Pancasila: Indonesia’s Guiding Principle
Pancasila or the five principles of Indonesia, written by then President Sukarno, is the national ideology that guided Indonesia after achieving its independence. It consists of the following principles: belief in one God, just and civilized humanity, Indonesian unity, democracy under the guidance of representative consultations and lastly, social justice for all people of Indonesia. Pancasila was made and ratified from the desire to establish a neutral cultural identity that would also unify Indonesia as a nation. Fast forward several decades later, the Pancasila is now embedded in Indonesians’ way of life through their educational system, politics, economy and society. And while it has been successful in strengthening Suharto and Sukarno’s reign, it is important to ask if it served its purpose of truly uniting the Muslims and Christians of Indonesia. Under these presidents, it is not surprising that the Pancasil...