Challenges of change

Changes ushered in by the times are now posing a true challenge. Our demographic composition is dominated by younger people, who are less linked to the past but instead are standing face-to-face with global issues, leanings, values and lifestyles. There is a budding middle class whose members, from the economic point of view, meet all the established requirements, although it is being questioned whether their attitude and outlook actually reflect the disposition and thinking of an independent, critical and responsible middle class.

Both as a reaction to this and as a channel to protect collective identities, various views, leanings and attitudes have emerged in our society which emphasize the interests of exclusive and radical entities and which, unless properly resolved, could cause great distortion to our national integration design.

Various risks accompany this process of social transformation, which is not always peaceful but often causes disparities and disharmony. At the same time it is being questioned whether contemporary society is capable of surmounting possible conflicts and conflict escalations.

If to these complexities we add the growing desire among our people to be recognized as active political and economic subjects, a complete illustration emerges of the problems which we are presently facing and whose alleviation must become the homework of our Armed Forces.

-- Kompas, Jakarta