From visiting mosques and cycling to performing in soap operas, a number of foreign ambassadors in Indonesia have developed their own diplomatic strategies to get closer to the local people.

US Ambassador Robert O. Blake Jr. snatched the opportunity to interact with a greater number of Indonesians by appearing in Salam, a new religious soap opera series on the private TV station RCTI.

In Salam, slated to be aired on June 6 to welcome the holy month of Ramadhan, Blake acts beside Harris J. — a British Muslim singer from London. He will appear as a cameo in one of its 30 episodes.

“This year, I was fortunate to collaborate with Harris J. and my reputation increased considerably after that,” he exclaimed during a recent launch of Salam at the US Embassy’s cultural center @america in Pacific Place, South Jakarta, referring to an increase in the number of his Twitter followers.

The popularity of soap operas in this country is so large that it is very common to see locals glued to certain TV channels at certain hours. In fact, Blake has had his share of cameos. Previously, he appeared in Preman Pensiun (Retired Thug), also on RCTI, and Emak Ijah Pengen ke Mekah (Emak Ijah Wants to Go to Mecca).

Interaction with Indonesians is of great importance in building strong relations between the two countries, the ambassador says. He says one of the greatest collaborations the embassy has made is by appearing in the soap opera, where he got a chance to perform funny little skits with people.

“As ambassador, my job is to reach out to all of Indonesia, to 250 million Indonesians. So we try to do that through television, through Twitter, and through programs like sinetron because they reach audiences that we would not otherwise reach,” he said.

Blake says he also wants to encourage everyone to think of Ramadhan as a way to embrace differences.

Appearing in soap operas has not been his sole effort. Throughout his time in Indonesia, Robert has continuously visited Pesantrens to advocate ideas of peace and tolerance.

“You see, it’s not about me at all, because the wider message is to show a great respect for Islam, and for Muslims all around the world, particularly as the month of Ramadhan begins,” he said.

Easy rider: Danish Ambassador Casper Klynge rides with the Bike2Work community and Kompas Gramedia Community from the State Palace to the Danish Embassy in South Jakarta, located 6 kilometers away, in this 2014 photo.(JP/Seto Wardhana)

He also highlights that with the involvement of singer Harris J., young Indonesians have a role in looking for common ground between the two countries and the rest of the world.

“Harris represents a voice of peace and of love and harmony. I want to show that it’s about the common values that we have such as democracy,” he added.

Other ambassadors to Indonesia also show creativity in their diplomacy.

Danish Ambassador Casper Klynge was in spotlight with his “bicycle diplomacy” when he travelled by bicycle to submit his credentials to then president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at Merdeka Palace in Central Jakarta in 2014.

Earlier this month, the ambassador, who is popular in the Bike2Work community, posted a selfie with a background of locals cycling along the main thoroughfares of Central Jakarta.

“Clear blue sky and the much-needed weekly dose of car-free-Sunday in the Big Durian...biking Jakarta is a zen-moment!” he wrote on his timeline.

He is not alone in pushing bicycle diplomacy. Last year, Klynge, together with Finnish Ambassador Paivi Hiltunen-Toivio, Norwegian Ambassador Stig Traavik and Swedish Ambassador Johanna Brismar Skoog, prepared for the celebration of the Nordic Midsummer Party at the Shangri-La Hotel in Central Jakarta by biking together from the National Monument (Monas).

Meanwhile, Australian Ambassador Paul Grigson has done 20 to 25 mosque visits where he receives many questions about how Muslims live in Australia and whether they celebrate Ramadhan. He says he also receives a lot of questions about the perspectives of Australians on Indonesian Muslims.

Game changer: Australian Ambassador Paul Grigson recently launched the multi-stage game Next Door Land that offers a virtual tour of Indonesia and Australia. It is intended to improve cultural understanding between the two nations.

“There are 500,000 Muslims in Australia and 175 mosques. Forty percent of Muslims in Australia were actually born there. They are not migrants,” he said in a recent interview.

Grigson is now increasing momentum with the launch of an online, multi-stage game called Next Door Land that takes viewers on a virtual tour of Indonesia and Australia to improve cultural understanding between the two countries. Next Door Land is now available on Android and for free download at the Culture and Education Ministry’s website Rumah Belajar.
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— Cemara Dinda is an intern at The Jakarta Post.