|
For nine out of ten people in Indonesia, "religion is an
important part of everyday life". That's true for Muslims and
Christians alike. Eight out of ten Confucians and Buddhists, five in
ten Hindus also agree.
Religions are thriving side by side in today's Indonesia, the
occasional acts of hatred by the extreme few is an insult to the amity
that exists everyday across the country. Regardless of their religion,
three out of four Indonesians believe "democracy is working".
In this predominantly Muslim country but constitutionally secular
state, the affairs of mosque and state have followed separate paths.
The attempts by some to meddle, to meld the two, require the constant
attention of all including the nation's President. His executive powers
and constitutional authority still remain the best line of defense
against these insidious invasions of secular freedoms, a serious threat
to this young democracy.
Anybody who believes that Islam and democracy are contradictions needs
only to look at the facts from the world's biggest Muslim society, year
after year. The overwhelming evidence from the people of Indonesia
should help the bigots and the ill-informed rid themselves of malicious
myths.
With mosque and state continuing to co-exist without interference, the
Indonesia of today is an exemplary phenomenon that the world needs to
recognize and all Indonesians need to cherish, actively.
Most days I wake up conscious of a world at ideological war, with
ancient religions an intrinsic element of the universal Molotov
cocktail. If uniting voices allow themselves to be drowned out by the
loud divisive forces so obviously at work everyday, we will leave an
increasingly deadly legacy behind for our children.
Does business-at-large have a role to play in influencing society,
especially in this new democracy? Can it be a positive bulwark, without
being partisan? Can it help bolster the pillars upon which homes and
families thrive? Or does it have to remain a silent, passive spectator?
The safe and unimaginative option is to steer clear of anything that is
remotely controversial and continue the singular pursuit of profit.
Remaining unconscious of the social context is not a smart option,
however. Those who can make a positive contribution have the moral
responsibility to exercise that power.
Paying lip-service to CSR is to betray the aspirations of millions of
Indonesians who are our consumers today or could be our consumers
tomorrow. Businesses big and small can take a cue from society and
consumer to find a cause that suits the personality of the body
corporate, or the sponsoring brand.
There are causes aplenty crying out for assistance, the real challenge
is to find the perfect fit between sponsor and beneficiary. There are
good corporate examples to follow, but they are too few in the face of
the opportunities that exist.
Consider this fascinating aspect of Indonesian society: 85 percent of
Indonesia, from across the different religions and socioeconomic
classes, believes that "a percentage of everyone's income should go to
charity".
By any standard, Indonesians are culturally more charitable than
others, regardless of the reality that religion influences that view.
Then consider the fact that Stephen Post, author of the book "Why Good
Things Happen To Good People", now has clinical evidence that people
feel good from the very act of giving.
Volunteers working with the needy have been monitored, leading to the
conclusion that they themselves felt happier lending a helping hand.
The scientific explanation for this phenomenon is the chemical release
of dopamine in the human brain, triggered by the simple joy of giving
selflessly.
By putting the two facts together, a whole new generation of
promotional offers could be made to consumers, involving them and
society at large. What better way to make money, win customers, and
keep them happy customers, happy staff.
Done with style and imagination, corporate adoption of charities could
indeed become fashionable. Then, fashion will never have felt better.
Billboards that flaunt a hundred Mercedes Benz cars as prizes are a
crude and insensitive reminder to the man on the street that the
rich-poor divide is indeed a widening gap.
Surely, the marketing brains of Indonesia can do better?
These observations are based on Roy Morgan Single Source, the country's
largest syndicated survey with over 27,000 Indonesian respondents
annually, projected to reflect 90 percent of the population over the
age of 14. That is a universe of 140 million people. The results are
updated every 90 days.
|
