Antara, Jakarta – Jakarta Metropolitan Police held the 2026 Indonesian Student Youth Pledge Declaration with university students and community leaders at the Hotel Indonesia (HI) Roundabout in Central Jakarta on Thursday, October 29.
Presidential Special Envoy for Youth Development and Arts Workers Raffi Ahmad praised the enthusiasm of young people attending the event, while urging them to confront modern challenges, including misinformation and online hate speech.
"In the past, perhaps we fought with bamboo spears. Today, we fight hoaxes on social media, hate speech and provocation. Young people must not allow themselves to be divided," Raffi said, as quoted by ANTARA.
The event marked the 98th anniversary of Youth Pledge Day and carried the theme "Patriotic, Resilient, Empathetic: Youth for Indonesia." Around 100 students participated.
Jakarta Metropolitan Police Public Relations Chief Budi Hermanto said the event was more than an annual ceremony, serving as an opportunity to strengthen ties among students, the public and security personnel.
"We hope this event will not be merely a ceremonial declaration, but an opportunity to unite. Young people have an important role in building positive initiatives and contributing to Indonesia's progress," Budi said.
Central Jakarta Police Chief Reynold E.P. Hutagalung also urged students to put the declaration's principles into practice in their daily lives, rather than allowing the pledge to remain a verbal commitment.
"May the declaration not simply be spoken, but become something deeply rooted in our hearts," Reynold said.
The event began with the national anthem, Indonesia Raya, followed by a prayer for the country.
The main event featured student representatives reading a declaration pledging to uphold solidarity, respect differences and prioritize open dialogue in maintaining national unity.
Representatives of the Indonesian military and police, youth organizations, community groups and other members of the public also attended the gathering.
Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/2122599/jakarta-police-students-mark-youth-pledge-day-at-hi-roundabou