W

ith problems as varied as rampant corruption, environmental degradation and a lack of athletic achievement, there seems to be few reasons for Indonesia’s youth to be proud of their country.

With the exception of elementary school students who are required to wear red and white uniforms and salute the national flag, few Indonesians wear their country’s colors.

Despite this pessimistic outlook, some Indonesian youths have a surprisingly deep affection for their country, and are finding new ways to show their love of their homeland.

This new wave of nationalism has been pioneered by a new generation of young trend setters.

Model and television presenter Daniel Mananta is a fine example.

Seven years ago, Daniel might have been considered a mouthpiece of Western culture, thanks to his stint on MTV, one of the greatest symbols of American culture.

Daniel was savvy enough to capitalize on his position and build a legion of fans. Freed from MTV in 2008, Daniel started his own clothing line demonstrating his love of Indonesia.

Daniel wears his love for Indonesia on his sleeve, and even named his clothing line “DAMN! I Love Indonesia.”

The brand features authentic Indonesian clothing and accessories inspired by batik designs, traditional wayang shadow puppets and images of Indonesia’s national heroes.

Profit may have been Daniel’s original incentive, but he was also motivated by dismay over seeing young people choosing to wear foreign brands rather than local designs. People sharing Daniel’s opinions were annoyed when the Malaysian tourism board broadcast batik and other Indonesian art in its tourism promotion.

“Some people think Indonesian designs are not cool. I disagree, and that is why I started my clothing line,” Daniel says on his website.

Fashion may take a while to catch on, while other nationalist movements resort to more effective means of spreading the love of Indonesia.

With its hit single Bendera, rock band Cokelat was perhaps the first musical outfit to rework some of Indonesia’s most patriotic songs, turning them into radio hits and selling thousands of records while doing so.

Another song from rock band Netral, Garuda di Dadaku (Garuda on my chest) — first featured in a movie with the same title — is now an anthem for local soccer fans.

Singer Maia Estianty from pop duo Ratu is another performer who followed in the footsteps of Cokelat. Maia’s song Sang Juara — which was inspired by a tedious game between Indonesia’s top basketball clubs — is now adopted in most
arenas as the opening song for sporting competitions, similar to the tradition of playing Queen’s We Are the Champions after a team wins a tournament.

Performers may be content with reworking old nationalist themes, but some young artists have begun trying to redefine the meaning of nationalism for the 21st century.

Rapper and radio talk show host Pandji Pragiwaksono Wongsoyudo was forced to redefine his love for Indonesia through difficult circumstances.

Against the backdrop of terrorist attacks that rocked Indonesia in the past few years, Pandji learned that the best way to express love for his homeland was by guarding against groups with ill intentions.

Pandji set up a discussion group on Twitter to denounce terrorism after two American hotels were bombed in Jakarta. He called for national unity to confront terrorist attacks.

Pandji has described his version of nationalism on his blog, www.pandji.com, written in both Indonesian and English, even though he has been criticized for using English in the blog.

So, how does Pandji define nationalism?

“We no longer display our sense of nationalism by carrying sharp-pointed bamboo spears like the patriots did during the Indonesian struggle for independence. Instead we can show similar spirit through things we wear, everyday, even if its only a T-shirt. Nationalism comes from love. If you love something, you will defend it,” Pandji told The Jakarta Post.

As a child, Pandji wondered why his mother always cleaned the house instead of asking a maid to do it. But now that he owns a house, he cleans it regularly, Pandji said.

“I realize that I clean the house because I feel like I own it. That’s what all Indonesians should do. We should feel that we own this country and motivate ourselves to make it better. We don’t have to wait for the government or politicians to do that for us,” said Pandji, who now runs a “nationalism” cottage industry.

Pandji has released two albums and several books using nationalism as a primary theme.

Like so many of his peers, Pandji has discarded older xenophobic interpretations of nationalism.

I am never afraid of the influences of foreign cultures, he said.

Referring to national hero Mohammad Hatta, who experienced his political awakening while studying in the Netherlands, some of Indonesia’s most revered heroes nurtured their conceptions of nationalism though foreign exposure, Pandji said.

It doesn’t necessarily take an adult to demonstrate nationalism. Nineteen-year-old Alanda Kariza, a Binus International University student, is proof that that there are young people with strong nationalist sentiments. Alanda founded The Cure for Tomorrow organization, which focuses on youth empowerment.

Alanda, who is also concerned with the unrealized potential of Indonesia’s youth, organized the Indonesian Youth Conference last month, hoping it could be a channel for young people to voice their aspirations.

“Perhaps there are young people who don’t feel nationalist pride, but I believe there are also young people with sincere nationalist spirit. The media should encourage these individuals to inspire apathetic youths to make positive changes,” Alanda said.

Schoolteachers should refocus their instruction on civics, making it more interesting, especially considering that many young people find civics and history two of the least important subjects, Alanda said.

Alanda said she believed the use of the flag and national songs was still relevant, since both were part of Indonesia’s national identity. Alanda expressed regret that some people seldom use their national songs, other than during Independence Day celebrations.

“To show nationalism, the young generation should do its best in school and college, as well as outside their educational environment. It’s simple, easy and useful for them, and its good for the whole nation,” she said.