Pancasila

in English
Introduction*
• Pancasila is Indonesia’s official state philosophy, consisting of five principles. Pancasila is a Sanskrit expression meaning “five pillars.” These five foundational
principles are as follows:

1. Belief in the one and only God.

2. A just and civilized humanity.
3. The unity of Indonesia.
4. Democracy, led by the wisdom of the representatives of the people.
5. Social justice for all Indonesian people.

• Pancasila was first presented to the public in Sukarno’s speech to the Preparatory Committee for Indonesia’s Independence (PPKI), formed by Japanese colonialists,
on June 1, 1945. It was then ratified as Indonesian state philosophy on August 18, 1945, a day after Indonesia declared independence, and forms part of the 1945
Constitution.

• Pancasila is important for Indonesia, as it unites all religions, races, ethnicities, and culture through its overarching principles. The effort to embrace diversity is
apparent in the history of the creation of Pancasila, when the founding fathers agreed to remove any statement referring to a particular religion, and replace it with
a more universal value. Initially, the first principle was “Belief in God with the obligation to carry out Islamic law for its adherents, ” but this version was changed to
its current form in August 1945.

* quoted from Ruderman Family Foundation