AMERICAN  CORNERS
INDONESIA

  American Corners in Indonesia

Remarks at the Opening of the American Corner 
at the National Islamic University Syarif Hidayatullah

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Place UIN Central Library 
Time 10:00 am 
Date 18 March 2004

Rector of UIN Syarif Hidayatullah, Professor Doctor Azymardi Azra; Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Suwito; Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Abuddin Nata; Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Masykuri Abdillah; Vice Rector Dr. Armai Arief; distinguished colleagues, and honored guests. It is both an honor and a pleasure to be here with you again this morning. I have been grateful for the opportunity to speak at seminars at your university, and I have always been impressed by the candor and lively discussions that have resulted.

The same candor, frankness, and open discussion of difficult subjects were precisely what your rector brought to his meeting with President Bush last October. This was an important meeting for both Indonesians and Americans. It was a chance for Indonesian leaders to discuss common problems, shared challenges, and mutual hopes with the American president. It was a remarkable dialogue and our President expressed his appreciation for the opportunity to hear the views of his hosts. In his remarks to the press, he noted that he was surprised by some of the views expressed in the meeting. But encounters like this draw our attention to what is important: that men and women of good will throughout the world engage in dialogue - that we sit down and discuss issues - that we clarify and remove misunderstandings so that we can discuss the real issues rather than the misapprehensions. To do that we need to know more about one another.

In the prospectus of this institution, your rector writes of the need to nurture an international perspective. He notes that "the university has strengthened its international orientation to attract a greater number of foreign students...in various fields of the university [so that] there will be more intense academic, social, and cultural exchanges that will lead to the enhancement of the intellectual community of the University."

We share that view. We believe that greater contact and wider availability of information about our country strengthens the intellectual life of a university. We believe that a better understanding of the history, background, and life of a nation helps shape a more meaningful discussion of issues. And that is why we are here.

A lot has been written about the "clash of civilizations." Unfortunately, some of what has been written appears to be the work of people who have never bothered to read Professor Huntington's book and article. But the view that there is an inevitable clash of cultures that leads to conflict and enmity is simply wrong. For one thing, the basic values that motivate all human beings are the same. Most people want very basic things - the ability to live a life of dignity, to live and raise families with their basic needs met, in a society that allows them peace, security, and freedom. Americans and Indonesians, in particular, share many key values. We both seek tolerance, we value our diversity, and we are shaped by our religious values.

UIN has been very active in exploring the relationship between cultures, and, has hosted a number of seminars and published several books that explore these questions. But while I do not believe that there is a necessary clash of civilizations, or that there is an inherent conflict between Indonesia and the West, or between Islam and the West, we must also recognize that there are genuine differences in our views and our attitudes. But what I strongly assert is that differences are not a problem - they are our strength. The world would be a very poorer place if all of us were the same. History is full of examples of how contact with people who are different have benefited their societies. As the Ambassasor of a country that is truly a "nation of nations..." that is, a society made up almost entirely of immigrants, I must assert that the strength of my country comes from the interaction of people who are very different working together to create a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. 

One of the similarities between the U.S. and Indonesia, is the diversity of our societies. As large nations with diverse populations, our countries face similar challenges and questions - how to balance a strong central government with regional authority, how to organize an electoral system that ensures that more populous regions do not marginalize smaller portions of the a country, how to protect the rights of minorities, and how to ensure that a deeply religious nation (for that is certainly the case of both of our countries) that contains many different religions develops a tolerant and peaceful society in which all of us can live together harmoniously. And has been pointed out countless times, even our national mottoes reflect our central task; e pluribus unum and Bhinekka Tunggal Ika. But despite our experience that differences are a source of strength, there are those who would exploit differences and reinforce negative stereotypes. Indeed, in this era of mass entertainment and instant news, it is sometimes difficult to get an accurate picture of another nation. 

Since I have been in Indonesia, I sometimes meet people who "know" quite a lot about America. The problem is that much of what they "know" is absolutely wrong. Seeing a country through the lens of movies, television, and sometimes sensationalist reporting, is not always the best way to learn about a nation. If my knowledge of Indonesia were limited to stories about the Bali and Marriott bombings in the mass media and a tourist guide to Bali , I might have a very different and much less accurate understanding of the complex, diverse, and vibrant nation that is Indonesia. That is why I'm here today. A half century ago, Senator J. William Fulbright described the goals of the excange program that bears his name. Although he was talking about academic exchanges, his words ring just as true in describing any effort to exchange knowledge and informatinon about a nation and its culture. Senator Fulbright wrote, "The simple purpose of the exchange program... is to erode the culturally rooted mistrust that sets nations agains one another." And the way to do that is through knowledge. We are here today to open an "American Corner" at the National Islamic University. 

This is an effort to make accurate, complete, and up-to-date information about the U.S available to Indonesian students and scholars. It is a cooperative effort between your university and our embassy. We have provided books, computers, copiers, and other equipment. UIN has provided space and staff. 

This new American Corner will make available to your students and others: 

• A basic collection of books about the U.S.  
  
• Access to over a thousand periodicals in a range of fields from politics to history, from literature to technology. 
  
• On-line access to key databases 

But while the "hardware" is important, and equally crucial factor is the "software." We will work with UIN to provide the support that will enable the Center's users to make the most out of the facilities whether this means doing research or student advising. We plan on bringing speakers and other programs to the "corner" so that the kinds of interactions and discussions that we hope will lead to greater mutual understanding can take place. In short, the American Corner is just what its name says it is - a small corner of American where we hope students can come to learn more about America. And a place where we hope we can bring Americans to learn more about Indonesia. For in the end, what is most important is that we understand each other better. That we have a better understanding of who we are as a people and that we have a better understanding of the other nations with whom we share a very small planet. Understanding is a precondition for dialogue, and the enemy of tolerance is ignorance. 

Thank you.

Ralph L. Boyce
U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia

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