ALREADY It is commonly understood that for every youth oath commemoration declared on 28 October 1928 to date, the basic meaning contained is the rise of the younger generation to knit the values of the unity and integrity of the Indonesian nation. This shows that the younger generation is not just sitting idly by. According to Ganesha University of Education Academic, Prof. Dr. I Wayan Lasmawan, there are a number of things that must be done in order to make the Indonesian nation an honorable and respected nation in a very dynamic global association. What are they?
Lasmawan’s view begins with an emphasis on commemorating Youth Pledge Day. There are two basic meanings that are always reflected, namely youth and nationality. In this context, there are five fundamental meanings that must always be remembered and reminded to all as a nation, especially the youth, namely: (1) the importance of realizing that the younger generation is a very strategic national asset because it is in their hands that the future of this nation is at stake, (2) the importance of national unity and integrity, because with deep national awareness, everything can be achieved and accomplished, (3) the importance of providing space, time and funding for the younger generation to create their creativity, taste, and initiative as optimally as possible, (4) the importance of awareness of diversity among the younger generation as human beings who live and will continue to live in an archipelago that is very multicultural, and (5) the importance of education for the younger generation to become literate individuals for themselves, the nation, and the challenges of the world in the future. “Based on these five basic meanings of the youth oath, the knots of nationality will be maintained and we believe this will lead this great nation to become a nation that is respected and able to play an important role in the constellation of global association,” he said.
For this reason, according to him, it is appropriate that the development of national education be directed at the younger generation, the nation’s millennials who will be the main pillars of the portrait of the Indonesian nation in the future. “Because the education of the nation’s children is directly proportional to the urgency of the existence of this beloved nation and republic,” he said.
For the younger generation, according to an academic from Kintamani, Bangli, there are six things that can be done to interpret the Youth Pledge, namely: (1) Continue to learn and create achievements, (2) Love yourself and be proud as the Indonesian nation, (3) Behave 4 C, namely creative, critic, communicative, control self, (4) Maintain and use Indonesian, (5) Become social and technology engineering for the progress of the nation, and (6) Paradigmunity in diversity in all spheres of life. “These six things are very possible and have become something that cannot be negotiated by the younger generation if we want to make this beloved republic one of the nations that are honorable and respected in a very dynamic global association,” he said.
Delivered further, the “strength” of the younger generation is one of the determinants of the progress and existence of a nation. The momentum to commemorate the youth oath must be used as momentum and a stepping stone to reflect on selfhood as a person, nation, and world citizen to reposition and create everything that is not optimal to be optimal, so that it is in line with the meaning and desire of the originators and declarators of the youth oath on 28 October 1928. “So I hope that the younger generation can continue to rise to make this republic a more quality one,” concluded Lasmawan. (rls)
