Make Spirit of Unity a National Movement

FAKHRI FADLURROHMAN

A number of students from Pulogebang 01 State Elementary School watch the documentary film screening of the 2nd Youth Congress at the Youth Pledge Museum, Jakarta, on Friday (28/10/2022).

Almost a century after the historic Youth Pledge, the message of nationalism deserves contemplation in the face of the emergence of nation-threatening seeds of disunity.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — The commemoration of Youth Pledge Day is a reminder that what a group of young people called for, a united nation, during the second Youth Congress 94 years ago, remains relevant today, especially in a time when seeds of fracture, intolerance, egoism and differing political interest are growing to leave national unity in threat.

Regarding the Youth Pledge Day, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, through his social media account, said on Friday (28/10/2022) that the development of physical and digital connectivity between regions had been pursued as part of government’s efforts to further strengthen national unity.

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Meanwhile, hundreds of youths from 34 provinces gathered to join the commemoration at the Zero Point of Nusantara, which is currently being prepared as the state’s new capital city, in Penajam Paser Utara regency, East Kalimantan. They agreed on what was called a “five-point manifesto” as their committed pledges to the nation. The first point of the manifesto was that they promised to sustain unity in diversity.

The message about the importance of fostering tolerance came from the event, Pancasila: Voice of Humanity, at Holy Stadium in Semarang, Central Java. In a message for unity, the gathering encouraged dialogue and social interactions through meetings between young people of different religions, communities and educational backgrounds.

FAKHRI FADLURROHMAN

A number of students from SDN Pulogebang 01 visited the Youth Pledge Museum, Jakarta, on Friday (28/10/2022).

Around 7,000 people, mostly young people from various religions, schools and universities in Semarang, attended the event. Among them was Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo. Among the event’s highlights were performances of angklung troupe, musical and theatrical play, nationalism-themed speeches and collaborative interfaith poetry readings.

The spirit of and message about national unity, in coincidence with the Youth Pledge Day, were drummed up elsewhere across the country.

National unity

Islamic community organization Muhammadiyah chairman Haedar Nashir said citizens needed to reflect on the message of unity declared 94 years ago by a group of young people. The commemoration of the Youth Pledge Day was used by the organization as a prelude to its upcoming national congress next month.

Promoting the spirit of unity is becoming more urgent given the current situation, which Haedar sees as showing the potential of a social row marked with animosity, intolerance, egoism and antipathy due to, among other issues, different political choices.

KOMPAS/WISNU WIDIANTORO

Haedar Nashir

"There is nothing wrong with different political choices. The diversity of political choices is a sign of vigorous democracy and dynamics in social and national interactions," he said.

Political differences, he continued, would be a problem if people adopted absolutism-based approaches in the result of a competition. Such an approach, he added, would trigger extreme and uncompromising political attitudes, because a win by a political opponent was considered a threat, leaving the losing side in a state of perpetual grudge. "At this point, politics becomes a dividing virus, instead of unifying the nation," he said.

Politics deserves to be placed as the spirit of democracy guided by the wisdom of deliberations, as the enshrined value of the fourth principle of Pancasila.

He said citizens should show self-restraint and moderation in social and political engagement so that politics could serve as a unifying pillar, not a dividing barrier. "Politics deserves to be placed as the spirit of democracy guided by the wisdom of deliberations, as the enshrined value of the fourth principle of Pancasila," he said.

"Avoid ranting and actions that provoke virus of division. The 2024 election must build a collective commitment to unifying the nation and bringing an end to the division of national politics," he said.

Haedar emphasized that no nation would thrive if disunity strayed in grassroots and political elites, especially in the face of persisting widespread racial conflicts. Therefore, the spirit of nationalism must become a collective social movement of all components of the nation, with political elites showing exemplary statesmanship to put the nation above personal and marginal interests.

“The public space must be filled with golden voices that glorify unity. Do not let troublemakers and segregationists dominate the people, so that Indonesia will remain intact to continue to advance. The progress will be lost if Indonesia breaks up," he said.

KOMPAS/RADITYA HELABUMI

Bambang Soesatyo

On a separate occasion, People’s Assembly (MPR) speaker Bambang Soesatyo gave a warning regarding the nationalist spirit among youth being eroded by outside cultures. "The Youth Pledge signals a message of nationalism that we must instill and foster together," said a politician of Golkar Party (Golkar). The occasion was also used to commemorate the 12th Anniversary of the National Alliance.

Meanwhile, House of Representatives (DPR) Speaker Puan Maharani invited the public to give a throwback to the struggles of Indonesian youths in the past, saying their dedicative spirit should always be the driver to advance Indonesia.

“Jagat Nusantara”

To coincide with the commemoration of the Youth Pledge Day, President Jokowi launched Jagat Nusantara, a digital platform based on social interaction in the virtual world.

The platform’s cofounder Wishnutama Kusubandio said the unveiling of Jagat Nusantata was part of the effort to level up creativity and innovation in the face of global competition. "This can be taken as the next generation of social media, the result of the hard work and collaboration of our young people," he said.

He said the idea to promote Nusantara, as the state’s new capital city, to the virtual world through Jagat Nusantara had first been mooted by President Jokowi. Jagat Nusantara is expected to continue to be developed to bring potentials in digital economy to real economy.

KOMPAS/SAIFUL RIJAL YUNUS

Wishnutama Kusubandio

Back at Nusantara’s Zero Point gathering, the five-point manifesto that sought to help encourage national development had been drafted in a youth forum involving young people from 34 provinces.

The manifesto’s first point is the commitment to national unity in diversity to create a harmonious life for the sake of nation and state. The second point is to encourage equal access to and improve the quality of education for all Indonesian people.

The next points are the commitment to empower economic creativity among youth for the welfare of the Indonesian people, play an active role in preserving nature in a sustainable manner, as well as seeking adaptive and collaborative measures in facing national and global challenges. (SYA/CAS/Z05/CIP/RTG/XTI/IKI)

This article was translated by Musthofid.