256
F. Shidiq et al.
means in every 100-female youth there are 102 male youth (BPS 2017). The number
of youth as compared to the total population who reside in urban areas (25.22%)
and in rural areas (23.19%) are quite similar. On average, Indonesian youth have
attended 10.21 years of education, at least grade 1 of high school and it is beyond the
state’s minimum education level of junior high school (9 years of education). The
penetration of the Internet to youth is considerably high with more than half of youth
have the access to the Internet. Smartphones become a highly used tool to access the
Internet with a percentage of 93.42%, followed by laptop 22.34%, computer 16.9%,
and tablet 4.34%.
Overall, 43.78% of Indonesian youth have graduated from high school, 31.99%
completed their junior high school, 18.51% just graduated from elementary school,
and 4.67% did not complete elementary school education. The rate of school participation shows increasing trends where the rate in 2014, 23.53%, was a jump from
19.05% in 2012 and 21.16% in 2013. The illiteracy rate of Indonesian youth is at
0.64%, with most of them reside in rural areas.
In the context of disasters, youth is often classified with children, as vulnerable
groups. Even so, past researches have shown that youth can contribute in sharing
information of disaster preparedness with their community (Ronan et al. 2008),
brought creative and resourceful ideas to DRR (Barlett 2008), and engaged as volunteers in disaster relief and response (Ronan and Johnston 2005). Therefore, this paper
observes Indonesian youth as a potential capacity in DRR, instead of as vulnerable
group. The population of youth in Indonesia will rapidly increase in 2020–2035,
which will be a demographic bonus as the productive population will reach 64%
of the total population (Nahrawi 2016). Citing the former Minister of Youth and
Sports, the Law 40/2009 on youth has a specific purpose to “hasten the circulation of
leadership both in regional as well as national level which has so far been stagnant”
(Raviola 2013).
The national statistics (BPS 2017) also recorded 59.86% of youth participation
in the labor force. In terms of economic sectors, 25.57% of youth are engaged
in agricultural, 20.76% in trade, and 18.18% in industry. No record is available
on the percentage of youth engagement in the third sector, e.g., involvement in
NGOs as professionals or volunteers. There is no official record on how many
youth engage or participate in youth empowerment programs. The national statistics
did, however, record some government champion programs on youth empowerment,
namely Pemuda Sarjana Penggerak Pembangunan di Perdesaan (PSP3),
2 Indonesian Youth Jamboree, Pemuda Siaga Bencana, Paskibraka (National Official Flag
Hoister), Youth Entrepreneurship and “Youth Pioneer” in five sectors, namely education, social–cultural and tourism, environmental and natural resources management,
food and health industry as well as communication and information. There is also no
statistical record from the BPS on youth engagement in disaster-related programs or
initiatives.
2 By 2014, the PSP3 program has sent 1,000 graduates from various universities sent to 494 villages
across the nation to help with the development.
F. Shidiq et al.
means in every 100-female youth there are 102 male youth (BPS 2017). The number
of youth as compared to the total population who reside in urban areas (25.22%)
and in rural areas (23.19%) are quite similar. On average, Indonesian youth have
attended 10.21 years of education, at least grade 1 of high school and it is beyond the
state’s minimum education level of junior high school (9 years of education). The
penetration of the Internet to youth is considerably high with more than half of youth
have the access to the Internet. Smartphones become a highly used tool to access the
Internet with a percentage of 93.42%, followed by laptop 22.34%, computer 16.9%,
and tablet 4.34%.
Overall, 43.78% of Indonesian youth have graduated from high school, 31.99%
completed their junior high school, 18.51% just graduated from elementary school,
and 4.67% did not complete elementary school education. The rate of school participation shows increasing trends where the rate in 2014, 23.53%, was a jump from
19.05% in 2012 and 21.16% in 2013. The illiteracy rate of Indonesian youth is at
0.64%, with most of them reside in rural areas.
In the context of disasters, youth is often classified with children, as vulnerable
groups. Even so, past researches have shown that youth can contribute in sharing
information of disaster preparedness with their community (Ronan et al. 2008),
brought creative and resourceful ideas to DRR (Barlett 2008), and engaged as volunteers in disaster relief and response (Ronan and Johnston 2005). Therefore, this paper
observes Indonesian youth as a potential capacity in DRR, instead of as vulnerable
group. The population of youth in Indonesia will rapidly increase in 2020–2035,
which will be a demographic bonus as the productive population will reach 64%
of the total population (Nahrawi 2016). Citing the former Minister of Youth and
Sports, the Law 40/2009 on youth has a specific purpose to “hasten the circulation of
leadership both in regional as well as national level which has so far been stagnant”
(Raviola 2013).
The national statistics (BPS 2017) also recorded 59.86% of youth participation
in the labor force. In terms of economic sectors, 25.57% of youth are engaged
in agricultural, 20.76% in trade, and 18.18% in industry. No record is available
on the percentage of youth engagement in the third sector, e.g., involvement in
NGOs as professionals or volunteers. There is no official record on how many
youth engage or participate in youth empowerment programs. The national statistics
did, however, record some government champion programs on youth empowerment,
namely Pemuda Sarjana Penggerak Pembangunan di Perdesaan (PSP3),
2 Indonesian Youth Jamboree, Pemuda Siaga Bencana, Paskibraka (National Official Flag
Hoister), Youth Entrepreneurship and “Youth Pioneer” in five sectors, namely education, social–cultural and tourism, environmental and natural resources management,
food and health industry as well as communication and information. There is also no
statistical record from the BPS on youth engagement in disaster-related programs or
initiatives.
2 By 2014, the PSP3 program has sent 1,000 graduates from various universities sent to 494 villages
across the nation to help with the development.