THE ROLE OF YOUTH IN POLITICAL AND STATE ARRANGEMENT IN INDONESIA [Session 1]

[1] Youth Movement during the Dutch Colonial Era

FERRY ISMAWAN
1st: Youth is an individual who physically is experiencing development DEFINITION:
and psychologically is experiencing emotional development, thus youth
is a human resource for development both now and in the future. [1]
Peran Politik Pemuda: Dinamika Pergerakan Pemuda Sejak Sumpah Pemuda 1928 Sampai Kini Jurnal DEBAT Edisi
Pertama, Agustus 2009, 2.

Internationally, WHO refers to “young people” with an age limit of 10-24

years, while those aged 10-19 are called “adolescence” or adolescents.
The International Youth Year which was held in 1985, defines the
population aged 15-24 years as a youth group. [2]
Suzanne Naafs dan Ben White, Generasi Antara:Refleksi tentang Studi Pemuda Indonesia(Jurnal
Studi Pemuda VOL 1 NO 2 September 2012), 91.

2nd: Youth is an individual with a dynamic character, even turbulent and

optimistic but does not have stable emotional control. Youth are facing a
period of social and cultural change. Meanwhile, according to the draft
youth bill, Youth are those aged between 18 to 35 years. Judging from
the age side, youth is a period of biological and psychological
development.

“ I want to die, knowing one more thing”

Socrates, was accused of destroying the soul of a young man, his teaching considered dangerous for the
community's life order, poisonous to the soul of an unstable youth.
 OLDEST and YOUNGEST COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD
Ferdinand Bada in “World of Atlas”
lists the oldest countries in the world
based on the sovereignty acquired.

https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/the-oldest-countries-in-the-
world.html#:~:text=Iran%20is%20the%20oldest%20country,North%20Korea%20(2333%20BC).
 Politic Ethics: the definition?
“Ethische Politiek” is a thought which states that the
colonial government held moral responsibility for the
welfare of the Earth. The emergence of Ethics was
spearheaded by Pieter Brooshooft (De Locomotief
newspaper journalist) and C.Th. van Deventer
(politician) apparently opened the eyes of the
colonial government to pay more attention to the
fate of the backward bumiputera.

On September 17, 1901,Queen Wilhelmina, who had

just ascended to the throne, emphasized in her
opening speech to the Dutch Parliament that the
Dutch government had a moral calling and a debt of
gratitude (een eerschuld) to the native peoples of the
Netherlands Indies. Queen Wilhelmina poured this
moral calling into ethical political policies, which were
summarized in the Trias Van deventer program.

A thought pioneered by Pieter Brooshooft and C.Th. van Deventer who stated that the colonial government
held moral responsibility for the welfare of the natives and was a criticism of the politics of forced
cultivation. The Trias van Deventer: Transmigration, Irigation and Education
 QU’EST-CE QU’UNE NATION ?
A nation is "a daily referendum", and that
nations are based as much on what the people
jointly forget as on what they remember.

Renan wrote "What is a Nation" in order to

symbolize the nationalism which was born in
France as a result of the French Revolution of
1789.
• [Ernest Renan, "Qu'est-ce qu'une nation?", conference faite en Sorbonne, le 11 Mars 1882]

NATION: country, nation - Both came into English c. 1330 and tend to be used interchangeably. Country
comes from Latin contrata (terra), "the landscape in front of one, the landscape lying opposite to the view."
Nation is from Latin nātiō, nātiōn-, from nātus, past participle of nāscī, nation-/natio, "race, class of person."
Or Middle English nacioun, from Old French nation, from Latin nātiō, nātiōn-, from nātus, past participle of
nāscī, to be born; see genə- in Indo-European roots.]
Taufik Abdullah: The position of youth in their responsibility for the social order
1Taufik Abdullah. Pemuda dan Perubahan Sosial (Jakarta:LP3S, 1974), 15.

1. The purity of his idealism

2. Courage and openness in absorbing new
values and ideas
3. The spirit of dedication.
4. Spontaneity and devotion.
5. Innovation and creativity.
6. The desire to immediately realize new ideas.
7. The persistence of his promises and the desire to
display an attitude and independent personality.
8. The scarcity of experiences that can reflect their
opinions, attitudes and actions with existing
reality.

Youth or the younger generation are concepts that are always associated with values, In society, youth is a
potential identity as a successor to the ideals of the nation's struggle and a human source for the
development of the nation because youth as the hope of the nation can be interpreted that who controls
youth will control the future.
 Was ist Aufklärung?
Indonesian elite groups such as Soekarno, Hatta, Tan Malaka,
Agus Salim, Ki Hajar Dewantara had the opportunity to
receive modern education. In these modern educational
institutions, they learned many things, especially
enlightenment ideas that emphasize ideas such as autonomy,
freedom, democracy, anti-slavery, equal rights and dignity.

In Germany the Aufklärung found its highest expression in a science of

government. One explanation lies in the importance of universities. There were
nearly 50 by 1800 (24 founded since 1600); they were usually the product of a prince’s
need to have trained civil servants rather than of a patron’s zeal for higher
learning. Not all were as vigorous as Halle (1694) or Göttingen (1737), but others, such
as Vienna in the last quarter of the 18th century, were inspired to emulate them. In
general, the universities dominated intellectual and cultural life. Rulers valued them,
and their teachers were influential, because they served the state by educating
those who would serve. https://www.britannica.com/topic/history-of-Europe/The-
Aufklarung

https://www.kelaspintar.id/blog/edutech/aufklarung-latar-belakang-dan-pengaruhnya-5200/
“Mainstreaming the Role of Youth in Indonesian Politics”
Valid evidence of the role of
youth:

[1] The establishment of Budi

Utomo in 1908,
[2] The Youth Pledge of 1928,
[3] The Proclamation of
Independence on August 17,
1945,
[4] the New Order 1966,
[5] the 1974 Malari Incident,
[6] the NKK / BKK 1978
[7] the student movement in
1998
[8] Others?

Through the distinctive touch and enthusiasm of youth, a historic event was born and became
a witness that youth contributed significantly to the progress of the nation.
 IMAGINED COMMUNITY: BEN ANDERSON

"It is imagined because the members of even the smallest

nation will never know most of their fellow-members, meet
them, or even hear of them, yet in the minds of each lives the
image of their communion….

According to Anderson, creation of imagined communities

became possible because of "print capitalism". Capitalist
entrepreneurs printed their books and media in the
vernacular (instead of exclusive script languages, such as
Latin) in order to maximize circulation. As a result, readers
speaking various local dialects became able to understand
each other, and a common discourse emerged. Anderson
argued that the first European nation-states were thus
formed around their "national print-languages."
 IMAGINED COMMUNITY: BEN ANDERSON

Anderson depicts a nation as a socially constructed community, imagined by

the people who perceive themselves as part of that group.[1]:6–7

The media also creates imagined

communities, through usually targeting a
mass audience or generalizing and
addressing citizens as the public. Another
way that the media can create imagined
communities is through the use of images.
The media can perpetuate stereotypes
through certain images and vernacular. By
showing certain images, the audience will
choose which image they relate to the
most, furthering the relationship to that
imagined community.
 IMAGINED COMMUNITY: BEN ANDERSON

Members of the community probably will never know each of the other
members face to face; however, they may have similar interests or
identify as part of the same nation. Members hold in their minds a
mental image of their affinity: for example, the nationhood felt with
other members of your nation when your "imagined community"
participates in a larger event such as the Olympic Games.
THEORIES OF STATE OCCURRENCE: theory of natural law
There are three theories of state occurrence,
natural law theory, divinity theory and treaty
theory.

1. The theory of natural law is the initial theory

about the formation of a country. According to
this theory, the creation of a state is a natural
thing. Everything happens according to natural
law, as well as the state. The theory of the
formation of this country is also based on the
tendency of humans to always be social, get
together and be interconnected to achieve
their daily needs.
 THEORIES OF STATE OCCURRENCE: theory of social contract
3. This theory is a form of resistance to the power of the king or the ruler who
considers to have absolute power due to belief as incarnation of God. This theory
existed in the age of the Enlightenment and was pioneered by experts. Based on this
theory, the state exists solely as a result of human agreements. According to this
theory, the state is a form of community agreement before becoming a state and then
becoming a state society.
 THEORIES OF STATE OCCURRENCE: the divine theory

2. This theory is a theory that existed when the major religions had spread to this world, for example Islam and
Christianity. This theory, as the name implies is certainly influenced by religious understanding. And based on that, the
divine theory of the formation of the state is based on the assumption that the state was formed on the basis of God's
will. Based on the belief that everything starts with God and goes according to his will. This understanding and theory
were put forward by these experts. This understanding, in accordance with its provisions, God created the country so
that the state is considered the incarnation of God's power. This resulted in the understanding that the king or the ruler
was God's choice to rule so that the king had absolute power in a country or kingdom, for example only Great Britain
at the time of the kingdom.
 CONCLUSION
1. A nation is "a daily referendum", and that nations are based as much on what the people jointly forget as on
what they remember. It is also defined as “a community of individuals who are linked socially and economically,
share a given territory and recognize the existence of a common past.
2. Youth or the younger generation are concepts that are always associated with values. “Young people”: age limit
of 10-24 years, while aged 10-19 are called “adolescents” The International Youth Year which was held in 1985,
defines the population aged 15-24 years as a youth group.
3. Politic Ethics is a thought pioneered by Pieter Brooshooft and C.Th. van Deventer who stated that the colonial
government held moral responsibility for the welfare of the natives and was a criticism of the politics of forced
cultivation. The Trias van Deventer: Transmigration, Irigation and Education. As the legacy of “aufklarung”,
Indonesian elite groups such as Soekarno, Hatta, Tan Malaka, Agus Salim, Ki Hajar Dewantara had the
opportunity to receive modern education. In Germany the Aufklärung found its highest expression in a science of
government.
4. The oldest countries in the world based on the sovereignty acquired are: Iran, Egypt, Vietnam, Armenia, North
Korea and the youngest countries are South Sudan, Kosovo, Montenegro, Serbia, East Timor.
5. Ben Anderson’s book “Imagined Community depicts a nation as a socially constructed community, imagined by
the people who perceive themselves as part of that group. It is imagined because the members of even the
smallest nation will never know most of their fellow-members, meet them, or even hear of them, yet in the minds
of each lives the image of their communion. The creation of imagined communities became possible because of
"print capitalism".
6. There are several theories of state occurrence, natural law theory, divinity theory and theory of social contract
 FURTHER REFERENCES:
Jurnal DEBAT Edisi Pertama, Agustus 2009. Peran Politik Pemuda: Dinamika Pergerakan Pemuda Sejak Sumpah
Pemuda 1928 Sampai Kini .

Suzanne Naafs and Ben White, Generasi Antara:Refleksi tentang Studi Pemuda Indonesia. (Jurnal Studi Pemuda VOL
1 NO 2 September 2012),

https://www.zmescience.com/science/how-many-countries-are-there-in-the-world-043242/

https://dunia.pendidikan.co.id/cerita-van-deventer/

Renan, Ernest. 1882 "Qu'est-ce qu'une nation?", conference faite en Sorbonne, le 11 Mars 1882]

https://www.thefreedictionary.com/one-nation

Guimarães, Samuel Pinheiro. 2008 Nation, Nationalism, State. See: Estud. av. vol.22 no.62 São Paulo Jan./Apr. 2008

http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?pid=S0103-40142008000100010&script=sci_arttext&tlng=en

Rosenberg, Matt. Country, State, and Nation: Defining an Independent Country. About.com Guide.
www.fortbendisd.com › cms › lib › Centricity

Anderson, Benedict O’ Gorman. 2000. Imagined Communities - Komunitas-Komunitas Terbayang. Jogjakarta: Pustaka
1. Pelajar – Insist

https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803095958187