From: "José" Pereira <maubere_oan@yahoo.com>
Date: 29 November 2006 10:58:30 PM
Subject: [forum-loriku] Easy language one, or?
Mr. Ken,
First of all, thanks for sharing your ideas with me and with all of the friends in these forums. It`s really interesting talking or debating with you.
1. Democracy
When we are talking about the democracy means we are talking about different things in different places or the same thing in different forms in different places. We are talking about diversity and heterogeneity. Every place, every society, every people and every nation has its own way of being, has its own values, has its own cultures, etc. So the democracy is the state in which these diversities, these heterogeneities, these ways of being, these values, these cultures of every people and nation can grow, respire, blossom and give fruit as they used to be in where they are.
The true democracy should be like the water or air. Its form should not determine by itself but by the place where it is. When we put the water into a bottle, its form will be totally like the bottle and when we put it into a vase its form will also be totally like the vase. So the form of the democracy should not be the same at different places. The form of the democracy is determined by the values or cultures of every society, every nation and every people. So the form of democracy will be diversify as the values or cultures of every people and nation are and diversify. At this point, it doesn´t mean that the Chinese don´t care about democracy but that is the democracy for them, because it´s their cultures and ways of life. For us, democracy might be like when we are talking and talking or discussion about politics without doing things and than waiting for the government to give us food. When the government doesn´t give us food, we go out to the street to do manifestations to demand for food, for more money, etc. without working hard. And democracy is not about anything that is to be provided and chosen, but it is about something to live in and with, because it takes part in the existence of human being, it is a condition in which human being can be as he is in his life. The government won´t provide democracy but the guarantee of democracy and the government won´t provide rice but the guarantee or condition to have rice.
One of the main root and cause of the conflicts in the world nowadays is the partial homogenization or the standardization of the form of democracy all over the world that was designated as "globalization". This kind of globalization produced what so call "the collision or clash of civilization or culture". So that, there is always an eminent conflict in the world. There are a lot of modern conflicts that appear to be as the result of the reaction to the act of globalization. Because the other peoples and nations feel insecure of their own values and cultures, so they create their own self-defense or resistance for the sake of their values and cultures. And this act of self-defense sometimes turns to an extremist act like terrorist. So in my point of view, before we fight against terrorism, we should make first a reflection and introspection on our own selves and to seek and ask for the reason why this terrible act appeared. Is it an action or reaction? If it is a reaction, it might be our own fault. Our own action might create this terrible reaction. It might be the child of our action. So the way to resolve this problem is just simple resolve or correct our action, and the problem will be resolved.
2. Commercial Trade
Relating to the commercial trade, I don´t think and believe that among the African countries when they do their commercials trades, importing and exporting goods, they would bring it to London or Paris first then go back to Africa. When we are talking about the air business is different with the commercial trade, about exporting and importing things or goods. The economics actors or companies that take part at these economics activities at least they have their own transport facilities or equipments that supposed to do it or they rent it to concretize their activities. Only the crazy companies will export or import from East Africa to West Africa via London or Paris first and then go to West Africa. A public commercial air plane is very different, because it needs passengers to fly. It won´t fly without passengers or with very few passengers.
3. Culture Distance and Adaptation
About the culture distance and adaptation, I think the closer or the smaller would be the distance, the better would it be. Those people who have high capacity of adaptation to the local culture would have more opportunity to have good jobs than those don´t have. I think the Timorese who can speak very well English in the UK would have better types of jobs than the others who can´t speak at all. If the company orders someone who can´t speak and understand English to do a job that needs a lots of instruction in English it would be complicated, because he might do something else that is not asked to do.
4. English Version
When we talk about English, I would suggest that when you (the British or American) write and publish an English dictionary, you should consider or put also those words that used or spell differently in USA and vs. So that it won´t complicate the second English learners and speakers. I have two big dictionaries, both are English American. I went to consult about the spelling of those words that I have mentioned, but I could not find the British English spelling. So I thought that your spelling was grammatically incorrect. It would be better to put both spelling there. But I don´t know, it might be my dictionaries that are too old. If it were wine, it would be great, because the older would it be, the better would be its taste.
5. Colonialism
Relating to colonialism, thanks God for we are not being outnumbered by the Europeans. So we are not being as minority and foreigners in our own nation and country. I don`t care about Portugal did or did not consider us important as Brazil.
6. Language
About language, the fact, Tetun has a lot of its own vocabularies that can be developed and used to substitute those Portuguese words that have been adopted. There are only few words that can´t be found in Tetun. As far as I know, the words or vocabularies of every language are the numbers of the names of everything that has ever existed and exist in the real world and the world of imagination. Those things that have never existed in East Timor before the period of colonialism have no name in Tetun. For example, the word "kadera" in Tetun came from Portuguese of "cadeira" (chair). Tetun doesn´t have its own vocabulary of "cadeira" because before the Timorese did not use or have it.
The Tetun Dictionary that I prefer to be used is the one that was written by Mr. Luis Costa. The one that was written by Mr. Jeffry Hull is not like a Tetun Dictionary; it is like a Portuguese Dictionary. The different is only based on spelling, like "o" to "u", "são" to "saun", etc. And there are a lot of signs like Portuguese, just make this language turns more complicated and ugly. It would be better to let the Timorese linguists to do it by themselves or a least the foreign linguists can cooperate with them to search and write the dictionary and grammar of Tetun. Because the Timorese linguists know better than any other linguists from outside.
7. Indonesian East Timor occupation
It´s really interesting in talking about the Indonesian occupation in East Timor. The occupation of East Timor was not only the job of Indonesia or Suharto. So you forgot already the role of USA, UK and other European countries that stood behind Suharto. It were the USA and the European countries that hold the greater role on the annexation and occupation of East Timor, not Suharto. Suharto only followed the order of USA and European countries to invade East Timor. It were USA and European countries that provided all of the military equipments to Indonesia for the invasion. So the occupation of East Timor was ordered by the greater defenders of human rights in the world. So we can clearly see and know these greater liars in the history of the man kind.
Just to have more proof about it, please watch this documentary film about the occupation of East Timor. This documentary film or report was not made by an Indonesian but the European itself, the white Australian journalist. To watch, please just entre here: www.geocities.com/maubere_oan/timor-susar the title of the film is "death of a nation".
8. Economics Activities
About the economics activities in East Timor, for me, every Timorese has the fully right and freedom to choose whatever profession that he wants to. As far as the Chinese Timorese or Arab Timorese don´t exclude or impede the indigenous Timorese to participate in economics activities, it will be no problem.
Hugs
Lelobere
No comments:
Post a Comment