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