Center for Security and Foreign Affairs (CESFAS) from the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Kristen Indonesia (FISIPOL UKI) held a seminar titled “Disruption: Diaspora, Politics, & Diplomacy Sustainability” on Tuesday (26/3).
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 on issues related to diaspora. The main topic of the seminar was the link between diaspora, politics, and the sustainability of diplomacy, which is an important issue to be considered in this era of disruption. The Indonesian diaspora, numbering 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 the Indonesian diaspora in various contexts, including discussing the government’s role in empowering the potential of the diaspora.
Leonard F. Hutabarat highlighted the significant potential of the Indonesian diaspora in diplomacy and emphasized the importance of developing the right strategy to utilize this potential. Hamdan Hamedan, who has had experience in managing diaspora talents, especially football players, 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 the countries where they reside.
Hamdan also presented data on the number and distribution of the Indonesian diaspora worldwide, reaching 9 million. According to Hamdan, accurate data collection and strategic utilization of this data are the keys to optimizing the potential of the diaspora. 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 the Indonesian diaspora, including in the 2024 elections. The speakers emphasized the importance of synergy among stakeholders in empowering the Indonesian diaspora. “We all agree to become a new force for Indonesia; the Indonesian diaspora must provide a significant and positive impact. We can look at 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 the conclusion of the Director of CESFAS, Darynaufal Mulyaman, at the end of the seminar.
(Source: https://www.utamanews.com/sosial-budaya/UKI-Bahas-Isu-Diaspora-dan-Keberlanjutan-Diplomasi)