By: Nadia Prameswari *)
The 2025 Youth Pledge Day reflects the continuing relevance of the spirit of collaboration and social awareness that united the nation. The government emphasizes that youth play a crucial role not only in maintaining national spirit but also in ensuring effective, transparent, and pro-people social policies. Through the involvement of youth organizations (OKP) in the oversight and implementation of social assistance programs, the government strives to build a participatory and equitable social system.
The Ministry of Social Affairs (Kemensos) is at the forefront of this initiative. Deputy Minister of Social Affairs Agus Jabo Priyono stated that strengthening oversight of national priority programs can now be done through collaboration with youth organizations. He invited various youth organizations to participate in the field to oversee President Prabowo Subianto’s three major agendas: the Digitalization of the National Social and Economic Single Data (DTSEN), People’s Schools (SR), and Targeted Social Assistance. He stated that this nation will progress if its people are independent, empowered, and have a strong social conscience.
In a meeting with several youth organizations at the Ministry of Social Affairs, Agus Jabo emphasized that synergy between the government and youth must be a shared strength to ensure that every social policy truly reaches those in need. The meeting was attended by representatives of the Islamic Youth Movement (GPI), the Indonesian Muslim Student Action Union (Kammi), the Indonesian Muslim Student Union (Semmi), the Indonesian Islamic Students (PII), and the National Student League for Democracy (LMND). They expressed their views, criticisms, and commitments to overseeing the government’s social policies.
Agus Jabo explained that the National Social Security System (DTSEN) is the main foundation for ensuring that social assistance is distributed effectively and efficiently. Valid data is key to ensuring that social policies are no longer based on estimates but on the real needs of the community. He also emphasized the importance of the People’s School as an educational program based on nationalism and social values. The President, he said, wants the People’s School to be an instrument for breaking the cycle of poverty by developing an educated and character-based generation. In his explanation, Agus alluded to Prince Diponegoro’s spirit of struggle, which was based on moral values, nationalism, and a commitment to the people, as the inspiration for the educational program.
Input from youth organizations (OKP) adds a new dimension to the implementation of social policy. The Indonesian Young People’s Movement (GPI) views the People’s School as a strategic future project that must be jointly overseen by youth and the Ministry of Social Affairs. Kammi emphasized the need for concrete synergy between the Red and White Village Cooperative program and regional youth movements. Semmi reminded that attention to vulnerable groups, including the elderly, must be strengthened through community-based education, such as the idea of elderly Islamic boarding schools. The Indonesian Islamic Student Association (PII) encouraged expanding access to People’s Schools to reach students in underdeveloped areas. Meanwhile, the Indonesian Young People’s Movement (LMND) emphasized the importance of social oversight to ensure that all government programs truly support the needs of the poor and are free from unfair bureaucratic practices.
The meeting demonstrated that the spirit of the Youth Pledge is now evident in the form of concrete collaboration between the government and the younger generation. Social assistance is no longer merely an economic instrument, but also a means to strengthen social solidarity. With the active involvement of youth, the government hopes the aid distribution process will be more transparent and accountable. Youth are expected to be more than just beneficiaries, but also active drivers on the ground, ensuring that every policy truly benefits those in need.
Meanwhile, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto explained that the additional Direct Cash Assistance (BLT) for the period of October to December 2025 is part of an effort to maintain people’s purchasing power and strengthen family economic independence. The BLT, amounting to Rp900,000 per beneficiary family, is distributed to 35 million recipients from deciles 1 to 4 in the National Single Social and Economic Data, through Himbara and PT Pos Indonesia. The government emphasized that this program is not merely consumptive assistance, but rather encourages the community, especially young families, to utilize it for productive activities such as skills training and micro-enterprises.
Social Affairs Minister Saifullah Yusuf also emphasized the importance of mentoring beneficiaries so that cash assistance can serve as initial capital for achieving economic independence. He stated that social protection is not only about distributing aid, but also about building community capacity to overcome economic dependency.
By involving youth in overseeing social programs, the government is creating a more open and participatory social protection system. This step aligns with the spirit of the Youth Pledge, which embodies the spirit of unity, responsibility, and concrete action for the nation’s progress. Youth are now part of the solution, not just bystanders. They are there to ensure that government policies favor the people, are implemented transparently, and bring tangible benefits to social welfare.
The 2025 Youth Pledge is a momentum to demonstrate that youth are not only the nation’s future but also the mainstay of current social development. With synergy between the government and the younger generation, social assistance becomes more targeted, education becomes more inclusive, and communities become more empowered. All of this demonstrates that cooperation between the state and the people, especially young people, is the best path to sustainable prosperity for all Indonesians.
*) Social Development Observer and National Youth Activist
