GOVERNMENT’S ROLE IN IMPLEMENTING HARMONY IN DIVERSITY
If we look back to the history of Indonesia, we can see that there was a big day which we call it as “sumpah pemuda” day. Sumpah Pemuda Happened on October 28th 1928, at that day the youngsters of Indonesia, they claim of being on nation. That day was the day when finally all the people of Indonesia be united. That was a really important day because like what we know that our country is the archipelago country, which we have so many regions and island, it makes Indonesia has so many different cultures in each regions. And based on that condition it forces us to have one thing to unite us. We have to have a harmony to make us be one, be united, be Indonesia. That’s why there arises the motion which says that about “government’s role in implementing harmony in diversity” which in this speech I would like to speak about the diversity in Indonesia, then about the role of the government in creating the harmony in our diversity.
1. The diversity in Indonesia
Like what I said before that Indonesia is an archipelago country. Indonesia has so many different cultures. Every region has their own languages, has their own art, their own lifestyle and many more. It creates the big diversity in Indonesia. But as a country, we have to make something, we have to create a harmony between all of those differences in order to keep this country still be one, still be united.
Let me tell you, there are few cases of the interregional chaos and conflicts. For example Ambon conflict, Poso conflict, Timor-Timor conflict, Sambas conflict and many more. And do you know the core problem of those conflicts? The core problem is because of the diversity itself. It’s not that I’m blaming the diversity, but it’s because the people can’t tolerate enough at each other and can’t create a harmony in the diversity that we have. If just the society can tolerate at each other and can respect at each other, there will not be any interregional chaos or conflict in Indonesia. We have to keep this difference because this is the culture of Indonesia, but beside of that, we also have to stand for our country not for our region. What I mean here is we have to put INDONESIA as our first priority, not our region.
2. What government do, and what government should do
I believe that Indonesian people have a good nationalism enough to keep this country be united. At least Indonesian people try to keep Indonesian culture as how it’s supposed to be. And also the government, we have to see that government have done some things to keep our diversity in one harmony. Just mention it, for example like the PKn subject, Social or History Subject, the flag ceremony in Monday for every school, and many more. Those kinds of things are government programs to keep the nationalism of Indonesian people and to keep us in the same harmony. Same harmony itself has the meaning, government want to keep us united as a nation and also want to keep the culture in order not to be erased by the globalization. Those actions may be the small things for us, but if we think much forward ahead, we can see that if there was not any action like that, probably our country has been a mess, probably we don’t have the unity at each other anymore, probably we had lost all of our culture, those kinds of nightmares probably happen.
But aside of what the government has done for this country, it’s still not enough. Thinking about how we have so many cultures and differences from Sabang until Merauke, we have to do so much to keep all of this differences. We have to do more than what it’s already been there. If the PKn and History subject is not enough to remind Indonesian people about nationalism and about the cultures, maybe we have to add the subjects like PSPB, PMP, P4 and all the subject about “Budi Pekerti” or subject that have correlation with the nationalism, to be in the curriculum again. Because those subjects were once in our curriculum, and I believe my teachers here who were in that period can agree with me if the nationalism of our people in that era is better than now, right? Just because of those subjects can really have a big meaning for our unity.
And another example is about the flag ceremony. We can see that now, the ceremony is not like 100% of obligation for each school, because sometimes there are still few schools who are lazy enough to hold a flag ceremony in every Monday morning. May you know that the flag ceremony is not only a routinely for us, but it’s one of the way from government to keep the nationalism in our heart. But if just this flag ceremony can be the obligation for every state institution like for the regional offices, the state hospital and many more, it will be better. I believe with this way it can increase the nationalism in people’s heart, and if our people have a strong nationalism, I believe that we can create our own way to create the harmony to keep the diversity be united.
At the end of my speech, I want to remind you that to create the harmony in diversity is not only the job of the government, but also the job for all the people in Indonesia, it’s from us, it’s by us, and for us.
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