52 Million Youths Serve As Capital in 4.0 Era

KOMPAS/P RADITYA MAHENDRA YASA

Village representatives participate in a cultural march to commemorate Youth Pledge Day in the Simpang Lima area, Semarang city, Central Java, on Monday (28/10/2019).

JAKARTA, KOMPAS – Some 52 million youths aged 16 to 30 years in Indonesia, equal to the total population of Myanmar, provide huge capital and energy to achieve national progress. The country’s biggest challenge lies in empowering youths to master technology so that they can be the locomotives of global competition of the Industry 4.0 era.

This was the message conveyed separately by Indonesian Population Coalition chair Sonny HB Harmadi and several regional heads during the commemoration of the Youth Pledge Day on Monday (28/10/2019).

“If they can be encouraged to move for the nation’s progress, the impact will be significantly huge. If not, the damage will also be huge,” Sonny said in Jakarta.

Half of these youths will be in schools and universities. Therefore, the state must ensure that their education is not interrupted. Education systems at schools and universities must also be ensured to be able to produce superior graduates.

If they can be encouraged to move for the nation’s progress, the impact will be significantly huge. If not, the damage will also be huge

“The education system must be designed to produce independence, instead of dependency,” Sonny continued.

In the Youth Pledge Day commemoration in Surabaya on Monday, Surabaya Mayor Tri Rismaharini said that youths living in the era of rapid technological advancement are required to master and utilize technology quickly.

Meanwhile, East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa said that the era of global competition posed a huge challenge for youths. In facing Industry 4.0, youths are demanded to be adaptable and quick-thinking. If not, Indonesia will lag behind as information technology advancements become more massive and industries are transformed.

KOMPAS/FERGANATA INDRA RIATMOKO

Various members of the community perform the Soreng Dance in Mungkid district, Magelang regency, Central Java, on Monday (28/10/2019). In addition to celebrating Youth Pledge Day, this activity was also held to help preserve traditional dances. The Indonesian-World Record Museum (MURI) recorded the largest number of dancers in the Soreng dance and the pronouncement of the Youth Pledge.

“I am optimistic that Indonesia can be a new global economic force if it can optimally use opportunities in the digital era,” Khofifah said.

West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil in the 2019 Youth Innovation Summit in Bandung said that digital technology advancements had changed people’s behaviors. Apart from the positive impacts such as faster and easier communication, this behavioral change also creates dependence on gadgets and social media. In this case, youths can be pioneers and exemplars in digital technology innovation.

Also on Monday, the West Java administration chose nine youths as the 2019 Best Beginner Youth Entrepreneurs. A number of young businesspeople with successful innovations were invited to share their experiences.

In Kendari, a student protest ended in a clash with police. Protesters demanded the police solve the month-old case of the deaths of two Halu Oleo University students, 22-year-old Randi and 19-year-old Muhammad Yusuf Kardawi.

Regions

Various activities were held to commemorate Youth Pledge Day in several regions. In Bandar Lampung, a student protest took place in front of the Lampung governor’s office. Students objected to the authorities’ repressive actions in several student protests across Indonesia.

In Kendari, a student protest ended in a clash with police. Protesters demanded the police solve the month-old case of the deaths of two Halu Oleo University students, 22-year-old Randi and 19-year-old Muhammad Yusuf Kardawi.

KOMPAS/HENDRA A SETYAWAN

Youth Pledge Day was used by students from Halu Oleo University, Kendari, at a rally at the Arjuna Wijaya Horse Statue area, Jakarta, on Monday (28/10/2019) to urge police to immediately reveal the suspects in the murder of two Halu Oleo University students during a protest against the draft Criminal Code Bill and the revision of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Law.

In Pontianak, a national assembly was held at the Kapuas River town square, led by West Kalimantan Governor Sutarmidji.

Care for the environment was the apparent theme in commemoration events in several regions. In Purwakarta and Karawang regencies in West Java, people participated in cleaning up the Cilamaya River. From morning to midday, hundreds of locals and students cleaned up the river at several spots.

In Tegal, Central Java, mangroves were planted on Komodo Beach. Students said that the event was a form of real contribution to prevent erosion along Tegal’s northern coast.

A cultural parade was held in Palangkaraya. Dozens of youths from various organizations went on stage at the Youth Inspiration event in Sangomang Park.

Read more : Indonesian Language, a Bridge over Differences

The Youth Pledge Day commemoration in Dharmasraya regency, West Sumatra, on Monday, was attended by Presidential Chief of Staff Moeldoko. On the occasion, Moeldoko said that people should continue to familiarize themselves with the three fundamental nationalist commitments of the Youth Pledge.

(MZW/VIO/JAL/SYA/MEL/RTG/JOL/IDO/ESA/XTI)