Words by Raafi Nurlistiani – Universitas Padjajaran

 Started from Historical and Contemporary Leadership values we discussed during Workshop 4 and 5 in XL Future Leaders class, we realized that understanding the value is not enough, most important is application. How we bring the value of Leadership we learn from the historical and contemporary leaders into real action really matter. Even  if it started with small and simple action, counted.

We bring it to the streets!

Embracing the spirit of National Heroes Day, we realize there are lots of challenges faced by the people in Bandung right know. A very simple example, most of the people passing through the main streets named after the national heroes from West Java Province, such as Ir. H, Djuanda, Dewi Sartika, Otto Iskandar Dinata, etc, but their awareness about the history or background why it named after them, sadly insufficient.

We came up with the idea of sharing 5 national heroes from West Java province via socmeds, they are Dewi Sartika, Moh. Toha, Ir. Djuanda, Otto Iskandardinata and R.E Martadinata. Started from the 6^th up til the 10^th of October 2015, we shared on socmeds each of the figure history and their leadership value daily that we as young generation can learn from, using hashtag #proudofINDheroes.

Online combine with offline activities would be a perfection. On Sunday, October 8^th 2015, XL Future Leaders Bandung Students joining Car Free Day Dago Bandung  bringing info graphic of those 5 national heroes and sharing it to the people to raise their awareness. The initiative got very positive responses from the people in CFD Dago. The Students managed to interact with about 200 people during the CFD. Approximately 45% of them know only the surface information about those 5 national heroes, while the rest 55% only recognize those names as our national heroes and that’s all. We hope that through this activity, people we met will started to research more about the history, take the leadership value from the story and apply it into their life.

One of the best way to learn about historical leadership value is to hear directly from the living Heroes themselves. After Car Free Day initiative, the Students visit Secretariat of Legiun Veteran Republik Indonesia (LVRI) Bandung and met three amazing Veteran representatives, H.Soedirman, Djuana, dan Nana and having conversation with them.

We were very impressed with the messages given by the Veterans. Conversation begins with a quote given by Grandpa Sudirman with quotes from JF Kennedy “Do not ask what your country can do for you, but ask what can you do for your country”. When he started to tell the story of how the struggle of him and the other friends do guerrilla in order to get our national independence, the Students were really touched. How great their services to fight for independence. As the young generation we have to learn from their history and also contribute to our nation’s development. Being proactive instead of complaining generation, become critical generation that is not anarchist. Pay attention to the circumstances and not be apathetic generation because it is an individualist who only concerned with their own interests. Imagine when they fought against the invaders, they are willing to separate from the family even to sacrifice body and soul for the sake of the air of freedom that we are currently facing. Their sacrifice is valuable when we can fill up with positive things and not twiddle away. Do not waste the air of freedom that easily we enjoy today. Let’s rise up and take your action now! Continue expectations of our heroes! Let’s work for the nation!