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Denpasar youths demand more space, involvement in policy-making process
Luh De Suriyani , Contributor , Denpasar | Tue, 09/16/2008 10:27 AM | Bali
Local Denpasar youths on Saturday demanded more space to express themselves during commemorations for International Youth Day, held at Puputan Badung Square.
"Why is it difficult to involve youths in the policy-making process?" Vivi, a student of state-run SMAN 2 senior high school, asked the public gathering that was attended by hundreds of teenagers and their parents.
"Why don't they just ask the youths, who are interested in the policy being discussed, to participate in the process?"
Also in attendance was Tia Kusuma Wardani, head of the Bali Education Agency.
"The opportunity is actually quite open for youths, especially because each policy must be presented to the public for familiarization and consultation before being officially implemented," she said.
It is during such consultation processes that youths, as members of the public, can express their opinions on the policy, she added.
Dubbed Kisaravaganza, Saturday's gathering was organized by Kisara (We Love Teenagers), a leading youth organization on the island.
The organization hosts activities aimed at educating and empowering teenagers on various critical issues, particularly healthcare and education.
In addition to the talk show, the commemorations also included a concert, street dance performances and a clinic offering advice and counseling for troubled youths.
"Teenagers are not cute teddy bears. They are human beings who need self-actualization and appreciation," Kisara coordinator I Nyoman Sutarsa said.
"We need to provide them with space to express themselves in positive ways more freely," he added, saying such a space was still very limited in Bali.
Sutarsa also said the lack of expression outlets often led many teenagers to suffer from depression and acute reproductive health problems.
"Almost every day we receive calls from troubled teenagers in need of advice or counseling," he said.
Kisara runs a free consultation clinic serving teenagers, and also provides a telephone hotline service.
The increasing number of troubled teenagers was one of the primary reasons behind the establishment of the clinic, located in Kisara's office compound on Jl. Gatot Subroto.
A provisional clinic was also set up at the gathering in Puputan Badung Square.
Comprising a wooden table inside a small tent, it was manned by Kisara activist Ikha Widari.
"Teenagers can ask any question here, from the most serious to the lightest one, such as how to deal with acne," Sutarsa said.
However, only a handful of teens actually consulted with Ikha on this occasion.
"That is one of our biggest problems, to make teenagers open up to us," Ikha said.
"We are still trying to convince a large number of them to trust their fellow teenagers running the clinic."
The clinic estimates that between 650,000 to 800,000 of the island's total population of 3.4 millions are teenagers.
A need-assessment survey conducted by Kisara in April showed that teenagers on the island lacked a wide range of healthcare services, including those related to HIV/AIDS, reproductive health and unwanted pregnancies.
