President: Scouts the Creative Face of the Millennial Generation

Kompas/Wisnu Widiantoro

President Joko Widodo takes a photograph with participants at a ceremony to commemorate the 56th Scout Day and the opening of Raimuna Nasional XI at the Wiladatika Camping Ground in Cibubur, Jakarta, on Monday, Aug 14. In his speech the President asked the Scouts to help safeguard Pancasila and the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — The commemoration of the 56^th anniversary of the Scout Movement and the opening of Raimuna Nasional XI highlighted the role of scouting education in reaching the current youth. As a place of creativity, the Scouts Movement is expected not to be trapped in formality, but to encourage innovation in line with the character of the millennial generation.

President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo emphasized this in his speech at the commemoration event at the Wiladatika camp ground in Cibubur, Jakarta, on Monday, Aug. 14. At the ceremony the President was accompanied by Education and Culture Minister Muhadjir Effendy, Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung, chairman of the National Scout Movement Central Board Adhyaksa Dault, Youths and Sports Minister Imam Nahrawi and Communication and Information Minister Rudiantara.

Separately, Professor of the Indonesian Education University (UPI) Said Hamid Hasan said that as an organization whose geographic coverage reaches all regions of the country, the Scout Movement was important to foster a sense of self-reliance and love of the Motherland among the young generation.

Currently, the number of Scout members in Indonesia is the largest in the world, reaching about 21 million.

According to Hamid, many benefits can be derived from the Scout activities. "The Scouts teaches discipline, hard work, cooperation, independence, responsibility and unity regardless of background, religion or ethnicity," Hamid said.

During this occasion, the President emphasized that the current Scout members represented the millennial generation and its different ways of thinking compared to older generations.

"The Scouts in the global era is constituted by an adaptive generation in tune with technological advancement, creativity and innovation. Therefore, the Scout Movement must also have breakthroughs, and not get trapped in routine," he said.

Therefore, the President reiterated, the Scout Movement needed to adapt. It should no longer be based on training for marches, how to erect tents, or tying rope, but more on the provision of guidelines on how to use social media. In this manner the youth could become wiser in utilizing social media for positive and productive things.

"Raise a sense of pride among the young generation toward their motherland," the President said at the event, which was also attended by Indonesia\'s fifth president Megawati Soekarnoputri, sixth vice president Try Sutrisno, Indonesian Military (TNI) Commander Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo and National Police Chief Gen. (Pol.) Tito Karnavian.

In front of 15,000 Scout members from all over Indonesia, the President reminded the audience of the importance of the Scout Movement to the spirit of struggle.  This is because the Scouts constitute the vanguard of the nation\'s changes and at the same time are the most prominent guards of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI).

Adhyaksa Dault said in his speech that camps held at the Cibubur Camping Ground, both for Jambore Nasional and Raimuna Nasional, were opportunities for Indonesian children to learn about diversity. "At this camp ground, Indonesian children have for years participated in various activities and learned about Indonesia\'s diversity," he said.

For one week

Raimuna Nasional XI was attended by 15,000 Scout members, namely those aged 16 to 25 from 34 provinces throughout Indonesia. They will camp for one week from August 14 to August 21, 2017.

Before the start of the ceremony, the President went around the field to greet and take photographs with participants of the Raimuna Nasional 2017. To bring the Scout Movement closer to students, Hamid proposed that students in urban areas be involved in caring for their nearby environment.

"For example, helping to maintain cleanliness and environmental order, nurturing solidarity with others, especially the unfortunate, and helping maintain traffic order around school areas," he said. In rural areas, he said the Scouts should be integrated with the introduction of technology and its applications to help preserve nature.

(NTA/DNE)