Daftar Tes PTESOl

Rabu, 31 Maret 2010

Tepat di akhir bulan ini saya mendaftarkan diri untuk mengikuti tes PTESOL (Profiency Test of English to Speakers of Other Language). Tempat tesnya di Balai Bahasa UPI. Lembaga ini telah memiliki sertifikasi ISO 9001. Selain itu cukup banyak lembaga baik dari instansi pemerintahan, swasta maupun Universitas lain yang menggunakan pelayananan disini.

Biaya untuk Civitas Akademika Rp 50.000, sedangkan untuk umum Rp 85.000,- per orang. Pelaksanaan tesnya besok Kamis pukul 13.00. Seperti biasa, setiap peserta diwajibkan membawa pulpen, pensil 2B dan penghapus. Untuk pengambilan sertifikat harus disertai dengan pas foto ukuran 2x3.

Tes ini merupakan salah satu persiapan untuk mengikuti Training on Governance and Policy Advocacy for Stakeholders in Local Development yang diselenggarakan oleh Nuffic Neso. Lembaga ini semacam yayasannya Kedubes Belanda. Waktu training sekitar 30 hari. Pelaksanaannya Juni 2010.

Saya mengejar skor 520 untuk institusional TOEFL. Skor ini sesuai dengan persyaratan untuk bisa menjadi peserta training. Sesuai dengan time frame of Pattiro’s training, pada minggu empat April merupakan final participants were selected. Untuk mengejar skor tersebut, selain tiap hari belajar intensif (non-course), saya rencanakan untuk mengikuti tes PTESOL sebanyak dua kali dan Institutional Testing Program (ITP) TOEFL satu kali. Biaya ITP memang agak mahal $ US 25 per orang. Pelayanan tesnya pun dilakukan dengan mendaftarkan peserta langsung ke ETS, Princeton,New Jersey USA.

Mengejar skor tersebut dalam waktu kurang lebih 21 hari merupakan tantangan tersendiri. Ada keraguan didalamnya, tapi segera hal itu ditepis dengan sebuah optimisme. Ada waktu 21 hari atau 504 jam lagi. Jumlah tersebut dikurangi porsi tidur 5-6 jam per hari. Artinya ada waktu 388,5 jam.

Berusaha memotivasi diri: yang penting berusaha dengan maksimal, niat yang ikhlas dan tawakal kepada Allah SWT. Target bulan April pun saya harus segera menyelesaikan Tugas Akhir (TA) yang sudah terbengkalai selama 40 hari. Gila! Di semester ujung ini masih belum selesai juga. Ah, sekali mendayung empat-lima pulau harus terlewati. Kalau dua-tiga pulau sih sudah biasa. Semoga Allah SWT mengabulkan permohonan ini: Semester sekarang Tugas Akhir harus selesai dan bulan Juni ikut bersama teman-teman training di Belanda. Tidak lupa pula, semoga saudara-saudara kita di Palestina terus istiqomah melawan Zionis Yahudi[]

[Ramlan Nugraha]

KEBERSAMAAN ITU TETAP SAMA

Bandung, 31 Maret 2010


Selamat Milad ke-12 KAMMI*
[Hanya tuk berbagi, tak lebih..]


Tanggal 29 Maret kemarin KAMMI berusia dua belas tahun. Melihat sejarah awal pembentukannya, lahirnya KAMMI jelas tidak bisa dilepaskan dari gerakan tarbiyah yang dibidani oleh Ikhwanul Muslimin. Organisasi dakwah pimpinan Hasan al Banna di Mesir. KAMMI lahir oleh para aktivis gerakan tarbiyah di Indonesia dengan tujuan sebagai wadah perjuangan calon pemimpin negeri ini. Hal tersebut sangat jelas termaktub dalam visinya yang dapat kita bagi menjadi tiga bagian, pertama wadah perjuangan permanen, kedua, calon pemimpin bangsa, dan ketiga, mewujudkan bangsa dan negara yang Islami.

Referensi utama sejarah kelahiran KAMMI hanya bisa kita lihat dari buku karya Mahfudz Siddiq. Tidak ada yang lain. Proses pengkaderan di KAMMI mengharuskan semua anggota menjadikan buku tersebut sebagai salah satu bacaan wajib. Kita menyebutnya daftar Manhaj Tugas Baca (Matuba).

Sejak kelahirannya, KAMMI telah mewarnai percaturan gerakan politik Indonesia. Struktur organisasinya pun kini mengalami perapihan. Mulai dari tingkat komisariat, daerah, wilayah dan pusat. Profesionalitas disiplin ilmu anggota KAMMI semakin berkembang, jumlahnya pun semakin meningkat. Kesadaran untuk memperbaiki organisasi bak cendawan di musim hujan, selalu bermunculan semangat baru yang lebih heroik tiap tahunnya.

10 Tahun Kebersamaan

Saya masuk KAMMI pada tahun 2004. Sampai sekarang kebersamaan dengan organisasi ini tidak pernah hilang atau luntur sekalipun. Enam tahun sudah menemani KAMMI, dan saya bangga menjadi bagian dari gerakan dakwah ini.

Tahun 1999, saat itu masih kelas dua SMP, mulai berkenalan dengan dunia politik. Musim kampanye membuat saya ikut ketiban rezeki, bisa bersalaman langsung dengan Yusril Ihza Mahendra, pimpinan partai pilihan di keluarga kami. Kakak yang saat itu menjadi bendahara partai di Kabupaten adalah orang yang pertama kali mengenalkan saya pada dunia politik. Mengenal istilah Muktamar atau Mukernas pun gara-gara sering ikut bersamanya. Sampai akhirnya kekecewaan pun tiba. Partai terbelah, ada kubu Yusril Ihza dan Hartono Mardjono. Hasil Muktamar memenangkan Yusril Ihza Mahendra sebagai Ketua Umum, sedangkan kubu Hartono Mardjono, Abdul Qadir Djaelani kalah. Bersama mereka, akhirnya kakak saya mengundurkan diri dari partai. Katanya, perjuangan telah dikhianati. Ah, saat itu saya masih plingak-plinguk.

Hingar bingar peringatan tahun 2000 turut membuat decak kagum. Kali ini dengan nuansa yang berbeda. Saya mengikuti semacam renungan akhir tahun di Masjid Bank Indonesia, Jakarta Pusat. Sempat terperangah saat itu: peserta yang hadir luar biasa banyak, mayoritas laki-lakinya anak muda berjenggot, persis seperti yang mengajak saya ke tempat ini. Satu lagi yang membuat kagum, semangat yang menyala-nyala dari si penceramah. Tanpa tahu siapa beliau, saya terus merangsak ke posisi depan.
Tahun 2004. Siapa penceramah waktu empat tahun yang silam akhirnya terjawab sudah. Namanya Ust Rahmat Abdullah, salah satu tokoh partai Islam di Indonesia. Saya mengenalnya ketika mengikuti Daurah Marhalah I KAMMI di Bandung. Luar biasa, energinya masih terus menyala. Dan di tahun yang sama pula, akhirnya saya baru tahu bahwa yang mengajak saya ke Jakarta waktu itu adalah mantan ketua KAMMI Institut Teknologi Bandung.

Inilah kebersamaan itu. Menunggu waktu empat tahun untuk bisa ikut organisasi ini. Hingga akhirnya ketika pertama kali di terima menjadi mahasiswa, saya pun memutuskan masuk KAMMI. Kini, kebersamaan itu masih sama. Tetap bangga bisa menjadi anggota gerakan mahasiswa yang paling heroik di Indonesia. Selamat milad KAMMI, selamat milad kawan-kawan. Allahu akbar!!

In Memoriam: 2000-2010


*) KAMMI: Kesatuan Aksi Mahasiswa Muslim Indonesia. Organisasi mahasiswa muslim yang didirikan di Malang, 29 Maret 1998.

Activist-Prankster Infiltrates Tea Party and Anti-Immigrant Rallies

This has to be seen to be believed. An activist who goes by the name of "Robert Erickson" has infiltrated Tea Party and anti-immigrant events to stage "Borat"-style pranks on the people in attendance.

This first video at the Minnesota State Capitol shows Erickson giving a speech to the assembled anti-immigrant crowd. Some excerpts from his speech:

Its no secret that with an invasion of immigrants, comes waves of crime.  We see them involved in massive theft, in murder, and bringing diseases like smallpox, which is responsible for the death of millions of Americans.  These aren’t new problems though, they have been going on for hundreds of years, and continue to this day.
I say its time for us to say enough is enough!  Are you with me?  Are you with me?  Lets send these European immigrants back where they came from!  I don’t care if they are Polish, Irish, English, Italian, or Norwegian!  European immigrants are responsible for the most violent and heinus crimes in the history of the world, including genocide and slavery!  Its time to restore the sovereignty of people native to this land!  I want more workplace raids, starting with the big banks downtown.  There are thousands of illegals working in those buildings, hiding in their offices, and taking Dakota jobs.  Let's round them up and ship them out.  Then we need to hit them at home where they sleep, I don’t care if we separate families, they should have known better when they came here illegally!

If we aren't able to stand up to these European immigrants, who can we stand up to?  We need to send every one of them back home, right now. Thank you very much, and we’ll see you in the streets! 

Columbus go home!  Columbus go home!  Columbus go home!

On the second video in Washington, DC, Erickson scores an interview with anti-immigrant activist Roy Beck of Numbers USA.

Illegal European immigration is one of the worst things we have going in this country, " Erickson tells Beck as the cameras roll. "It's not a new problem. It's been going on for hundreds of years."

Indeed, Beck agrees, apparently without realizing the he's the butt of the joke, "It helped finish off the Indians."

When asked what we should do with illegal Europeans Beck states: “We think that E-Verify ought to be used at every workplace…”  “European verify?” asks a straight faced Erickson.

Several minutes into the interview, once Beck realizes that Erickson is sarcastically advocating the deportation of all white Europeans, Beck brings the conversation to an embarrassing halt.

Erickson has a fan page on Facebook and is on Twitter. He is definitely one of the more creative and ballsy activists out there.

Republican in Tennessee Says 'Unemployed Should Just Find a Job'

Benefits about to run out? Too bad. You lazy folks should shut up and find a job.

From the Young Turks:

Gallup Toes the 'Party' Line?

Mike Turton recently posted a link to a Gallup page that listed Taiwan as 'Taiwan, Province of China'. The poll was on 'well-being'. I sent Gallap the following email:

Dear Gallup, On your chart of 'well-being' you list Taiwan as 'Taiwan, Province of China'. On this email form the country option is 'Taiwan, Republic of China'. The former is wrong, the latter more accurate. Please can you achieve some consistency in naming. Taiwan is not a 'province' of China. It is a fully de facto independent country under the name 'Republic of China on Taiwan'. Please can you correct your map. Best wishes

In return, 'Jim' sent me this coagulation of international normative nonsense:

Ben,

Thank you for contacting Gallup.

Country names on Gallup’s web site are based on international standards developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). This organization documents standard country names and codes in ISO 3166-1 based on input from the countries’ leaders and United Nations (UN) expert sources. Taiwan is named Taiwan Province of China in ISO 3166-1. By adhering to the internationally accepted standards of ISO 3166-1, Gallup maintains our political neutrality.

You can find additional information about the International Organization for Standardization, the United Nations, and ISO 3166-1 online.

Kind regards,

Jim

Gallup Client Support

Gallup claims to maintain political neutrality but in fact their position utterly contradicts with the actual experience of Taiwanese as they run their nation under the name of Republic of China (Taiwan), a nation that has over 20 full international diplomatic relationships. But then, I guess ISO 3166-1 and comments from political leaders and UN 'experts' outweigh the opinions of 23 million people clearly operationalising their own sovereign country. Sorry, Jim. Thanks for the reply but a big 'F' on your answer.

What is interesting is that in the PDF of the Global Wellbeing report, Taiwan is listed as 'Taiwan', alongside 'China' and 'Hong Kong'. Is the website out of synch with the report or the other way around?

Mengikuti Pelatihan Fasilitator Musrenbang Daerah Tingkat Nasional*)

Bandung, 30 Maret 2010


Oleh: Ramlan Nugraha
(Hanya tuk berbagi, tak lebih..)


Puji syukur ke hadirat Allah SWT akhirnya saya diberikan kesempatan untuk mengikuti pelatihan fasilitator Musrenbang Daerah Tingkat Nasional. Pelatihan ini merupakan kerja sama antara The Asia Foundation (TAF) dengan Forum Pengembangan Partisipasi Masyarakat (FPPM). Para peserta yang hadir hampir berasal dari seluruh Indonesia yaitu dari Aceh Besar, Aceh Barat, Cilacap, Kota Pontianak, Ciamis, Kota Mataram, Kota Palangkaraya, Palu-Sulteng, Surakarta, Jepara, Kupang-NTT, Poso-Sulteng, Jogjakarta, Pekalongan-Jateng, Kab. Tasikmalaya, Kab. Pinrang-Sulsel, Dompu-NTB, Kota Tasikmalaya, Kab. Sukabumi, Sumedang, Pare-Pare-Sulsel, Garut, Kab. Bandung, Kota Bandung, Jakarta, Malang-Jatim.

Saya sendiri sebenarnya bukanlah peserta undangan. Acara pelatihan ini hanya untuk lembaga yang bergerak dalam advokasi anggaran khususnya pada ranah Musrenbang. Lembaga tempat saya berasal yaitu Pattiro Jawa Barat pada saat ini tidak bergerak dalam advokasi Musrenbang. Awal mula kenapa saya ikut acara ini adalah ketika kami dari LSM-LSM inisiator pembentukan Komisi Informasi Daerah (KID) Jawa Barat berkumpul di sekretariat FPPM, Jl Guntur Sari Buah Batu Bandung.

Pada hari itu (23/3) kami mendiskusikan tentang penyikapan terhadap pembentukan tim seleksi KID dan pengawalan tahapan pembentukan KID. Secara tidak sengaja saya melihat pada 28-30 Maret, teman-teman FPPM akan menyelenggarakan pelatihan fasilitator Musrenbang. Saya pun lantas menanyakan perihal acara tersebut kepada Pak Nandang, salah seorang pengurus FPPM. Dengan bantuan Teh Siti Aisah, rekan saya dari Pattiro, akhirnya saya pun bisa mengikuti acara tersebut. Walaupun tidak mendapatkan akomodasi, karena bukan peserta undangan, tapi sudah cukup bagi saya untuk mengikuti acara tersebut. Alhamdulillah, ini pelatihan pertama bagi saya tentang Musrenbang. Saya haturkan terima kasih untuk teman-teman FPPM.


Pelaksanaan Training

Sejujurnya, pengetahuan saya tentang Musrenbang hanya sebatas dari buku, internet, dan diskusi-diskusi. Secara empiris, saya belum pernah sekalipun ikut dalam forum Musrenbang, baik itu tingkat desa apalagi tingkat nasional. Pada minggu kemarin sebenarnya saya mau ikut Musrenbang Kecamatan Jatinangor-Sumedang di Ikopin. Tapi karena suatu hal, saya tidak jadi ikut.

Ketika hari pertama pelatihan, saya sedikit plingak-plinguk. Setiap orang ditanya tentang pengalamannya dalam proses advokasi Musrenbang. Dari mulai teman Aceh, Palangkaraya, Mataram, dst. Sedangkan saya? Ikut Musrenbang pun belum pernah, apalagi ditanya pengalaman advokasi. Kadang terpikir, beginilah kalau nekat ikut acara baru. Tapi saya coba kuatkan tekad, Fa idza azzamta fa tawakkal ‘alallahu. Kalau tidak nekat seperti ini, mana bisa dapat pengalaman baru. Bodo ah, yang penting jalan teruus..

Training of Trainers (ToT) ini diselenggarakan selama tiga hari, yaitu sejak 28-30 Maret 2010. Tempatnya di Hotel Imperium, Jl Dr Roem Kota Bandung (belakang Disdik Jabar). Konsekuensi bukan peserta undangan membuat saya tidak mendapatkan akomodasi berupa penginapan. Konsekuensinya tiap hari harus bolak-balik ke kostan di Jl Geger Kalong Girang (sekitar kampus UPI). Hanya sekedar untuk mandi dan ganti pakaian. Setelah itu kembali ke tempat pelatihan. Berangkat pukul delapan pagi, pulang lagi pukul sebelas malam. Begitu seterusnya.

Materi pelatihan yang diberikan yaitu Apa dan Mengapa Musrenbang, Pengantar Pengorganisasian Latihan Fasilitator Musrenbang, Penyusunan dan Pengembangan Kurikulum Pelatihan Fasilitator Musrenbang, Praktik dan Simulasi Metode Partisipatif dalam Musrenbang, Advokasi Anggaran dan Presentasi Draft Buku Panduan Fasilitasi.


Musrenbang: Cermin Demokrasi Indonesia?

Sebuah pertanyaan di awal pelatihan, Apakah Musrenbang di Indonesia telah menjadi cermin realitas demokrasi di Indonesia? Tentang pertanyaan ini, saya sudah tidak plingak-plinguk. Pada dasarnya Musrenbang adalah cermin realitas demokrasi di negeri ini. Musrenbang merupakan arena partisipasi warga dalam proses perencanaan pembangunan. Payung hukumnya jelas, organisasi penyelenggara, sumber daya hingga jadwalnya pun sudah pasti. Esensi dalam Musrenbang adalah instrumen bagi individu warga untuk secara bebas menyatakan pendapat dan mengemukakan kebutuhannya. Bukankah esensi ini sesuai dengan nilai-nilai dasar dalam demokrasi seperti kebebasan, pengakuan terhadap hak-hak individu ataupun kesamaan yang adil. Artinya Musrenbang merupakan pematangan sekaligus aktualisasi dari nilai-nilai demokrasi. Tetapi apabila kita dihadapkan pada implementasi hasil Musrenbang? Harus diakui, negeri ini masih tertatih-tatih.

Pada materi pertama, diusulkan beberapa strategi dengan tujuan untuk merevitalisasi peran Musrenbang supaya lebih bernilai signifikan. Strategi tersebut diantaranya:

1. Perluasan keterwakilan: (a) upaya tambahan untuk melibatkan perempuan, kelompok minoritas, penyandang cacat, manula, penduduk yang tidak tercatat (b) meningkatkan komitmen aparat Pemda & anggota DPRD;
2. Memperbanyak Fasilitator & Event Organizers yang cakap untuk mendesain dan menyelenggarakan Forum Deliberatif;
3. Membangun metode dan instrumen generik untuk: (a) mengidentifikasi dan memilih peserta (b) menciptakan dialog dan proses pemilihan prioritas yang efektif;
4. Memperbanyak diskusi mendalam dan refleksi tentang aspek teknis penyelenggaraan forum partisipasi;
5. Meningkatkan kemungkinan daerah untuk mengembangkan inovasi baru dan menerapkan inovasi yang sudah ada untuk meningkatkan kualitas partisipasi melalui Musrenbang.


Materi selanjutnya adalah pengantar pengorganisasian latihan fasilitator Musrenbang. Dua pertanyaan awal yang menjadi inti dari materi ini adalah, pertama, Bagaimana kelembagaan pelatihan Musrenbang? Dan kedua, Darimana sumber anggarannya?

Pertanyaan-pertanyaan tersebut diajukan kepada peserta. Hampir semua daerah menyampaikan kondisinya masing-masing. Berikut penyampaian daerah-daerah tersebut:

1. Sumedang: Bappeda bekerjasama dengan LSM menyelenggarakan pelatihan untuk fasilitator desa dan kecamatan.
2. Pare-Pare: Penyelenggaranya Bappeda serta Pemateri dari LSM dan narasumber luar.
3. Palu: Bappeda belum menyelenggarakan training, justru dari LSM (FPPM).
4. Pontianak: Penyelenggara Bappeda, pelatihan dari kecamatan untuk fasilitator desa.
5. Palangkaraya: Penyelenggara Bappeda bekerjasama dengan Universitas untuk menempatkan lulusannya menjadi fasilitator desa.
6. Aceh Barat dan Utara: Penyelenggaraan Musrenbang desa dan kecamatan tidak pernah dibuat, apalagi pelatihannya.
7. Aceh Utara: Tahun 2008 dan 2009 Musrenbang tidak dilaksanakan sama sekali. Tahun 2010 ada tetapi tergabung per regional (gabungan desa dan gabungan kecamatan), fasilitator dr PNPM, training dari PNPM.
8. Kota Kupang: Diselenggarakan oleh Bappeda dan Badan Pemberdayaan Masyarakat Desa; pelatihan fasilitator kelurahan dari LSM dan penerapan belum berjalan (perlu SK).

9. Kota Mataram: Nama musrenbangnya MPPM; fasilitator dari Dinas dan LSM (individu, bukan lembaga); belum ada pelatihan.
10. Kab. Gunung Kidul: Pelatihan Musrenbang oleh LSM.
11. Kota Solo: Pelatihan oleh LSM baik untuk fasilitator kelurahan maupun kecamatan; mendorong Bappeda untuk menyelenggarakan training.
12. Pekalongan: Penyelenggaraan training belum pernah dilakukan, sering dibuatkan oleh PNPM tapi tdk menyeluruh (parsial).
13. Kota Jepara: Bappeda membuat training untuk kecamatan, tidak ada untuk desa; Lakpesdam membuat pelatihan untuk desa (parsial).
14. Cilacap: Fasilitator kombinasi pemerintah dan warga; training hanya untuk yang pemerintah; fasilitator desa dilatih Lakpesdam (35 desa dari 15 kec).
15. Malang: Bappeda menunjuk LSM untuk menyelenggarakan training fasilitator musrenbang (tapi cuma sekedar proyek).
16. Sukabumi: penguatan fasilitator baru wacana. Tahun ini belum ada training, komitmen dengan Bappeda rencananya tahun 2011.

17. Ciamis dan Garut: Tidak ada training, fasilitator Musrenbang hanya dari kalangan birokrat, Universitas sebagai staf ahli.
18. Kab. Bandung: pelatihan untuk tingkat kecamatan diselenggarakan oleh Bappeda. LSM jadi pemateri.
19. Kab. Tasikmalaya: Tahun 2008 pelatihan untuk kec. (peserta kasie ekbang) diselenggarakan oleh Bappeda dan LSM, tahun 2009 kosong dan tahun 2010 akan dilaksanakan lagi.
20. Kota Tasikmalaya: Perwalkot 2/2010 & Perda 12 -> ada point tentang fasilitator desa dan kec; LSM sbg tim monev dg SK Walikota serta tdk ada lagi training.
21. Poso: Forum di tingkat Kecamatan untuk Musrenbang yg dibentuk PPK, fasilitatornya dilatih dari Bappeda.
22. Kab. Dompu: LSM melakukan pendampingan: fasilitator desa dikembangkan LSM. Bappeda baru mulai dengar dan minta LSM utk asistensi penyusunan DPA.
23. Kab. Pinrang: Tahun 2009 Bappeda membuat pelatihan untuk desa -> diseleksi utk jadi fasilitator kecamatan -> pelatih dari LSM.


Sesi selanjutnya, materi terfokus pada peningkatan skill fasilitator. Sesi ini dibagi menjadi tiga materi yaitu:

1. Training Need Assesment dan Kurikulum
a) Penjajakan kebutuhan pelatihan
b) Merancang kurikulum pelatihan
c) Penyusunan rencana pelatihan
d) Merancang pelatihan partisipatif

2. Penyusunan Modul Pelatihan Musrenbang
a) Tujuan dan ranah belajar
b) Perancangan metode belajar
c) Perancangan media belajar
d) Penyusunan SAP

3. Teknik Fasilitasi Pelatihan Musrenbang
a) Teknik fasilitasi pelatihan
b) Teknik fasilitasi kajian partisipatif
c) Teknik fasilitasi kesepakatan
d) Lembar evaluasi simulasi teknik fasilitasi


Mengawal Musrenbang

Teman-teman menyebutnya doa yang belum terkabul. Hampir di semua daerah hasil Musrenbang tingkat desa, kelurahan atau kecamatan yang menjadi tempat dampingan terjadi ketidakamanahan dalam penyampaian pada tingkat berikutnya. Belum lagi dari kualitas pengambilan keputusan dalam Musrenbang yang tidak berpihak pada masyarakat miskin. Jangan tanya juga ketika di Aceh Barat dan Utara pelaksanaan Musrenbang desa dan kecamatan sampai sekarang tidak pernah ada. Heran? Bagaimana bisa disebut cerminan demokrasi kalau prosesnya saja tidak ada atau bahkan amburadul. Tak perlu cemas dengan itu semua, karena disanalah ruang kita untuk bekerja. Tak perlu bertanya kenapa itu bisa terjadi? Tak perlu sesalkan semua yang terjadi. Yesterday is an history. besok adalah kerja-kerja nyata.

Pelatihan ini merupakan salah satu bentuk dari inovasi dalam perencanaan dan penganggaran partisipatif. Lengkapnya adalah membentuk Fasilitator yang handal dan independen. Fasilitator dalam pengertiannya yaitu orang yang mengelola proses Musrenbang agar Musrenbang menjadi wahana perencanaan partisipatif. Tugas fasilitator adalah mengelola forum Musrenbang agar berjalan dinamis. Tugas tersebut mulai dari menggali permasalahan, menggali gagasan setiap peserta, mengajak forum untuk menghargai masing-masing pendapat peserta, mengelola forum untuk bersama-sama menyusun skala prioritas masalah dan mengelola forum untuk menyepakati hasil Musrenbang dalam bentuk usulan dan nama delegasi yang akan ikut di tahapan selanjutnya (sumber: Manual advokasi masyarakat sipil dalam siklus anggaran daerah).

Simulasi yang dilaksanakan pada pelatihan berikut evaluasi langsungnya, setidaknya bisa membuat para peserta terbantu dari sisi bagaimana mengelola forum agar selalu dinamis. Walaupun tidak terlalu lama, tapi dari substansinya cukup dimengerti.


Akhir dari Kebersamaan

Kebersamaan pun akhirnya harus diakhiri. Selama pelatihan saya cukup dekat dengan mas Tarsianus Tani. Beliau dari Bengkel APPek Nusa Tenggara Timur dan tinggal di Kupang bersama keluarganya. Saya mendapatkan beberapa cerita dari beliau. Pengalamannya dalam menyusun panduan perencanaan partisipatif pembangunan masyarakat desa plus penganggaran (P3MD) di Kabupaten TTS dan Kabupaten Belu, NTT. Panduan tersebut sekarang telah menjadi buku. Sayang bukunya tidak dibawa. Tapi tak mengapa, soft copy yang diberikannya pun cukup membuat saya senang. Terima kasih Kaka..

Saya pun bangga dengan teman kelompok dari Kota Mataram. Ah, orang dari timur seberang ini selalu membuat decak kagum saja. Gaya bahasanya yang khas, kadang menggelitik tapi ada unsur kecerdasan di dalamnya. Saya jadi ingat ketika bulan Februari lalu, waktu mengikuti konferensi nasional anggaran di Jakarta, saya pun sangat terkesan dengan para pegiat sosial dari NTB. Pantas saja Tuan Guru Bajang menjadi Gubernur di Provinsi sejuta mesjid itu. Yup, pemimpin adalah cerminan masyarakat.

Motivasi lain pun bermunculan. Kang Ari, pegiat Perkumpulan Inisiatif Bandung. Orang ini sederhana, berkacamata dan berjenggot panjang khas Salafy. Tutur katanya sunda pisan, urang Bandung Asli. Umurnya 32 tahun, bulan Januari kemarin tepatnya. Menyabet gelar Master of Science (M.Sc) dalam bidang Management of Technology dengan fokus Engineering and Policy Analysis dari Delf University, Belanda. Tahun 2004, memutuskan menikah dengan perempuan warga negara Belanda. Saya plingak-plinguk lagi? Lelaki sederhana ini, ternyata?? Luar biasa. Saya mendapatkan beberapa “pencerahan” terkait motivasi menuntut ilmu, cari jodoh –mending nyari istri dari dalam atau luar negeri? , pengalaman beliau waktu di Belanda, dan yang lebih penting, “Lan, aktif di LSM ga ada batasnya, sedangkan kuliah mah aya batasna. Gampang ari ka luar mah. Apalagi aktifis LSM.” So ??


Terima kasih semuanya
Puji syukurku kepada Allah SWT
Yang telah memberiku kesempatan.



*) Musrenbang: Musyawarah Perencanaan dan Pembangunan. Musrenbang terdiri dari Musrenbang desa, kelurahan, kecamatan, provinsi dan nasional. Setiap tahun menjadi agenda rutin sebagai bagian dari proses perencanaan dan penganggaran. Musrenbang adalah forum rakyat, tetapi kenyataannya sampai sekarang hal tersebut belum bisa terealisasi.

Is it Black-Span or B-Span?

hat tip-TPM.com

C-Span Caller Rails Against Black Callers (VIDEO)
Rachel Slajda | March 29, 2010, 9:37AM

A caller to C-Span this morning, who identified himself as a Republican from North Carolina, accused the network of taking too many phone calls from black people.

"You have black folks calling in on the Republican line, independents. And you have so many of 'em I can't believe this is just an accident. If you keep on with the way you've been programming, you should change your name from C-Span to black-span," he said. "I know they have an opinion but I wish that they would be honest and call in on the right line."

"Everyone one of 'em thinks that Obama is Jesus Christ and they don't like when anybody criticizes him," he added.

zizi2 has two new name choices: Black-Span or B-Span

Minority-Owned Media A Must

Recently, I used this forum to write about the value of a diverse media, but diversity in mainstream media organizations is just one part of a diverse media. The second necessary part of a diverse media is minority-owned media targeted to minority audiences. There are real world ramifications for why minority-owned media matters.

Read the rest at The Loop.

President Obama's Weekly Youtube Address

Quote of the Week

Window of a temple in Lukang, Chunghua County.

The ashes of some of the Black Cat squadron were returned to Taiwan this week. One of the squadron members made a very interesting comment:

“I was extremely sad that after all our comrades sacrificed for this country, their ashes lay in a foreign land for so long. The government has finally brought them back and put them to rest. I now feel content and relieved,” 82 year-old Hu Tien-peng (胡天鵬), a former paratrooper, told reporters.

This went against all my expectations. My supposition was that those who fought bravely and loyally for Chiang in operations against the PRC would have perhaps regarded China not as a foreign land, but as their home under occupation. That a former paratrooper describes China as a foreign land seems to indicate that perhaps a Taiwanese national identity has reached the older generation (not just 'native Taiwanese'). Am I reading too much into his quote?

Gates Moves On "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"

With the assumption that Congress will eventually repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell", Defense Secretary Robert Gates will severely restrict or stop investigating case of homosexuals in the military:

the military will no longer investigate the sexual orientation of service members based on anonymous complaints, will restrict testimony from third parties and will require high-ranking officers to review all cases, sources familiar with the changes said.

An interesting move by Secretary Gates, but it is obviously an overt sign of support, regardless of the Congress, for a policy that the President supports.

The Gadsden Flag

There is some interesting history surrounding Christopher Gadsden, particularly his connections to the 'Sons of Liberty' (South Carolina), and that groups connection (symbolic or otherwise) to the 'Knights of the Golden Circle'.

What was once a flag representing freedom and rebellion by the colonies, is now taking on a much different role. Unfortunately over the years, the symbolism of the flag has been co-opted by various movements. Upon learning the history of the 'Knights of the Golden Circle', and the 'Sons of Liberty', and understanding their tactics from 150 years ago, what we are seeing now becomes very clear. The roots of the flag date back to the Pre-Revolution era... but its use over the years can be traced back to splinter groups from the North that eventually found their way to the South.

Interesting, eye opening stuff... I encourage all to do some reading. Bells will go off in your head when the dots connect.

Is it a symbol of terrorism? I don't know if we can call it that just yet (but it could be well on its way). However, it is definitely becoming a symbol representing the Republican Party. Republican members of Congress have now been seen embracing and waving the flag at rallies. They can no longer separate themselves from the ideas or the people that the flag represents today.

How to NOT Make Friends And NOT Influence People

This was posted on the Asia-Pacific Greens Network Conference website forum by the Secretary-General of the Chinese Green Party. It was addressed to the Conference Secretary and concerns the Secretary-General's request for confirmation of the receipt of his attendance fee. I think it speaks for itself:

Posted Wed, 2010-03-24 19:23 by lvxiaoguang
Attention: Friend,

how are you today,i know your name YINGXUAN LI from the site http://www.apgn.ORG , you are the Contact or Diplomat of Green Party Taiwan.
i,Secretary-General of CGP Mr xiaoguang lv ,had paid for the conference expenses of apgn2010 in March 12 ,and i will be expecting you call.But so far not received any of your call back.
Listen Mr. YINGXUAN LI , You insulted my Personality as Secretary General of CGP. I hate people that have no respect to CGP. After all I have advice you to treat one Diplomat with 100% respects.i have ready your mail and i want to let u know that i will be meeting you in taiwang by the agpn2010 holding.As CGP Secretary General. I need your full update about your dealing with the Diplomatic agent.i personally advice you to follow every of my Words now and do as I have Instructed you. you as the Beneficiary of the Green Party Taiwan,please you acknowledge my payment immediately

regards
Secretary-General of CHINA GREEN PARTY

Periello Blasts Republicans in Washington for Refusing to Unequivocally Denounce Threats Against Democrats

Hmmm. Well Mr. McCain, it looks like this isn't really a joke to those who are on the receiving end of the threats.

From Think Progress:

Democratic lawmakers are increasingly coming out and reporting incidents of harassment in response to their vote for health care reform. In addition to previously reported vandalism in Kansas, New York, Ohio, and Arizona — as well as disturbing threats surrounding Reps. Tom Periello (D-VA) and Bart Stupak (D-MI) — lawmakers have received images of nooses sent to their offices and had their personal information publicly distributed. At least 10 lawmakers have requested extra security after receiving death threats, and Rep. Phil Hare (D-IL) said that “he knows several Democrats who have told their spouses to move out of the home districts while the lawmakers are in Washington.”

See full story with video interview here.

John McCain Laughs Off Wave of Threats Towards Members of Congress

McCain completely laughs off the threats made against members of Congress and their children. He says Palin's actions are no big deal. According to him, the incidents that we have seen over the past week represent normal politics in America. He defends Sarah Palin's behavior (and by extension...he is defending similar behavior by others that is clearly aimed at ginning up followers to take action on their own....while the politicians use plausible deniability).

The coded language of Sarah Palin is really of no concern. It's all a part of our imaginations. Stop worrying. Go back to sleep.

(Of course he desperately needs Sarah Palin because she is the only hope for him if he's going to win re-election).

This guy is COMPLETELY senile and creepy to me. Maybe it's just me.

You have to see it to believe it.



Yeah... tell that to Congressman Periello and all the other members of Congress and their families, "targeted" by these fanatics. Laugh in their faces and tell them that it's no big deal. Of course Periello is a part of the real world and disagrees with the giggling idiot from Arizona.

Steny Hoyer and James Clyburn Give Press Conference on Threats to Democrats

An incredibly silly (or stupid) reporter asks Hoyer if his members felt as if they were at risk....are they really concerned about these threats.
Hoyer's reaction was....(adding what he couldn't say) YES... Damn right we are at risk. Damn right i'm scared and concerned. We have had some serious incidents over the last 48-72 hours. These jackasses are crazy. This is domestic terrorism. (looking perplexed by the stupidity of the question, lol).

Republicans have been mostly silent regarding the threats to members of Congress and their families. John Boehner gave a lame, half assed statement on Radio Rwanda (Faux News) yesterday... after he gave justification for the fanaticism on the Right. But Boehner is about 2 years too late. This stuff has been going on since 2008. Not a word from the Republican leadership. He decided to finally say something now because he felt pushed into a corner.

Boehner himself is part of the problem. He is one of the members of Congress who has been getting his Tea Party followers riled up with dangerous language.

John Boehner to Democratic Congressman Steve Driehaus of Ohio (regarding his Healthcare vote):

Driehaus “may be a dead man” and “can’t go home to the west side of Cincinnati” because “the Catholics will run him out of town.”

This is on top of the nonsense from Sarah Palin and others.

But this man is the House Minority Leader. Where is the responsibility?

Maddow on Threats to Members of Congress

Republican Terrorists Target Wrong House

I told you that the crazies would be ratcheting things up over the next few days and weeks.

Republican Party terrorists targeted Congressman Tom Perriello by posting what they believed to be the lawmakers home address....encouraging fanatics to pay Perriello a visit. But the information turned out to be the address to Perriello's brothers house. Bo Perriello, brother of Congressman Tom Perriello, apparently returned home on Tuesday evening and smelled gas. Someone had cut a gas line at the home, where the wife of Bo Perriello and their 4 small children live.

From Politico:

Law enforcement authorities are investigating the discovery of a cut propane gas line at the Virginia home of Rep. Thomas Perriello’s (D-Va.) brother, whose address was targeted by tea party activists angry at the congressman’s vote for the health care bill.

An aide to the congressman confirmed to POLITICO that a line to a propane tank behind his brother's home near Charlottesville had been sliced.

The FBI would not disclose the details of the incident but said that they have been to the home.

“This is very preliminary at this point, so we’re not making any comment at this time,” local FBI spokesman M.A. Myers told POLITICO.

Lee Catlin, community relations director for the Albemarle County Fire Marshal, said in a statement to POLITICO that the office is “investigating a suspicious incident” at the home of the congressman’s brother. “The Fire Marshal’s Office is conducting the investigation in cooperation with the FBI,” Catlin said. “While officials are not willing to characterize the exact nature of the incident because of the ongoing investigation, it did not involve an immediate threat to occupants of the residence. However officials are taking the incident very seriously and conducting a vigorous investigation,” the statement said.

POLITICO reported on Monday that Mike Troxel, an organizer for the Lynchburg Tea Party, posted on his blog what he thought was the congressman’s address, encouraging tea party activists to “drop by.”

One of the Tea Partiers posting the address thought it was no big deal:

Danville Virginia Tea Party leader Nigel Coleman and others posted the address information on their websites. When Coleman learned that the address was actually for the home of Perriello’s brother — and after Politico reported he and his wife have four young children — Coleman commented on another blog that the mistake was "collateral damage."

"Do you mean I posted his brother’s address on my Facebook?" Coleman wrote. "Oh well, collateral damage."

Read more from MSNBC's "First Read".

An official statement from Congressman Perriello was as follows:

"While it is too early to say anything definitive regarding political motivations behind this act, it's never too early for political leaders to condemn threats of violence, particularly as threats to other members of Congress and their children escalate,'' Perriello (D-Va.) said in a statement. "And so I ask every member of House and Senate leadership to state unequivocally tonight that it is never OK to harm or threaten elected officials and their families with anything more than political retribution. Here in America, we settle our political differences at the ballot box."

Perriello's district is largely Conservative. His seat was previously held by bigoted Republican (basically openly racist) Virgil Goode.... remember him? We've blogged about his antics before. So the activity of fanatics who live in the area should not be all that surprising.

More from the following blogs

Think Progress

Crooks and Liars

Huffpost

Politico

Please take a look at the "Republican Media Page" in sidebar...where all of this was discussed by me over a year ago. I started blogging seriously about this issue back in 2008. Unfortunately, some of my worst fears and nightmares surrounding this issue are being realized. But once again... No one is taking responsibility. The Republican Party, & their mouthpieces and foot soldiers in the Right wing Republican media are using plausable deniability.... they aren't responsible... the Democrats who voted for Healthcare Reform are responsible. They want citizens to believe that they had no part in encouraging these incidents by spewing fear and misinformation...that they are just as shocked as everyone else.

It's so incredibly f------- unbelievable that the only thing that you can do is shake your head and wonder if you are awake or dreaming. It's especially annoying when they say this stuff with a straight face.

Coffin Left on Russ Carnahan's Front Lawn

The St. Louis Chapter of the Republican Tea Party Terrorist organization has targeted Congressman Russ Carnahan for his support of Healthcare Reform. Terrorists left a coffin on his front lawn in St. Louis sometime on Wednesday. Additional link from NBC St. Louis affiliate KSDK (Channel 5). Unclear on what kind of beefed up security he may be needing tonight.

These incidents are now sprouting up all over the Country. Some of the events have not yet made national news.

Republican Tea Party Fanatics Target Bart Stupak

From CBS:

In the wake of his vote in favor of health care reform legislation, Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.), a strong opponent of abortion rights, has been on the receiving end of a string of extremely hostile and threatening messages, including death threats.

Stupak's office released some of those messages to CBS News, and you can listen to them in the video at left, which is also available here.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said today that more than 10 members of Congress have received threats in the wake of the health reform vote, and the FBI and police are investigating, CBS News Capitol Hill Producer Jill Jackson reports. The chief of the Capitol Police, the Sergeant at Arms and a representative from the FBI met with members this afternoon to encourage them to report all threats.

While the Capitol Police is in charge of security for members of Congress, the FBI is the lead agency in investigating threats against members and their families.

"All threats and incidents directed against Members of Congress are taken seriously and are being investigated by the FBI, U.S. Capitol Police and other law enforcement agencies to identify and bring to justice those responsible," FBI Public Information Officer Katherine Schweit said in a statement. "Anyone with information about those who may be responsible or are connected to these incidents should contact their local FBI office or police department."

More here...

Republican Terrorists Threaten Congressman Clyburn

Republican Tea Party Terrorists send noose to Congressman James Clyburn. Incident appears to be part of a wave of terrorism and intimidation aimed at members of Congress who supported Healthcare reform.

Membangun Tim Dinamis

Bandung, 24 Maret 2010


Kita sadar betul, mengubah sekumpulan individu menjadi tim yang dinamis diperlukan upaya secara sadar dan serius. Pertanyaannya adalah apakah frekuensi anggota tim semua sama. Sadar dan serius?

Tim yang dinamis itu dibangun oleh tiga kekuatan: kinerja tinggi, percaya diri dan saling tergantung. Memiliki kinerja tinggi bukan hanya milik seorang pemimpin, ataupun sebaliknya. Karena menjadi pemimpin seenak perut bisa menyuruh kesana kemari. Pengertian berkinerja tinggi yaitu bagaimana tim memanfaatkan energinya untuk menghasilkan sesuatu. Setiap anggota menyadari kekuatannya dan menggunakannya untuk mencapai tujuan. Akan susah kalau kita saling mengandalkan, padahal sebenarnya kita punya kemampuan.

Ada anggota yang kesulitan keuangan, bukan hanya urusan pribadi melainkan juga tim harus membantu. Ketika salah seorang anggota keluarga tim sakit dan harus dirawat, maka secepat kilat anggota tim yang lain harus membantu. Ikatan yang terjalin bukan sekedar karena amanah organisasi, tapi adanya kesadaran bahwa kita harus menjadi tim sejati. Kesimpulannya sederhana. Tim yang dinamis adalah tim yang para anggotanya saling membantu satu sama lain, saling memberi umpan balik, dan saling memotivasi.

Membuat keputusan secara objektif. Ini merupakan satu karakter utama dari tim yang dinamis. Bagaimana tim memiliki pendekatan yang mantap dan proaktif untuk memecahkan masalah serta membuat keputusan. Keputusan dicapai melalui konsensus, setiap orang harus “bisa menerima” keputusan tersebut dan bersedia mendukung. Ingat, akan sangat berbahaya terutama bagi seorang pemimpin apabila dia mengambil keputusan tanpa sepengetahuan anggota tim. Hal ini mungkin akan terjadi kalau pemimpin tersebut masih saja menganut faham diktator atau feodal karena manut akan titah sang atasan. Pemimpin seperti ini harus diingatkan, Karena seringkali berjalan sendiri.

Setiap anggota merasa bebas untuk mengungkapkan perasaannya terhadap suatu keputusan. Anggota tim memahami dengan jelas dan menerima semua keputusan, serta bersedia mengikuti (mendukung) rencana yang ditetapkan.

Tujuan akhirnya adalah bagaimana menjadi tim sejati. Tim sejati bukanlah tim yang memliki pemain jagoan yang sanggup memasukkan bola ke keranjang setiap kali melakukan lemparan. Tim semacam itu mungkin bisa memenangkan pertandingan, tetapi berapa lama? Dalam tim sejati, seluruh pemain bisa bermain secara kompak, dengan posisi yang tepat, dan secara konsisten memenangkan pertandingan sebagai upaya bersama tim[]

Tetaplah Tersenyum Walau Rumah Kebanjiran

[Tulisan saya untuk partner KRC KAMMI Pusat yang Milad pada Minggu ini]

Bandung, 24 Maret 2010

Delapan buah majalah Ummi telah saya obrak-abrik. Hanya sekedar untuk mencari inspirasi tulisan. Tapi entahlah, malam ini saya belum juga menemukan tema yang cocok. Tanpa kehilangan akal, saya tulis saja beberapa judul dalam majalah tersebut. Mudah-mudahan kalau ini dikumpulkan bisa nyambung sebagai satu tema tulisan. Setiap judulnya memberikan kesan agar kita terus meningkatkan kualitas hidup. Nah, mungkin ini hadiah terbaik yang bisa saya berikan kepada teman saya.

Pertama, Akhir yang baik?, tafakurnya Zirlyfera Jamil yang mengantarkan sebuah renungan “Setiap detiknya, setiap diri sesungguhnya tengah memahat sebuah prasasti berwujud autobiografi, satu catatan yang akan terus dikaji, dibaca dan dikenang oleh anak, cucu dan para penerus tugas kehidupan. Pertanyaannya: Seperti apa kita ingin dikenang bila tak lagi berada di dunia ini?”

Kedua, Lambaian Jilbab di Taman-taman Rotterdam. Cerita perjalanan dua orang akhwat mahasiswa teknik elektro yang mengikuti Summer School on Biomedical Sciences and Technology di Rijksuniversiteit Groningen (RuG), Belanda pada beberapa tahun yang lalu. Inti ceritanya sih dapat ditebak, bahwa akhwat harus terus berprestasi. Ah, saya pikir semua akhwat pun sudah tahu tentang urgensi ini. Tapi, lebih dari itu ternyata. Saya teringat syairnya Iqbal: Di Barat, Akal adalah sumber kehidupan/ Di Timur, Cinta adalah basis kehidupan/ Melalui Cinta, Akal menjadi akrab dengan Realitas/ Dan pada karya Cinta, Akal memberikan stabilitas/ Bangkit dan letakkan fondasi dunia baru/ Dengan mengawinkan Akal dan Cinta//

Ketiga, Menjaga kesalihan, sekarang dan selamanya. Menurut tulisan ini, seseorang amat dipengaruhi oleh tuntutan diri dan tuntutan lingkungannya. Karena manusia adalah anggota suatu lingkungan masyarakat, maka standar yang muncul dalam satu lingkungan akan memicu seseorang untuk menyesuaikan dirinya dengan standar tertentu itu pula. Bila standarnya tinggi, seseorang akan memicu dirinya sesuai dengan standar tinggi, sementara bila tuntutan lingkungan lemah, akan memicu seseorang memiliki standar yang lemah pula.

Keempat, Manajemen Amarah. Ini tulisannya DR. Setiawan Budi Utomo, anggota Dewan Syariah Nasional MUI. Kenapa judul tulisan ini terlintas dalam pikiran saya? Karena tempat tinggal teman saya tersebut berada di daerah banjir, ya mungkin adrenalinnya agak meningkat akhir-akhir ini. Tulisan ini setidaknya menawarkan solusi untuknya agar tetap bersabar dan pintar memanage amarah.

Intinya begini, Ustad Budi ini mengutip beberapa referensi buku: Pertama, Taoist Ways to Transform Stress into Vitality (1997). Teorinya begini: Emosi, ekspresi dan aktivitas keseharian akan menimbulkan energi manusia yang berbeda-beda. Emosi-emosi negatif memicu energi tingkat rendah. Sebaliknya, emosi-emosi positif memancarkan energi tingkat tinggi. Nah, intinya kita bisa memanage amarah dengan memancarkan energi-energi positif.

Pengalaman Norman Cousins, mantan editor The Saturday Review dalam Anatomy of An Illness pun bisa menjadi pelajaran. Ceritanya begini, si Cousins ini berhasil menyembuhkan dirinya dari penyakit kronis dengan mengikuti aktivitas-aktivitas yang menimbulkan keceriaan seperti menikmati cerita humor. Dia berkata: “Betapa dahsyatnya energi positif senyum yang tulus dalam menyikapi hidup. Sebaliknya, amarah yang diumbar akan memicu penyakit dan menambah keruwetan hidup.”

Selamat Milad Mba Arum. Harapannya: Teruslah bertafakur untuk membangun prasasti autobigrafi yang membanggakan umat, lambaikan jilbabmu dengan terus menuntut ilmu, jagalah lingkungan Islam yang berstandar tinggi dan tetaplah tersenyum walau rumahmu kebanjiran.


Best Regard,
Ramlan Nugraha

Quote of the Week

This one from Sergey Brin, co-founder of Google:

He said that companies should think carefully about whether they are providing an ethical service to Chinese citizens and took aim at critics of Google's U-turn. Brin has admitted in the past that launching the censored service in 2006 was a mistake. "We have always opposed [censorship] but obviously we have now taken a stronger point of view," he said. "I was surprised immediately after our January announcement how much resentment there appeared to be among free marketeers."

"The notion that any company should make any sort of decision other than to maximise profit? I would hope that larger companies would not put profit ahead of all else. Generally, companies should pay attention to how and where their products are used."

Sergey has discovered what many of us knew long ago - that the current form of capitalism is based on an ideology free of any ethical dimension. Correction - an ideology whose only ethical dimension is not straying from the pursuit of profit as the main, and only, operational rationale. Companies do pay attention to how and where their products are used but it is data collected to analyse how to increase profits or determine whether a market is still lucrative enough to operate in.

Seems to me there should be ground rules for the activities of corporations:

1. They should not be considered individuals under law, as they have been in the US since 1913.

2. They should not be allowed to make political donations or contributions or lobby Governments.

3. Corporations whose HQs are founded in democratic countries should not operate in, or trade with, dictatorships or authoritarian countries.

4. They should not be allowed to invest in media companies if media is not their primary business.

5. They should be required to sign a Investment Pact with the local communities in which they operate that specifies a minimum period of time of operation. Suddenly withdrawing or closing down would mean a fine that covers the costs of rebuilding trade and employment in the community.

6. They should be held strictly accountable for the impact of their operations on the environment in which they operate - no more unaccountable contingencies.

7. They should be employee owned - small to medium businesses can be wholly privately owned.

8. They should not be allowed to have majority ownership of national infrastructure - communications, hospitals, education, transport, energy, security.

9. They should not trade in commodities that reduces the bio-diversity and integrity of the environment.

10. No corporation should be allowed to operate in a country where their net worth is greater than the annual GDP.

The President Signs the Healthcare Bill Into Law

When People Say...

"America is a republic, not a democracy" what on earth do they mean?

Can anyone who subscribes to that view please explain what on earth you mean by that statement in an explanatory, non-snarky way? I have no idea what you mean and I'd really like to know. Consider this an opportunity to educate someone.

Thank you.

Anyone Else Having a Problem With Blogger

Or is it just me? I'm using firefox and have been having all sorts of problems.

Republican Fanatics Wasting No Time Responding to Health Care Legislation

Republicans are becoming more radical. Violence is not out of the question as the Right becomes more desperate.

The Fight For Health Care Reform Is Not Over Yet - U.S. Supreme Court Likely To Have Last Word

The U.S. Supreme Court will likely have the last word on the Health Care Reform legislation that was signed by President Obama today. John Roberts, along with Scalia and Alito are salivating right now.... especially Roberts. He loves being in this position at this moment. At the very least for Roberts, it's a chance to make Obama sweat. He has made it no secret that he is not fond of the Obama Administration, particularly after the spat about comments made by Obama at the last State of the Union address, criticizing the court for its ruling on campaign finance regulations in the case of Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. Uncle Clarence probably can't wait either.

The lawsuits by State Attorneys General from across the Country (most of them Republican) will drag on for months. Writing in the Washington Post, Georgetown University constitutional law professor Randy E. Barnett breaks down the potential areas for legal challenges and the potential for their success. He concludes the U.S. Supreme Court isn’t likely to overturn the legislation - however, he admits that it is not out of the realm of possibility.

The courts won't be the only avenue that Republicans will use to try to kill the legislation. They will also try to interfere with the passage of reconciliation "fixes". If they can't find any traction there, they plan to continue to scare and misinform voters about the legislation. Yesterday, on one of St. Louis' local Right wing radio stations, callers were suggesting a move towards violence (with the host playing right along). On NPR last night... angry callers, brainwashed completely by the propaganda, talked about going to prison and the death camps they may have to endure because of the legislation (Ohhh yes, the Right has brainwashed the Hell out of Americans. You can do anything when you control media). Listen to the March, 22nd discussion on Healthcare from NPR's On Point. The GOP and Right wing media have been extremely effective at ginning up fear and using propaganda to turn public opinion clearly against Health Care Reform.

This will be a serious problem for Obama and the Democrats. They act as if this is a real victory... and it may be. But it may be an even bigger victory for Republicans who still control the debate... in fact, they control public opinion. Progressives have failed monumentally in the information war.... and it is showing. They have time to debunk the lies and recover somewhat.... but I don't think they have a clue regarding how to do it, and I don't think there is even a willingness on their part to do it, and because of that they will pay dearly in November.

The Democrats still have the problem of the economy, which was destroyed by Bush & Co. The public....real folks down on the ground... are concerned more about the economy and jobs than anything else. This is why Obama and the Democrats should have been more focused on jobs over the past year. Their interest in jobs and the economy have been luke warm...and people have noticed. This is why voters, misguided and vulnerable to Republican propaganda, will choose Republicans this Fall.... the same Party that is largely responsible for getting the Country into its current economic mess.

The Republicans will now run their campaigns using Health Care as their rallying cry. They will run on repealing it....and stupid voters (the targets of Right wing propaganda/lies) will respond by punishing Democrats. Of course Republicans won't be able to repeal it as long as the Democrats are in the White House. But a President Mitt Romney (or some other Republican President) is likely to sign legislation repealing it in 2013, before the bill has a chance to kick in completely. Stupid American voters are likely to give us a Republican House and Republican Senate (possibly this year) and a Republican in the White House in the 2012 elections.

Could they do this realistically? I don't think so.... but it all depends on how well they maintain their brainwashing. If they can continue to effectively misinform the public and continue to win the argument.... then a repeal is a possibility. Republicans have undisputed control over information and public opinion in this Country.... despite the fact that most evidence shows that their core principles and values are losing propositions. Their theories on politics, social policy, economics, and foreign policy have been proven failures. Yet, because they control the battlefield in terms of PR and information.... they can continue to be successful. It pisses me off that Progressives seem to be unable to understand the importance of winning the information war. They don't seem to get it.... even after all of these years... after 2000, and after John Kerry in 2003-04... they still don't understand what the Hell is going on. You can have the best policies in the World...and you could have better programs for improving the lives of voters...but none of that matters if you can't win the information war.

So all of this celebrating might be premature.

Death Penalty Debate

No, your eyes don't deceive you. The above shot was taken at GTV studios in Neihu, Taipei on Saturday night as Eva and I participated in a TV show screening by PTS. The discussion show is apparently quite popular and hosted by a former news anchor who has such an exaggerated Beijing accent that it almost seems contrived. Here we are ready to take our seats on the anti-death penalty side (nos. 16 & 17). The discussion was interesting but filled with bizarre comments. For example, one DPP legislator said that if we don't have the death penalty then perhaps we could inject killers with a substance to turn them into a vegetative state. Another person suggested offshore islands and work camps. Naturally, the loudest side was the pro-death penalty camp. Eva made a comment or two but I kept my hand down assuming that they would ask me for a comparative example from the UK. They didn't. I guess they thought my Taiwan-guo-yu was a little too rough around the edges. For my part, I was too scared to make a point without fully and clearly understanding what the last person had said. In the end I kept quiet even though I wanted to make point about the lessons to be learned from the white terror period. In a quick debate in class, my students today came up with many of the standard arguments to keep the death penalty but when I mentioned the white terror period and the risk of abuse and making a mistake they fell fairly quiet - even though they had the language advantage. Tonight I clicked on a news item in which the President gave his opinions:

Ma stated that ``the abolition of the death penalty is still our policy, but there are still some difficulties.``

The president said he agreed to the resignation of former justice minister Wang Ching-feng, who resigned over her public refusal to sign orders for the execution of death sentences, because Wang ``could not serve both her conscience and perform her duties.``

Ma said that Taiwan governments have already taken actions to give judges more alternatives to imposing the death penalty by eliminating mandatory death penalties for some crimes, imposing stiffer penalties for serious offenses and lifting the floor for consideration of release of convicts given life sentences from 20 to 25 years.

The president also said he hoped that the Judicial Yuan would consider additional measures, such as requiring unanimous support from judges on a death penalty.

However, Ma rejected the notion that Taiwan should consider ``international pressure`` to maintain its current four year tacit moratorium on executions.

On March 18, the London-based Amnesty International publically expressed its ``distress`` over Wang`s resignation over the death penalty and called on Ma to ``ensure that Taiwan remains firm in reaching for its stated goal of abolition of the death penalty`` and ``not to waiver from`` assurances given the prestigious human rights organization in June 2008 ``Taiwan`s de facto moratorium would remain in place``

``What is `international`?`` Ma asked, evidently rhetorically.

While acknowledging that all European, democratic nations and two thirds of the world`s nations have either abolished the death sentence or are respecting a moratorium on executions, Ma emphasized that ``we can still see major countries, such as the United States and Japan, still have the death penalty and that even the governor of New York State restored the death penalty.``

``No country can ignore public feelings,`` said Ma.

``The correct policy is to gradually reduce the use of the death penalty and this is already been done,`` said the president, who expressed his hope that new Justice Minister Tseng Yung-fu ``will do his work well and see both sides of the issue.``

Thanks again USA and Japan for leading the world by your example. Ma is right to set a policy of abolishing the death penalty but I fear that it is just anther electioneering promise rather than a substantive intention. As for his 'what is international' ... I think that really sums up Ma's 'modus vivendi' or as I like to call it, 'modus dissapearus'. Think of the remaining 44 convicted persons sentenced to death, at least some of whom are almost certainly either not guilty or at least not deserving a death penalty. I guess we will now see the new Minister of Justice Tseng carry out a few executions to calm the issue before the year end elections so the process can get back to 'normal' for the remaining prisoners. Once again, thanks former Minister Wang for your oh so principled stand on the death penalty that was utterly unnecessary and ill-timed - and one that might have got you into heaven but which will likely result in the deaths of a few more prisoners than would have been the case had you kept your mouth shut. I still think though that this whole issue has been divertisement par excellence (anyone for a nice and complex social issue that cleaves across partisan lines and will take ECFA off the front pages?.)

Links March 23rd

• Mike Turton does the maths on ECFA support in Taiwan. The polls just don't seem to add up to that magic 60% that the Premier said would be a condition for signing it. Don't expect the Premier to remember that condition as the deadline for signing ECFA nears. And check MT's take on the possible, literal, 'rezoning' of Taiwan in the future ...
  

• Talking of zones, the fake French TV 'Extreme Zone' programme recreated the conditions of a famous prisoner / inmate experiment conducted by Yale psychologist Stanley Milgram in the 1960s, "in which volunteers were ordered to inflict electric shocks on a student in order to improve memory." The result? "70 percent of contestants laughed at least once during the ordeal, the program producers said, and only 19 percent put a stop to the game before reaching the maximum charge of 420 volts."

• DPP alleges KMT Taitung County Magistrate Justin Huang has a US passport. Meanwhile, Diane Lee walks free as she contests her guilty verdict for fraud. No preventative detention for some.

• ECFA push enters final stage of mass hypnosis and fear induction. Interestingly:

The Legislative Yuan's Finance Committee adopted a resolution stating that whether members of the financial sector have actively helped publicize the ECFA should be made one of the criteria that will determine their qualifications to set up branches in China. (BG - Did you help the Government push ECFA on Taiwanese? Your 30 pieces come in the form of beneficial treatment under the new agreement. Nothing like bribing local business to support your policies. However it does make perfect sense since business opinions in Taiwan are the pigs in Animal Farm - some are more equal than others)

Meanwhile, the results of a survey released by the China Times revealed that only 24 percent of respondents were aware of the content of the ECFA, and 67 percent were in favor of holding a public debate between the ruling and opposition parties on the signing of the trade pact. (BG - likelihood of public debate? 5-10% with a following wind and downhill)

• Sandstorm from China. I had to chuckle at one student's response as I warned my class to bring face masks - "Ha! Made in China!".

• Apple Daily calls for restraint, maturity and discretion and not death threats to Ma and his family. I agree. I wish members of the Ma administration, such as the 'Boao Rat' Su Chi, had shown the same when they were in opposition and brought the nation's political process to a halt by blocking everything. Lead by example ....?
  

• Former Justice Minister Wang argued that the death penalty is against the recently signed international covenants on human rights. New Minister Tseng Yung-fu disagrees:

Responding to Wang’s remark, Tseng noted that human rights covenants are aimed at reducing the execution of death penalty. In recent years, the society has seen a notable decrease of death verdicts due to judicial circumspection and social concern. Therefore, the execution cannot be treated as the denial of the covenants. (BG - hang on. Tseng has gone on the record as saying he will sign the execution orders for the clearest cases first yet here he notes that death verdicts in the last few years were reduced owing to social concern. The official line is that the public supports the death penalty so what social concern prompted a reduction in death sentences? Tseng argues that execution is not a denial of the covenants only because Taiwan has made steps toward reducing death sentences. Yet Tseng has shown himself keen to carry out a few executions, marking a move away from the wording of the covenants. Tseng is clearly fishing for a way to get the Ministry off the hook so that it doesn't reduce the 'shine' Ma can claim for signing the covenants. As many feared, it seems the covenants are window dressing for western eyes whilst at home, its business as necessary)

The official of the Executive Yuan also noted that everyone has the freedom of speech in response to Wang’s claim. However, it is clear that majority of the public supports the government to perform official duties according to law, said the official.(BG - and when the law is amended to state that anyone carrying out activities designed to undermine the economic and political unification of Taiwan and China is guilty of national subversion and treason and deserves the death penalty, the Government will trot out the line that it is 'performing official duties according to the law".)

• Plans for absentee voting continue - to be implemented (conveniently?) for the 2012 Presidential election. There will be limits to the plan. Why?

Interior Minister Jiang Yi-huah also ruled out allowing overseas compatriots with double citizenship or Taiwanese business people in China to vote by mail. There were fears that ballots mailed in from China might be doctored, he said. (BG - but China is our special partner with whom we are tied in blood. Why would they do this to Taiwanese elections if they are our 'brothers'?)

The minister said his plan would allow voters who were staying in another part of Taiwan to study or work to cast their ballot in that location, while allowing their vote to be included in the vote total for their home constituency.

He rejected fears from political party supporters that a local government from the other party would have the opportunity to doctor absentee ballots. After decades of democratic development in Taiwan, there was no need anymore to fear such practices, Jiang said. (BG - That's right - with Diane Lee convicted and three by-elections held this year owing to vote buying, Taiwanese really don't need to fear electoral malpractice. In reality, Taiwan has undergone 23 years of democratic transition that has not yet been consolidated - it is now under its greatest threat ever - marginalisation and downgrading under 'stealth unification' by the KMT Government - the party that has the longest and most inglorious history of electoral malpractice in possibly any country on earth)

Exact Changes You Can Expect From Health Care Reform

Devona Walker at The Loop has an excellent bullet point list of exactly what changes are in store for you due to the health care reform just passed by the House

Democrats Did The Right Thing On Health Care

Yesterday, House Democrats took their boldest, most responsible action in years by passing health care reform. The Democratic bill will expand coverage to an estimated 32 million Americans. Yes, there will be a mandate that people acquire health care coverage, but this does not constitute a government takeover. The private insurance market will actually get larger. With an enlarged customer base, premiums for pre-existing customer should not rise at nearly their current rate of increases.

Read the rest at The Loop.

Also check out my podcast discussion of health care reform with Lenny McAllister.

President Obama Comments on the House Vote

Highlight Of The Health Care Debate

While I essentially disagree with his sentiments and you can see the smirk (as this will be on every TV tomorrow) I have to say rep. Boehner was entertaining last night:

LINK

Sparks Bashes Davis On Health Care Vote

Jesse & Artur: At odds over the health care bill

Gubernatorial candidate Ron parks bashed his Democratic primary rival Ron Sparks in an e-mail immediately following Rep. Davis's "nay" vote on federal health care legislation. Sparks said in part:

The bill will help 66,000 uninsured people in Artur Davis’ district obtain medical coverage. It will help thousands of small businesses in the district with the rising cost of healthcare, and it will save millions of dollars that healthcare facilities lose because people cannot afford to pay their medical bills. It will also reduce the federal deficit by $138 billion.
...
“If Artur Davis is elected governor, the people of Alabama will be thrown under the big business bus, just like he has thrown his own district under the bus. We cannot allow someone who will leave the people of Alabama unprotected from special interests. I will put the people first, not the special interests.”

Thank you, House of Representatives

Thank you House of Representatives, and thank you Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who has done something none of the ' legendary' Speakers were able to do.
Today was history, folks.

FINAL VOTE-HR 3590: 219 Yea 212 Nay




from Wonkette:
HAHAHAHAH. Nancy Pelosi loves pissing off teabaggers. Here she is linking arms with John Lewis, just like in the Selma march, to remind America of how teabaggers chanted “nigger” at John Lewis fifteen times yesterday. And if anyone gets in her way, she will smash their skulls into sandhills of calcium with her Weapon, the “1965 Medicare gavel,” forged by ancient socialist hobbits in a distant epoch, as a paean to Thor.

From BooMan:

Waterloo Bounces Off Us, Sticks to You
by BooMan
Sun Mar 21st, 2010 at 06:12:00 PM EST

David Frum is feeling glum.

Former Bush speechwriter David Frum says Republicans bet that the health care reform bill would be President Obama's Waterloo -- "just as health care was Clinton's in 1994."

"Only, the hardliners overlooked a few key facts: Obama was elected with 53% of the vote, not Clinton's 42%. The liberal block within the Democratic congressional caucus is bigger and stronger than it was in 1993-94. And of course the Democrats also remember their history, and also remember the consequences of their 1994 failure."

"This time, when we went for all the marbles, we ended with none... We followed the most radical voices in the party and the movement, and they led us to abject and irreversible defeat."

I wouldn't say they got nothing. It just got a lot harder for those of us who would like to do away with the Hyde Amendment, and if we're not careful, the stupid Ben Nelson language in the Senate bill will make it harder for people to find a provider to help end a pregnancy. I'd say that the anti-choice movement made some progress in this messy process, and that's at least something that Republicans can point to as progress. But, in the larger picture, David Frum is correct. This bill might have been the Republican version of health care fifteen-twenty years ago. Today it passes with no Republican support. And they have so poisoned the minds of their supporters, that they will never be able to govern effectively in this new paradigm. They screwed themselves. Plus, this bill greatly expands Medicaid. Last I checked, not too many people using Medicaid vote for Republicans. If their party goes from being the Party of No to the Party of Repeal, they'll create at least 31 million solid Democrats. Idiots.

is it what I wanted?

NO.

But, it's a first step.

Heatlh Care Vote Today...

March Brackets Legal In Alabama???

Is anyone thinking "impeachment?"

With all the fuss over "bingo" in Alabama, I found an interesting article at al.com on "office brackets" and their questionable legality. Here is how the article reported on how Alabama law covers the matter:

Gambling is a Class C misdemeanor in Alabama, but state law makes an exception for players who are "engaged in a social game in a private place."

That language is vague enough that the legality of an office pool would likely be open to the interpretation of a judge, said Henry Strickland, an associate dean at Cumberland School of Law in Birmingham.

Of course John Tyson takes this WAY too seriously. Apparently everyone that enters an office pool should see the advice of a lawyer:

John Tyson, the Mobile County District Attorney who is also heading up Gov. Bob Riley's anti-gambling task force, said he could not give an opinion on the matter but suggested people entering pools should "seek the advice of their lawyer, and do it immediately."

Man, I hope the Anti-Gambling Task Force doesn't kick in the Attorney General's office. I would be willing to bet that someone in there is in an office pool.