Indonesian Youth Are Invited to Never Give Up on Advancing the Nation

The nation's young generation is invited to emulate the spirit of mutual cooperation of the youth who initiated the Youth Pledge. Youth collaboration in diversity has succeeded in bringing Indonesia to adhere to its national commitment.

The following article was translated using both Microsoft Azure Open AI and Google Translation AI. The original article can be found in Pemuda Indonesia Diajak Pantang Menyerah Majukan Bangsa

KOMPAS/SUCIPTO

The youth from all provinces donned traditional clothing from their respective regions while commemorating the 94th Youth Pledge Day at the Zero Point of the Archipelago's Capital on Friday (28/10/2022).

JAKARTA, KOMPAS - The momentum of the commemoration of Youth Pledge Day on Saturday (28/10/2023) serves as a reminder of the history of mutual assistance among all elements of the youth who successfully spread the spirit of patriotism and united the nation's vision through the 1928 Youth Pledge. Therefore, the young generation of Indonesia is encouraged to have an unyielding spirit to realize Indonesia as a country that is increasingly better in the eyes of the world.

Secretary General of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology, Suharti, stated during the 95th anniversary of Youth Pledge Day ceremony on Saturday at Kemendikbudristek in Jakarta, that the collaboration of all youth elements successfully birthed a national commitment, which is to spill blood for the unity of the Indonesian homeland, to be one nation of Indonesia, and to uphold the unity language of Indonesia. Suharti, wearing traditional clothing from Aceh, said "This year's Youth Pledge Day celebration should be a momentum for building collaboration between generations and sectors."

This year's commemoration of Youth Pledge Day takes on the theme "Together Advancing Indonesia". The government is inviting Indonesia's young generation to participate widely in realizing the country's future hopes together. Inclusivity in cross-generational collaboration ecosystems is encouraged in order to build collective optimism.

"Young men and women have a respected place in national development," said Suharti.

Also read: The Spirit of the 1928 Youth Pledge Resonates to the Present Day

The position of Indonesia, according to Suharti, is currently in the process of resolving issues of corruption, poverty, unemployment, drugs, pornography, hoaxes, hate speech, as well as a number of other national problems. However, these issues should not be a reason for young people to stop progressing towards a developed Indonesia and creating a just and prosperous society.

On the other hand, the rapid development of technology and information flow creates a gap in the mastery of technology and information between generations. Mastery of technology and information as well as digital literacy among youths must be taken seriously.

Therefore, every young person needs to have a vision, mission, and strategic role for the next 30 years so that development can progress faster. The most effective strategy is through cross-generational cooperation and collaboration across sectors.

Not pessimistic

Separately, in a webinar entitled "Sumpah Pemuda and Cross-Cultural Religious Literacy: Strengthening Social Cohesion in a Plural Society" held by the Leimena Institute, Grand Imam of Istiqlal Mosque, Nasaruddin Umar reminded Indonesian youth not to have a pessimistic view of their own nation, but to always strive for unity amidst differences and diversity.

"The Youth Pledge is a reminder of the struggle of the youth from various ethnicities, religions, and cultures in Indonesia to unite and build a nation," said Nasaruddin.

KOMPAS/P RADITYA MAHENDRA YASA

Representatives of students participating in a cultural parade to commemorate Youth Pledge Day in the Simpang Lima area of Semarang City, Central Java, on Monday (28/10/2019). The commemoration of Youth Pledge Day serves as a moment to once again unite the spirit of nationalism amid the diversity of the community.

Nasaruddin, who is also the Chairman of the Central Management of the As'adiyah Islamic Boarding School in Sengkang, South Sulawesi, advised Indonesian youth not to simply disparage their own nation and admire other nations. "Despite our nation's shortcomings, we must still respect our own country. Indonesia is like a 'piece of heaven' due to its incredibly fertile nature and diverse society and culture. The Quran also mentions diversity, with Allah SWT creating humans of different races and tribes. For this reason, the youth of Indonesia today face the challenge of developing differences into strength, not weakness," said Nasaruddin.

Also read: Young People Embrace Diversity

Meanwhile, Senior Research Fellow from the University of Washington, the United States, Chris Seiple, stated that the Youth Pledge is an extraordinary declaration that has shaped the nation of Indonesia. He feels fortunate to have learned about the Youth Pledge through a cross-cultural religious literacy program. Among others, he recognizes the figure of Johannes Leimena, who represented Jong Ambon in the Youth Congress of 1928 and was a key figure in the Youth Pledge movement.

"He (Johannes Leimena) was 23 years old during the Youth Pledge. I thought, what was I thinking when I was 23 years old, how could I learn to think like him to respect each other and work together so that there is one country, one nation, and one society," said Chris.

Christian Tritunggal School teacher, Danny Prasetyo, conveyed that the Youth Pledge of 1928 is evidence that the spirit of unity and pride in the spilled blood of Indonesia had grown long before independence. "The emphasis in the Youth Pledge is the word 'we', not 'I', meaning that the current young generation must be able to control their ego and personal interests and prioritize the common interests, nation, and country," he said.

Meanwhile, Executive Director of the Leimena Institute, Matius Ho, stated that the Cross-Cultural Religious Literacy (LKLB) program is an effort by the Leimena Institute and various partners to continue the spirit and ideals of the Youth Pledge.

The program is focused on teachers and religious educators because of the importance of education in fostering mutual respect for fellow human beings regardless of various differences. The LKLB program has been followed by at least 5,700 interfaith teachers and religious facilitators from 34 provinces since it was held in 2021.