Government seeks to boost youth knowledge of national heroes

The Ministry of Culture is working to improve young people’s knowledge of the life stories and exemplary character of national heroes. “Over the past two years, the Ministry of Culture has carried out several activities aimed at bringing the younger generation closer to the history of heroes,” said Minister of Culture Fadli Zon in a ministry press statement in Jakarta on Tuesday. He cited, for example, that the Ministry of Culture last year organised a letter-writing competition for heroes as part of the Heroes’ Day commemoration. “In addition, we have also held screenings of songs composed by W.R. Soepratman at the National Awakening Museum,” he said when receiving a visit from the family of W.R. Soepratman at the Ministry of Culture Office in Jakarta. During the meeting with the family of the composer of the national anthem “Indonesia Raya”, W.R. Soepratman, the Minister of Culture discussed efforts to preserve W.R. Soepratman’s legacy and improve heroism literacy among the younger generation. He conveyed that the nationalism, creativity, and persistence of W.R. Soepratman in voicing independence can inspire the younger generation to participate in efforts to advance Nusantara culture. “We can also honour his service by restoring W.R. Soepratman’s grave, including adding a monument and immortalising W.R. Soepratman’s name as the name of major capital city roads,” he said. Representative of the W.R. Soepratman family, Agustiani H.S., also raised the need to increase the younger generation’s knowledge of national hero figures. She said that straightening out the historical record of heroes’ lives is part of the effort to improve public literacy regarding heroism. The Ministry of Culture supports efforts to preserve history and culture, including promoting the values of the national heroes’ struggle to the younger generation.