English Project Grade 11

  BIOGRAPHY OF KI HAJAR DEWANTARA Ki Hadjar Dewantoro, Dewantoro also spelled Dewantara, original name Raden Mas (Lord) Suwardi Surjaningrat, (born May 2, 1889, Yogyakarta, Java, Dutch East Indies [now Indonesia]—died April 26, 1959, Yogyakarta), founder of the Taman Siswa (literally “Garden of Students”) school system, an influential and widespread network of schools that encouraged modernization but also promoted indigenous Indonesian culture. Dewantoro was born into a noble family of Yogyakarta and attended a Dutch-sponsored medical school but failed to complete the course. Active in the nationalist cause, he belonged to a faction favouring direct action and the use of Western methods to destroy the power of the Dutch. He was also a member of the Bandung chapter of Sarekat Islām (“Islamic Association”) and a founder of the Socialist Indische Partij (“Indies Party”). An article he wrote during this period, “If I Were a Netherlander,” published in the Indische Partij’s De Express,...

  This story is telling us that we must tell others about the truth. Because telling the truth is so important.  Honesty is crucial to a healthy relationship with ourselves and others. It can help us resolve longstanding issues, find forgiveness, and deepen our relationships with the people who surround us. Why do we lie? It’s clear that without being honest with ourselves we’ll never be honest with others. What are the obstacles to achieving this kind of clarity and how do we overcome them? And once we gain clarity, how do we communicate truthfully in a productive and positive manner?