Youth councils losing out to NGOs: Hayono
Youth councils losing out to NGOs: Hayono
JAKARTA (JP): Various youth organizations are losing the support of young Indonesians as most turn to non-governmental organizations, which have clear and defined objectives, such as environmental protection and promotion of human rights, a cabinet minister says.
State Minister for Youths Affairs and Sports Hayono Isman blamed this condition on the inability of the youth organizations to respond to the challenges and demands of the times.
Most of Indonesia's young generation, who are disillusioned with youth organizations, are turning to non-governmental organizations (NGOs) instead, Hayono said on Monday.
The NGOs are more responsive to the needs of the young people, he noted. And because they are small, their organization structures are more flexible, compared to the larger youth organizations, he said.
Hayono's portfolio includes overseeing the activities of the country's youth organizations.
His criticism was particularly aimed at the Indonesian National Youth Committee (KNPI), an umbrella organization for dozens of youth groups, including the larger ones, such as the Moslem Students Association (HMI), Nationalist Students Movement, Christian Students Association and Catholic Students Association.
The minister noted that some KNPI leaders have used their positions to further their personal interests but have neglected the needs of the members who elected them.
At times, some of these leaders even seem to represent the interest of the government rather than the members, he said.
KNPI leadership positions in the past have provided a stepping stone for many people to further their career in politics or in the government.
Some of the youth organizations under KNPI have also become disillusioned at the performance of their leaders, threatening to pull out of the committee.
The local chapters of the Indonesian Moslem Student Movement and the Moslem Students Association in Jombang, East Java, have announced that they were abandoning the KNPI, which they described as "becoming disoriented."
There have also been similar complaints about KNPI's performance from youth organizations in Yogyakarta, Palu, and Semarang.
Commenting on this trend, Hayono said that while he understood their disillusionment, they stand to lose more by withdrawing from KNPI because the committee was established to strengthen the youth organizations.
He suggested that the disillusioned groups discuss the problem with KNPI leaders. "I can understand the protesters' view, but I don't agree when they decide to withdraw, without giving KNPI leaders a second chance." (29)