Language and Unity

To celebrate the anniversary of the 1928 Indonesian Youth Oath, Dr Manneke Budiman, Vice Dean for Academic Research and Student Affairs in the Humanities Faculty at the University of Indonesia, considers whether the Indonesian language is still an effective tool for uniting a diverse nation.

Dr Manneke Budiman, Jakarta 2013 Source: Komunitas Salihara

Why was the declaration that We uphold the language of unity - Indonesian Language an important part of the 1928 Indonesian Youth Oath? Has the status of the Indonesian language as a tool for unification become more complex? What are the practical and political advantages and disadvantages of increasing the recognition and use of regional languages? Dr Manneke Budiman, addresses these and related issues.