Center for Security and Foreign Affairs (CESFAS) from the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Kristen Indonesia (UKI) held a seminar entitled “Disruption: Diaspora, Politics, & Sustainability of Diplomacy” on Tuesday (3/26).
The event was also supported by the Indonesian Institute of Advanced International Studies (INADIS). The speakers at the seminar included Leonard Hutabarat (Consul General of the Republic of Indonesia in Toronto 2018-2021), Hamdan Hamedan (Expert Staff of the Ministry of Youth and Sports), Laurens Ikinia (Researcher at the Institute of Pacific Studies), and Audra Jovani (Lecturer in Political Science at FISIPOL UKI).
The seminar aimed to build a comprehensive understanding for students and the public about issues related to diaspora. The main topic of the seminar was the connection between diaspora, politics, and the sustainability of diplomacy, which is an important issue to consider in this era of disruption. Indonesia’s diaspora, which numbers up to 9 million, may not be as large as other countries’ diasporas. Nevertheless, there are many things that can be maximized from this diaspora group since most of them are skilled individuals with special talents.
The speakers presented the situation, opportunities, and challenges of Indonesia’s diaspora in various contexts, including discussing the government’s role in empowering the diaspora’s potential.
Leonard F. Hutabarat highlighted the great potential of Indonesia’s diaspora in diplomacy and emphasized the importance of developing the right strategy to utilize this potential. Hamdan Hamedan, who has experience in managing diaspora talents, especially in football athletes, provided real examples of the diaspora’s contribution to Indonesia, such as their role in advocating issues to their home country and influencing policies in their country of residence.
Hamdan also presented data on the number and distribution of Indonesia’s diaspora around the world, reaching 9 million people. According to Hamdan, accurate data collection and strategic data utilization are key to optimizing the diaspora’s potential. Hamdan himself has a database of diaspora talents in the sports sector, in line with his duties at the Ministry of Youth and Sports, and is currently developing talent data management for other sectors.
One of the highlights of the Q&A session was the technical obstacles faced by Indonesian diaspora, including in the last 2024 election. The speakers emphasized the importance of synergy among stakeholders in empowering Indonesia’s diaspora. “We all agree to be a new force for Indonesia, Indonesian diaspora must provide a significant and positive impact.
We can look at South Korea and India as examples where their diasporas have achieved success. Therefore, Indonesia is expected to nurture the diaspora in Indonesia towards a golden generation that can excel,” quoting the conclusion of the Director of CESFAS, Darynaufal Mulyaman, at the seminar closing.
Link: https://www.utamanews.com/sosial-budaya/UKI-Bahas-Isu-Diaspora-dan-Keberlanjutan-Diplomasi
