MUTUAL COOPERATION
"United we stand, divided we fall!"
The sentence was popular among Indonesians in the 90s, but the buzz is now rarely heard. The sentence is short, but its meaning can be very clearly illustrated. Unity is the foundation of the spirit that the fighters have always used to build the nation. Culture gotong royong is one manifestation of the spirit of unity of Indonesian society.
The first President of the Republic of Indonesia, namely President Soekarno, even conveyed if gotong royong was the "soul" of Indonesian society in the session of Indonesian Preparatory Investigation Personnel (BPUPKI) in 1945. Unfortunately, the culture of mutual cooperation began to disappear.
If we speak of the past, it is easy to find a culture of mutual cooperation in various forms. Starting from the work of devotion that is often done by citizens every once a week until the culture gotong royong among religious people. Culture gotong royong is a national identity. Therefore, culture gotong royong should continue to be maintained in order to be kept in daily life.
The term gotong royong comes from the Javanese language. Gotong means pikul or lift, while royong means together. So if taken literally, gotong royong means lifting together or doing something together. Gotong royong can be understood also as a form of active participation of each individual to get involved in giving a positive value of every object, problem, or the needs of the people around him. Such active participation can be material, financial, physical, mental, spiritual, skill, constructive thought or counseling, to pray only to God.
According to Koentjaraningrat gotong royong culture known by the people of Indonesia can be categorized into two types, namely mutual help mutual help and mutual aid work. Culture gotong royong please help occur in agricultural activities, activities around the household, party activities, celebration activities, and on the event of disaster or death. While the culture of mutual cooperation is usually done to do something of a nature for the public interest, whether that happens on the initiative of citizens or mutual help forced.
In the perspective of cultural sociology, the value of gotong royong is a spirit that is manifested in the form of individual behavior or action that is done without expecting a reply to do something together for the sake of mutual interest or a particular individual.
Gotong royong make the human life of Indonesia more empowered and prosperous. With mutual assistance, various problems of common life can be solved easily and cheaply, as well as community development activities.
VALUE IN ROYONG CUTS
If at a glance, gotong royong seems to just look like an easy and simple thing. But behind its simplicity, gotong royong store various values that can provide a positive value for the community.
1. Togetherness
Gotong royong reflects the growing togetherness in the community. With gotong royong, people are willing to work together to help others or to build facilities that can be utilized together.
2. Unity
Togetherness that exists in mutual cooperation as well as create unity among members of the community. With the existing unity, society becomes stronger and able to face the problems that arise.
3. Prone to sacrifice
Gotong Royong teaches everyone to be willing to sacrifice. The sacrifices can be anything, ranging from sacrifice time, energy, thought, to money. All these sacrifices are done for the common good. The public is willing to put aside their personal needs to meet common needs.
4. Please help
Gotong royong keeps the people hand in hand to help each other. The smallest contribution a person in mutual cooperation, can always provide help and benefits for others.
5. Socialization
In the modern era, people's lives tend to be individualistic. Gotong royong can make people aware again if he is a social creature. Gotong royong make people know each other so that the socialization process can be maintained continuity.