Indonesia is a young nation. Proclaimed its freedom from colonial rule in 1945 and obtained all territories now called Indonesian State in 1962, we are indeed a young nation in the history of modern world. In addition to that, the population is predominantly young individuals. Those age 60 years and over constitute less than 15% of the whole population which was estimated in July 2005 totaling 241,873,879 individuals. Among those, 79.2 million were children aged 18 years old and younger. Consequently, any visitors to Indonesia will observe that children are visible parts of any urban or rural communities. Our streets and alleys are noisy with their giggles and roars. After school hours, any open spaces in the city or villages will be used by boys or girls for playing kites, soccer, skipping, hopscotch, war games, marble game, or just chatting and running around. When the sun set, their voices will be heard chanting the Koran through loudspeakers from the mosques. On Sunday morning, many children in eastern part of the country woke up early and together with their families and friends they sing while walking to a nearby church. In other parts of the country, rivers, paddy fields, and the sea are their playgrounds.
This paper provides a humble description of major issues currently confronting Indonesian children. When available, information on cultural diversities will be provided. Otherwise, readers who are interested in further or more detailed description of the cultural aspects of our children lives, should consult their librarians or specialists. |