UNAIR NEWS- The Faculty of Humanities (FIB) Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR) held a webinar entitled Bincang Merdeka titled ‘Indonesia Tangguh, Indonesia Tumbuh’ on Tuesday, August 3, 2021. Prof. Dr. Purnawan Basundoro, M. Hum., the dean of FIB UNAIR, was the speaker. In his presentation, Prof. Purnawan revealed six principles to become a strong nation, especially during this Covid-19 pandemic.
Unity and togetherness
Prof. Purnawan said that so far, we have always been united. But now, the meaning of togetherness needs to be redefined to the pandemic situation we are currently facing.
“This sense of togetherness can be a boomerang for us, with the current pandemic. The case of the outbreak and the second wave of Covid-19 is due to our unawareness that togetherness (social gatherings, ed) has become one of the media for spreading the virus (Covid-19, ed). Therefore, we must interpret this togetherness as a joint effort to overcome the Covid-19 pandemic,” explained Prof. Purnawan.
Mutual cooperation (Gotong royong)
The lecturer, an expert on cultural heritage sites, said that this nation has an extraordinary principle of gotong royong. In fact, according to him, gotong royong is the core of how we conduct the way of state and nation in Indonesian society.
“Gotong royong in itself is the implementation of togetherness, which can solve everything. The principle is that ‘berat sama dipikul, ringan sama dijinjing’ (many hands make light work). This principle makes heavy work possible so that it can be implemented in the current situation,” said Prof. Purnawan.
Great confidence
According to Prof. Purnawan, Indonesians have great self-confidence, but that confidence must be well organized so that it does not go the wrong way.
“The example of the wrong way in self-confidence include when people confidently say ‘I’m healthy and I will leave the house without wearing a mask,’ A lot of people think that way. It is ridiculous. True self-confidence, for example, believing that vaccines are an effective way to prevent the spread of Covid,” explained Prof. Purnawan.
Tolerance
The capacity to endure hardships possessed by Indonesians, explained by Prof. Purnawan, can be a guide to deal with the current situation (pandemic period, ed).
“Imagine, the people have been stuck in lockdown for many times, and many people have been affected. But they still deal with the situation normally. Our ability to endure suffering is one of the good traits in dealing with various stressful situations,” explained Prof. Purnawan.
Make efforts
One part of an effort is innovation. Prof. Purnawan said that innovation must be managed so that it is standardized and useful for the community
“The Indonesians have carried out various innovations. For example, the ‘Merah Putih’ vaccine developed by UNAIR, or innovation amid oxygen scarcity. This simple innovation or effort can help many people,” said Prof. Purnawan.
Thoughtfulness
As explained by Prof. Purnawan, thoughtfulness is related to the ability to respect others. He then mentioned that the Indonesians consider the needs of other people. “For example, people infected by Covid-19 will feel comfortable because they are helped and not banished by their neighbors,” said Prof. Purnawan.
According to him, thoughtfulness teaches us to be a tough and strong nation. All those various potentials then need to be managed systematically and well structured to the lowest level.
“These resilience principles must also be based on reliable information and data, and the key is literacy. If all these are put together, Insha Allah, our nation will be tough, grow, be great, and strong,” concluded Prof. Purnawan
Author: Fauzia Gadis Widyanti
Editor: Khefti Al Mawalia (AC/AP)
