Dreaming Big Amid a Multitude of Problems

KOMPAS/BAHANA PATRIA GUPTA

Labor activists raise their fists during a peaceful rally to protest the Job Creation Law on Tuesday (27/10/2020) outside the East Java Governor’s office in Surabaya.

A number of major trends around the signing of the Youth Pledge in 1928 were similar to what is now happening, but numerous problems are no obstacle to the realization of a big dream.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — Young people who lived in the period leading up to 1928 experienced major events. The economy was improving due to the sugar and oil industries, access to education had expanded and people’s mobility had increased rapidly as a result of the widespread construction of railroads. However, they also experienced the Spanish flu pandemic, which claimed the lives of about 1.5 million people in the Dutch East Indies, today’s Indonesia.

Similar events are being experienced by the younger generation today. Before becoming embroiled in the COVID-19 pandemic, economic conditions had improved with economic growth reaching 6.3-6.4 percent in 2007-2008. Rapidly developing information technology and infrastructure made mobility and communication easier.

Read also: Digital Solutions Provided by the Millennial Generation

Economic turmoil, such as is now happening because of the pandemic, was also felt by a number of young people participating in the second Youth Congress, which later gave birth to the Youth Pledge. About a year after the second Youth Congress, a great depression struck. However, history records that these young people managed to get through tough times, including the Second World War, to lead this nation to the Proclamation of Independence on Aug. 17, 1945.

"They could survive and the dream of Indonesia-ness keep flourishing because, apart from being accustomed to colonial education that strengthened discipline and broadened their horizons, they had high national awareness and continuously nurtured it. Among them, of course there were differences of opinion, but that did not mean that they were mutually exclusive. Their goal remained the same, namely to free Indonesia," said Heri Priyatmoko, a historian at Sanata Dharma University, Yogyakarta, last week.

KOMPAS/PRIYOMBODO

A student takes photos of a diorama at the Youth Pledge Museum in Jakarta on Tuesday (27/10/2020). The museum on Jl. Kramat Raya has seen its visitor numbers grow ahead of Youth Pledge Day, which falls on 28 Oct. The museum held a flag ceremony and a photo exhibition of Sartono, a democracy fighter, to commemorate Youth Pledge Day.

History records that the great depression that occurred in October 1929 actually crushed the Dutch East Indies. Sugar, which at that time was a premium commodity, could no longer be exported because the price had fallen.

The sugar industry had expanded sugarcane plantations on Java Island. With economic considerations and security strategies in mind, the railway network was then built in Java and outside Java. By 1928, the railroad network covered 7,464 kilometers. Now, there is only about 4,000 km of railroad track. In addition to the existing shipping routes, this rail network made mobility easier.

At that time, native people also began to enjoy access to education with the establishment of a number of schools as part of the Ethical Policy.

Read also: The Pursuit of Humanitarian Nationalism

These various conditions also allowed Sapoean Sastrosatomo, a participant in the second Youth Congress, to attend school in Stovia. "When he took the Youth Pledge, my father was 22 years old. He was able to go to school in Stovia because he was lucky to attend the Europees Lagere School [ELS] in Pangkalan Brandan, North Sumatra. After ELS, he took the Klein Ambtenaar Examen and then left for Batavia [today’s Jakarta] to attend medical school," said Hadisudjono Sastrosatomo, 75, Sapoean Sastrosatomo\'s eldest son.

While sugarcane became the dominant crop on Java Island, tobacco helped drive prosperity in East Sumatra.

At that time, Pangkalan Brandan was a booming oil town. At that time, East Sumatra was also a prosperous tobacco plantation region. While sugarcane became the dominant crop on Java Island, tobacco helped drive prosperity in East Sumatra.

Similar challenges

The series of events leading up to and following the 1928 Youth Congress was similar to what is now happening. Young people today once lived in an improving economy. They attended tertiary education, even taking elite tertiary education abroad and, at the same time, the emergence of digital technology revolutionized life.

Internet use has jumped from about 2 million users in 2000 to around 175 million earlier this year. Communications have opened up. This is similar to the expansion of the railroads in the early 20th century, which increased mobility and triggered major changes.

KOMPAS/FERGANATA INDRA RIATMOKO

Volunteers prepare lunch for market porters on Tuesday (27/10/2020) in Umbulharjo district, Yogyakarta. Around 20 volunteers of the #rakyatbanturakyat (people helping people) community movement prepare 120 packed lunches every day. The lunches are given to female porters at four traditional markets in Yogyakarta, whose incomes have been affected by the Covid-19 health crisis.

Digital technology has given birth to a generation that has the entrepreneurial spirit to solve various problems. They help solve problems by building social entrepreneurship. Indonesia has the fifth-highest number of startups in the world. This year the number of startups reached 2,193.

Fresh imagination

By looking back at what happened around 1928, do young people now believe that Indonesia as a nation can get through this difficult time and even reach a new peak as a nation, like the Youth Pledge generation that led to independence?

"I am very confident, especially with the existing technological developments. Indonesia is now one of the most thriving technology hubs in Southeast Asia. The many problems that exist in Indonesia are actually opportunities for young people to come up with creative solutions that have a socio-economic impact,” said head of Startupindonesia.co, Erwin Arifin, an organization that connects many investors from abroad with Indonesian startups.

Read also: Inviting Santri to Do Business

Henri Suhardja, who established Titipku as a channel to connect small and medium enterprises with buyers, also believes that Indonesia will be able to get through these times if we unite.

"Every challenge and crisis that this nation faces always gives birth to a generation that history remembers the most. Starting from the generation of the nation\'s founding fathers in 1945 to the generation of the Reform movement in 1998. During this pandemic, a generation of transformation will also be born. This is also an opportunity for import substitution for the birth of more Indonesian brands that can go global," said CEO of Tokopedia, William Tanuwijaya.

If this generation can continue dreaming with open eyes, no dream is too big to grasp.

William said that this generation must continue to realize the big dream that Bung Karno entrusted in them, namely to dream as high as the sky. If they fall, they will fall among the stars. If this generation can continue dreaming with open eyes, no dream is too big to grasp.

"Indonesia will become a country with great digital power. The world will admire the various innovations made by young Indonesians, with distinctive local and regional characteristics, imbued with the spirit of sharing. So, these labors can benefit the wider community. The dream of Indonesia in 2045 will be achieved if we continue to remember that we are different, but still one,” said Henri.

KOMPAS/JUMARTO YULIANUS

Students perform during a rally on 15 Oct. 2020 to protest the Job Creation Law in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan. The rally, which was held on Jl. Lambung Mangkurat, went over the 6 p.m. deadline after the crowd refused to disperse, and lasted until 9:30 p.m.

Erwin Arifin envisions Indonesia becoming a hub for world technology and a driver of innovation. Indonesia already has huge potential, thanks to the large number of startup businesses and the amount of foreign direct investment that has entered. Unfortunately, Indonesia is still lacking in terms of digital talent. In fact, Indonesia needs 9 million skilled, talented people. If Indonesia can fill this talent gap, Indonesia will be in a strategic position to become a world leader.

The dreams of young people should be the spirit of all people during this year’s commemoration of the Youth Pledge, despite the multitude of problems. (MAR)