However history has never asked us merely to remember dates. History\nasks us to understand the meaning. What exactly rose in 1908? Not the\neconomy. Not power. Not technological progress. What rose was\nconsciousness. The real awakening is that a backward nation can only\nrise through education, science, and the courage to build a future\ntogether. The pioneers of the national awakening were not heavy\ncapitalists. They were the educated who believed that the nation\u2019s\nprogress always begins with the quality of its human beings. That\nconsciousness became the foundation for the next chapters of history:\nthe Youth Pledge, the Proclamation of Independence, and the birth of\nmodern Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Indonesia\u2019s first president, Bung Karno, understood this lesson well.\nTherefore, after independence was achieved, Bung Karno repeatedly\nreminded that the nation\u2019s struggle did not end merely with driving out\nthe colonisers. The next challenge was to build the Indonesian people.\nHe called it nation and character building. To build a nation while\nbuilding its human character. Bung Karno realised that a great country\nis not built only with buildings, roads, or wealth in natural resources.\nIt is built by the quality of its people.<\/p>\n
That message is highly relevant when Indonesia today enters a major\nhistorical moment: the demographic dividend. The National Development\nPlanning Agency (Bappenas) projects that Indonesia will reach a peak of\nthe demographic dividend in 2030-2040. The productive-age population\nwill be the largest group in the history of the nation.<\/p>\n
This is a great opportunity. But world history shows one important\nlesson: the demographic dividend does not automatically become a\nblessing. It can be a leap forward, but it can also become a social\nburden if the quality of its people lags behind.<\/p>\n
Japan rose after the war through substantial investments in education\nand human capital. South Korea transformed the demographic dividend into\nan engine of economic growth through strengthening education, industry,\nand technology. Singapore built global competitiveness not because of\nits vast territory or natural wealth, but because of the quality of its\npeople.<\/p>\n
Indonesia has the same opportunity. The Digital 2025 Indonesia report\nshows Indonesian internet users have reached about 212 million people or\naround three-quarters of the national population.<\/p>\n
In other words, access to knowledge, learning, and global networks is\nincreasingly open to Indonesian society, especially the younger\ngeneration. The challenge is no longer about the opportunity to access\ninformation, but how to turn information into knowledge, and knowledge\ninto progress.<\/p>\n
South Korean philosopher Byung-Chul Han, in The Burnout Society,\nreminds us that modern society faces a new paradox. People have abundant\naccess to information, but often lose space for reflection. We are\nbecoming faster, but not necessarily deeper.<\/p>\n
That warning is worth reflection. In the flood of information, the\nnation needs a generation that is not only quick to adapt, but able to\nthink clearly. Not only skilled in using technology, but wise in how to\nuse it.<\/p>\n
Education thinker Paulo Freire once said that true education is\neducation that frees people. Freire argued that education liberates from\nignorance, from powerlessness, and from marginalisation.<\/p>\n
That idea actually has deep roots in Indonesian history. The National\nAwakening was born from education. Ki Hajar Dewantara built education as\na path to liberate people. Bung Karno emphasised building the nation\u2019s\ncharacter. The thread is clear: national progress always begins with the\nquality of its human beings.<\/p>\n
Therefore, Indonesia\u2019s challenge today is not merely about economic\ngrowth or infrastructure development. Our greatest challenge is ensuring\nthe demographic bonus truly becomes a bonus of progress. Indonesia\u2019s\nyouth generation must grow not only as users of technology but as\ncreators of innovation. Not only job seekers, but job creators. Not only\na market for the digital world, but a major player in it. Nobel laureate\neconomist Amartya Sen reminded us that true development is not only\nabout increased income but the expansion of human capabilities to live a\nlife with greater dignity.<\/p>\n
Thus the national awakening of this century must begin there, namely\nin building Indonesian people who are outstanding, adaptable, of good\ncharacter, and competitive. Building schools that awaken the power of\nthought. Building families that instil character. Building digital\nspaces that encourage creativity. And building a culture of learning\nthat does not end when someone leaves the classroom.<\/p>\n
More than a century ago, the pioneers of the national awakening lit\nthe fire of change through education and ideas. Today, that fire is\nstill burning. The task for today\u2019s generation is not only to keep it\nalive, but to make its flame burn even brighter. Because Indonesia\u2019s\nfuture will ultimately be determined not only by what we build, but by\nthe kind of people we grow.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/relighting-the-flame-of-national-awakening-1779533758", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }