APEC Board Advisory Council 2013 Writing Competition: Pre-eliminaryEssay Submission
By aghnia mega safira - August 12, 2014
At the end of 2013, APEC Board Advisory Council or known by ABAC was held a writing competition where the chosen top 5 were going to APEC CEO Summit 2013 and ABAC 4th Meeting in Bali as volunteer and observer.
happy to say I was one of those top 5! Later I also know I was the runner up at this writing competition final round. The steps were essay submission, phone-interview, observing essay, and another essay for final assessment.
here is my pre-eliminary essay submission.
Brief: How we as the young generation can leverage the momentum of APEC 2013 to make Indonesia more competitive in the Asia Pacific region?
APEC 2013 as Tipping Point of Indonesian Youth
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When you have a hesitant or nervousness, you have to speak it. I have both now. I am just figured about one announcement from ABAC Indonesia, an opportunity to be the part of APEC CEO Summit 2013 as a volunteer. The term and condition is you have to write an article about “How we as the young generation can leverage the momentum of APEC 2013 to make Indonesia more competitive in the Asia Pacific region.”
I am going to take this opportunity, try my best, even I only have like one hour and 15 minutes to work it off. So, How we as the young generation can leverage the momentum of APEC 2013 to make Indonesia more competitive in the Asia Pacific region?
APEC 2013 will also be an opportunity to Indonesia to utilize the regional economic cooperation to advance its domestic interest in developing the Indonesia’s domestic economic capacity, promoting job creation, and increasing Indonesia’s investment and export. In addition, Indonesia’s hosting in APEC will also inevitably foster positive benefits in the promotion of Indonesian trade, investment, tourism, and culture to the region. (about APEC 2013, http://www.apec2013.or.id/index.php/about/apec2013)
If we saw the description above, APEC 2013 will be the time for Indonesia to promote what Indonesia have to the world, to other APEC member economies. But actually, this momentum can also used to promote what Indonesia has to Indonesia itself, especially to the young generation.
I currently read a book written by Malcolm Gladwell titled The Tipping Point. With this book, Gladwell told us how some phenomenon has tipped from nothing to something. How a single brand called Hush Puppies became famous all over the world from exact unknown. How a syphilis disease spread all over town.
One rule of those tipping points was The Law of The Few. This rule explain how a small number of people can influence others to finally act and think like those influencers.
In the case of Hush Puppies, this brand is formerly unknown by anybody. Then some youngsters from east village wear the shoes precisely because nobody was. The shoes after all, become a hip in club. The fad spread, fashion design was wearing them for their model and product, then suddenly Hush Puppies became a great famous product all over the world.
The case of spreading of syphilis disease, we can learn also that this phenomenon is caused by small amount of people who was carrying this disease to all over the town. They were the kind of people who sleep with new different girl every single night and spread the disease like wildfire.
I believe those two cases giving us an insight about how a little amount of people can give such a big impact to others. And this rule, The Law of The Few, off course will also be valid not only for negative thing such a disease but also for the positive one.
If some youngsters out there able to make Hush Puppies became a world famous brand nowadays, that is nonsense we as young generation of Indonesia cannot make this country more competitive in the Asia Pacific region. And this momentum of APEC is a real great opportunity.
Indonesia has about 259 million people (count until 31 Desember 2010), that a quite big mass. So what we need to do is find a way to mobile this people into a good will, and Indonesia will be a competitive country all over Asia Pasific or even all over the world.
That is might be sounds too much. But why don’t we try? Indonesian people is mostly, creative and innovative. We also have plenty much international award in many fields. What we need is a trigger.
When there is no competition, you do not going to give your best to win the competition. When there are no rivals, you are not giving the best of you to defeat them. If this writing competition does not exist, I probably will not know I can make such article like this.
Trigger will push you to the limit, widening your point of view. And moment of APEC is going to be a great trigger for Indonesian people.
APEC 2013 should not be only an opportunity to Indonesia to promote Indonesian trade, investment, tourism, and culture to other APEC member economies, but also to Indonesia itself.
This is part where Indonesian youth can take. As youngster who always being up to date and who has an on fire spirit, we can trigger people around us. We can tell them how great Indonesian trade, investment, tourism, and culture are.
If we can spread the achievement of Indonesian people like Peter Firmansyah (owner of Peter Says Denim) or Johny Andrean (owner of J.co donuts), it will inspire some people, especially another youth, to have a higher dreams for themselves, higher dream for Indonesia.
This achievement promoted by APEC should also promoted by us to the society, to widening their point of view, to giving them trigger. Or at least, this will give them proud of being Indonesian.
Aghnia Mega Safira
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