The atmosphere at a ceremony to mark the founding of the Pancasila, which was presided over by President Joko Widodo, at the courtyard of the Pancasila building, Foreign Ministry, Jakarta, Saturday (1/6/2019). Also present at the ceremony were fifth president Megawati Soekarnoputri, sixth vice president Try Sutrisno, and 11th vice president Boediono. The ceremony was lively and colorful, with many attendees donning traditional attire.
Pancasila Day on June 1 was an opportunity to reaffirm the position of Pancasila as a fortress and a shared home of nationhood.
The affirmation of Pancasila as a fortress and a shared home of nationhood was conveyed by President Joko Widodo in his speech during a ceremony for the commemoration of Pancasila on June 1 in Jakarta. As a fortress, the noble values of Pancasila, such as unity and tolerance, are antidotes to the onslaught of other ideologies that are in opposition to the character of the Indonesian nation.
The fortress of defense in the physical or metaphorical sense needs to be strengthened in an effort to continuously protect and secure the shared home for all components of the nation. The construction of a fortress, which was built with the Pancasila value system and the spirit of mutual cooperation, needs to be strengthened and enlarged from time to time in the midst of a period of changing times that never ceases, like a river that continues to flow, panta rhei.
The ferocity of current waves of change has even been described as being fast and simultaneous, not only running wildly, running away, or flying but dashing faster than the brunt of a storm and tsunami, faster even than a lightning strike. So far, the Indonesian nation is considered capable of passing through the various shocks of the waves of change mainly because it continues to rely strongly on Pancasila.
The strategic position of Pancasila as the orientation of the Indonesian nation\'s value system is increasingly relevant in the face of the post-truth era, which shakes the world because of overturning facts, truth and meaning. The pressure is getting harder because the post-truth era overlaps with the emergence of violent ideologies, radicalism, extremism, negativism and nihilism.
Of course, challenges always come and go. Much more important is actually how to respond to challenges. The President\'s statement was very relevant, which emphasized that, based on Pancasila, the great and diverse nation was able to face difficult times. In fact, the Indonesian nation is increasingly united when facing challenges.
After thriving for 74 years, the Republic of Indonesia is expected to further strengthen the spirit of unity, friendship and mutual cooperation, which refers to Pancasila as a long journey ahead to achieve prosperity as mandated by the Preamble of the Constitution. There is no need to be discouraged either because many nations in the world have been able to turn challenges into opportunities.
Just for illustration, Japan and South Korea with very limited natural resources have been able to spur progress and prosperity through efforts to explore strength in a culture that has become the character and identity of the nation. Hopefully, the Indonesian people can also make Pancasila, which is the cultural identity and personality of the nation, a source of strength in an effort to reach prosperity.
