Center for Security and Foreign Affairs (CESFAS) FISIPOL UKI recently held a seminar titled “Disruption: Diaspora, Politics, & Diplomatic Sustainability” on Tuesday (3/26).
The seminar was 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 aim of the seminar was to build a comprehensive understanding for students and the public about issues related to the diaspora. The main topic of the seminar was the connection between diaspora, politics, and diplomatic sustainability, 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. However, there are many things that can be maximized from this diaspora group, considering that most of them are skilled individuals with special talents.
The speakers discussed the situation, opportunities, and challenges of Indonesia’s diaspora in various contexts, including discussing the role of the government in empowering the diaspora’s potential.
Leonard F. Hutabarat highlighted the great potential of Indonesia’s diaspora in diplomacy and emphasized the importance of building the right strategy to leverage this potential. Hamdan Hamedan, who has extensive experience in managing diaspora talents, especially in football, provided real examples of the diaspora’s contributions 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 worldwide, reaching 9 million people. According to Hamdan, accurate data collection and strategic utilization of this data 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 data management for diaspora talents in other sectors.
One highlight of the Q&A session was the technical challenges faced by Indonesia’s diaspora, including during the 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, Indonesia’s diaspora must make a significant and positive impact.
We can take South Korea and India as examples whose diasporas have achieved success. Therefore, Indonesia is expected to nurture its diaspora towards a golden generation capable of achieving success,” quoted Darynaufal Mulyaman, Director of CESFAS, in closing the seminar.
(Source: https://www.utamanews.com/sosial-budaya/UKI-Bahas-Isu-Diaspora-dan-Keberlanjutan-Diplomasi)
