AIYA MEMBER SPOTLIGHT – VANIA DJUNAIDI
Welcome back to Member Spotlight where we introduce you to the personalities behind AIYA. This week, we introduce you to our AIYA’s Graphic Designer!
Welcome back to Member Spotlight where we introduce you to the personalities behind AIYA. This week, we introduce you to our AIYA’s Graphic Designer!
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!
This article was originally published by The Conversation.
All hell broke loose during the Wentworth by-election when Prime Minister Scott Morrison suddenly announced that he was thinking of moving of Australia’s embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
The main objections came, not on merits of the idea itself, but on whether it would upset Indonesia, the nation with whom Australia had just completed a landmark, but unsigned, free trade agreement and the nation with the world’s largest Muslim population.
The agreement is now unlikely to be signed for quite some time. In a face to face meeting with Indonesian President Joko Widodo last week that was intended to clear the way, Morrison was instead pressed about the Middle East.
But how important is the Indonesian trade relationship really? And would it be folly to sacrifice it on the altar of Middle East politics?
Australia and Indonesia have been entwined for a long time.
What is now Indonesia is almost certainly the Australian continent’s oldest trading partner.
Indigenous Australians fished and traded sea cucumber and other goods with their Makassan counterparts from at least the least the early 1700’s. Makassar is in the south-west corner of the Indonesian province of Sulawesi.
Australia provided critical support as what was then known as the Dutch East Indies fought for independence from the Dutch after the end of the second world war.
The Australian government provided medical supplies. Australian waterside workers refused to load Dutch ships.
These close ties continued 50 years later during the late 1990s Asian financial crisis when the Reserve Bank of Australia clashed with the International Monetary Fund and Clinton administration, who wanted to impose tough conditions on Indonesia in return for bailing it out.
Australia’s Treasurer Peter Costello took the advice of Reserve Bank Deputy Governor Stephen Grenville, who had been a diplomat in Jakarta, and stared down the IMF and the United States.
As a result the Indonesian economy fared much better, recovered more quickly and avoided much of damage endured by other developing economies that had done as the IMF wanted.
Two decades on, Indonesia is one of Australia’s top 15 trade partners, worth A$16.5 billion in two-way trade, and one of the biggest markets for Australian education.
In many ways, Indonesia is underdone as a partner for Australia.
It houses abound 262 million people but only around 250 Australian companies of any size, compared to more than 3,000 in China.
Among the companies that do have a big presence are the ANZ, Leightons, the Commonwealth Bank, Orica and Bluescope.
Its attractions are a massive and growing urban middle class and its need for infrastructure given the logistical challenges of connecting a huge population living across over 17,000 islands.
A free trade agreement is important to both sides, whatever political rhetoric President Widodo might need to employ to hold off his fundamentalist opponents.
Morrison told Widodo he would decide on the location of Australia’s Israel embassy by Christmas. The trade deal is likely to be signed soon after.
“Democracy for Prosperity: Youth Perspectives”
From 6 -7 December 2018, 137 students from various universities across 58 countries gathered in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia to participate in the 2nd Bali Democracy Students Conference (BDSC II), held in parallel with the 11th Bali Democracy Forum (BDF). There were three delegates from Australia, ourselves and Tristan Croft.
We discussed issues and shared our views on the challenges of making democracy that delivers prosperity particularly with regard to pertinent issues such as education, politics, gender, technology, innovation, prosperity, and social media.
As Indonesia prepares for next year’s election, Inside Indonesia released its Youth as the latest edition, focusing on how the mega voting demographic see their role in society now and the future.
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!
The AIYA Annual celebrates everything AIYA has achieved in the past year and it is coming your way soon! In the meantime, take a look back at AIYA’s amazing achievements in the 2017 Annual.
Keen for more news updates on all things Australia-Indonesia? Subscribe to the Australia-Indonesia Centres’ Media Updates for a twice-weekly digest!
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!
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!
Tom Lembong discussing economy of Indonesia and the bilateral relationship with Australia
As the Australia Indonesia Business Council (AIBC) Conference 2018 was held in Gold Coast earlier this month, AIYA had a chance to interview the head of the Indonesian Investment Coordinating Board, Thomas Lembong. Being one of the key speakers at the conference, the former Trade Minister shared his view regarding Indonesia’s prosperity in the midst of economic changes and global trends.
The AIYA Blog delivers a recap of the recent Australia Indonesia Business Council (AIBC) Conference held on the Gold Coast – check it out now!
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!
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.
AIBC Chapters Presidents with Indonesia Ambassador to Australia, Kristiarto Legowo and Consulate General, Heru Subolo.