UNAIR NEWS – A great nation is the one which honors its heroes’ service, especially the one which also deems its nation’s value and reputation fought by the ancestors highly from generation to generation. Indonesia as a nation with diverse ancestral values and local wisdoms should also has character and nationalism which take roots in its people. But in reality, the generation seemed forgetting the true identity of its nation.

From that concern, five students of FISIP UNAIR initiated a program which instills character, nationalism and ethics to young generation through their Students Creativity Program (PKM).

The team lead by Awatar Wisya Fatwa and Iga Ayu, Harijanti Puspa, Amrina Rosyada, and Regita Yessy as the members, submitted their ideas in Student Creativity Program-Community Service(PKM-M) entitled “KARTIKA : Karakter, Cinta Tanah Air dan Etika”. PKMM proposal submitted in 2015 finally received funding from Dikti of Kemenristek Dikti 2016.

The Form of Activity

According to Awatar, KARTIKA is a character development activity for young generation. It is packed in a study group which targets elementary school students in Bogen, Ploso of Tambaksari, Surabaya.

KARTIKA team routinely gives various activities once a week, from an education on nationalism, study tour to moral, religious, and ethic values dissemination for young generation.

The team deliberately target elementary school students because they are already able to understand the topic presented, and then implement it in life especially in social life.

”School students as young generation of this nation should be educated on nationalistic character so that they won’t be an immoral generation and forget who they are,” he said.

Other things, the nationalism dissemination is also important in the face of globalization while ethics should be given so that they won’t be a reckless generation, as our diversity on local wisdoms in our culture deem highly good ethics,” said Awatar and Harijanti, as the coordinator.

KARTIKA activities have been implemented for ten weeks, and it succeeded  in disseminating characters, nationalism and ethics in the children. It also invited the youngsters in the area to be cadres and continued the work started by KARTIKA team.

Asked about their hopes in this activity, they agreed on one thing. “We dream Indonesian youth which become a gold generation which are able to answer all the nation’s problem also to improve Indonesia through the basics especially after this we’re having our demographic bonus.” (*)

Editor: Bambang Edy S