What Youth Means to Me

Youth was the pioneer in all things. The various of changes that occurred in any nation, youth was its driving. Behind every social transformation, the main motor is youth. Like the sun, then the young people are like a ray of sunshine in the middle of the day and scorching heat that seared. Variety of talents, potential, tendency, both lead to good or evil has the same strong encouragement when the youth. So that, the failures and the successes of people, the maturity of the human personality is determined by parent’s education at his youth. The youth is considered as the next generation that will lead the long journey of the nation.

The youth of Indonesia with nationalism is expected to be able to bring this nation to its golden age and make this nation as the big and rich country. And history has proved that the youth are the icons of the change of nation. The role of youth in the history of the nation of Indonesia has produced a national movements which bear on the independence of Indonesia. National movement is an attempt at providing awareness of the Indonesian people to the reality of the oppression and the injustices of the colonial Government of the Netherlands. Through this youth a Indonesia nation was able to birth, rise, stand and walk into a sovereign nation, with various barriers and obstacles that it faces.

Now, the youth population of Indonesia reached 64 million people (based on population census of 2010). This figure is equivalent to 15 times the population of Singapore. If this large population could be used to its full potential.  And it is not impossible that a lot of Indonesian youth will could show off to the global level. The youth have a very important role in supporting the advancement of nation. However, with the big energy, talent, and creativity that they have, youth very likely to become an agent of change for the country. Even, many of Indonesian youth who have been successful  with their achievement in the many of championships in the world.

According to the University of Indonesia social observer Devie Rachmawati, a large population of youth could be a blessing in the demographic and we deserve to be grateful for it. Because in several countries of Europe and Japan, a number of youth have decreased productivity because the large number of old people. "However, a large number of these can be a disaster if the quality of the youth demographic Indonesia less promising," explained Devie, she also suggested that the government have to make a grand design about the direction of future development. Because, for youth as part of potential development needs to be empowered to be able to progress in advancing nation, and they are ready to face global challenges.