Cultural and Civic Literacy to Strengthen Pancasila as the National Identity and Unifier of Diversity in Indonesia

Abstract

Indonesia is a country that is rich in natural resources and has diversity in ethnicity, religion, race, and culture as a matter of pride that needs to be maintained and preserved. Efforts to protect and preserve diversity are not easy because lately a lot of information has been circulating leading to intolerance, hate speech, instant culture, not accepting differences, news hoaxes, and various expressions that discredit certain groups and even the government. Social media as a means of communication and information is both beneficial and a threat. Beneficial because it can be used as a learning tool, improve friendship, increase the number of relationships, increase nationalism, business and others. As a threat if not accompanied by adequate literacy skills. Through cultural and civic literacy, every citizen is invited to intelligently use, receive and process information so that life as the nation‘s children who have been knitted by the founding fathers can continue. The roles of families, communities, educational institutions, religious and cultural figures as well as the government also influence the realization of civic literacy and cultural literacy. Every citizen has the same opportunity to fill independence towards a prosperous Indonesian society as stated in the Preamble to the 1945 Constitution. The spirit of unity is the keyword for peaceful coexistence in diversity. Unity is strengthened through Pancasila and the slogan Bhinneka Tunggal Ika as the national identity. Cultural and civic literacy nurture our togetherness through a common mission to protect Indonesia‘s home as a place to live.