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ozens of kids participating in the SabangMerauke program visited City Hall in Central Jakarta on Thursday to meet acting governor Basuki '€œAhok'€ Tjahaja Purnama.

The program is an inter-regional student exchange that aims to improve understanding of diversity, nationalism and education among children. Participating students from across the archipelago live with host parents of different ethnic, religious and educational backgrounds in the capital.

The 15 kids, who hail from 14 different provinces in the country and are of various ethnicity and religion, prepared several questions for Ahok about diversity and politics in the country.

The students, all eighth graders, sat quietly in Ahok'€™s meeting room and listened attentively to the acting governor, occasionally laughing at his remarks and taking notes.

During the meeting, Ahok, a Christian of Chinese descent, became serious when he talked about cultural and religious diversity. He reminded the kids of the country'€™s commitment to pluralism and told them not to judge anyone based on race or religion.

'€œThe young tend to be prejudiced. Maybe it is their upbringing, I don'€™t know,'€ he said.

He added that he was worried about hostility toward diversity among the youth, which he saw as a threat to the nation'€™s future.

Ahok told the kids that he was once prevented from entering a mosque in Jakarta.

'€œIsn'€™t that ridiculous? Cultural and religious diversity should not be a problem in this country. We have the Bhinneka Tunggal Ika principle, unity in diversity,'€ he said.

'€œSo, kids, if one day you'€™re old enough to vote, never give your vote to someone just because they'€™re a certain religion or race. Vote for someone because of their accomplishments and clean track record.'€

He then jokingly said one day he wanted to become president.

Program coordinator Danti Rahma Kinasih said that Ahok was an inspirational figure for the kids.

'€œHe'€™s a great example of cultural diversity. It'€™s not every day that you see someone of Chinese descent holding a top position in the government in this country,'€ the 23-year-old said.

Danti added that the purpose of the visit was to teach the kids to neither feel superior nor inferior because of their race as in the end, she said, Indonesia was one nation.

One participant, 12-year-old Yohana Gea Theresia from Palembang, South Sumatra, said she was excited to meet Ahok.

'€œIt'€™s like a dream come true for me. It doesn'€™t matter if some people judge him because of his race; he'€™s a really good public official unlike the corrupt ones that we often see in the news,'€ she said.

Another participant, 13-year-old Dipta from Bali, echoed Yohana, saying that it was the first time he had met a public figure.

'€œ[Ahok] is inspiring, and very nice and funny. [Before meeting him] I thought he was mean because I often saw him on television getting mad at people,'€ he said.

After the meeting, Ahok told reporters that he supported SabangMerauke and urged other organizations to conduct such exchange programs.

'€œKids need to learn about tolerance in this diverse country. Sometimes their upbringings teaches them the opposite,'€ he said. (dwa)