Based on from Book I Read, The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
I'm not going to talk about politics. These days if you had stated your opinion different from the others then you are a criminal and need a punishment. You'd lost your friends ( apparently politic is more important than your friend or even your family). As sums up, I don't believe in politics. Ever.
I left Indonesia in 2014, knew nothing about what was going on in my home country. Haven't come back yet since then. I rarely read news about Indonesia ( ironically I was a journalist).
After Jokowi elected as Mr President ( and I got attacked because I chose not to use my right to vote), I prefer live quietly and only posting pictures about my cats and sometimes my husband ( candid, of course).
And then suddenly there was an Ahok thing. I don't know him professionally or personally. Maybe he visited Tribunnews.com ( my workplace) before during Jakarta governor election with Jokowi, I didn't pay attention. Some people took pictures with Jokowi or Ahok, I wasn't really interested taking a picture with any politicians because I didn't want to be associated with them.
Then I read about Ahok elected as the governor ( thanks to my Facebook friends, those were relentlessly talking about it either pros and cons). I personally didn't care what they have posted. That's their right to do so.
And go on until I heard about Ahok accused for blasphemy. I had to Google if the news was true given the facts that too many fake news nowadays spreading over the internet. The story kept continuing until Ahok was found guilty for blasphemy and sentenced two years in prison. And then, the movement for Ahok has begun. Many of my Facebook friends have complained why there are a lot of movements for Ahok. This is where I will going to explain.
Have you ever read a book from Charles Duhigg, The Power of Habit? If yes then you already knew why. But, in case you haven't yet, I'm going to explain this to you. The Movement of Ahok is similar to Rosa Park and The Montgomery Buss Boycott that started in 1955. This movement started because of social patterns (Kindle, page 216). The power of social habits, the behaviors that occur, unthinkingly, across of dozens or hundreds or thousands of people which are often hard to see as they emerge but contain a power that can change the world (Kindle, page 216).
There is a three part process that historians and sociologists say shows up again and again. A movement started because of the social habits of friendship and the strong ties between close acquaintance. It grows because the habit of community and the weak ties that hold neighborhood and clans together. Â And it endures because of a movement's leaders give participants new habits that created fresh sense of identity and feeling of ownership (Kindle, page 217).
Why Ahok movement became sensational? Ahok (according to the news) has changed Jakarta a lot. He is outspoken and had sharp-tongued about everything and one of the reasons why he was accused for blasphemy. Because he was kind of different from another politicians then it makes him unique to many people with whom became sympathetic with him prior and during election then later while he was on trial.
If Rosa Park could trigger a bigger movement and changed lives of Black People in America, wouldn't surprise us with Internet and social media these days, Ahok movement grew bigger in short period of times. People shared news, pictures, stories instantly and became part of whatever they believe is right. Pro Ahok isn't only sparked in Indonesia, it slowly growing from another Indonesians who are living abroad. Peer pressure is one of main reason but on its own isn't enough to sustain a movement. But when strong ties of friendship and weak ties of peer pressure merge, they can create incredible momentum. That's when widespread social change can begin. (Kindle, page 225)
