The Deputy Chairman of the MPR RI and Chairman of the Democratic\nParty Faction in the DPR RI, Edhie Baskoro Yudhoyono (Ibas), has urged\nIndonesia\u2019s younger generation not to merely be spectators amidst global\ntechnological and economic shifts, but to emerge as players, creators,\nand drivers of change.<\/p>\n
This was stated during a National Seminar organised by the Democratic\nParty Faction in collaboration with the Ministry of Creative Economy,\nthemed \u2018Youth Working, Economy Empowered, Indonesia Advanced\u2019 in\nJakarta, Monday (7\/9\/2026). The seminar brought together members of\nparliament, the government, creative economy practitioners, communities,\nand students from various universities to discuss the future of the\ncreative economy, technological developments, politics, and\ndemocracy.<\/p>\n
According to Ibas, Indonesia possesses significant capital in the\nform of a young generation that is creative, innovative, and capable of\nadapting to technological advancements. He noted that this potential\nmust be directed towards becoming an economic force that creates\nemployment and improves public welfare. \u201cCreativity is not just content.\nCreativity is an economic force,\u201d Ierb said on Thursday (10\/9\/2026).<\/p>\n
He remarked that the current challenge for the youth is not a lack of\nideas; rather, many young people possess grand visions but hesitate to\nbegin. Consequently, Edhie Baskoro encouraged students and the younger\ngeneration to be brave in transforming ideas into works, and works into\neconomic value. \u201cIdeas must become works. Works must become value. And\nvalue must create opportunity. This is the essence of the creative\neconomy,\u201d he stated.<\/p>\n
He assessed that digital technology developments have opened much\nwider opportunities for the youth to build businesses and create new\nprofessions. In his view, large capital is not always necessary to\nstart; skills in using laptops, cameras, technology, art, design, or\ncontent creation can be developed into sustainable businesses if pursued\nseriously.<\/p>\n
He also urged young people not to be trapped in the mindset that an\nidea can only be realised after attaining a certain position or\nsignificant capital. \u201cLet us not merely stop at thinking big without\nstarting. Once we start, let us accelerate so that what we run can\nprovide more benefits to the wider community,\u201d he expressed.<\/p>\n
AI is Not an Enemy<\/strong><\/p>\n The development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is both a challenge\nand an unavoidable opportunity. Ibas assessed that AI has become part of\nhuman life and will continue to influence how people learn, work, create\ncontent, and run businesses. Therefore, the younger generation must not\nview AI and digitalisation as enemies. \u201cIf we consider AI and digital\ntechnology as enemies, we certainly will not be able to move faster and\nmore advanced,\u201d said Ibas.<\/p>\n However, he reminded that the use of AI must be accompanied by\ncritical thinking skills. Technology should be used to augment humans,\nnot to cause humans to stop learning. He noted that humans must\ncontinuously increase their competence to adapt to technological\nchanges. \u201cHumans must continue to adapt and learn how to use AI so that\ntheir functions are not replaced by technology,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n Politics Directly Affects the Youth<\/strong><\/p>\n Addressing students, Ibas also reminded the younger generation not to\nbe apathetic towards politics. He stated that various issues touching\nthe lives of young people are fundamentally linked to public policy and\npolitical processes. From education, employment, and the digital economy\nto copyright, AI policy, and the direction of the national budget, all\nrequire political decisions. \u201cDo not feel that politics is not your\nbusiness. Because politics is present in your daily lives,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n He believed that youth participation in democracy is necessary so\nthat public policy can become more responsive to societal needs. He\nemphasised that democracy does not require everyone to have the same\nthoughts; differences in choice, ideas, and views are part of a healthy\ndemocracy, provided they are built on ethics and mutual respect.<\/p>\n In the forum, EBY also emphasised the importance of ensuring that\neconomic growth provides real benefits to the community. He argued that\nthe success of development should not be measured solely by the size of\neconomic growth figures or the national budget. \u201cWhat is more important\nis whether the people obtain jobs, have purchasing power, gain access to\neducation and health, and have opportunities to improve their welfare,\u201d\nhe stated. He added, \u201cThe measure of development success is not just how\nmuch economic growth is produced, but whether the people truly feel the\nbenefits.\u201d<\/p>\n He requested that government policies and budget usage be\ncontinuously monitored to ensure they benefit the wider community,\nincluding MSMEs and creative economy actors.<\/p>\n Democratic Party Promotes MSME Strengthening<\/strong><\/p>\n During the event, the experience of the \u2018Mitra Sehati\u2019 programme was\nalso shared. This MSME coaching programme is managed by the Association\nof Wives of Members (PIA) of the Democratic Party Faction and is chaired\nby Aliya Baskoro Yudhoyono. The programme has been running for about a\ndecade and has grown from approximately 300 MSMEs to over 600 mentored\nMSMEs across various regions in Indonesia.<\/p>\n \u201cAssistance includes financial management, bookkeeping, capital,\nmarketing, product packaging, to the expansion of market access,\u201d it was\nexplained. According to the Chairman of the Democratic Party Faction in\nthe DPR RI, the experience of Mitra Sehati demonstrates the importance\nof an ecosystem capable of supporting business actors sustainably,\nspecifically so that MSMEs are not only able to survive but also grow\nand expand their markets. Ibas encouraged that collaboration between the\ngovernment, parliament, business actors, communities, and the younger\ngeneration must continue to be expanded to strengthen the people\u2019s\neconomy and create more opportunities.<\/p>",
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