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)