Writing and critical thinking as a social construct: A personal and professional observation

Debra Yatim is a journalist by training and an activist by heart. Living in the highly charged melting pot that is Jakarta, she, like everyone else, comes from a mix of culture, being born to an Acehnese father and Manadonese mother. That said, a true Indonesian.

As a fulbrighter, she has worked for various Australian and Indonesian media outlets, including the Jakarta Post. And as a translator and editor, she has completed many short stories and long fiction, poetry and news items. In fact she has published four of her own poetry books. She is contributing editor for Tempo English in Indonesia and is currently writing a series of  one-woman plays on polygamy; and a new collection of poetry on the issues of climate change, not to mention she went back to being a student and is about to complete her degree in film studies at the Jakarta Arts Institute.

It was on one of her assignments as a journalist that she came to understand the problems of marginalized people. Driven by compassion and a profound sense of justice, she became active in advocating the rights of women and minority groups.

An avid reader, Debra points out that Indonesian literature since the “Literates of Olden Times” generation tend to ignore the contribution of women writers.  “This is intolerable!” she shouts out loud. And as if that is not enough she observes that there is also a popular misconception that says Indonesians that do not write in Indonesian, isn’t considered Indonesian literature.  “This is stupidity!”