Author: Vinny Shoffa
In commemorating Youth Pledge Day 2021, Universitas Indonesia (UI) in collaboration with the non-profit organization Harmoni Indonesia, held a public discussion on the theme “The Spirit of Developing a Nation in the Harmony of Indonesian Diversity” on Thursday (28/10). The public discussion invited the Minister of Youth and Sports Affairs Dr. H. Zainudin Amali and Chairman of Harmoni Indonesia, Inspector General of Police Drs. Sidarto Danusubroto, S.H., as the keynote speakers. The discussion was held virtually via Universitas Indonesia’s Youtube channel and Zoom application. In his welcoming speech to open the event, UI Rector Prof. Ari Kuncoro S.E., M.A., Ph.D. said that the Youth Pledge is a historical event that is full of meaning for the Indonesian nation.
“93 years ago, young people from all over Indonesia archipelago agreed to have one motherland, acknowledge to be of one nation, and speak Indonesian. This historical moment is an important milestone in the birth of Indonesia and should be an inspiration and motivation in the life of the nation and state,” he said. In this public discussion, Minister of Youth and Sports Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia Zainudin Amali was also present and opened the public discussion.
“We must maintain the spirit of the Youth Pledge by remembering, and often echoing that we are a diverse nation. We come from different backgrounds, different tribes, different regions, different religions, different languages, and various other differences, but those do not make us feel different from one another. We as a nation are bound by shared feelings, and there is a desire to unite in differences. That is the basis for the continued existence of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI) to this day,” said Dr. Zainudin. In line with the Minister of Youth and Sports Affairs, Chairman of Harmoni Indonesia, Inspector General of Police Drs. Sidarto Danusubroto said that a pluralistic, multicultural, multi-ethnic, and multi-religious Indonesia is a necessity that must be cared for and maintained in harmony. He said that Indonesia’s pluralism is a valuable asset that can become a capital for the prosperity and welfare of the nation, however, if it is not managed wisely, diversity can become a source of social conflict in the society.
Sidarto observes that currently various efforts are being made by certain parties to destroy harmony in Indonesia by replacing the state ideology with another ideology. This condition can occur because today’s youth have forgotten the history of the founding of this Republic which was built on diversity. This condition can occur because today’s youth have forgotten the history of the founding of this Republic which was built on diversity. This situation has resulted in the increase of intolerance, radicalism, and terrorism occurring in Indonesia in recent years.
According to him, the growth and spread of intolerance, radicalism, and terrorism can be inhibited if the Indonesian nation has a solid foundation and a strong fortress. This can be done by providing a good and correct understanding of the “Four Pillars of Nationalism” to the nation’s next generation, namely: Pancasila as the State Foundation and the outlook on life of the Indonesian Nation; 1945 State Constitution as the Indonesian constitution; The Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI) as a form of state which is the commitment of the entire Indonesian nation; and Bhinneka Tunggal Ika as the ideal value system in Indonesia.
The public discussion took place in two sessions with a panel discussion format. The first session of panel discussion with the subtheme “Harmony of Diversity towards a Resilient Indonesia, Independent Indonesia” presenting the Minister of Religious Affairs K.H Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry M. Arsjad Rasjid P.M., Head of the National Agency of Drug and Food Control Dr. Penny Kusumastuti Lukito, Head of Financial Education and Training Agency of the Ministry of Finance Andin Hadiyanto, Ph.D., and Director of Learning and Student Affairs of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology, Prof. Aris Junaidi, Ph.D. The session was moderated by Dr. Bagus Takwin, a lecturer at the Faculty of Psychology UI. In the first session of the public discussion, M. Arsjad Rasjid P.M. said that there are two wars currently being faced by the Indonesian nation, which are the war against the pandemic and the economic war.
“For almost two years we have faced the pandemic, which IKADIN sees as two wars, which are the war against the pandemic and the economic war. We must win these two wars by working together. The fight against the pandemic is carrying out mutual cooperation actions with entrepreneurs, the government, and the community to fight against the Covid-19 pandemic through vaccination programs, providing oxygen, social assistance and others. In the economic war, the efforts can be carried out collectively through dialogue and concrete action by businessmen, the government, the community in terms of restoring the economy. By restoring health, we can revive the economy and achieve social justice,” said M. Rasjid.
According to him, the Indonesian nation in facing this war has a strong capital, namely gotong royong (mutual cooperation). This mutual cooperation can be seen in the fact that when the COVID-19 pandemic started hitting the country last year, all leaders, CEOs, and all levels of Indonesian society were moved hand in hand in facing the pandemic. These ASA values (Authenticity, Spirituality, Agility) will become the nation’s capital in the future in facing various challenges in the future. The second session of the public discussion carried the theme “Youth’s Mutual Cooperation for the Rise of Indonesia”. The second session presented various professional speakers in their fields, namely, Kusuma Ida Anjani (the Director of Business Development and Innovation at Mustika Ratu), Alissa Qotrunnada Munawaroh Wahid (the National Director of Gusdurian Network Indonesia), Selwas Taborat (a Diplomat of Indonesia), and Barijani Mahesa Putra (a Student from Vocational Education Program and a Roller Skate Athlete of XX National Sport Week).
