Pontianak, Aug 13 (Antaranews Kalbar) - The youth, the nation`s next generation, should be offered the widest opportunities, with full responsibility to participate in government issues and programs, head of the National Demography and Family Planning Agency (BKKBN) office in West Kalimantan Province, Kusmana stated.
"The opportunities to interact in the social environment of the community should be created without intimidation. This is very important because if you talk about adolescents, it means speaking about the future of the nation, as teenagers are an asset to build an advanced nation and resilience," Kusmana noted in Sungai Raya, Monday.
He explained that it is not an exaggeration to say that one of the determinants in the progress in development is inseparable from the role of teenagers.
He remarked that teenagers are not only the agents but also the leaders of change. Teenagers are not only limited to honing and voicing concepts of sharp, creative, innovative, intelligent, and integrity thoughts, as well as reactionary concepts of change, but also able to design strategic plans that are more directed, able to follow up, and be able to lead these changes in a better direction.
"On August 12, 2018, we just commemorated the 20th International Youth Day. This anniversary was first initiated by the United Nations in 1998, with the basic idea to share information and education related to the world of youth together - the same all over the world," he noted.
In 2018, he stated that International Youth Day is themed "Safe Spaces for Youth." This theme emphasizes that currently, teenagers need a safe space for them to interact, engage in activities related to their various needs and interests, participate in the decision-making process and express themselves freely, which guarantees the dignity and safety of adolescents.
Furthermore, based on the population projection results in 2035, the number of adolescents aged 10-24 years is some 67 million. However, the number of adolescents in West Kalimantan is some 26 percent of its total population, or approximately 1.3 million adolescents.
Taking into account the large number, adolescents, as the nation`s next generation, need to be prepared to be healthy people physically, spiritually, mentally, and spiritually. In fact, various studies indicate that adolescents experience complex problems along with the transitional period experienced by adolescents.
"The prominent issue faced by adolescents is the problems surrounding the low level of knowledge among adolescents about adolescent reproductive health, and the median age of a female`s first marriage is still relatively low at 20.1 (2012 IDHS)," he noted.
He believes that in fact, young people can understand the nature. Population is the center of development, so we can press that the population growth rate, or TFR, will be smaller than the current number.
Hence, he noted that the views and outlook of youngsters towards population control are important. Indonesian teenagers today belong to the millennial generation that lives in an open age, which is free to express and is abreast of a variety of information, which of course, will give rise to various problems.
"The current challenges are quite huge for the younger generation, and technological developments and freedom must be addressed wisely. Hence, do not dissolve, as life is a choice, and choice is planning," he stated.
Kusmana stated that if Indonesian teenagers become a planned generation, then they will be able to become strong and ready to face the future in a planned manner.
"Through the GenRe program, teenagers are increasingly aware of the Adolescent Reproductive Health, Life Skills, Preparing Family Life, and Population and Family Development," he remarked.
The GenRe Program is implemented through the development of Adolescent Information and Counseling Centers with approaches from, by, and for adolescents according to the tendency of teenagers, who prefer to discuss their problems with peers," he added.
(E002/INE)
Reported by Rendra Oxtora
