A Century Complete: It's Time for NU to Look Forward with Heads Held High

Honestly, I was stunned to see that figure: 100 years of NU. A century is not a short time for an organisation. NU has passed the most brutal tests of the ages. From the colonial era, the struggle for independence, the political turbulence of 1965, to the reform era. NU has always survived. Why? Because its roots are deeply embedded in the earth. Its roots are the pesantren. But that was the first century. Now, we are stepping into the second century. The challenges are no longer the same. NU’s ‘enemy’ today is no longer colonialism in military uniform, but rather the backwardness of human resources, the economy, the explosion of digital technology, and the demand for professional organisational governance. This second century is no longer a time for NU to merely survive or ‘duck’ in a defensive stance. NU must redefine itself: from a guardian of local tradition, to a driving force of national-global civilisation. The vision for NU’s second century is clear and firm: to become a driver of a moderate, inclusive, and peaceful Islamic civilisation on a global level. Simultaneously, to realise the independence of the ummah by improving the quality of human resources domestically. This is an extraordinarily grand vision. But how can it be realised so that it does not end up as mere jargon on paper and congress banners? The world today is tired. The West is experiencing an acute spiritual crisis. The Middle East is weary of unending conflict. Religious extremism is spreading everywhere. At this point, NU has the best product that the world desperately needs: Islam Nusantara. An Islam that is friendly, tolerant, and able to wed faith with local culture without destroying one another. The solution is concrete. These values of global peace must be offered as an alternative civilisational solution. NU must start sending ‘Ambassadors of Peace’ to the world’s stages. Not just delegations for sermons, but thinkers capable of dialogue in a universal language. To support this giant vision, NU’s structure can no longer be managed with a ‘whatever works’ approach. There must be four pillars of strategic mission that stand upright, robust, and precise: First, Global Peace (Fikrah Nahdliyah): Packaging the originality of Islam Nusantara into a universal curriculum that can be adopted by the international community to dampen conflict. Second, Economic Independence of the Ummah: Stop the habit of ‘asking’ and start ‘managing’. The focus must shift radically to empowering MSMEs, optimising productive waqf, and establishing digitally based community cooperatives. Political independence will only occur if economic independence is settled. Third, Transformation of Education and Science: NU is the great home of pesantren. In the second century, pesantren must not only produce first-class fiqh experts, but also experts in artificial intelligence, geneticists, and digital economists. Remarkably, they will master science and technology without being uprooted from the adab and traditions of the pesantren. Fourth, Organisational Meritocracy: NU’s governance management must be completely overhauled. Leadership regeneration must be based on intellectual capacity and professional moral integrity. The system of ‘taking turns’ or practical political proximity must be replaced with a measurable track record system. The question is: Who will execute all of this? The bloated organisational structure needs dynamos that are agile, adaptive, and—most importantly—at peace with themselves. The reality of the new era gives birth to the need for new figures. We need what is called a ‘Progressive Ulama’. A figure who is fluent in reading the kitab kuning, while also fluent in reading algorithms and global economic trends.