IO, Jakarta – Indonesia is welcoming a Golden Generation in 2045. Not without reason: in that year Indonesia will get a demographic bonus of 70% of the population entering a productive age, which is 15-45. This phenomenon requires all of us to prepare young people who are open-minded, creative, and have the competitiveness to be able to achieve the targets of the Master Plan for the Acceleration and Expansion of Indonesian Economic Development (MP3EI) into the eight major powers of the world economy in 2045.
The goal of realizing the Indonesian Golden Generation is also the mission of the Indonesia Student & Youth Forum (ISYF) which is a forum for Indonesian youth aged 15-25 years to actively participate in various programs according to their potential, hobbies, knowledge, skills, and ideals. One of ISYF’s regular annual programs is the Indonesian Student Forum (FOR) which has reached its 11th anniversary this year.
With the theme “Student Collaboration Towards a Golden Generation”, ISYF invites Indonesian students to jointly prepare for future challenges through the program at FOR 11. “We believe in the spirit of collaboration; we will be able to do great things in contributing and making a significant impact to realizing shared ideals,” said ISYF Executive Director Alghi Mustika.
FOR 11 involved 250 students at the SMA-SMK-MA level throughout Indonesia. This year FOR was attended by more than 700 registrants; 220 students were then selected from 192 schools in 29 provinces in Indonesia. Taking place from 6 to 9 November 2019, this Jakarta-based activity opens space for students to discuss issues with each other and share experiences to foster a character of leadership and integrity of Indonesian students.
FOR 11 participants have the opportunity to maintain a direct dialogue with stakeholders and national figures, and inspiring young people in Indonesia. Visiting and experiencing firsthand the facilities of government agencies, companies, the media, and so forth. “Various series of activities to support the learning and self-development of participants such as Government Visits, Media Visits, Corporate Visits, Talkshows, Dialogues, Focus Group Discussions (FGD), Cultural Festivals, Youth Talks, CEO Talks, Social Talks and Hi Alumni,” detailed Chair of the FOR 11 Committee, Huda Rabbal Alam.
FOR 11’s activities involve various government agencies, the private sector, and foundations, along with organs such as the Ministry of Education and Culture, Ministry of Health, BKKBN, DPR RI, DPD RI, Pertamina and ExxonMobil; it also incorporates activities of the Isbanban Foundation and Doctorshare.
“We would like to share experiences and views with students that access and health literacy in Indonesia which are unfortunately still uneven, especially in eastern Indonesia. We hope that the younger generation can better understand social and health problems in Indonesia, so that they can present the right solution for the nation’s problems,” said Faradila Nur’aini, a volunteer at Doctorshare.
“The most distinguishing FOR 11 feature is the FGD concept that directs participants to not only analyze problems but also get coaching to create a social project through their respective regional chapters,” Huda added.
“The reason for participating in the Indonesian Student Forum activity is to share ideas, share aspirations, especially in the field of education. Besides, I want to expand friendly relations and get to know Indonesian culture more closely,” said Aldiansa Lasido, FOR 11 participants from Gorontalo.
To become a FOR 11 participant, several stages must be passed through. At the initial stage, prospective participants are required to register through the website http://isyf. or.id. The second stage is to make essays, self-description videos, and creative videos following the issues chosen before the participants are finally announced to be selected for FOR 11.
The selection criteria include completeness of administration, understanding the issues chosen for the essay, current problem analysis, and ideas that will be carried out on these problems. Videos are judged on aspects of originality, creativity, and the correlation of videos with selected issues.
Through this series of FOR 11 activities, it is hoped that participants will not only gain new experiences that will broaden their horizons but can also contribute to the environment and the communities in the areas where they live. “It is hoped that along with the development of a broader ISYF Chapter in the territory of Indonesia, FOR 11 participants can carry out social projects in their respective regions in a more structured and planned manner,” Alghi said. (est)