A policy construction for sustainable rice food sovereignty in Indonesia

As an agricultural country with large natural resources, Indonesia still has considerable problems in managing food security. This is evidenced by the lack of agricultural land and human resources that can support people's food needs so that the government still imports food from other countries. These issues as; it are feared that population growth and high food consumption power, social exclusion (marginalization of agricultural laborers and agricultural land) will cause food security vulnerability in the future. This Mixed method quantitative and qualitative method by statistical and in-depth interview study involving 169 respondents from many stakeholders such as politicians, academicians, farmers, and students to determine policy construction for sustainable rice food sovereignty in Indonesia. The statistical study shows the rice consumption in Indonesia is correlated to education than the age and gender of the respondents. The study indicating problems such as; the welfare of farmers, the application of price limits for staple goods, and improving the quality of agriculture both natural resources, human resources and the provision of agricultural equipment assistance have not been resolved properly. To build food security, it should be balanced with the application of the concept of food sovereignty which is realized by aligning and maximizing competence between political resources, environmental resources capacity, and environmental diplomacy.

A Foucauldian Discourse Analysis on News Reports Addressing High School Student Enrolment Zoning Policy

Empirical studies drawn from a Foucauldian discourse analysis suggest the complexity of policy implementations. Policy construction and implementation involve a set of different stakeholders, causing many competing agendas from different bodies to interfere with the processes and making policy outcomes highly unpredictable. This study was set to investigate how high school student enrolment zoning policy in Indonesia was represented in major online daily journals, specifically during the two months of June and July 2019. The latest enrolment zoning policy has been considered to be too disruptive among both parents and schools. Utilizing a discourse analysis, this paper attempted to reveal what issues were addressed and what agendas or powers were contested. In this discourse analysis, it is found that the three online journals as the resources of the study were not strong enough in presenting the news. All of them have not discussed the student’s aspect as the implementer of the zoning policy.

Identifying the Enemy

Analyzing the complicated relationship between Okinawa and Japan, U.S. Army planners recognized that they had to gauge the reaction of the Okinawan population to a foreign force invading their land. Assessing the civilian temperament correlated directly to the practical military planning considerations of provisions and security, yet also required the planners to interpret the level of allegiance that the Okinawans felt toward Japan. The Americans, therefore, made determinations about the Okinawans’ identity that influenced the construction of military government policy. The U.S. Army planners who devised military government policy and the commanders and soldiers who executed that policy thus carefully considered practical military matters in their decision-making; however, contemplation of the complex ethnic and political situation in Okinawa as a prefecture of Japan stood as a paramount element of policy construction. The U.S. Army concluded that the actions of the Okinawans could not be accurately predicted. The U.S. Army’s consideration of race and ethnicity produced logically reasoned policies instituted to ensure the success of the combat mission.

Dimensions of Inclusive Interactions as a Response to the Existence of the Indonesian Ahmadiyah Community

The article seeks to reveal the inclusive interactions in a pluralist community based on the interactional case study between Indonesian Ahmadiyah Congregation (JAI) and Muhammadiyah Mubaligh as well as Nahdhatul Ulama (NU) Board in Bandung. The facts indicate that most of Islamic organizations in Indonesia agree with the fatwa of MUI (Indonesian Law-Making Agency) that Ahmadiyyah is a heretical sect. Nevertheless, the actualized interaction between JAI and Muhammadiyah Mubaligh as well as NU Board in Bandung reflects the inclusive interaction that was built naturally, so that its dimensions were able to be formulated. The inclusive interaction had dimensions built on understanding among the actors who interact in interpreting the assurance of constitutional protection, the construction of a conducive state policy, and the basic principles and values of a community.The assurance of constitutional protection meets the principles of the internal freedom protection, external freedom, and corporate freedom and legal status. Such a conducive state policy construction was developed to meet the character and strength with high cohesion, facilitative, and non-discriminative. The massive social principles and values was developed to meet the values of enhancing trust, compassion, justice, and tolerance. In this case, the basic principles and values of a community is the determinant factor of inclusive interaction strength

Uzbekistan as Central Asian game changer? Uzbekistan’s foreign policy construction in the post-Karimov era

With the death of first president of Uzbekistan Karimov, and Mirziyoyev’s appointment as interim president in 2016 and election to the presidency in December of the same year, speculation appeared in the media suggesting that Uzbekistan would move closer to Russia because of the close personal ties between the president and Russian elites. Others suggested that Uzbekistan would either follow the path designed by the first president or fall into isolationism like Turkmenistan. This article aims to explain the continuity and shifts in Uzbekistan’s foreign policy behaviour in the year following the death of the first president and the election of President Mirziyoyev.