FIB Unhas — Youth voices often get drowned out in the hectic formulation of government policies. Driven by this concern, the Department of Regional Literature at the Faculty of Cultural Sciences (FIB), Hasanuddin University (Unhas), collaborated with BASAsulsel Wiki to organize a workshop titled Changemaker Class Series #10 – Wikithon Public Participation 2026. The Prof. Mattulada Hall was transformed into a hub for exchanging ideas on Wednesday (4/3/2026).
Opening the agenda, the Dean of FIB Unhas, Prof. Dr. Andi Muhammad Akhmar, S.S., M.Hum, emphasized in his remarks the necessity for educational institutions to adapt flexibly to the times, such as through the utilization of social media and websites. Furthermore, he envisioned that the academic knowledge from the Department of Regional Literature could transform into concrete innovations, such as providing multilingual websites that integrate English, Indonesian, and Makassar.
The Dean also expressed appreciation for the organizers and noted FIB Unhas’s close ties with the creative ecosystem, recalling the faculty’s previous collaboration with Rumata’ ArtSpace to produce a documentary film for the 65th Anniversary of FIB Unhas.
The primary objective of this activity was not merely discussion on paper. In her remarks, Ita Masita Ibnu, S.E., M.Hum, Program Manager of BASAibu Wiki-Sulsel, asserted that youth must be brave enough to formulate opinions that influence policy, particularly regarding the issues of child protection, the waste crisis, and digital literacy.
“So, the voices of young people—the voices of our fellow students—need to be present in policy formulation, so that the results, actions, or policies produced by the government truly reflect the voices of the youth,” Ita stated.
To equip the participants, the workshop featured Harnita Rahman, Director of Kedai Buku Jenny, who thoroughly examined materials on Critical Thinking, Persuasive Writing, and Collaborative Problem Solving. Uniquely, the students’ arguments were trained to be creatively packaged in Bugis, Makassar, Indonesian, and English. The commitment to continuously revitalize youth dialectics and language preservation was officially formalized through the signing of a Cooperation Agreement (PKS) between the Department of Regional Literature FIB Unhas and BASAsulsel. Ultimately, the public sphere and local languages are not two separate entities; active involvement in overseeing social issues appears to be the most relevant way to ensure our mother tongues remain empowered.
