"The Youth Pledge actually brings in positive energy that help to surmount over rivalries and differences. It does not have to make us forget about common problems, interests, and goals," Jokowi stated on the YouTube page of the Presidential Secretariat, Wednesday.
"We can solve everything by standing united and working together," Jokowi affirmed while delivering his remarks at the 92nd anniversary of Youth Pledge Day commemorated by the Ministry of Youth and Sports.
President Jokowi firmly believes that standing united and working together are the cornerstones to realizing an advanced Indonesia.
"We must continue to make efforts to maintain unity. It is not enough to just be part of Indonesia's territory. We must work together to care for Indonesia," he emphasized.
The head of state called on Indonesians to uphold the spirit of solidarity and a sense of brotherhood.
"We must help one another in the spirit of solidarity. There is no Java, no Sumatra, no Sulawesi, or no Papua; there are only fellow countrymen," he reiterated.
"We must continue to strive for upholding unity by respecting differences, maintaining tolerance, and continuing to maintain the integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Indonesia," Jokowi emphasized.
"The spirit of the Youth Pledge must stay alive," he stated.
Some 92 years ago, the Youth Pledge had united young men from all across the archipelago to set aside differences in ethnicity, religion, and regional languages to swear to become one Indonesia, one homeland, one nation, and one language. Hence, unity is currently also needed to build a just and equitable Indonesia.
The young men voiced the Youth Pledge in Batavia, now Jakarta, on October 28, 1928, to affirm unity to fight against colonialism.
"To realize one Indonesia, we must also work together to build Indonesia fairly and equitably by bringing about development from the periphery, villages, and frontier islands to the border regions," he remarked.
The government has built several infrastructure for better connectivity among regions and islands to unite Indonesia. The government has also built the 30th TVRI station in West Papua.
The station, to serve the people of Papua, will offer a plethora of quality information, so that Papuans get the same access to information as their counterparts in other parts of Indonesia.
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Translator: Desca LN, Fardah
Editor: Sri Haryati
Copyright © ANTARA 2020
