Just like the seafarers of old, if you’re to venture to shores beyond your own, you’ll need the lay of the land. When exploring Ternate, a spice island in the Indonesian province of North Maluku, you’ll need to understand the pulse of the people. In this edition of “Into the Project”, which covers Prof. Marina Kaneti’s project team for “Power legitimacy, agency: The Belt Road Initiative and Visions for Interconnected World”, we follow the proverbial lamp unto their feet: Tanya Edwina Belatur.
Tanya is our 32-year-old Masters of Public Policy graduate from Indonesia and she’s been instrumental in Prof. Marine Kaneti’s research in the Indonesia. She feels LKYSPP is Asia’s top public policy institute and hopes her degree will allow her to explore new and bigger responsibilities in her future career. But, before she soars to new heights, we take her to the past and have her regale us with stories of her involvement in the project:
1. Briefly, what is the project about and what is your role in the project?
The research project called “Power legitimacy, agency: the Belt Road Initiative and Visions for Interconnected World”. Essentially, it investigates the narratives of silk road, maritime silk road, or spice routes in places along this ancient route which is now their individual countries in Asia.
My role is to help with the investigation in Indonesia; to understand how the communities value their cultural heritage and history given its connection to their past glory as the hub of the global spice trade and the geopolitical context associated with the place.
2. What have your contributions been thus far and what do you expect to be doing in the current days?
I have been involved in desk research, identifying relevant stakeholders in Indonesia that would help with the research, arranging research trips to several cities in Indonesia. The most recent is our visit to Ternate, a small island/city in the eastern part of Indonesia. We have been working together with Prof. Kaneti and RA colleagues in creating a short documentary video of that trip. Currently, we are trying to disseminate this video to our stakeholders to gauge feedback as well as preparing for another production of similar videos.
3. Regarding your expectations of the project:
- What were they and have your expectations changed since?
In the beginning, I was interested in the research mainly because of its unique approach of looking at the Belt and Road Initiative i.e. more emphasis on the cultural perspective rather than economic and political aspects. I was expecting a different kind of experience in learning and understanding such a common topic in international affairs; safe to say my expectations were met.
- Was there anything that surprised you?
I was surprised at the amount of information out there about the Indonesian culture that I have yet to understand. Every time we tried to figure out something, we discovered more interesting information that shows how diverse the culture is.
4. What was the most and least enjoyable part of the project?
The most enjoyable part is to be able to build connections with new people and communities working on the same topic and interests. The discovery and learning part was what most motivating for me. As for the least enjoyable part, I could not think of any; it has been an interesting and rewarding experience to be able to help with the research, re-learning about my own culture and being connected to a lot of people in Indonesia who is also passionate about the topic.
5. Is there anything you are looking forward to learning in your time participating in this project?
I am looking forward to learning people’s reaction towards the research, especially how would it affect the direction of the policies on the ground. It would be very rewarding to know that the work we are doing in this research would start or amplify the discussion around the Indonesian maritime roots and identity. It is equally interesting to know the reaction of friends and colleagues in other countries.
6. Project work entails working closely with people, any fun stories to share on that front?
Traveling to Ternate was one of the highlights of the research. I have no prior connection whatsoever on the island; I knew very little information about how the community will react or treat us. Fortunately, we were connected with representatives from the local community who are actively preserving their culture and heritage; who are also very welcoming. In between the research works, we were taken to eat the best food, saw the best scenery, and experience the hospitality of the people on the island. Overall it was a fruitful and memorable trip.
7. They say travels broadens the mind, has your time in this project brought about new perspectives for you?
Witnessing young people of Ternate actively preserving their culture and heritage brings a new perspective to me. Despite the inflow of foreign culture that captivates the young generation in Indonesia, it is encouraging to see that there are still those who care deeply about Indonesian heritage and cultural identity. Having been connected to Ternate Heritage Society also opened my eyes that there are a lot of similar organisations in Indonesia that promotes cultural preservation. I believe there is a growing movement of young people in the country and it is an asset for Indonesia and its cultural advancement.
8. If given a chance, would you do projects like this again? Why or why not?
Yes, I have learned a lot from the project, and I would love to be involved in another project that will help people to better understand Indonesian roots and culture.
