I never called myself an activist (and I still do)
I never considered myself an activist. I once thought activists are those marching and protesting on the road. I thought activism conveys a negative tone: those who solely make noises and oppose government policy. I also thought activists are those voicing human rights discourse with foreign supports and thus harming Indonesia's interests, something which has been against my heart. I had always dreamed of becoming a diplomat for my beloved homeland. Even when I no longer dream of serving my country as a diplomat as I have another calling now, I still love this country and would not want to cause any harm. When I first started working at the SETARA Institute, I did not call myself an activist. Well, I realise I do research and advocacy, but I called myself a researcher who conducts both research and advocacy. Only until a senior activist I admire invited my colleague and I to meet over a cup of coffee, I started to rethink the definition of 'activist'. He sent me a Google ...