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…
Indonesian Ambassador to Kenya, Witjaksono Adji, has shared insights from Indonesia's journey towards national unity, offering valuable lessons for Kenya and other African nations. Speaking at the embassy's flag-raising ceremony marking Indonesia's 81st Independence Day, Adji emphasized that the country's greatest achievement lies not just in its economic progress but in its ability to maintain unity among a diverse population.
Adji pointed out that Indonesia's national identity was rooted much earlier, with young people from different ethnic and linguistic backgrounds coming together in 1928 to pledge allegiance to one nation. The key decision in their nation-building process was the adoption of Bahasa Indonesia as the national language, a smaller language spoken widely across the archipelago. This decision helped avoid competition among dominant ethnic groups and provided a common means of communication, fostering unity.
Adji noted that Indonesia's approach allowed locals to retain their ethnic identities and local languages while maintaining a stronger national identity. He highlighted the importance of Pancasila, Indonesia's five foundational principles, which provide a common framework for citizens with diverse religious and cultural backgrounds.
For African countries, Adji cautioned against exploiting ethnic and religious differences for political gain, as it could undermine national cohesion. He stressed that diversity does not inherently lead to conflict, but it requires strong institutions, shared values, and a unifying national identity to prevent differences from becoming political fault lines.
Kenya, where ethnicity has played a significant role in politics, could draw lessons from Indonesia's experience without adopting its model entirely. The ambassador suggested that the focus should be on identifying shared values and goals rather than concentrating solely on differences, allowing communities to maintain their local affiliations while identifying first as citizens of their respective nations.
Written by urgent.news from Capital FM Kenya's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
