Everyone is a Journalist Onno W. Purbo Indonesia To be honest, I'd like to use “Everyone is a Knowledge Producer” as the take line, although it may not as sell-able as the above title. For those who live in developed countries, creativity, innovation, critical thinking as well as ability to express in writing may be taken as granted. Unfortunately, such environment and ability may not be as abundant in developing countries, like Indonesia, as those in the West. A minor accident happened to my son, during his toddler days. My son draws a picture with sky colored in Red. His teacher was a bit upset and told my son to color sky in blue. Not much doors for innovation, no creativity is available in typical Indonesian schools. As a result, during my time as a lecturer at Institute of Technology in Bandung (ITB), one of the best Institute of Technology in Indonesia, the typical question from final year students to me would be “Sir, do you have any idea or title for my final project?”. After those years of training and education, isn't it sad? Let us compare these Two (2) Extremes Passive Active Reader Writer Listener Speaker, Presenter Standardize Creative, Innovative, Critical Thinking Certified, Accredited Society / Community Acknowledgment Copy Right & Paten GPL, Creative Common, Copy Left Close Source Open Source Consumer Producer Without further explanation, I am sure everyone will favor the right-hand column. In a simple economic point of view, “Producer” will receive more financial benefit as compare to “Consumer”. Unfortunately, to be a “Producer” is not as easy as “Consumer”. One may need to be Active, able to speak, present, write, create, innovative, and critical, to be a better “Producer”. Specially on developing countries market with low economic scale, adoption of GPL, Creative Common License, Copy Left, Open Source as well as society / community acknowledgment would be the key. How can a developing country, like Indonesia, with so much confining regulation and rigid aging curriculum, be able to shift its younger generation towards a “Producer” society, Creative Economic a more a open minded society even Knowledge Based Society from the current Muscle Based Society? In this writing, I'd like to proposed a simple key strategy to enable Indonesian to be journalist and knowledge producer through a self-finance & community based movement processes. The current environment, confining regulation, in turns, provides less free space for One to express their thought and talent. As most written media, radio, television are heavily regulated by terrified past cabinets. It seems to leave Music and Art as the last free open media. Fortunately, new technology specially Information Technology (IT) creates a vast free open space on the Internet. One can easy find Web, Blog, Wiki, Podcasting hosted on hundred of thousand servers on the Internet providing abundant space to host various media format. Such media, create an alternative new media to the conventional printed, radio and television media. Interestingly, Internet is known to be much less regulated by many government. Thus, an ideal media to create a new movement in breaking the chilling effects presented in conventional media. Furthermore, most youth seems to be native to these new media. It may take these youth only minutes to understand how to use these new media. Thus, it may be very natural to use these new media to empower the youth to become a “Producer”. In addition, exposure to the Internet will likely to open their mind set towards new collective ideas as well as broaden their point of view. How can a large mass of youth be exposed to new media? At low cost? As well as empower them to become a journalist and knowledge “Producer”? Let us church the numbers. There are currently 46.5 million students in 215.000 schools in Indonesia. With an average of 500 students per school, it costs only Rp. 2000-5000 (20-50 US cent) per student per month to invest on computer as well as getting 24 hours Internet access at school. Such cost may be reduced significantly as the telecommunication operators must do the Universal Service Obligation (USO) as part of their license. With 80 million cellular subscribers and 20 million Internet users in Indonesia providing USO to get 215.000 schools on the Internet will be peanut. Today, there are only 15.000 schools (<7%) in Indonesia connected to the Internet. Ashoka as well as other non-profit organizations may contribute in promoting as well as supporting the champion among young Indonesian Blogger to promote Blogging culture among youth as well as educate the teachers on how to produce information and knowledge on the Internet. Teachers' education will be very important as they are the key to enable the youth. Alternative slower process can be done through various Blogger gathering that may directly attract the youth. There are currently hundred of thousand Blogger in Indonesia. One of the Father of Indonesian Blogger is Enda Nasution http://enda.goblogmedia.com/ in his 30th. They have shaped the view of Indonesians on various aspect specially among youth. Their critical comments and review towards various issues can be easily expressed on the Blog. Such activities seems to create a subtle pressure towards the old paradigm in politics as well as in managing the country. Some subtle movements in Indonesian political parties seem to surface to gain access to these new media as 2009 election is getting closer. It will not be as easy as the current youth is more critical as they have been exposed to the new media and the Internet. Our next biggest challenge is to connect all 215,000 schools and 46.5 million students to the new media and written culture, thus, transform them into Journalist and Knowledge “Producer”. It is our hope to see a more democratic knowledge based society in the future Indonesia.