The Huge Potential of Youth

The number of youth, aged between 15 and 40, in Indonesia has swelled to more than 103 million and they have become a huge resource to move the country forward. They also have the creativity and potential to unite the nation.

KOMPAS/RIZA FATHONI

Members of the Taman Suropati chamber orchestra perform several national songs at the “United and Caring Youths” concert on Sunday (28/10/2018) at Suropati Park, Central Jakarta. Besides commemorating the 90th anniversary of Youth Pledge Day, the concert also raised funds to help survivors of the Central Sulawesi earthquake and tsunami.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — The Youth Pledge raises awareness about the need to become one motherland and one nation with one language. Previously, national awareness was mainly espoused by different groups. This was eventually taken up by the country’s youth who united these disparate groups.

Besides the Second Youth Congress in Jakarta in 1928, which led to the birth of the Youth Pledge, the National Awakening event on May 20 about 110 years ago was also initiated by the youth. Various actions, which led to changes in the governance in the nation, were also taken by them.

Historians Didi Kwartanada and Andi Achdian, book writer Daradjadi, and a researcher for the Indonesian Institute of Sciences, Sri Nuryanti, said the youth had the potential not only in terms of quantity, but also to unite all Indonesians. History has proven it.

Didi said when national identity trumps group identity, it would achieve results. For example, when Ernest Douwes Dekker found the Indische Partij with Tjiptomangunkusumo and Ki HadjarDewantara, its membership was inclusive and open. It consisted of 5,000 Europeans, 1,500 bumiputra (indigenous people) and 500 Chinese, when the party was established between 1912 and 1913.

Andi said equality and nationality, which was initially espoused only by groups, motivated fellow activists in the 1900s, which led to the birth of the anticolonial movement.

Daradjadi noted that in the past, young activists from Java and Sumatra, who were mostly Muslims, were able to work hand in hand with Christian youths from a number of regions, as well as Chinese, Arabian and Indo-European activists, and led to the Youth Pledge. When national awareness emerges, a nation moves forward.

Nuryanti acknowledged the power of the youth to mobilize national unity. The past and present challenges are totally different. However, with their power, the youth has managed to unify the nation. Unfortunately, monetary interests frequently fragmented them.

Creative potentials

Nuryanti said the youth could be a great resource for development. More than that, the creative potential of young people can support the nation. This creative power has led to the birth of various startups that change the face of Indonesia.

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, during the 90^th commemoration of the Youth Pledge, reminded Indonesians that creativity and unity were key words for Indonesia to progress. He invited young people to work hand in hand to solve the problems and to unite for the advancement of Indonesia.

“It is important to be reminded of the pledges young people took at the Second Youth Congress in 1928, ‘Acknowledging one motherland, Indonesia; acknowledging one nation, the nation of Indonesia and respecting the language of unity, Indonesian’. What does that mean? To continue to work hand in hand, unite to get rid of the challenges to move Indonesia forward in the present and future. It is in the hands of the young people that this nation will move forward amid competition,” said the President in Sidoarjo, East Java, on Sunday.

Jokowi is optimistic that Indonesia will be able to compete with other nations. “This nation will be able to compete, as long as its human development be given priority and empowered to bring progress to Indonesia,” he said.

The dean of the Socio-Political Science School at Yogyakarta Atmajaya University, Bambang Kusumo Prihandono, said at the “Ngrobrolin Bareng” discussion on the Youth Pledge on Saturday evening in Yogyakarta that the commemoration of the 90^th Youth Pledge had to be a moment of reflection for the young people to continue to encourage creativity and innovation for the progress of the nation. In order to enable creativity and innovation to grow, young people have to actively participate in maintaining pluralism in Indonesia.

Meanwhile, former Constitutional Court chairman Mahfund MD said in Sleman, Yogyakarta, on Saturday evening that the progress of the nation could be achieved if the spirit of unity in diversity could be maintained and nurtured among the young generation. Pancasila has to be used as a guideline to realize the spirit of unity. This is the ideology that is unifying the nation.

(NIK/HAR/ONG/HRS/NCA/SYA/TAM/TRA)