Encourage initiative

Encourage initiative

One more note must be made concerning the regrettable
occurrence which happened to the lecture by Dr. William Hefner
and the Indonesia Baru Foundation. It concerns the initiative,
which was taken by young people who, of their own free will, set
aside some of their time, their interest and their energy for the
benefit of many -- say, for the nation and the country.

We regard this particular kind of young people as persons who
freely and for no gain to themselves were willing to give. They
hold jobs or are students, yet still they were willing to give
some of their time to be active in non-profit societal
organizations.

Young Indonesians are heirs of their nation's historical
legacy, they have studied the lives of their leaders, such as
those of the nationalist movement. Our great personalities such
as Sukarno, Hatta, Sjahrir, H. Agus Salim and others were young
-- being either in high school or college -- when they gave their
intellectual powers, their drive and their service to the cause
of a Free Indonesia.

By contributing their thoughts and services and by being
active in various associations and non-governmental
organizations, our present youths are also helping to enrich our
lives. They are trying to give us other values than merely
economic ones.

Possibly, in doing so, those young people may violate some
technicalities or become over-enthusiastic. Perhaps even there is
a risk that stability may be upset.

Let us consider all this and nurture the sense of
responsibility among our youths. The point we would like to make
is: Don't let all this lead us to wipe out or lessen our good
sense to see the positive values that are embodied in the
initiatives and the self-help capabilities which our young people
are showing.

-- Kompas, Jakarta