds to me like democracy at work. But, this does not mean that Balinese on their own should seek world markets...either from their brick and mortar buildings, or the internet. They can, they should, and it is happening every day.
Kadek, you also write,
[quote]“Well many things in Bali are not control by Balinese. There are many western and other Indonesian that seem to take charge in some aspects of Bali – like tourism development. Many Balinese do work in the tourism industries, but how many actually hold the top management and control position?” [/quote]
Well the number two guy at the number one hotel/resort in Bali, the Royal Pita Maha, in my village of Bunutan, is I Gusti Made Alit. The GM, incidentally, is from another area of Indonesia that sometimes finds itself with less than Java like opportunities....Sumatra. But that is just one example, and I do understand Kadek where in your heart and mind your words come.
Kadek, while I do remember meeting you at Nuris, with Thorsten not terribly long ago, I don’t recall just how long you have lived in Australia, or how often you are able to come home to Bali, I mention this only from wondering just how much of western living impacts those Balinese who take this path.
This is a conversation that I have had with my cousin Dedik many times, as before he leaves Bali for his doctorate, he has already been at university for five years in Pennsylvania, USA. When he returned to Bali, two years ago, he re-immersed himself in Bali, taking up his position as head of our Banjar gamelan, head of our village youth organization, etc. I once asked him about six months after his return, “so Dedik, how long is this purification for you going to continue?” I asked this very seriously, and very intentionally. He understood the question very well, looked at me, and embraced me only to cry and to say how happy he was to be home.
Leaving his ancestral home yet once again, and for another three to four years in one of the coldest cities in America....Chicago, and now with his Balinese wife, he will most likely be more tolerant and able to cope than when he was studying for his under degrees. He has the knowledge of life in Amerika Surikat, and he has a loving companion, as well as the support of all he leaves behind, to be successful.
Kadek, you and Dedik are two peas from the same pod...or what I call the emerging Balinese. I don’t worry at all about the sustainability of Bali, because you and Dedik are not alone...in fact, there are many others like you. You, Dedik, and the others represent Bali’s future, and that is really at essence of why I don’t worry one bit about the sustainability of Bali in the future.
