When Human Values Begin to Be Diminished

-

 


Amid the noise of modern life, we carry a simple hope as members of society:  that our shared life — from small communities to great nations — will be governed by leaders who uphold noble universal principles.  After all, they rise to power through elections that are meant to be from the people and for the people.

Timeless values are expected to remain firmly held:  love for fellow human beings, respect for the environment, and devotion to the Creator.  Values that should form the foundation of ethics, morality, and integrity for every leader entrusted with power.

Yet in recent times… that hope feels like a question hanging heavily in the air.

When Power Becomes a Goal, Not a Mandate

Across many parts of the world, we see the same pattern:  
those who are strong politically, militarily, or financially grow increasingly arrogant.  
Power is treated as a privilege, not a responsibility.

Decisions affecting millions are often made without empathy,  
without listening to the people,  
without considering the human values that should serve as a moral compass.

Hegemony — whether national or international — becomes the objective.  
And when power becomes the objective, humanity is often the first casualty.

A Mirror Reflected at Home

This phenomenon is not far from Indonesia.  We see how some leaders close their ears, choosing to listen only to their inner circle,  unwilling to go down and witness the real conditions on the ground.

Major programs such as:

•  MBG,
•  Village Cooperatives,
•  and various development initiatives,

often proceed without honest evaluation of the actual situation faced by the people.

Meanwhile, corruption cases involving party elites, civil officials, police, and even the military  
are frequently handled with inconsistent standards.

There are even professionals with unresolved major legal cases  who are nevertheless appointed to strategic positions managing vast amounts of public wealth.

As if winning an election grants the right to act freely for the next five years.

Where Is Our Sense of Civility?

When power no longer rests on moral values,  
when integrity becomes nothing more than a slogan,  
when the people’s voice is treated as a disturbance,  
what is diminished is not only the dignity of the nation…  
but the very essence of our humanity.

Human values that should be the foundation of civilization are pushed aside.  
And for those who still dream of building a just, prosperous, and humane society,  
the situation can feel deeply discouraging.

Yet Hope Never Truly Dies

Every great nation is built not by those in power,  
but by those who never stop believing in the values of goodness.

Change does not always come from above.  
Often, it grows from below:  
from communities that continue to speak up,  
from groups that hold fast to integrity,  
from individuals who refuse to surrender to injustice.

As long as there are people who guard their conscience,  
who believe this nation deserves to be a fair home for all,  
hope will never be extinguished.

Closing

In the end, civilization is not built by strength,  but by wisdom.  
Not by those who wield the most power,  but by those who care the most.

And as long as we continue to nurture human values,  Indonesia — and the world — still has a chance to return to the right path.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

SUNYI DI TENGAH REPUBLIK

-
Image
  SEBUAH CERPEN SPIRITUAL SEP 2025 #SoegengPriyono #SunyiDiRepublik #IgniteHope Dalam Sunyi Aku Menemui-Nya Di antara riuh doa yang terucap,  aku memilih diam yang dalam.  Bukan karena tak tahu jalan,  tapi karena jalan itu telah menjadi aku.  Aku bukan hamba yang mencari,  aku adalah pencarian itu sendiri.  Dalam denyut nadiku,  ada nama-Nya yang tak pernah padam.  Syariat kutemui di gerak,  tapi makna kutemui di batin.  Salat bukan sekadar rukuk dan sujud,  melainkan tenggelam dalam cahaya yang menyatu.  Aku bukan langit, bukan bumi,  aku adalah titik di mana keduanya bertemu.  Di sana, aku lenyap,  dan Tuhan menjadi aku yang sejati . PROLOG Aku ingin bercerita sebuah kisah kontemplatif yang menggambarkan bagaimana seorang tokoh spiritual radikal hadir dan bertindak di tengah hiruk-pikuk politik, media sosial, dan pencarian makna zaman modern.  Di tengah suasana politik Indonesia yang kompleks—dengan ...
Read more

Jejak Imlek di Benteng Heritage

-
  1 Maret 2026 kemarin, kami mendapat kehormatan diundang oleh Bapak Udaya Halim, pendiri sekaligus ketua Yayasan Benteng Heritage, dalam perayaan Imlek. Acara ini bukan sekadar perayaan, tetapi sebuah perjalanan menelusuri jejak sejarah panjang komunitas Tionghoa di Tangerang. Sejarah Awal    Pada abad ke-14. para pendatang dari daratan Tiongkok mulai tiba di tepi Sungai Cisadane, melalui pelabuhan Teluk Naga. Lokasi yang kini menjadi bagian dari Kota Tangerang, tempat berdirinya Museum Boen Teck Bio dan Roemah Burung, sudah menjadi titik pertemuan budaya sejak ratusan tahun lalu. Konteks Nusantara    Flashback sedikit ke abad ke-14 itu adalah masa transisi besar di Nusantara. Saat Kubilai Khan mengirim pasukan Tartar ke Jawa Timur untuk menghukum Kertanegara, yang ironisnya sudah wafat dibunuh Jayakatwang. Raden Wijaya, menantu Kertanegara, memanfaatkan momentum kedatangan pasukan Monggol ini. Bersama para ksatria legendaris seperti Ario Ronggolawe, Semi, Kuti...
Read more

BUMN, Pekerjaan, dan ROI Kekuasaan

-
Image
  Saudaraku, mencari pekerjaan di negeri ini tidak pernah mudah. Skill terbatas, pengalaman minim, dan persaingan yang begitu padat membuat banyak orang merasa tersisih. Bayangkan, setiap tahun Indonesia melahirkan 700–800 ribu sarjana baru. Fresh graduates terutama harus berjuang keras, sementara profesional berpengalaman tetap menghadapi jalan terjal bila credential mereka tidak sesuai dengan posisi yang diincar. “Salah satu jalan yang dianggap menggiurkan adalah melamar ke BUMN. Konon, no offence, kultur budaya BUMN mirip birokrasi pegawai negeri, sehingga credential dari pegawai swasta yang minimpun bisa mendapatkan perhatian extra disitu. Ada pepatah lama mengatakan, " in the land of the blind, a one-eyed man is king ". Alternatif lain, tentu saja, adalah masuk ke partai politik—di mana prasyarat pendidikan dan pengalaman kerja praktis tidak menjadi hambatan. Bagi profesional swasta tingkat menengah yang kesulitan bersaing di pasar naker, peluang menggiurkan adalah mengi...
Read more