‘Unity through Diversity’, a Path to the Modern Era

17,508 islands widely scattered 2,000km from south to north and 5,000km from east to west, and between Indian and Pacific Oceans centered on the equator

 

Around 300 races with about 300 million people, including Jawa, Sunda, Batak, Aceh, Dayak, Toraja, Bugis and Bali

 

Approximately 200 local languages, and different customs and religions

      

Indonesia is a huge melting pot. Nature in Indonesia has all ‘beauty and ugliness’ untouched the god can create, such as dry and rainy seasons, hot sunlight and a cool breeze, high rainfall and fertile soil, jungle and swamps, rivers and oceans, and volcanoes and clouds. Indonesians living in under different appearances, languages, customs, religions, and regions keep all ‘good and evil’ in the world together. Indonesia is a country whose history is being made by nature and human being together, which is difficult to be found in any other nations in the world.

 

Being freed from around 350-year colonial period, Indonesia is taking a step toward ‘the modern era’. Its first step is integration of the nation, and ‘unity through diversity’ is an ideology for the integration. ‘Pancasila’ clearly shows Indonesian’s wills about the end of colonial days, transformation to a modern nation, and social development. Even though Pancasila is from nationalism, it is certain that it is a valuable spirit for integration and modernization in Indonesia.

<Pancasila located in Karangtalun village, Yokyakarta>

 

All men have freedom of religion.

The dignity of all men should be preserved.

Indonesia is a unified nation.

Human rights and democracy should be practiced.

Social justice should be realized.

 

To understand the present-day Indonesia which past, present and future of human history coexist in and is ready to make new history for ‘a modern era’, we should first know their spirits and culture pursuing ‘unity through diversity’.

      

From the Center for Korean Studies of UGM, Yogyakarta, Indonesia