The late BJ Habibie was known by many names. To some he was Bapak Teknologi (Father of Technology), to others he was Bapak Demokrasi (Father of Democracy). A popular Indonesian film informed the public of how he used to be called Rudi in his younger days, while in his later years, he became affectionately known as Eyang (grandfather). For the staff who worked at the Habibie Center he was simply, Big Boss. That term reflected the fact that everything we did was on his behalf. We were ambassadors advocating BJ Habibie’s vision of a structurally and culturally democratic society that acknowledges, honors and promotes human rights. We were soldiers fighting for his mission to promote and advance effective human resources management and the propagation of technology. While staff members came and went, as in any organization, BJ Habibie was a consta...

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