Exciting news for Durian lovers! Indonesia has successfully grown thornless durians after 12 years of experimenting. It is shaped like a melon and noticeably smooth.

Read more.

In the news

  • More than 2,200 Indonesians have died with COVID-19 symptoms, a Reuters review of data from 16 of the country’s 34 provinces showed. Indonesia has one of the lowest testing rates in the world, making it hard to get an accurate picture of the extent of infections in the country. (Reuters)
  • Australia’s move to ease restrictions over coming weeks has been backed by a senior World Health Organisation official. PM Scott Morrison has committed to ease lockdowns if transmission rates continue to fall. (Sydney Morning Herald)
  • Australia should offer Indonesia crisis insurance, sooner rather than later. With little to no cost at home, a multi-billion “standby” loan will help restore economic confidence in its most immediate neighbor. Why is this important? (The Interpreter)
  • The Netherlands formally apologised for the brutal violence it inflicted across Indonesia during the 1940s and will pay reparations to Indonesian victims of colonial atrocities. This is a win for many victims of colonial violence in Indonesia, many of whom were children at the time. Could the UK do the same? (ABC News)
  • Free ‘rice ATMs’ ready to serve Indonesians in need during COVID-19 pandemic. Residents in Jakarta and its surrounding region can now visit one of 10 rice ATMs to collect rice. However, only eligible Indonesians whose names are listed in the government registry of recipients will be able to collect the rice. Click here to see what it looks like. (The Online Citizen)

In the blog

  • Puasa di bulan Ramadhan membawa banyak dampak positif jika dilaksanakan dengan benar. Selain membawa ketenangan, puasa juga akan membuat tubuh tetap sehat dan bugar. Puasa juga diklaim sebagai proses detoksifikasi yang baik bagi tubuh. Nah, kali ini tim AIYA National akan membagikan beberapa tips agar kalian tetap bisa bugar selama menjalani puasa.
  • Fasting in the month of Ramadan brings many positive effects if carried out properly. In addition to bringing peace, fasting will also make the body stay healthy and fit. Fasting is also claimed to be a detoxification process that is good for the body. Well, this time the AIYA National team will share some tips so that you can stay in shape while fasting.

Events

AIYA x  UniBRIDGE Online Language Exchange (‘FLEX’)

AIYA is proud to present a new online version of our classic Language Exchange program for its members – Flexible Language Exchange or FLEX. This program will be run in partnership with our friends from the UniBRIDGE Project, and it will start this Sunday (timetable below).

AIYA dengan bangga mempersembahkan versi online dari program Language Exchange untuk member kami, ‘Flexible Language Exchange’ atau ‘FLEX.’ Program ini akan dijalankan dengan mitra dan kawan kami, UniBRIDGE Project, dan akan dimulai hari Minggu ini (jadwal dibawah)

Sunday/Minggu – 1:00pm WIB / 2:00pm WITA  / 4:00pm AEST

Wednesday/Rabu – 4:00pm WIB / 5:00pm WITA / 7:00pm AEST

Thursday/Kamis – 4:00pm WIB / 5:00pm WITA / 7:00pm AEST

 

  • AIBC Victoria: Webinar Presentation and COVID-19, 6 May – AIBC Victoria invite you to their seminar entitled ‘Australia and Indonesia:  Together during and beyond COVID-19’, 3-4pm. RSVP here.
  • ReelOzInd, 24 April – 15 May – The ReelOzInd! retrospective 2016-2019 makes it easy to stay home over Ramadan. To entertain those of us staying at home, they will host screenings of its Festival Reels from 2016 to 2019 across four Fridays from 24 April to 15 May. Check it out here.
  • Politics in Action 2020 Forum, 4 – 15 May 2020 – The Sydney Southeast Asia Centre will be holding an online forum that brings political updates from Southeast Asia across the disciplines and beyond. The presentations will provide up-to-date
  • COVID-19 Expert Update, 4 May- As COVID-19 continues to spread rapidly throughout the world, how do we separate fact from fiction when it comes to ensuring public health and safety? Peter Doherty, Nobel Prize winner and infection and immunity expert will unpack the disease and responses. Click here for more info.
  • AIYA Jakarta Instagram Live, 9 May – Join AIYA Jakarta on an Instagram live session on Studying and Living in Indonesia. This session will focus on two Australians’ perspectives on studying and eating in Indonesia, cultural differences and other topics. Follow @aiyajakarta on insta!
  • NAILA Social Media challenge – This Friday, the National Australia Indonesia Language Award (NAILA) will start their first social media challenge. In 15 seconds or less, tell us what your favourite hobbies are. Post it on instagram and tag @aiya_naila and #NAILAChallenge
  • Martabak Vegemite – COVID-19 isolation has left you wondering what to do? Fear not, AIYA Victoria has got you covered for your entertainment! Every fortnight on Wednesday, AIYA Victoria will release a video on various topics. Check out their latest episode on IG TV!
  • Indonesia Project Global Seminar – ANU’s Indonesia Project is bringing you a weekly series of seminars right to your living room. Join in for live discussions or surf through the archives of previous seminars here. 
  • AIYA National have written a letter to AIYA members and supporters on the status of Covid-19 and its impact for AIYA events and the current status of travel restrictions for Australian and Indonesian citizens. Read it here – Bahasa Indonesia and English.

COVID-19 support

  • AIYA is aware that some of our members may be going through difficulties due to the circumstances of the pandemic. Some support information in Australia and Indonesia is on the website.
  • KJRI Melbourne have collated a list of flights between Indonesia and Australia on Garuda Indonesia for those who are seeking to return home. Please look at the information here. 

Opportunities

  • Please note: Due to COVID-19, ACICIS have cancelled all Semester programmes that are commencing in July and August 2020. Should you have any queries, please refer to this webpage.
  • Looking to upskill during self-isolation? Some Australian universities are offering a range of free online courses covering areas such as cyber security, climate change, business data analytics, digital marketing, mental health and many more. These are accessed through the website Class Central.
  • Mari Beraksi (Mari Bernynayi di Kamar Sendiri) – Greetings from Duta Bahasa Jawa Barat (West Java Language Ambassador)! Do you like to sing? Challenge yourself translating your favourite song from or to bahasa Indonesia, a foreign language, or a local language (within West Java). Translate, sing, upload and tag @dubasjabar and fill this form no later than 19 May 2020. More info here.
  • Applications for Young Australians in International Affairs’ 2020 July – December Fellowship Program are now OPEN. It is aimed at promoting the voice of the next generation of Australians  foreign policy thinkers in the analysis of international affairs. The Fellowship Program is open to Australian citizens and permanent residents between the ages of 18 and 30. Applications will close on Friday, 22 May 2020. Read more here.
  • Initiated by Airlangga Global Engagement, Airlangga Flatten the Curve Competition (AFCC) 2020 aims to encourage International Students, both in Indonesia and overseas, to contribute to the efforts of containing the spread of Covid-19. International students are expected to contribute with the goal of educating international society using their respective knowledge on the issues. Categories include short video, essay or poster. Submission deadline is 5 June 2020 (11.59 p.m. GMT+7). Read more here.
  • Stay tuned! The ReelOzInd! 2020 Competition is now accepting entries until 1 August. The competition theme this year is ‘energi/energy’. Understandably, many filmmakers may be limited in some ways, but hopefully isolation can provide the perfect opportunity for your creativity to flourish! Find the Call for Submissions Trailer on YouTube here.
  • Do you want to be a leader in your field and join an inspiring network of changemakers? Apply today for the Australia Awards Postgraduate Scholarships (open to Indonesian nationals) and gain a world-class education and become a leader for development. Deadline has been extended until 30 June 2020.
  • batyr are creating a new university mental health program for international students and they need your voice! Share your ideas and help us to develop the program! Please note: The workshops will be two hours long and you only need to attend one. Program Development Workshop Dates: Thursday 14th of May, Thursday 28th of May, and Thursday 18th of June. See the flyer – express your interest here.
  • Have you got some stories to share about Southeast Asia? The Sydney Southeast Asia Centre (SSEAC) wants to hear your pitches – original contributions that haven’t been published in other media. Right now, they’re especially calling for authors living in SE Asia to submit their tales of life in times of coronavirus. Read more here.
  • ACICIS is inviting all of its alumni to join the all-new alumni platform. It is packed with new features such as alumni directory, jobs and opportunities page, events page, interest-group pages, as well as other exciting features that will be added regularly. To sign-up, please visit their alumni website here
  • Inside Indonesia publishes original pieces on a wide range of political, social, environmental and cultural issues in Indonesia. They accept articles from a diverse range of people who have an interest in Indonesia. To find out how to contribute, click here.

Like what we do? Want to join or support your local chapter to contribute to our exciting activities? Sign up as an AIYA member today!