Mental Revolution Can Start by Understanding Indonesia's Maritime History: Minister
Jakarta. Indonesians need to dig deeper into their maritime history to determine what is required for the country to become a global maritime power once more, Coordinating for Human Development and Cultural Affairs Minister Puan Maharani said in her speech at the National History Conference in Jakarta on Monday (07/11).
The theme for this year's conference is "Maritime Culture and the Nation's Dynamics in a Historical Perspective."
Puan said a lack of awareness of Indonesian history, particularly its maritime history, has led to "fading nationalism" among Indonesians and a growing ignorance of the country's developmental achievements.
She said the conference was the perfect opportunity to remind Indonesians of the desperate need for President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's much-vaunted Mental Revolution, which can be achieved by implementing lessons learned from the nation's long history as a regional power.
"History should play a greater role in our lives. It should not be just something we talk about. Its lessons should be reflected in people's behavior," Puan said.
She added that people should delve into history to take lessons from their past actions so they can improve their decision-making.
The minister said an understanding of history will help Indonesia reach its goal of becoming the prosperous maritime nation it once was.
In her speech, Puan spoke in detail of Indonesia's glory days as a maritime power when it was known as the Sriwijaya Kingdom and later, the Majapahit Empire.
She also cited former President Sukarno's fiery speech during the first National Maritime Conference in 1963, when he exhorted his fellow citizens to relive the days when Indonesia was a powerful maritime nation.
"We need to respond to a call like that with real actions, if we want to support the government's program to turn Indonesia into a global maritime axis," Puan said.
Tags: Keywords: