Reflection ..

Being a techie most of my live time, I hardly involved in communication right as it is. Communication right, personally, is something that we can build on our own without having to rely and beg it from others specially the government.

Involved in Communication right workshop in Manila is really an eye opener for me. I didn't realized that communication right is such a big issue for some participants. 

I did noticed that most participants use very much top-down approach to resolved most communication right issues. Speak up to the government, media, parliament member and hoping those who live in high places will hear and act upon the request. Such approach may be ok in democratic countries where people power is strong ..

However, for country like Indonesia, where people power is less dominant than the government. It would be very much difficult, costly, create heart attack for some people to fight through top-down path. Casualties of the freedom fighters would be expected. Do we have to sacrifice such good souls to fight the evil?

What most activist don't realized that people are human, most if not all of them have brain, most if not all of them have some amount of money. If we could escalate their knowledge, it would be possible for the common to build & invest their own needed infrastructure.

I have proved that in the past 10 years, empowerment process through education can be done & self-finance without having to rely on world bank, ADB, IMF or even the government. People may be able to fulfill their communication right needs on their own. Such condition will place people at much higher bargaining position as compared to the government, operator, parliament members etc ... it works in Indoneia & we managed to see million of Indonesian on the Internet that way.

Personally, the communication right workshop has shed some light on me on how others doing it. However, I think we cannot fully adopt ways that used in other countries as it is too risky & less effective for most of us in Indonesia. The success rate may be higher in bottom-up approach.