Konferensi Australia Indonesia Business Council (AIBC) 2018 yang berlangsung pada tanggal 11 hingga 13 November 2018 diselenggarakan di Gold Coast, Queensland. Dengan mengangkat tema ‘Partnering for Prosperity in a World of Change’ (Bermitra untuk Kemakmuran di Tengah Perubahan Dunia), konferensi ini menekankan pentingnya memperkuat hubungan kedua negara dan mengatasi tantangan-tantangan dalam rangka mencapai kemakmuran bersama.

© Nina Williams Photography

AIBC Chapters Presidents beserta Duta Besar Indonesia untuk Australia, Bapak Kristiarto Legowo dan Konsulat Jeneral Bapak Heru Subolo.

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photo credit: PPIA Macquarie

Sebagai salah satu destinasi terpopuler bagi para pelajar Indonesia, Australia merupakan rumah kedua oleh satu dari empat pelajar yang belajar di luar negeri. Berimbang dengan statistik itu sendiri, hal ini memungkinkan untuk para pelajar Indonesia yang tergabung dalam PPIA (Perhimpunan Pelajar Indonesia Australia) untuk memiliki komunitas yang solid. Telah menjadi tradisi bagi PPIA yang tersebar di berbagai pelosok Australia untuk mengadakan acara tahunan sebagai ajang untuk mempromosikan budaya, seni, bahasa, serta untuk menyatukan warga Indonesia yang rindu akan negara kelahiran mereka.

Para mahasiswa dari Universitas Macquarie dengan bangga mempersembahkan salah satu acara terbesar PPIA yang dinamai Soundquriang, The V Act (Soundquriang, Babak kelima). Acara yang diselenggarakan di City Recital Hall Sydney ini dimeriahkan oleh salah satu band tebesar Indonesia Sheila On 7, vokal grup populer HIVI!, serta dimeriahkan oleh The East and Friends, pemecah rekor MURI Michael Anthony dan pagelaran budaya Indonesia, Tari Kecak.

Sengaja datang awal, Blog Editor AIYA, mengikuti kegiatan tim PPIA Macquarie bersiap serta untuk mengenal lebih dalam otak kreatif di balik mereka yang mempersiapkan malam yang megah tersebut.

Pengarahan tim sebelum acara dimulai

Sementara penyelenggara tengah bersibuk mempersiapkan Sounquriang, dengan tipikal kehebohan dari penampilan langsung, para penonton mulai berdatangan sejak jam 4 sore meski acara baru akan dimulai pada pukul 6 malam. Jam 4.45 saat pintu utama dibuka untuk pengambilan dan pembelian tiket, para komite yang terdiri dari 30 mahasiswa tersebut berpencar menjalankan tugas mereka masing-masing baik membantu para penonton, mempersiapkan panggung, hingga menjual cenderamata.

Soundquriang the V Act merupakan acara terbesar yang pernah PPIA Macquarie adakan dengan  1.200 tiket terjual, 100% keuntungan yang didapat akan disumbangkan kepada Rumah Faye, rumah singgah untuk korban perdagangan anak yang berpusat di Jakarta. Diakui oleh Joshua sebagai Komite Marketing, peningkatan dari Soundquriang sejak tahun ke tahun tidak lah terjadi dalam seketika. Dibutuhkan 6 bulan untuk tim PPIA Macquarie untuk mempersiapkan Soundquriang di tahun yang kelima ini. Baginya pembelajaran terbesar dalam berorganisasi adalah diasahnya kemampuan kepemimpinan mereka. Baginya dan tim, tantangan terbesar yang mereka temui adalah untuk dapat melakukan segalanya bersamaan dengan tugas kuliah yang mereka emban.

Meski dengan memiliki 30 orang di dalam tim, Joshua mengaku terkadang merasa kewalahan dengan tugas dan tanggung jawab yang ada seperti proses melobi dan mengambil keputusan. Dia juga mengajak para pelajar Indonesia lainnya untuk ikut serta menyumbang tenaga dan ide kreatif dengan bergabung dalam tim di tahun mendatang. Saat menjawab apa yang akan dipersembahkan tim PPIA Macquarie tahun depan, Joshua menjawab sembari bercanda,“kami belum tahu tepatnya namun saya ingin semua ini berakhir dulu,” menjelaskan seberapa banyak kerja keras yang telah ditaruh untuk merealisasikan acara ini. “Kami harap semuanya berjalan dengan lancar dan semua dapat menikmati acaranya, untuk sekarang itu saja harapan saya.” Sambungnya dengan penuh harap dan percaya diri.

Pengambilan dan pembelian tiket yang dilakukan diadakan di City Recital Hall Sydney

Acara dimulai dengan kata pengantar dan ucapan terima kasih oleh Fionita dan Richard, masing-masing sebagai Project Manager dan Venue Coordinator. The East and Friends membuka babak pertama dengan membawakan lagu-lagu nasional seperti Indonesia Pusaka, Dari Sabang Sampai Merauke, hingga lagu-lagu daerah seperti Sinagar Tulo and Kincir-Kincir.

The East and Friends membuka babak pertama ditemani penari-penari adat Indonesia

Soundquriang the V Act dihadiri oleh Bapak Heru Subolo selaku Komjen RI untuk NSW, Bapak Heru menggunakan kesempatan ini untuk menghimbau para masyarakat yang hadir untuk mendaftarkan diri untuk pemilihan umum presiden yang diselenggarakan pada pertengahan April mendatang. Beliau juga menekankan betapa pentingnya peran warga negara Indonesia untuk menjadi stakeholder dalam memperkenalkan budaya, seni, dan lagu Indonesia di luar negeri dalam mewujudkan ‘The Modern Indonesia’.

Pak Heru memberikan satu dua patah kata bersama dengan pembawa acara, Darian

Michael Anthony Kwok dengan bakatnya membuka babak kedua, Michael yang mencuri perhatian para hadirin dengan permainan pianonya memainkan lagu-lagu nasional Indonesia hinnga ke lagu tema Asian Games, Meraih Bintang (Yo Ayo). Michael juga pemecah rekor MURI sebagai pianis tuna netra-autistik termuda Indonesia. Remaja 15 tahun ini belajar musik (piano) secara otodidak dengan mendengar sejak umur 3 tahun. Bakatnya diketahui secara tidak sengaja saat keluarga Kwok menyadari Michael memainkan lagu iklan yang baru didengarnya dan sejak saat itu Michael telah menguasai ratusan lagu lainnya. Tak hanya telah bermain di Belanda, Michael juga telah mengadakan pertunjukan solonya di Sydney Opera House.

Michael Kwok, jenius yang memukau para hadirin dengan musiknya

Seiring berjalan dengan malam, salah satu dari bintang utama, HIVI! membawakan babak ketiga dengan lagu-lagu hits mereka seperti Remaja, Pelangi, Kereta Kencan dan membawa antusiasme penonton. HIVI! melalui lagu-lagu cinta mereka membawa kehangatan serta romantisme ke dalam recital hall, mengajak para fans untuk ikut bernyanyi dan menari. HIVI! menggunakan kesempatan pertama mereka di panggung Sydney untuk berterima kasih kepada hadirin yang memungkinkan mereka untuk tampil di Australia serta harapan mereka untuk menghibur para hadirin kembali di masa depan melalui karya-karya mereka.

Kekompakan HIVI! di atas panggung 

Sebelum melangkah ke puncak acara, babak keempat merupakan pemanasan dari inti malam yang paling ditunggu-tunggu. Menampilkan kontemporari interpretasi dari Tari Kecak yang dibawakan oleh para pelajar untuk yang pertama kali dengan bantuan dari komunitas Tari Kecak di Sydney.

Penampilan para pelajar Indonesia dalam mempromosikan budaya Indonesia melalui Tari Kecak

Duta dan band mengguncang panggung Soundquriang dengan hits mereka

Meski mengalami sedikit kendala teknis, sisa dari malam berjalan dengan baik dengan pembawa acara Darian yang menggunakan kesempatan itu untuk berinteraksi dengan para penonton. Eksistensi Sheila On 7 selama 22 tahun di industri musik Indonesia dibuktikan dengan kehebohan yang terjadi saat Duta dan teman-teman tampil di atas panggung. Penampilan yang terasa seperti konser solo itu membawa para penonton turun dari duduk mereka dan bernyanyi mengiringi Sheila di panggung. Duta mengekspresikan rasa terima kasihnya diberikan kesempatan perdana mereka menghibur penonton di Australia. Dan malam yang akrab itu pun ditutup dengan sebuah lagu encore.

The night through a lense, photo credit: Disty

Terima kasih untuk keramahan dan bantuan dari teman-teman PPIA Macquarie kepada AIYA.

Jika ada teman-teman yang mengadakan acara yang berhubungan dengan Australia-Indonesia dan ingin acara tersebut diliput oleh kami, silahkan kirim kan kami email di [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                                                                               Zahrina Aditya (‘Adit’)

Chief Editor                                                                                  Assistant Editor

AIYA Annual                                                                                        AIYA Annual

[email protected]                                                          [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.

Salah seorang anggota komite AIYA Jakarta, Aulia Rifqy, berbagi pengalamannya selama menjadi tim sukarelawan di perhelatan Asian Games Agustus lalu. Berikut Aulia berbagi pengalamannya secara ringkas kepada AIYA  bersama dengan potret-potret kemeriahan Asian Games di Jakarta lalu.

Kaka sang maskot Asian Games 2018 menyambut para pengunjung di pintu masuk GBK

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