SOUTH TANGERANG — In celebration of National Awakening Day, Dompet Dhuafa held a seminar and workshop titled “The Revival of Noble Character Values as the Foundation for the Nation’s Future Generations” on Tuesday (May 20, 2025). Held at the Auditorium of Perguruan Islam Al-Syukro Universal in Tangerang Selatan, Banten, the event was attended by 350 participants, who are students from educational institutions under the Dompet Dhuafa umbrella, namely SMART Ekselensia, Sekolah Smart Cibinong, and Sekolah Al-Syukro.
The morning agenda began with a dance performance by students from Al-Syukro Islamic School and Smart Cibinong School. Following that, the Srikandi Dompet Dhuafa group captivated the audience with a traditional angklung music performance, before the seminar and dialogue session with the speakers commenced.
Involving various entities in the world of education, Deputy Minister of Primary and Secondary Education of the Republic of Indonesia, Fajar Riza Ul Haq, was also present at the event. Alongside the Founder and Initiator of Dompet Dhuafa, Parni Hadi; the Advisor of Dompet Dhuafa, Yudi Latif and Andi Makmur Makka; and the Chairman of the Board of Dompet Dhuafa, Ahmad Juwaini, the forum served as a platform for dialogue with students to shape the future of education in Indonesia.
Addressing all participants, Parni Hadi emphasized that building an ideal education system begins with character development in children, parents, and teachers as the nation’s future leaders. Core values such as honesty, discipline, and responsibility serve as the foundational pillars. These values are then integrated into daily life, nurtured as a culture, and collectively empowered to drive positive change.
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In agreement with Parni Hadi, Deputy Minister Fajar considers these values important in addressing the inevitable digital challenges in everyday life. He and his team admit that they are prioritizing character education and digital education for students throughout Indonesia.
Without proper character development, the digital world can lead users astray and result in dehumanization of individuals. The loss of personality and originality is the greatest fear. He also commends the educational initiatives already undertaken by Dompet Dhuafa.
“I highly appreciate Dompet Dhuafa’s educational initiatives. I support the development of noble character traits such as honesty, discipline, and responsibility as the foundation of life. Of course, the government cannot act alone. Collaboration with community groups is also necessary, such as through seminars and dialogues like today’s event,” said Deputy Minister Fajar.
Director of Al-Syukro Islamic School and General Manager of Dompet Dhuafa’s Education Program, Cici Kurniasih, said that since its inception,
Dompet Dhuafa has designed the Noble Character School Program—a student character development movement that is a top priority in education.
This program is the result of research conducted by teachers at schools under the Dompet Dhuafa umbrella. According to Cici, character development in students will not be successful without follow-up actions from teachers, parents, and the educational institution itself.
“May today’s agenda not only remain symbolic but be implemented in all sectors of Dompet Dhuafa’s education programs,” she concluded.
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After the opening remarks and dialogue session, the agenda continued with the signing of the Noble Character School Program commitment by Deputy Minister Fajar, Parni Hadi, Yudi Latif, Andi Makka, and Ahmad Juwaini as a form of cooperation in realizing character education priorities for students.
The students who attended the event looked enthusiastic and cheerful as they witnessed the signing of the commitment.
Finally, the agenda was closed with a character education workshop by Agung Pardini, General Manager of the Leadership School of the Dompet Dhuafa Human Development Institute (LPI). The workshop provided a space for students to express themselves through their ideas and opinions on noble character as the foundation of education. Ihsan, a Smart Ekselensia student in the 10th grade, said he welcomed this session.
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“At school (Smart Ekselensia), we are taught about the importance of character building, in addition to academics. Discipline, honesty, responsibility, and sincerity are what I remember. Yes, this could be the first step for us to become well-trained and educated students. We also apply these values in our daily lives, with our friends, teachers, parents, and the surrounding community,” explained Ihsan.
With this agenda, Dompet Dhuafa demonstrates its commitment to building the nation’s civilization by collaborating with many parties. This is done through character building, which is the main foundation of the students’ personalities. (Dompet Dhuafa)
Text and photos: Hany Fatihah Ahmad
Editor: Dhika