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Reflective Essay
Grade 10 IDU
Mrs. French
4th March 2016
IDU Reflective Essay
Grade 10 Field Trip to Jogjakarta is about Human Rights and Access in Jogjakarta.
We visited 4 different NGOs, and learned different lessons and gained information from those
4 NGOs. Human rights is not something new for us grade 10. We have been learning about
the human rights, both in Individuals and Societies (Ethics) class, and also English class since
the beginning of the school year. This makes us know some of the basic knowledge and
understanding about human rights, discrimination, fairness, development and poverty. The
benefits of learning in an interdisciplinary environment, taking knowledge and skills from
various subjects to create a new understanding is that by having knowledge and
understanding, we could have different angles and perspectives to see an issue. So, by visiting
the NGOs and the content learned in this Field Trip Interdisciplinary Unit (Individuals and
Societies, Biblical Studies and English) increase my understanding and awareness of the
complex issues around Human Rights and Fairness and Development by giving the personal
feeling and emotion, that was never felt in the process of learning about Human Rights and
Fairness and Development.
The most impactful visit was the visit to Yakkum Rehabilitation. Yakkum
Rehabilitation is a non-governmental, Christian social foundation, a subsidiary body of
Yakkum (Christian Public Health Foundation), which provides rehabilitation for children and
young adults with physical disabilities. Here, we learned that the rights of the disabled people
are violated. What I learned that some people could get rejected from school just because that
person is disabled, and the school does not provide the required facilities for them. From

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what I know is that in the article 26 of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that
everyone has the rights to education. Just because someone has disabilities does not mean
that they are not worthy for education. Interacting with the children that has disabilities
spiritually moved me, and made me learn to be more thankful for who I am, and what I have.
I learn to appreciate more, and also having the want to serve and care for others during the
visit. I think that this lack of access should change, so that it would be fair for the disabled
people, and have them get their rights back. People should know and do something about this.
The speaker told us how the regulations have stated that the disabled people have their rights,
and that schools should provide ramps for the disabled, also with a wider space in the
restroom so that it would be easier for the disabled people, but the government does not do
much. The speaker told us that the money earned to support the organisation is from the
country outside of Indonesia. Where is the governments responsibility to provide these
opportunities? I think that the access of opportunities for fairness and development here in
Indonesia is quite low, and some people have to be aware of this and do something about it.
More human rights issue I learned during this field trip is during the visit to Dian
Institute, or the Interfidei. The institute for interfaith Dialogue in Indonesia is nongovernmental organisation that builds a forum for interfaith communication. I know that the
world has been facing problems about different religions, and that people think their religion
is right. Combining from what I have learned and from what I learned during the field trip is
that people have different religions and people have the rights to choose their religion. It does
not mean if a person has one religion, his or her religion is right, and the other peoples
religion is wrong. People have the rights to choose what they believe in, and they cannot be
forced to follow one religion, which they do not believe or have faith in. Article 18 of The
Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that everyone has the right to freedom of
thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief,

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and freedom, either alone or in community with other and in public or private, to manifest his
religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance. Religion is still a big
problem, not just in Indonesia. Fights and wars happening because of difference of religion
and most people are not aware of that. I think that everyone should get the education and
information about this problem, and raise awareness. The government also has to do
something about this. From the visit during the field trip, I still had doubts about the
organisation working, because they had their conference somewhere in the 1990s, having
conference for several times, but yet nothing changes. Maybe if more people are aware, they
could help support Interfidei, and raise awareness.
In conclusion, all nations and countries have the responsibility to provide fairness,
access and development of education, and health care and purposeful work particularly
among the poor, disabled, disadvantaged and sick. From the field trip, the people groups in
Jogjakarta that has disabilities still suffer from the lack of access and opportunity. They still
need the access to public transportations like buses that can fit wheelchairs, wider spaces in
restrooms, and also ramps. To promote the fairness and development in various communities
of the disabled people, awareness should be raised, and the government should provide
facilities to help the people. If the government take part and giving a hand, the problem
would become much better. The relationship between government and non-government
organisation in terms of development from what I learned in the field trip is that the nongovernment organisation could stand firm and work together with other countries. Not just
the government that should take part, but also us, the people around. Just by doing the small
things could make a huge difference.