The Australia Indonesia Business Council (AIBC) conference for 2018 was held from the 11th-13th of November on the Gold Coast in Queensland.  With its theme ‘Partnering for Prosperity in a World of Change’, the conference stressed the importance of strengthening the relationship between both countries and overcoming challenges in order to achieve mutual prosperity.

© Nina Williams Photography

AIBC Chapters Presidents with Indonesia Ambassador to Australia, Kristiarto Legowo and Consulate General, Heru Subolo.

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photo credit: PPIA Macquarie

As one of the most favourite abroad destination for Indonesian students, Australia is a second home for one of four young Indonesians who studies overseas. As the statistic speaks for itself, it allows Indonesian students in Australia, who generally known as PPIA (Perhimpunan Pelajar Indonesia Australia) to have a solid community. It’s been a tradition of many PPIAs that spread all around Australia Universities to hold annual gigs to promote Indonesia cultures, arts, language and to unite Indonesians who long for their home country.

Held as one of the biggest PPIA events, the students of Macquarie University proudly presented their showcase of the year, Soundquriang, The V (fifth) Act. The event which held at City Recital Hall Sydney highlighted by Indonesia’s most loved band Sheila On 7 and Indonesia sweetheart vocal group, HIVI! Along with the performance of The East and Friends, the MURI record breaker Michael Anthony and the exhibition of Balinese cultures, Tari Kecak.

Arriving early, AIYA’s Blog Editor, followed the PPIA Macquire team in getting ready for the grand night and getting to know the creative persons behind the epic night.

The team briefing just before the night take over

With a typical excitement of a live performance, the wait has started since 4 PM whilst the team had a briefing and getting ready for the night that started at 6 PM. At 4.45 PM when the foyer was open for ticket collecting and purchasing, the committee that consist of 30 students was splitting up working on their roles in assisting the event from helping the attendees, getting the venue ready to selling merchandise.

Soundquriang the V Act is the biggest event that ever been held for Macquire PPIA with as much as 1,200 seats sold and 100% its profit made will be donated to Rumah Faye, a sheltering home for victims of child trafficking based in Jakarta. The impressive upscale of Soundquriang in their fifth year didn’t happen overnight, admitted by Joshua as Marketing committee. It has been 6 months of hard working that involves many leadership skills which the team treasured most as their learning curves in the organisation. For him and the team, the biggest challenge was to be able to grasp everything by themselves and balancing their study and working in the organisation.

In spite of having 30 people in the team, Joshua admitted that the tasks and responsibilities were outnumbered them and in times the countless lobbying and decision-making process felt overwhelming. He also called fellow Indonesian students to join the team in the coming year to bring their skills and creativity to use. In answering what the team will bring to the table for next year, Joshua jokingly said, “we aren’t sure yet but I just want this to be over first,” in stating how much hard work have been put up in realising the event. “We hope that everything goes well and everyone can enjoy the show, that’s for now, we will see what we can do next year.” He continued in hope and confidence.

Tickets collection and purchasing took place at the foyer of City Recital Hall Sydney

The show was opened with a welcome speech by Fionita and Richard each with their role as Project Manager and Venue Coordinator. The East and Friends opened the first act with Indonesia’s national anthems such as Indonesia Pusaka, Dari Sabang Sampai Merauke, to folk songs such Sinagar Tulo and Kincir-Kincir.

The East and Friends opened the night accompanied with Indonesian dancers 

The event was attended by Indonesian Consul General for NSW, Bapak Heru Subolo, who used the opportunity to appeal everyone to register themselves for the general election which holds in the coming mid-April. He also addressed the importance of actualising ‘the modern Indonesia’ which allows Indonesians to be its people-to-people stakeholders in introducing Indonesia cultures, through music and arts in Australia.

Pak Heru giving his speech along with the event’s host, Darian

The night highlight began on the second act, the talented Michael Anthony Kwok, who amazed the audience with his talent despite his misfortune. Michael broke MURI record as the youngest visually-impaired and autistic pianist in Indonesia. The 15 years old learned music (piano) autodidact since three years of age and picking up only by listening. His talent was discovered by surprise when the Kwok family found Michael played an ice cream commercial jingle that he heard and ever since he been memorising hundreds of songs. Not only had he performed in the Netherland, but Michael also had his solo piano recital at the Sydney Opera House.

The extraordinary Michael Anthony who amused the audience with his music

Cruising with the night, one of the main guests, HIVI! presented the third act with their hits songs such Remaja, Pelangi, Kereta Kencan with many enthusiasts. HIVI! through their love songs has turned the recital hall into a warm and loving atmosphere with the audience sang and dance along with them. HIVI! took the night to express their gratitude to be able to perform out of the country and hope to entertain the Indonesia and Australia public in the near future through their work.

HIVI! spreading love through their songs 

Before jumping to the heat of the night, the fourth act was a warm-up to the most waited guest. Exhibition of a contemporary interpretation of Tari Kecak was presented by students who performed Tari Kecak for the first time with the assistance of Balinese Tari Kecak community in Sydney.

Showcase of Indonesian cultures through Tari Kecak

Despite a minor sound difficulty, the night was carried well by the host Darian who used the opportunity to warm up the audience before meeting the night’ spotlight. Sheila On 7’s 22 years of existence in Indonesia music industry was not a myth as the crowd went wild with their appearance. The performance that seems like a solo concert brought the audience to their feet whilst singing along through the night. Duta expressed his gratitude for the chance to entertain Sydney fans for the first time in their music journey.

Duta and the band rock the nights with their hits

An encore was granted to close the intimate night.

The night through a lense, photo credit: Disty

Special thanks for the hospitality and the open hand of PPIA Macquarie to AIYA. 

If you have any event that bridging both Australia-Indonesia you’d like us to cover, feel free to drop us an email at [email protected]

When you live far away from your home country and heard the news that one of the islands from where you came from has been struck with a natural disaster, it is heartbreaking. The distance from where you are currently living to Indonesia has suddenly stretched twice as far, and a sense of loss pours over any Indonesians who are living abroad. However, with sadness comes a call for unity of the people who share the same culture and land that you were born in.

The death toll of the Lombok earthquake in August is over 600 people and estimated 400,00 people are displaced out of their homes (Massola & Rosa, 2018). Recently, the Central Sulawesi earthquake and tsunami at the end of September caused more than the death of 1000 people, more than 5000 people missing and leaving more than 60,000 people displaced (Kahfi, 2018, Jakarta Post).

With the cumulation of devastations occurring in Indonesia, I collaborated with the Australian Indonesia Youth Association NSW Chapter to unite both Australians and Indonesians, young and old, in a day of Indonesian cultural exchange as a fundraising initiative for the people of Lombok and Palu. All proceeds will go to the Agung Siaga Community, a volunteer logistic and information hub, based in Bali, founded to aid the displaced evacuees of the volcanic activity of Mt Agung. They are now aiding towards the survivors of the Lombok and Central Sulawesi disasters, through the delivery of food, medical supplies, water filters, blankets and solar panels.

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Last weekend AIYA visited Purwakarta to teach AFL and English to the excited students of SD and SMP at Islam Al Ghozali.

Over the course of the weekend, we engaged the kids in Australian culture teaching them songs from the Sydney Swans and Hawthorn chants to a few other favourites such as, Home Among the Gumtrees, I Still Call Australia Home and Downunder. As well as this, we taught the students the importance of learning English and had some invaluable conversations about themselves, their   families and their friends.

One of the highlights would have been the AFL coaching clinic and teaching the students the rules and skills of the game. Unsurprisingly, most of them picked it up much faster than myself and the other mentors.  The students then exchanged some Indonesian culture with us and we watched incredible performances of Pencak Silat and the song, Que Sera Sera.

Overall, we had a great weekend and learnt as much from the students as they learnt from us. We were so grateful to have been invited by Bapak Ery and Bapak Iwan and thankful for the entire communities hospitality. We can’t wait to be back in Purwakarta to visit!!

This week, we gain insight into AIYA’s very own National President, Nicholas Mark as he shares his favourite things about Indonesia, his long-standing involvement with AIYA and his hopes for the bilateral relationship! Welcome Nick!

What is your occupation?

I am a lawyer at Kemp Strang in Sydney, practising in banking, finance and property law. I also aim to pursue Australia-Indonesia creative projects where possible, and I have previously written an Indonesians children’s book, Petualangan Anak Indonesia, and also assisted DFAT as writer on their Next Door Land edu-game and digital diplomacy app.

What is your favourite places to visit in Indonesia?

Jakarta (especially for the food and escape rooms) & Yogya (for the ACICIS nostalgia).

Favourite meal in Indonesia?

Bamboo-smoked grilled fish (ikan bakar dalam bambu) from Karimata in south-east Jakarta (legend has it that the secret recipe sambal is only known by the owner/head chef, which he then divvies out to three separate people to prepare different elements before they are combined). Maknyus.

How about your favourite words in Indonesian?

Polisi tidur, kejeduk, cekukan, ngopi, luar biasa & semangat.

 Do you have a favourite Indonesian film?

I love watching any and all Indonesian films. My top two would have to be Janji Joni and The Raid 2: Berandal. My other favourites are Langitku Rumahku, Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts, Tiga Dara (1956), Petualangan Sherina, the AADC films, Cek Toko Sebelah, Mendadak Dangdut, Tabula Rasa & even Cinta di Perth.

How did you first become interested in Indonesia?

Fortunately, it was compulsory for me to learn Bahasa Indonesia in years 7-8, and also for one term in year 5. I was hooked straight away, and then took it as an elective up until the HSC, continued at university and did an ACICIS semester at UGM.

What was getting involved with AIYA like?

Before AIYA was created, there were relatively few opportunities for young Australians and Indonesians with an interest in the other’s country to connect with each other outside of a university context or to actively collaborate or participate in larger Australia-Indonesia initiatives. It was a privilege to be part of the team that got AIYA NSW up and running back in late 2012 and I have been involved as much as possible ever since to help grow the impact and reach of the organisation across both countries.

Any hopes for the bilateral relationship?

For both Australians and Indonesians, especially youth, to generally take increasingly greater interest in each other. That personal interest will spark future collaborations and build stronger ties at all levels. We are incredibly different neighbours with a lot to learn from each other.

What do you like most about AIYA?

The dedication of all the volunteers involved. The continued growth of our diverse online and offline activities. The opportunities and connections forged across the organisation (including getting to meet my now-wife when organising the AIYA NSW launch!).

Sum up your experience as an AIYA member in three words!

Rewarding. Inspiring. Seru.

AIYA is seeking submissions from individual members for the 2018 AIYA Annual, and we want to hear from you!

In last year’s 2017 AIYA Annual, we received an amazing range of original material from our talent AIYA members, and we are excited to feature your work again this year!

Some ideas for your piece can include, but are certainly not limited to:

• Opinion pieces
• News articles
• Photo essays
• Thesis excerpts
• Book/film reviews
• Short stories
• Interviews

But feel free to get creative! You may even like to expand/update an earlier piece you have written for the AIYA blog. If you’re an AIYA chapter committee member, you’re also welcome to contribute a piece as an individual member (alongside the input from your chapter). Submissions can be in English or Bahasa Indonesia.

The best pieces will be selected for publication in the AIYA Annual, to be released in December 2018.

Please direct your submissions to [email protected] by 11 November, 2018.

In the meantime, if you have any questions or need some creative direction don’t hesitate to get in touch!

Jayne Fendyk

Chief Editor AIYA Annual
[email protected]

Zahrina Aditya (‘Adit’)

Assistant Editor AIYA Annual
[email protected]

Past Australian Socceroos Star and currently playing for PSM Makassar, Bruce Djite joins us to share his experiences in Indonesia and thoughts on the importance of sport in the Australia-Indonesia relationship. 

Tell us a little bit about your background? How did you get into playing Soccer?

I was born in the United States, my father was born in Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) and my mother in Togo. At the age of 3, my family (parents and 2 brothers) moved to Sydney, Australia. I completed all my schooling in Sydney (preschool – year 12). After high school I attended Macquarie University for 6 months before being offered a soccer scholarship at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) in Canberra. I spent about 9 months at the AIS before signing my first professional soccer contract in 2007 with Adelaide United. Since then I have played in Turkey, China, South Korea and currently Indonesia. I have also played for Australian National teams including, Young Socceroos (U’20), Olympic team (U’23) and the Socceroos.

I initially got into playing Soccer during a family trip to the Ivory Coast in 1993. Once we returned to Australia I was quick to register with my local amateur soccer club and just enjoyed playing the game. By the time I was 8 I knew soccer was all I wanted to do.

Tell us a little bit about your thoughts on Indonesia? What do you enjoy the most / least about working and living in Indonesia?

Indonesia is a fascinating country! It is the 6^th country in which I have lived, and it is very different from any other country I have even visited (I have been to over 35 countries). I have never experienced such a diverse country, living in relative harmony. It has vast resources, a huge population, diverse economy and great potential. They are football fanatics which results in an amazing atmosphere at every game.

The best thing about Indonesia is how warm the people are, the conveniences of living here ‘think GO-Jek and Grab’ and how crazy they are about football. The greatest negatives for me is the real lack of transport infrastructure which makes travelling to games and even within cities a bit of a nightmare.

How is playing soccer in Indonesia different to playing in Australia and or other countries? 

Playing here has some similarities with every other country I have played, I guess that comes with experience. The fans as I mentioned earlier are fantastic and most games are played in sold out stadiums, this is similar to Turkey but very different to South Korea where crowd numbers were dismal. Indonesia however is relatively disorganised in many aspects; no information is reliable and very few things are predictable. Australia, Korea, Turkey and China were all the opposite, in that everything was well organised and set in stone at the start of the season.

What does sports diplomacy mean to you?

Sports Diplomacy, especially soccer being the “World Game” is one of the best tools of soft power that Australia possesses. In my view this significant attribute is under-utilised, especially with our nearest neighbours in Asia and the Pacific. Sports Diplomacy brings people together, sport transcends linguistic, sociocultural and all other differences. Sports diplomacy is a great tool to increase dialogue and cultural understanding between states and is a terrific strategy to facilitate the establishment of long-term relationships, consensus and understanding. Sports diplomacy can also be used as a tool to raise funding for aid projects as well as increase the standard of education.

What role do you think sport can play in the Australia-Indonesia relationship?

I think at present sport plays a limited role in the Australia-Indonesia relationship and I believe more could be done on this level. Soccer is by far the most popular sport in Indonesia and it resonates with everyone in the country, from President Jokowi Widodo to Indonesian diplomats to the everyday citizen. I believe sport is one of Australia’s greatest attributes. Whether it be the abundance of sporting talent Australia produces considering our relatively small population, as well as our training techniques, sporting successes and the governance structures within our sporting codes/organisations. Certainly, the sporting successes of Australia is the envy of our neighbours and I think we could and should use that intellectual property to help improve Indonesia’s standing in sport. This would bring them international recognition and acclaim either through future Olympic medals or improved competitiveness on the global stage. I must also stress, the benefits in this approach are not only limited to elite level of sport or the track or field. There are enormous economic, educational and other benefits to be derived from a strong sporting industry both at elite and grassroots level, especially in a country the size of Indonesia with a population of over 250 million people.

If you could give young people any life/career advice, what would it be?

Follow your passion and accept all challenges, especially the ones where your first thought is, “I’m not ready for this”. It is through the process of failure, dusting yourself off, getting up again and having another go that you will become successful in whatever it is you choose to do.

Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and experiences with us Bruce!

See what Bruce has been up to on Instagram and Twitter. Keep an eye out for more interviews in the coming weeks!

Agung Nugroho, one of Indonesians most successful young entrepreneurs

Welcome back to Career Champion! AIYA celebrates the contributions of those who provide inspiration and enhance understanding between Australians and Indonesians through Career Champion series. This week we present you our inspiring persona, Agung Nugroho, a young entrepreneur and co-founder of KUDO who spoke at City of Sydney Entrepreneurship Program. Agung shared his views to AIYA on how the tech business is revoluting in South East Asia and why he thinks Australia is missing out!

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We Did It!!!

On Saturday the 15^th of September, we rose at the crack of dawn, gloves and bags in hand, ready to clean up the streets of Bandung. As just one location across 155 countries, we had the privilege of being just a few in 13 plus million volunteers contributing to a cleaner, waste-free world. Inspired by more humble beginnings, this day provides ordinary people with the opportunity to achieve something truly extraordinary. Not only that, but World Cleanup Day, gives communities the opportunity to come together, despite differences in race, occupation, background and hobbies and work towards a common goal.

Photo: 2018 International Cleanup Crew

As we walked the streets of Bandung you could sense the vibrancy of the community. There were Warung owners helping us pick up rubbish as we walked pass their stall and children loving the opportunity to help their parents and get involved. It was wonderful to see so many people uniting in one location passionate and excited about two hours of doing our bit for the environment. Just in our group alone, there were 5 different nations represented, just showing the how something as simple as picking up rubbish has the ability to unite people from all over the globe.

The overwhelming consensus on the day was that it was great to be a part of something bigger than ourselves and contribute to a cleaner planet. World Cleanup day has definitely been written into our 2019 Calendar, no matter what part of the world we find ourselves next year.

One of AIYA Jakarta committee members, Aulia Rifqy, shared his experience during a volunteer team at the Asian Games event last August. Next, Aulia shared his experience briefly with AIYA along with portraits of the excitement of the Asian Games in Jakarta.

Kaka the 2018 Asian Games mascot welcomed the visitors at the entrance to GBK

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