Kindness Revolution

KOMPAS/RADITYA HELABUMI

Residents receive the distribution of boxed rice on Jalan Bungur, Central Jakarta, Friday (8/1/2021).

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented various difficulties for the Indonesian people. These difficulties were previously unimaginable. However, it seems that after difficulties there will always be blessings. There emerges the will to work hand in hand and the strengthening of the sense of solidarity at various levels of society to rise together.

The moment for the commemoration of the 76th Independence Day of the Republic of Indonesia has a deep meaning because it also becomes a moment for struggle and hope. The struggle takes place in the midst of uncertainty against an invisible "enemy". There is also the hope of rising with the spirit of togetherness.

Also read:

> Solidarity amid COVID-19 Epidemic

> Solidarity Strengthens amid Pandemic

> National Solidarity a Response to Challenges

Entering the second year of the pandemic, it seems as if we are opening a new history book where everyone writes their own life story. When opened, it shows stories of sadness, anxiety, depression, distress, vulnerability and life\'s pressures. But it also contains stories of resilience, patience, endurance, unity and human love for kindness.

Indonesia\'s population is about 257 million, 35 million of whom are classified as less fortunate. For such people, life during the pandemic is like walking in the hot sun without a protector. We know that many people have to struggle each day so that there is always food on their table. Now, the impact of layoffs and limited access to businesses has weakened their hopes to the lowest point. The government or community assistance that reaches them is like a drop of water in the midst of thirst.

Government assistance does not always reach the hands of those who need it most. Even if it is received, it is not always used as expected by the government. Humanitarian solidarity from various parties, including volunteers, during the pandemic has been a small-scale alternative to help cover these limitations.

However, in the midst of various difficulties, a sense of optimism has emerged that hope is not like menggantang asap or mengukir langit (billowing smoke or carving the sky, i.e. futile). Now we see that the pages of history during the pandemic are also written by brave individuals. They are the ones who write their life stories with sacrifice and kindness, who dare to take risks, not infrequently for the sake of others, like the stories of health workers, officers and state officials with noble hearts.

KOMPAS/RADITYA HELABUMI

A number of volunteers put boxed rice into a car at a public kitchen that cares about Covid-19 in Karet Semanggi, Setiabudi, South Jakarta, for distribution, on Thursday (8/7/2021).

The fire of generosity and compassion never dims in the heart and is well maintained in action. People feel happy as long as they can do good for others. Every day we witness the news of how humanity never leaves the hearts of people facing this dire situation, people who distribute food, beverages, medicine and snacks to many people, people with limited abilities extending a helping hand to those in need, volunteers who do not wait for any command to play a symphony of kindness and generosity to help ease the burden on people who are more severely affected by the pandemic.

The commotion of the pandemic is like climbing to the top of a steep mountain. The cooperation of the climbers is needed to arrive safely at the destination. Cooperation from various components of the nation, the participation of state and non-state actors at various levels and the creation of pathways for active involvement in easing the burden of those who are directly affected by the pandemic and social restrictions are non-negotiable.

In a world where billions of people are connected to social media, communication and messages of kindness, this can be healing for those who feel alone and isolated from others. We are now seeing that artists, officers and state officials are starting to diligently make blusukan (impromptu visits) to distribute social aid, such as staple foods, to the lower classes of society while reporting it on various social media platforms. Some have criticized this as a kind of “generosity narcissism”. However, the positive impact is clearly more pronounced for the community than those who do not do it.

The lower the level of trust in official sources, the more hoaxes will be fallen for.

Unfortunately, the digital world also often triggers misunderstandings and confusion about various things related to the pandemic. Not infrequently there are parties who profit from viral conditions due to the commotion surrounding the pandemic or vaccination. In a society under pressure, disinformation and misinformation can be a trigger for division. The lower the level of trust in official sources, the more hoaxes will be fallen for. Restoring the trustworthiness of government information is another way of healing the “digital pandemic”.

Also read:

> The Power of Solidarity

> Solidarity Strengthens Hope

In our current situation, we need to revolutionize kindness, radically expanding our imaginations in looking at goodness and what it means to do good. We need to cultivate what the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibet, calls an “atmosphere of kindness” in all areas of life. The higher one’s position, the greater the room for doing good. The bigger the material, the greater the chance of doing it.

AFP PHOTO/RAVEENDRAN

Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama greets the audience at the fourth annual Lecture on Minorities in New Delhi on August 10, 2011. The Dalai Lama affirmed that his political successor, Lobsang Sangay, at the head of the Tibetan government in exile will follow his approach in the fight for the rights of the Tibetan people. On August 8, 2011 some powers of Tibet\'s government in exile were devolved to a democratically-elected premier, yet the Dalai Lama retained the more significant role of Tibet\'s spiritual leader and a major influence on major policy-making decisions. The Dalai Lama fled Tibet following a failed uprising against Chinese rule in 1959. He later founded the government in exile in Dharamshala after being offered exile by India.

Recently we have seen a strong recognition of the need to respect animal rights. Animal lovers can spend millions of rupiah per month on food and care for their pets. If humans can care so much about the fate of animals during this pandemic, the impulse behind that kindness can be extended to children who have lost their parents and may have an uncertain future without protective solutions.

We feel the pain and suffering of others. When used to extend caring, empathy serves as a guide to reinforcing a sense of community solidarity and arranging it to get out of adversity.

Experts say the imagination of kindness is closely related to one’s capacity for empathy. Empathy is the glue that binds humanity together. With empathy, we put ourselves in someone else\'s shoes. We feel the pain and suffering of others. When used to extend caring, empathy serves as a guide to reinforcing a sense of community solidarity and arranging it to get out of adversity.

“Nurturing empathy allows us to help not only ourselves,” said Helen Riess in the book The Empathy Effect (2018), “but also everyone we come into contact with, both momentarily and in the whole life.”

Nurturing a civilization and culture of empathy is the challenge of humanity today. Experts have said that art and literature can promote the capacity for empathy because they can foster sensitivity to the beauty and subtlety of feelings for life. Relevant arts and literature will also bring people closer to life and sharpen their sense of care and love for fellow humans and their surroundings.

KOMPAS/MOHAMMAD HILMI FAIQ

Idi Subandy Ibrahim

IDI SUBANDY IBRAHIM, Culture, Media and Communications Researcher

(This article was translated by Hyginus Hardoyo)