What Kenya can learn from Indonesia’s journey to unity
NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 18 — Indonesia’s experience of forging national unity from hundreds of ethnic groups, languages and religious communities offers lessons for Kenya and other African countries grappling with…
Indonesia's Ambassador to Kenya, Witjaksono Adji, has highlighted the country's experience in forging national unity as a valuable lesson for Kenya and other African nations facing similar challenges. Adji emphasized that Indonesia's greatest achievement since gaining independence was not merely its economic development, but its ability to maintain a diverse population united under a singular identity.
The ambassador pointed to the adoption of Bahasa Indonesia as the national language in 1928, a decision aimed at avoiding competition between dominant ethnic groups and providing a common means of communication. This move allowed Indonesians to retain their ethnic identities and local languages while placing their national identity above them.
Adji stressed that Indonesia's experience remains particularly relevant to countries where ethnicity and religion can become political motivators, and warned against exploiting these differences for political gain, as it could undermine national cohesion.
Brief written by urgent.news from Capital FM Kenya's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
