LOVING INDONESIA

By Nada Febrisa Salsabila

20

Assalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh.

The honorable judges, teachers and all of my friends, good morning. How is life? I
really hope you are all fine.
My name is Nada Febrisa Salsabila and I would like to deliver a speech about
LOVING INDONESIA.
Are you ready? Okay, listen to me please!
This is me, standing here in front of you all, I’m an Indonesian, you are Indonesian,
we are all Indonesian. We should have nationalism. As said by Thoughtco.com
Nationalism is an ideology expressed by people who fervently believe that their nation is
superior to all others.
But what a shame?
Most Indonesian do not have self-confidence to be an Indonesian, most of us do not
love Indonesia. Do you know why I say that?
My dear judges, teachers and friends,
Sometimes, we like watching Korean dramas better than Indonesian dramas or
traditional dances. We prefer wearing Uniqlo or Zara brand clothes to Indonesian ones.
We like eating Kentucky Fried Chicken or Pizza Hut better than Indonesian food like
Padangnese food or Gethuk. We feel prouder if we can travel to Singapore or Dubai than
to domestic destinations.
Now, I would like to ask all of you. Do you think we still have nationalism if we do
those habits? Or do you think we have lost it? Do we really love our beloved Indonesia?
Do we still have a strong feeling of oneness as a nation?
My dear judges, teachers and friends,
As the saying says, if you don't know, you don't love. So, what can we do to love our
own country, Indonesia?
Some simple ways that we can do to arouse a sense of nationalism are:
1. Recognize the diversity of Indonesian culture and appreciate them.
By knowing various traditional dances, songs, musical instruments, foods, and houses
we will be proud of them. We will believe that Indonesia is really rich in cultural
heritage and has mesmerizing diversity. We must appreciate them to create harmony
in diversity.
2. Use domestic products
We can show our love to Indonesia by using domestically made products, because in
fact, the prices of most local products are relatively cheaper, and the quality can also
compete with the imported products.
3. Proud to use Indonesian language
Using the Indonesian language means having a high spirit of nationalism because
Indonesian language is our national identity. It is a must to learn foreign languages but
we also have to be proud to use Indonesian language to arouse a sense of
nationalism.
4. Make the habit of singing the national anthem and national song.
At a flag ceremony every Monday, for example, students always sing the national
anthem Indonesia Raya while giving salute to the Merah Putih flag. In Yogyakarta, for
example, there is an obligation for all public spaces to play the national anthem
Indonesia Raya every day at 10.00 a.m.
OK my dear judges, teachers and friends, that’s all my words.
Let’s promise that we should show our love for our country Indonesia through our
actions.
We should recognize the diversity of Indonesian culture, use domestic products, use
Indonesian Language and sing national songs. We should be proud to be Indonesian.
I do hope you should always stand up, keep your head up and proudly say to the
world, “We are Indonesian, we love Indonesia. We will make our country proud of us.”
Thanks for your kind attention. I am sorry for having many mistakes.
Good morning, Wassalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh.