BNPP Urges Young Generation to Be at the Forefront of Border Development
The National Border Management Agency (BNPP) of the Republic of Indonesia has reaffirmed its commitment to raising awareness among the younger generation regarding strategic border issues through an interactive public lecture called BNPP MENYALA at the Institute of Home Affairs Governance (IPDN) North Sulawesi Campus on Tuesday. Opening the event, the BNPP Deputy for Border Area Potential Management, Inspector General of Police Edfrie R Maith, delivered the directive of Home Affairs Minister Muhammad Tito Karnavian as the Head of BNPP. In his directive, he emphasised the importance of the younger generation understanding borders not just as academic material, but as a space for genuine national service. “I hope the cadets and students have a sense of care and commitment to contribute to the development of border areas and safeguard the sovereignty of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia,” stated Inspector General Maith, reading the Minister’s directives in a written statement on Tuesday.
He added that BNPP MENYALA is a direct initiative of the Home Affairs Minister, stemming from the need to introduce the role and function of BNPP more broadly to the public, particularly in border regions. According to him, strengthening public literacy about borders is a crucial foundation for maintaining the nation’s territorial integrity. Meanwhile, Acting Head of the BNPP Bureau of Finance, General Affairs, and Public Relations, Belly Isnaeni, explained that BNPP MENYALA is part of the BNPP’s public communication strategy. The programme is designed to make border issues more relatable and relevant to the younger generation as future leaders of the nation.
He asserted that borders are not merely lines on a map, but symbols of national sovereignty and dignity. “Borders are a shared living space that reflects the state’s presence, legal certainty, justice, and protection for the people,” he said. Strategic insights were also shared by BNPP Expert Group member Robert Simbolon, who invited cadets and students to view borders as a unified entity. He emphasised that borders form an interconnected social, cultural, economic, and political system. According to him, borders have formal and substantial functions, both inward as a national administrative and legal arrangement, and outward as a marker for the commencement of international relations. Robert noted that the challenges of managing Indonesia’s borders are increasingly complex due to the country’s character, which is 75 per cent water and highly open to cross-border mobility.
Meanwhile, the Head of the Coordination Division for the Implementation of State Boundary and Border Area Management, Sri Ratna Pasiak, highlighted the strategic role of local governments, particularly in North Sulawesi Province. She explained that borders represent the face of the nation, demonstrating the extent of the state’s presence for its people. Sri Ratna also outlined the leading potentials of North Sulawesi’s border areas, ranging from agricultural commodities like nutmeg, coconut, and clove, to marine and fisheries potential which holds significant opportunities to boost national and export trade. From an academic perspective, the Coordinator of the Public Administration Doctoral Programme at Manado State University’s Faculty of Social Sciences and Law, Goinpeace H. Tumbel, revealed that border areas still face fundamental issues, such as limited access to and quality of education, basic infrastructure, and risks to identity and nationalism crises.
He emphasised that national defence is not only interpreted through military education, but also through the mastery of competencies, soft skills, and hard skills so that the younger generation can participate inclusively in national development. Through BNPP MENYALA, the BNPP hopes that the younger generation will not only understand the complexity of border management but also grow into agents of change with a sense of care, capacity, and national commitment. This forum serves as tangible proof of BNPP’s presence in preparing superior human resources ready to contribute to safeguarding sovereignty while propelling Indonesia’s border areas into advanced, prosperous, and competitive regions towards Golden Indonesia 2045. This activity marks the third edition of BNPP MENYALA, carrying the theme ‘The Strategic Role of the Young Generation in Border Area Development to Realise Golden Indonesia 2045’. Previously, the first edition was held at IPDN West Kalimantan Campus and the second at Ben Mboi Polytechnic, the Republic of Indonesia Defence University in Belu, East Nusa Tenggara.