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The 17th of August is almost here and it’s that time of the year again when we get to raise the flag, sing the national anthem and try to rekindle the spirit of unity that grew from the struggle and achievement of bygone days. This usually takes the form of solemn official speeches and ceremonies followed by indulging in a few silly neighborhood competitions such as the sack race, eating krupuk suspended in midair from a cord with hands behind our backs and, for the lads, climbing the greasy pole to win the coveted prizes hanging on top.

Independence Day, in other words, is an annual routine of activities carried out mechanically without much thought given to substance or meaning: gestures borne of ritual obligation and fading deference to our founding fathers, without real understanding of the nationalistic spirit.

This year, however, I feel pleasantly optimistic about the state of our nationalism.

This is despite the many things that frustrate and annoy me about this country, such as the ungracious displays by the losing presidential candidates after the election, the never-ending political maneuvering by self-serving political elites, and the old guard and ex-generals who just won’t go away even after 10 years of democracy.

This is also despite the inherent inability of the country’s leaders to condemn outright extremist teachings by iffy religious teachers, the tongue-tied way in which the chattering classes behave when it comes to criticizing men with beards and the fear of our law enforcers when it comes to clamping down on those wilfully inciting hatred and violence in the name of religion, even after innocent people are killed.

And I am optimistic in spite of the terrorist bombs.

At a time when the country’s elders prefer to go into defensive mode when it comes to broaching the subjects of religion, Islam and terrorism, it is the reaction by the young people against terrorism that makes me feel that somehow this country has a bright and stable future.

Within minutes of the bombs going off, the denizens of the Twitter and Facebook worlds (yours truly being an ardent member of both) quickly expressed their condemnation and disgust. That very quickly metamorphosed into unabashed love and pride in their country under the spontaneously formed banner of Indonesia Unite.

Soon #indonesiaunite became what is known as a “trending” topic, or a popularly referred to subject, in Twitter-world, a phenomenon that gained a worthy mention in the international media. For a couple of days it ranked first among global trending topics that included the Iran election, Michael Jackson and Paula Abdul’s epochal withdrawal from “American Idol.” Indonesia Unite pages on Facebook garnered thousands of fans within a few days.

It was Twitter buddy @aulia who first coined the phrase. Indonesia Unite became a repository of all the things that Indonesia stands for: from its huge range of ethnic cuisines to its many cultures, its heritage, traditional handicrafts, holiday destinations and even its quirkiness, as seen in the likes of polisi cepek , the impromptu civilian traffic police you pay when you want to do a U-turn in busy traffic.

Within a very short time the online community achieved effectively and at hardly any cost what our Tourism Ministry has failed to do. That is, promote Indonesia positively to the world and spread a sense of unity and belonging among the young, without force or pretense but with a lot of fun and spontaneity.

Well before Aug. 17 the online world was already awash with red and white flags on members’ avatars. And it wasn’t long before these young people were holding many off-line Indonesia Unite events to spread the message and maintain the spirit of unity and nationalism.

While the political elites backstab each other and bicker, radio stations such as Trax FM and Hardrock FM discuss concrete ways to ensure the Indonesia Unite movement is more than just a passing fad and becomes a vehicle to speak out. And for this we have Panji, a smart and energetic rapper and Twitter buddy, to thank. His song “ Kami Tidak Takut ” (“We Are Not Afraid”), in response to terrorism has become a mantra embodying the spirit behind the Indonesia Unite movement, which is the courage to speak out against something you disagree with, to take a stand and not sweep problems under the carpet, hoping they will go away.

Perhaps a cynic would see this as a temporary burst of nationalism without any power to make a difference. But it’s not the cynics that make a country great. It is the enthusiasm, optimism and involvement of the young people like Panji.

Desi Anwar is a senior anchor and writer and can be reached at www.desianwar.com and www.dailyavocado.net