Fostering National Values: Lemhannas RI Governor Visits West Sumatra to Engage the Younger Generation

"We need to continuously strengthen national values among the youth because it is upon this younger generation that the fate of our nation will be determined," the Governor of Lemhannas RI, Dr. H. TB. Ace Hasan Syadzily, M.Si. said during the Lemhannas Goes to Campus event at Universitas Andalas on Thursday (September 3). On this occasion, the Governor gave a lecture themed "Youth as the Unifying Force: Tackling National Challenges."

Furthermore, the Governor emphasized that national values are part of a moral calling that must grow within every young person. National values must be deeply instilled to ensure the nation can navigate its challenges successfully. Instilling these national values requires strong commitment so the younger generation will always do their best for the nation.

In this regard, the Lemhannas RI Governor stated that universities are not only places to produce thinkers, but they must also drive geopolitical literacy for the younger generation. "Students, as the younger generation, must not only possess intellectual and spiritual intelligence, but they must also have global insight without losing their national identity," he said.

According to the Lemhannas RI Governor, students must understand geopolitics so they can place the nation in a strategic position and tangibly manifest nationalism. "Strengthening our nationalism is essential. As global borders blur, our shared conviction in our Indonesian identity remains our strongest anchor," he stated. Therefore, the younger generation must continuously strengthen their national identity so they do not lose the nation's true self. "A nation that loses its identity will easily lose its direction," the Lemhannas RI Governor pointed out.

Highlighting current conditions, the Lemhannas RI Governor invited the younger generation to think critically, build strong character, uphold high integrity, and cultivate geopolitical awareness and national insight to face the nation's challenges. In this context, critical thinking does not merely mean protesting, but consistently engaging in mental dialectics and questioning matters of principle.

Furthermore, the younger generation must have strong character and high integrity because while knowledge can be acquired from many sources, character is not easily formed. Additionally, the youth are expected to have geopolitical awareness and national insight because the country faces global competition in which each nation prioritizes its own interests.

"The younger generation must possess strong character and not be easily shaken by changing times," the Lemhannas RI Governor said, concluding his presentation. (NA/CHP/DA)