Photo: Jakarta Globe

The past year has been an eventful one for Indonesia – from major international sporting events and global conferences to economic woes and devastating natural disasters. As we begin 2019, the Jakarta Globe looks back at the events that have impacted the country and its people.

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In the news

• Mr. Sutopo, the spokesman for Indonesia’s disaster management agency, has become a household name as a source of reliable information during a deadly string of earthquakes, floods, landslides and the most recent tsunami. Meanwhile, he has been dealing with his own calamity.
• Belgium, Dominican Republic, Germany, Indonesia and South Africa have begun to assume responsibilities as non-permanent members of the UN Security Council.
• Chatib Basri, finance minister during the presidency of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, and Syahrul Yasin Limpo, the former governor of South Sulawesi, are among 11 new appointees to Jokowi’s Presidential Staff Office.
• Indonesia’s scientists’ diaspora are an important resource that can be harnessed by the government for national growth in research and innovation. Despite lagging in scientific publications, Indonesia has the key ingredients to become a major global research hub.
• Vital Signs: In Bali’s ‘deaf village,’ a unique language gives hope to a new generation.

Keen for more news updates on all things Australia-Indonesia? Subscribe to the Australia-Indonesia Centres’ Media Updates for a twice-weekly digest!

On the blog

• Member Spotlight – It’s time to meet another dedicated young person working behind the scenes to help spread AIYA’s mission to connect, inform and inspire. This week, we have AIYA’s Web & IT Officer, Agus, yuk kenalan!

Events

• Jakarta, 7 & 10 January – FKP is a consortium of various institutions in Indonesia, and alongside ANU’s Indonesia Project, hosts a series of research based policy forums discussing topical policy issues in Indonesia. The first two seminars of 2019 will be hosted by WRI Indonesia and are entitled, ‘Towards Cleaner and More Affordable Household Energy Sources in Indonesia’ and ‘Innovative Economic Approaches to Tackle Deforestation in Indonesia’. Register now!
• Sydney, 18 & 19 January – Siti Rubiyah is the first play by feminist horror filmmaker Katrina Irawati Graham, a contemporary Indonesian-Australian work inspired in part by Mochtar Lubis’s classic 1975 novel Harimau! Harimau! (Tiger!). Check it out at Carriageworks, Sydney from 6pm – it’s free! More details here.

Opportunities

• Balai Bahasa dan Budaya of NSW is seeking anyone from AIYA NSW interested in joining their 2019 executive committee. Balai Bahasa help promote the value of learning about Indonesian language and culture across NSW. It’s a fantastic opportunity for young people to build up their skills set while expanding their network. There may be also opportunities to work with schools and the Indonesian Consulate next year. If you’re interested, contact Jane Ahlstrand via email: [email protected] or WhatsApp at: +61439248958.
• If you have relevant work experience or interest in Indonesia’s sustainable tourism sector, don’t miss the opportunity to apply for 2019 Sustainable Tourism Development short course. This is a fully funded scholarship from Australia Awards. Apply here before 13 January to contribute more to tourism development in Indonesia!
• A call for papers for the 12th International Indonesia Forum Conference “Rising to the Occasion: Indonesian Creativity, Ingenuity, and Innovation in a World in Transition”, is open until 31 March 2019. The conference will be held from 26–27 June 2019 in Taiwan. Find out more & submit your proposals here!
• Are you looking to improve your business development skills set by working on real problems over the summer? Participate in the Building a Social Business online course, hosted by our director of partnerships and memberships, Sam Shlansky, at econome. Take advantage of the discount to get $100 off the normal price of $199 by emailing your interest to [email protected].
• Check out the upcoming applications for Hamer Scholarships 2019! The scholarships offer the opportunity for language study and cultural engagement with dynamic markets such as Indonesia.
• Do you want to make positive change in your community? If you have a bright idea, don’t miss out on this opportunity to apply for the Alumni Grant Scheme (AGS). The Australian Awards are proud to have supported more than 100 projects across Indonesia since 2014, could yours be next? Applications are open to Indonesian nationals until 21 January 2019. For more information, click the link.
• The WEA Sydney provides Indonesian Beginners Courses for adults and is located 5 minutes walk from Townhall Station. It’s perfect for those with no previous knowledge of Indonesian language and who wish to learn the language for business, travel or everyday use. Sign up for the next course, commencing early February!
• The 2018 – 2019 Short Film Competition for the 14th Indonesian Film Festival has begun. The competition is open to all public from the 5th of November 2018 until the 3rd of March 2019. This year’s theme will explore “The Unknown”. Show off your creative skills for the chance to win a grand prize of AUD $750! For more information regarding competition rules and regulations, head to their website.
• Learning a language? Get Indonesian & English language help with UniBRIDGE Project.

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!

Photo: The Jakarta Post

In light of the string of natural disasters to have devastated the country in 2018, Indonesia faces the same question again and again: How can we be ready for multiple and often complex forms of natural disasters?

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In the news

• On Saturday, a tsunami devastated nearby villages and beach resorts along Indonesia’s Sunda Strait, which left at least 430 dead just days before Christmas.
• Authorities in Indonesia have raised the danger level to high alert, the second-highest level for Mt Anak Krakatau that triggered a tsunami on Saturday. They also extended the no-go zone to three miles and flights around the island have been rerouted.
• The rupiah will still face turbulence next year as a result of continuing global economic uncertainty, Coordinating Economic Minister Darmin Nasution has said.
• Indonesia’s Military has dismissed claims it used a banned chemical weapon to subdue separatist forces in West Papua, labelling the reports as propaganda.
• A total of 124 participants, mostly foreign citizens, took part in the Gili Strong Triathlon on Saturday. The event aimed to increase tourist arrivals and convince the world that tourist attractions in West Nusa Tenggara had recovered, especially those in Gili Trawangan.

On the blog

• Member Spotlight – We want to introduce you to the amazing, diverse range of dedicated young people involved in the organisation of AIYA. This week, we have AIYA’s Web & IT Officer, Vania, yuk kenalan!

Opportunities

• Balai Bahasa dan Budaya of NSW is seeking anyone from AIYA NSW interested in joining their 2019 executive committee. Balai Bahasa help promote the value of learning about Indonesian language and culture across NSW. It’s a fantastic opportunity for young people to build up their skills set while expanding their network. There may be also opportunities to work with schools and the Indonesian Consulate next year. If you’re interested, please contact Jane Ahlstrand via email: [email protected] or on WhatsApp at: +61439248958.
• Are you looking to develop your business development skillset by working on real problems over the summer? Participate in the Building a Social Business online course, hosted by our director of partnerships and memberships, Sam Shlansky, at econome. Take advantage of the discount to get $100 off the normal price of $199 by emailing your interest to [email protected].
• Check out the upcoming applications for Hamer Scholarships 2019! The scholarships offer the opportunity for language study and cultural engagement with dynamic markets such as Indonesia.
• Do you want to make positive change in your community? If you have a bright idea, don’t miss out on this opportunity to apply for the Alumni Grant Scheme (AGS). The Australian Awards are proud to have supported more than 100 projects across Indonesia since 2014, could yours be next? Applications are open to Indonesian nationals until 21 January 2019. For more information, click the link.
• The WEA Sydney provides Indonesian Beginners Courses for adults and is located 5 minutes walk from Townhall Station. It’s perfect for those with no previous knowledge of Indonesian language and who wish to learn the language for business, travel or everyday use. Sign up for the next course, commencing early February!
• The 2018 – 2019 Short Film Competition for the 14th Indonesian Film Festival has begun. The competition is open to all public from the 5th of November 2018 until the 3rd of March 2019. This year’s theme will explore “The Unknown”. Show off your creative skills for the chance to win a grand prize of AUD $750! For more information regarding competition rules and regulations, head to their website.
• Learning a language? Get Indonesian & English language help with UniBRIDGE Project.

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!

In the news

• Late last week, Scott Morrison announced Australia will recognise West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, in a controversial move that could jeopardize the free trade deal with Indonesia.
• Indonesian drama Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts by female director Mouly Surya triumphed at this year’s Indonesian Film Festival and represents Indonesian cinema’s rapid ascent to the world stage. Thomas Barker shares why 2019 will be a year to watch in Indonesian cinema.
• After marking International Anti-Corruption Day on December 9, it is important to reflect on the accomplishments of the Indonesian government’s fight against corruption. Yet despite progress, there appear to be gaping holes in the government’s anti-corruption policies.
• Forbes Asia has reviewed the winners and losers in their 2018 Indonesia Rich List and it seems overall, Indonesia’s tycoons are getting wealthier.  
• Few Indonesians have had the opportunity to experience education in Indonesia and abroad. Ella Nugraha from the AIC  writes about her experience coming to Australia and attending school in 1992.  

On the blog

• Missed out on the 2018 Bali Democracy Students Conference? Check out the highlights of a democracy discussion involving youths from 58 countries around the globe in the Nusa Dua Bali here.

Events

• Makassar, 22 December (TOMORROW) – AIYA Eastern Indonesia (Makassar) are providing an IELTS Simulation Test in partnership with Golden Gate Education. Register before 20 December. More details available on Instagram.
• Perth, 25 December – The Indonesian Consulate in Perth has invited AIYA WA to celebrate Christmas together this year at Wisma Indonesia, Applecross!

Opportunities

• Are you looking to develop your business development skillsets by working on real problems over the summer? Join Building a Social Business online course hosted by our director of partnerships and memberships, Sam Shlansky, at econome. Take advantage of the discount to get $100 off the normal price of $199 with code ECONOMIST.
• Check out the upcoming applications for Hamer Scholarships 2019! The scholarships offer the opportunity for language study and cultural engagement with dynamic markets such as Indonesia.
• Do you want to make positive change in your community? If you have a bright idea, don’t miss out on this opportunity to apply for the Alumni Grant Scheme (AGS). The Australian Awards are proud to have supported more than 100 projects across Indonesia since 2014, could yours be next? Applications are open to Indonesian nationals until 21 January 2019. For more information, click the link.
• The WEA Sydney provides Indonesian Beginners Courses for adults and is located 5 minutes walk from Townhall Station. It’s perfect for those with no previous knowledge of Indonesian language and who wish to learn the language for business, travel or everyday use. Sign up for the next course, commencing early February!
• The 2018 – 2019 Short Film Competition for the 14th Indonesian Film Festival has begun. The competition is open to all public from the 5th of November 2018 until the 3rd of March 2019. This year’s theme will explore “The Unknown”. Show off your creativity and skills, and get the chance to win a grand prize of AUD $750! For more information regarding competition rules and regulation, head to their website.
• Learning a language? Get Indonesian & English language help with UniBRIDGE Project.

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!

Credit: Larry McCallum [Flickr Creative Commons]

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.

Read more here

In the news

• Grace Natalie, an former journalist and now Indonesian Solidarity Part (PSI) was accused of blasphemy for suggesting that Christianising and Islamising local regulations were discriminatory and could result in injustice and intolerance. Many speculate that her fate is similar to that of Ahok.
• The man who helped pay the protesters demonstrating against Australia at its embassy in Jakarta is one of President Joko Widodo’s official volunteer teams campaigning for his re-election. Experts argue that the protest is linked to Indonesian politics rather than the bilateral relationship.
• Meanwhile, Jokowi is planning to double cash handouts to the poor known as the conditional aid, to 10 million families, ahead of general elections in April.
• Al Jazeera follows the life of Sutino “Kinong” Hadi, a driver who transformed his tuk tuk to be a mobile library providing children in some of Jakarta’s poorest neighbourhoods.
• Asian Para Games last October made disability no longer invisible. Dina Afrianty from La Trobe University thinks that while such event is a milestone, the work for disability inclusion should go beyond a sporting competition.
• World leaders gather from the past week in Poland for COP24, the most important global meeting on climate change since the Paris Conference in 2015. Vox shares why Indonesia is the most important country for the global climate that no one is talking about.

On the blog

• This week, we attended the AIBC NSW End of Year event, where you can learn about Mandalika, Indonesia’s next big travel destination.

Events

• Adelaide, 16 December – AIYA SA & PPIA SA are organising an end of year hike & semester break party. Can’t do the hike? Join the lunch at 12 by meeting the team at the reserve.
• Makassar, 22 December – AIYA Eastern Indonesia (Makassar) are providing an IELTS Simulation Test in partnership with Golden Gate Education. Register before 20 December. More details available on Instagram.
• Melbourne, 19 December – AIYA Victoria LX @ RMIT Swanston Academic Building 80, from 6pm.
• Perth, 16 December – AIYA WA are inviting members and friends to 2018 Sundowner, a networking event followed by movie screening of Aceh: Beyond the Tsunami by Friends of the Sea. Datang yuk!

Opportunities

• Are you looking to develop your business development skillsets by working on real problems over the summer? Join Building a Social Business online course hosted by our director of partnerships and memberships, Sam Shlansky, at econome. Take advantage of the discount to get $100 off the normal price of $199 with code ECONOMIST.
• Check out the upcoming applications for Hamer Scholarships 2019! The scholarships offer the opportunity for language study and cultural engagement with dynamic markets such as Indonesia.
• Do you want to make positive change in your community? If you have a bright idea, don’t miss out on this opportunity to apply for the Alumni Grant Scheme (AGS). The Australian Awards are proud to have supported more than 100 projects across Indonesia since 2014, could yours be next? Applications are open to Indonesian nationals until 21 January 2019. For more information, click the link.
• The WEA Sydney provides Indonesian Beginners Courses for adults and is located 5 minutes walk from Townhall Station. It’s perfect for those with no previous knowledge of Indonesian language and who wish to learn the language for business, travel or everyday use. Sign up for the next course, commencing early February!
• The 2018 – 2019 Short Film Competition for the 14th Indonesian Film Festival has begun. The competition is open to all public from the 5th of November 2018 until the 3rd of March 2019. This year’s theme will explore “The Unknown”. Show off your creativity and skills, and get the chance to win a grand prize of AUD $750! For more information regarding competition rules and regulation, head to their website.
• The Michael and Deborah Thawley Scholarship offers an Australian official, officer, student, or recent graduate an exceptional opportunity to contribute to the work of two leading think tanks, the Lowy Institute and the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Applications will be assessed on a rolling basis, and close 5pm, Friday 19 April 2019. Find out more here!
• Learning a language? Get Indonesian & English language help with UniBRIDGE Project.

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.

Read more here

In the news

• With two-way trade stagnating and the long-waited free trade deal plagued with delays, there is lots to cover in the Australia-Indonesia economic relationship. Speaking at a recent event in Perth, former Finance Minister Dr Muhamad Chatib Basri told attendees that the relationship needs to move beyond trade.
• The past months in Indonesia — virtually a nonstop string of disasters — have been a huge test for Retno and others in Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency. Yet the stress, difficult logistics and relentless demands also have made Indonesia’s rescuers into something of folk heroes in their trademark orange jumpsuits.
• A group of villagers have come up with a sustainable plan to stop people from polluting their water channels – and it worked. Meet the Indonesians turning dirty waterways into clean fish farms.
• The brutal death of an Indonesian football supporter at the hands of a rival club’s fans has attracted international attention. Andy Fuller from the University of Melbourne asks, is anything being done to prevent further violence?
• The Anglican School Googong is temporarily suspending its Indonesian language course from 2019 while it reviews its languages program. It is the second school this month to consider dropping Indonesian sparking fears Australian students will be left behind on the world stage.
• From Australian Politics to Krupuk, AIYA NSW’s Malam Trivia covered it all and SBS Indonesia came along to take a look. Hear from the AIYA NSW team about the night’s success and watch footage of the many eating challenges on the SBS Indonesia website!

Keen for more news updates on all things Australia-Indonesia? Subscribe to the Australia-Indonesia Centres’ Media Updates for a twice-weekly digest!

Events

• Kupang, 8 December – AIYA EastIndo-Kupang committee in collaboration with MITRA Association and Aksi Untuk NTT is going to hold a TOEFL Try Out Test. All money raised will be donated to charity. Register yourself and evaluate your English language proficiency!
• Makassar, 22 December – AIYA Eastern Indonesia (Makassar) are providing an IELTS Simulation Test in partnership with Golden Gate Education. Register before 20 December. More details available on Instagram.
• Melbourne, 12 December – AIYA Victoria LX @ RMIT Swanston Academic Building 80, from 6pm.
• Melbourne, 7-9 December – The World Rice Festival is on down at Birrarung Marr, Melbourne. Taste a range of nasi-based dishes from across the globe.
• Sydney, 10 December – With the upcoming 2019 Indonesian residential and legislative elections, UNSW’s public lecture entitled, The Law & Politics of Elections in Indonesia: Possibility, Prospects & Challenges is something you won’t want to miss!

Opportunities

• Do you want to make positive change in your community? If you have a bright idea, don’t miss out on this opportunity to apply for the Alumni Grant Scheme (AGS). The Australian Awards are proud to have supported more than 100 projects across Indonesia since 2014, could yours be next? Applications are open to Indonesian nationals until 21 January 2019. For more information, click the link.
• Screenwest based in Perth, WA is looking for a Researcher/Relationship Coordinator (full time) to research and facilitate connections with key Indonesian entertainment players and provide an overview of the Indonesian film and television makers, market and trends. It commences in January 2019 and concludes at the end of the Festival Sinema Australia Indonesia Short Film Festival (FSAI) in March 2019. Email applications to Eva Di Blasio, Talent Development Manager at [email protected]. Applications close at 5:00pm AWST TODAY.
• Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organization that has a vision to fight for human rights as described in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international standards. They currently have vacancies for the positions of Activism and Resources Coordinator & Community Organizer Coordinator, both based in Jakarta. Apply here!
• The WEA Sydney provides Indonesian Beginners Courses for adults and is 5 minutes walk from Townhall Station. It’s perfect for those with no previous knowledge of Indonesian language and who wish to learn the language for business, travel or everyday use. Sign up for the next course, commencing early February!
• The 2018 – 2019 Short Film Competition for the 14th Indonesian Film Festival has begun. The competition is open to all public from the 5th of November 2018 until the 3rd of March 2019. This year’s theme will explore “The Unknown”. Show off your creativity and skills, and get the chance to win a grand prize of AUD $750! For more information regarding competition rules and regulation, head to their website.
• Researchers from Loyola Marymount University, California Lutheran University and Arhus University are looking into understanding how expats work together with local host country employees. Check out the survey here to share your experience in Indonesia or Australia and contact [email protected] for any questions.
• Want to host a pop-up ReelOzInd! Film Festival Screening? Choose any date within the Festival period (running until 31 December 2018) and register your event. Contact [email protected] to register.
• Learning a language? Get Indonesian & English language help with UniBRIDGE Project.

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!