In an era of climate change, the challenges we face as a global community can often appear overwhelming and insurmountable. The forecasts and predictions of catastrophic climate change can no longer be ignored. Last week, AIYA hosted an educational seminar in Yogyakarta which aimed to tackle some of these issues head on. One of our guest speakers, Neil Faragher, joins us to share some of his knowledge on the topic of renewable energy and why we have reason to be hopeful.

1. In your opinion, what are the main environmental issues we are facing globally?

I am most worried about climate change and biodiversity loss.  A recent UN report states 1 million species are on the verge of extinction because of human activities – that will be a massive problem for our civilisation, and a key driver of this is climate change from ever-increasing greenhouse gas emissions. Whilst developed nations have been emitting greenhouse gases for over two centuries, global emissions continue to increase as developing nations raise their standard of living (as they should!). Globally, we must shift away from fossil fuels as our primary source of energy as soon as possible. Renewable Energy is a key solution to this problem.

2. Tell us about your background, how you became interested in Renewable Energy?

Originally, I studied to become a Mechanical Engineer at the University of Auckland. Soon after uni, I got a job where I was responsible for designing various plastic based products. I soon realised that these consumable goods I was helping develop would end up as landfill, or worse, pollution. As someone who really values the outdoors this was a big problem for me. Around a similar time, I saw Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth and began thinking about how I could apply my engineering skills in tackling the problem of climate change. Shortly after, I was fortunate enough to get work with a company designing concentrated solar technology. This technology particularly excited me as it aims to make solar power cheaper by using mirrors to focus light onto a small area of highly efficient solar panels. I’ve been mainly focused on designing the thermal aspects of this technology.

Ivanpah solar power station, Nevada- USA

3. What are some of the exciting renewable energy technologies being developed and how can they be implemented to help us going forward?

Currently, I am particularly excited by three types of renewable energy:

• Presently, the USA, Morocco and Spain have built extremely large scale concentrated solar thermal power stations. These have the potential to replace entire coal power stations in the immediate future. They have the ability to store heat at high temperature and use this to drive steam turbines to dispatch electricity overnight. What’s exciting is that the next generation of these solar power plants will use sand rather than expensive molten salts as a heat bearing medium. This will be instrumental in lowering power costs.
• Another exciting technology is owned by Sundrop Farms based in Adelaide, South Australia. This technology combines solar thermal power with desalination and hydroponics to grow various vegetables such as tomatoes, capsicum and lettuce using sunlight and seawater as the main inputs. This has great potential to assist with food production in very dry climates around the world.
• Finally, I am inspired by the potential and ongoing improvements of battery production. Large scale battery installations are becoming cheaper every year and allow sunlight to be stored overnight. Installing more of these batteries results in less reliance on coal and gas for power generation – not to mention that we can also power our motor vehicles with batteries!

Sundrop farms, South Australia

4. How might some of these technologies affect the relationship between Australia and Indonesia?

Development of renewable energy technologies has great potential to strengthen Australia/Indonesia relations. There are plans to build an underwater power line linking Australia and Indonesia. Australia, with its vast areas of empty space and significant quantities of sunlight could export excess solar energy to Indonesia. Indonesia also has the ability to develop significant wind and geothermal energy technologies, reducing its heavy dependence on fossil fuels. It is essential countries such as Australia and Indonesia collaborate for equitable power generation if we are to be successful in tackling climate change.

5. In your opinion, what are some of the main obstacles we face in transitioning to renewable energy?

Unfortunately, the fossil fuel lobby is a huge obstacle we must overcome in order to transition to renewables. Major lobby groups from fossil fuel industries have been extremely effective in lobbying governments to block progress towards renewables. Although this has caused significant political hurdles and stalled advancements towards clean technologies, increasingly citizens are making their voices heard and demanding that governments take climate change seriously.

6. Based on your knowledge and involvement in renewable energy, do we have reason to be hopeful about the future?

Although the challenges of climate change can appear frustrating and overwhelming much of the time, my work in the field of renewable energy brings me great hope. As standard solar power is increasingly rolled out it becomes cheaper and more accessible to install. In many parts of the world, it is now cheaper to install solar power than it is to produce new coal power plants. The economics of renewable energy is becoming increasingly cost effective and will eventually override those blocking progress towards clean technology. I am also encouraged by the recent turn out of young people, particularly school students, who are demanding governments take greater action on climate change. With a politically and environmentally conscious generation like this one on the way, we can’t help but be hopeful.

Thanks Neil and Laura for the fantastic interview! 

The Australia-Indonesia Youth Exchange Program (AIYEP) links youth in Australia and Indonesia through social, professional and cultural exchange and runs from October through to February every year.

This week, we talk to Tim Flicker about his AIYEP experience!

What is your occupation/what are you studying?

Careers and Alumni Coordinator, Trinity College, the University of Melbourne

What year did you participate in AIYEP and where was your program based?

2015/2016- Canberra/West Kalimantan

How did you become interested in/involved with Indonesia?

Initially, through learning Indonesian at school. I then had the chance to travel to Jakarta when I was in year 11 and was hooked.

What motivated you to apply AIYEP?

I had heard from other alumni such as Luke Dawes and Joey Eagleton about how rewarding and amazing the AIYEP experience is.

What was the highlight of your AIYEP experience?

So many highlights…. definitely one was being greeted by the entire village when we arrived in the village of Lumbang in Sambas.

What advice would you give someone who is thinking about applying for AIYEP?

Think about the skills you bring to the group, whether it be community development experience, leadership, love of sports etc everyone has a skill/passion. It’s an absolutely amazing experience and definitely recommend anyone to apply!

Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and experiences with us Tim. Stay tuned for more AIYEP alumni profiles in the coming weeks!

Applications for AIYEP38 are open now until the 16th of June 2019, so make sure to get your application in! More information about applications can be found on the AFS Australia website.

As Australians prepare for their upcoming election in May, Indonesians will head to the ballot box Wednesday, 17 April 2019.

Over 190 million people are registered to vote in Southeast Asia’s largest democracy. While citizens of both countries will choose their representatives in their respective elections, they have different ways of carrying out elections.

Direct presidential election

Firstly, unlike in Australia where voting is compulsory for citizens, Indonesians can choose to exercise their right to vote or to decide not to vote. Analysts predict that the number of non-voters, called the “golongan putih” or the white group, in Indonesia will increase this year. While some voters might not turn up to the ballot box due to political apathy, some non-voters argue that it’s a valid political stance in the face of a lack of good choices. These people may turn up at the ballot box but punch all the ballot papers, to ensure their non-vote is counted.

Meanwhile current Australian parliament is in de facto described as two-party system, Australian voters cannot directly select their prime minister. Instead, they select their members of parliament from two major parties, some minor parties, or independent members. In most cases, members belong to and support a political party. The major political party that can win more than 75 members will be able to form the government, and thus its leader will be designated as the prime minister.

Meanwhile, Indonesia exercises direct presidential election under a multiparty system. Even though Indonesian voters can elect their president, the nomination of presidential candidates is determined by political parties obtaining 20% seats in the DPR.

In Wednesday’s election, Indonesian voters will choose candidates for president and legislators. This year, there are two presidential candidates and 14 political parties in the race.

Incumbent Joko “Jokowi” Widodo will once again face off against former military general Prabowo Subianto. Jokowi, the candidate from the Indonesia Democratic of Struggle (PDI-P), is supported by a coalition of nine more parties. Prabowo from the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) has three more parties in his coalition.

Indonesia introduced the direct presidential election in 2004. It has carried out general elections since 1955, but went through a series of authoritarian leaders, first under Sukarno and then Suharto. Following the latter’s fall in 1998, Indonesia underwent democratisation.

The presidential candidates have to secure over 50% of the popular vote to win the election. If no candidates were able to gain 50% in the election, a second round of voting would be held to seek the majority votes.

The elected president is both the head of state and head of government. As the executive government is not derived from legislative chambers, the Indonesian president is not a member of parliament. The president exercises its power to form a cabinet. Ministers focus on running an executive portfolio and are not part of legislative functions.

Legislative seats

Australia’s House of Representative preferential system allows nearly 17 million voters to rank their ballot based on their preference. The Indonesian presidential general election exercises simple majority system, through which the citizen votes only for one option. Indonesians use a nail to punch the ballot papers.

Australia exercises single-winner voting, meaning one district is only represented by one member from one political party or an independent. In Indonesia, one constituency can be represented by more than one member from more than one political party.

While the upcoming Australian House of Representatives will consist of 151 members and each will represent single-member districts, the DPR will consist of 575 seats from 80 constituencies. In other words, each Indonesian constituency is represented by more than one member, depending on the size of the population.

Playing the trump card: identity politics

As in every country, there are particular issues that voters feel emotional about, and this is where politicians use their tactics to garner votes.

In Australia, voting behaviour is shaped by a number of issues such as management of the economy, unemployment, industrial relations, taxation, education, health, environment, global warming, refugees and asylum seekers. Issues over management of the economy and health were the most important issues in the 2016 election.

Another issue is also about Australia’s political instability. Before 2010, Australians tended to believe they essentially select their prime minister. However, after six leadership spills since 2010, Australian voting behaviour shifted to perceive the removal of prime minister before election as more acceptable.

In Indonesia, voting behaviour in Indonesia is somewhat influenced by three factors: religion, ethnicity and regionalism, and social class.

Being the most populous Muslim majority in the world, Indonesia is seeing both camps building alliances with Islamic groups and promoting Islamic symbols and rituals as part of their tactic.

Last week, a group of well-known Islamic preachers declared their support to Prabowo Subianto. Ustad Abdul Somad, for example, one of the most famous Indonesian Islamic preachers with 8.8 million followers on Instagram and 1.2 million subscribers on Youtube, expressed his support through a 13 minute interview with Prabowo, relayed on national television.

On Jokowi’s side, other Islamic preachers such as Maimun Zubair and Luthfi bin Yahya presented a turban and prayer beads to Jokowi as a gesture of support. Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the biggest Islamic organisation, has openly declared its support of Jokowi, as his vice president candidate, Ma’ruf Amin, is also one of the prominent Islamic preachers from NU.

Identity politics as the final trump card in Indonesia is inevitable. Currently, polls show Jokowi is in the lead. We’ll see how it goes soon.

Artikel ini juga tersedia dalam Bahasa Indonesia.

Indonesia is one of Australia’s largest trading partners, and there are many different organizations and programs that are based on improving relations between these two countries in all fields, from tourism to trade. There are many benefits of those efforts, and if you’re interested in learning more about the connection between these countries, here are some things you should know about.

Why this relationship is so important

Indonesia has a much bigger population than Australia, but its economy is not nearly as developed, which is one of the reasons why Indonesians value their relations with Australia. Of course, there are some differences in cultures and laws, but there’s a lot of effort put into mutual understanding, as well. Also, when it comes to innovation, strengthening the countries’ cooperation in the fields of business and education is essential. It can create amazing outcomes if done right, and both countries are aiming for such outcomes. Moreover, the more these countries do in terms of trade and investment, the better they’ll understand each other, which can only lead to more engagement and better cooperation. In short, the connection between the countries allows both of them to develop and provide their citizens with more opportunities.

Trade

Australia’s main export to Indonesia is livestock, but it also exports wheat, aluminum, and cotton. Indonesia, on the other hand, mostly exports, gold, steel, iron, and crude and refined petroleum. A great factor when it comes to trade is the proximity between the two countries, which reduces the shipping costs. Also, Indonesia has a law that states it can only import cattle from countries that are free from mouth and feet disease, which is one more reason why Australia is its main source. Moreover, the countries have recently signed a free trade deal, which benefits both countries. For example, it allows Australian-owned universities to operate in Indonesia, and it allows Indonesians to take part in work-training courses in Australia.

Education

In terms of education, there are curricula in Australia that focus on learning languages other than English, including Indonesian. The same curricula also deal with intercultural understanding and Australia’s engagement with Asia. So, it’s safe to say that Australia is putting an effort into reshaping the school programs and creating more culturally aware generations.

Moreover, there is also the federal government’s New Colombo Plan (NCP), which provides support for university students who wish to visit Asia through short-term programs, like business internships or language studies. Additionally, there are girls scholarships in Australia that help girls from underprivileged families get the equipment and tutoring they need in order to advance in their education. Furthermore, there are many scholarships available to students in Indonesia if they choose to study in Australia. For example, there is Australia APEC Women in Research Fellowship and Australia Awards. All in all, both Australia and Indonesia are doing their best to provide their students with both the education they need and more choices in terms of career paths.

Aid

Indonesia has been the largest recipient of Australian aid for a while, and there are many aid programs in the country. For example, after the tsunami in 2004, the countries created the Australia-Indonesia Partnership for Reconstruction and Development. Its main purpose was to help people rebuild their homes and help promote the economic growth in the country, in general. Similarly, in 2008, Australia helped the Indonesian economy during the global financial crisis. Australia has also helped Indonesia with infrastructure and sustainable development.

Tourism

Tourism is quite developed in both countries, and they are each other’s popular tourist destinations. Besides people going on vacations, there are also many people traveling from one country to another to visit their friends and relatives. Moreover, there is a transport safety partnership between the two countries, and it covers all transport options. Finally, both countries have invested and continue to invest in the training of pilots, air traffic managers, and the ability to investigate transport accidents when they do happen.

Australia and Indonesia are very connected in many different ways and fields. Of course, while there are still things that both countries can do to improve and strengthen the relations between them, there are already many benefits that people living in both countries can experience.

This week we’re joined by our AIYA NSW Chapter President, Febe Amelia Haryanto, who is also an awardee of Australia Awards Scholarships year 2017. Febe who is currently on her last year in completing the scholarships, making the most of the remaining time to encourage Indonesian students to apply before the scholarships close on the 30th of April 2019. Through the Q&A session, Febe shares her insights into Australia Awards Scholarships through her experience, yuk cari tahu!

About Australian Awards Scholarships (AAS): is a scholarship given by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to applicants from Australia’s partner countries in line with bilateral and regional agreements. AAS provides opportunities for people to undertake full-time undergraduate or postgraduate study at participating Australian universities and Technical and Further Education (TAFE) institutions. Further details could be found here.

Welcome back to Member Spotlight learn more about the lives of those behind AIYA. This week, we introduce you to AIYA Yogyakarta Sports Officer, Anggara Tegar!

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