The winning essay will be published in both the print and online editions of The Jakarta Post and will be announced during the Cultural Night at the 51st IFTDO World Conference & Exhibition 2025.

The fight against neglected tropical diseases is a fight for equity, productivity and long-term security. Southeast Asia can lead the way.

Given the limited competence of financial institutions in conducting sustainability assessments, the availability of a clear, credible and scientific guide is an important catalyst.

To take advantage of the situation and maintain their autonomy, middle powers will need to pursue multilateral cooperation.

Although the national tourism development strategy is included in the 2025–2029 development plan, practical and detailed strategic planning remains absent.

President Prabowo Subianto joined a massive Labor Day rally in Jakarta on May 1, making some promises that went down well with the crowd. However, his appearance seemed to blunt their expressing more radical demands as well as criticisms against businesses and the government.

The pessimistic scenario is that the first quarter was bad but that things will only get harder from now on, given the uncertainty ahead. The optimistic view is that, while global factors are largely out of our control, there are steps we can take at home to prepare our country.

ASEAN and its dialogue partners have been able to describe and lament the risks inherent in the tariff wars but have not been able to put into effect concrete, coordinated steps to avert further crisis.

A liberating dialogue is necessary among all people, whatever their background, to free us from division, conflict and suffering and foster unity and love through mutual respect for our diverse traditions.

The multiple crises on multiple fronts we face today requires more than just prayer: All people across the globe need to come together in a well-being economy, where human and ecological well-being are at the heart of development.

The World Bank has revised down its forecast for Indonesia’s economic growth in 2025 to 4.7 percent year-on-year (yoy), below the psychologically significant 5 percent threshold, from a previous estimate of 5.1 percent. The bank also downgraded Indonesia’s average growth projection for 2025–2027 to just 4.8 percent, a notable drop from the 5.1 percent average it projected in October 2024 for the 2024–2026 period. This downward revision raises serious questions about the feasibility of the Prabowo Subianto administration’s goal to achieve 8 percent annual GDP growth by the end of his term.

The involvement of women and young women in the energy sector can lead to a more transparent and accountable system of energy management.

A champion of the Catholic tradition of social justice founded by his namesake Leo XIII, Prevost's background and clear admiration for his predecessor indicates that he may follow the same path to peace and love that Francis trod for the last 12 years.

Greenland lies across the most direct routes from Russia to the populous east coast of the US, and is the closest territory in the Arctic to both the Russian and the European heartlands.

When facts are manipulated, when the aggressor dresses itself in the symbols of justice and when war crimes are paraded as heroism, the world must pay attention.

It is indisputable that politeness is instrumental in social life. Nonetheless, some exceptions and conditions may justify impoliteness to some degree.

Prabowo's approach is driven by a desire to retain friendly relations with the US and China, retaining close economic and security cooperation with both.

Many Indonesians have become victims of land mafia.

Mass organizations have been identified as an obstacle to the investment climate in the country, as many of them often engage in thuggery, demanding illegal levies in return for security rackets. While some of the groups have proven to violate the law, it looks difficult for the law enforcers to act against them, simply because of their connection to, and hence support from, political elites, if not the military or the police top brass. 

Any attempt to distort the military’s impartiality not only endangers national security, but also breaches the spirit of the reform movement 27 years ago.

In today’s tech-driven business landscape, legal departments are facing increasing challenges in contributing their value to organisations. Conventional processes and paper-based documentation can be time-consuming and prone to errors, as in-house counsels spend considerable time drafting contracts, managing case files, monitoring licensing compliance and conducting research using basic tools like email and word processors.

The three opposition parties could forge a sort of entente, a united strategy to challenge the mainstream narrative being shaped by PAP. 

We seem to be approaching a new “Kindleberger gap.” The existing hegemon appears to be self-destructing, as it refuses to supply global public goods, and there is no clear candidate to fill its shoes.

When toll roads become increasingly vital to connectivity, reconciling tensions between the interests of toll road investors and operators vis-a-vis those of users is a contentious issue to address.

Why, in a global communion of 1.4 billion faithful, has the modern conclave not looked beyond Europeans for a new pope? And what would need to change for it to do so?

Universal free lunches can reduce social stigma, ensuring all students feel comfortable receiving meals without economic or health-related discrimination.

President Prabowo Subianto delivered a closed-door address to 1,500 state-owned enterprise (SOE) leaders at the Danantara Indonesia Town Hall Meeting on Apr. 28, held at the Jakarta Convention Center. The unexpected decision to exclude the press from the event has raised concerns about transparency, particularly given the public role of SOEs in shaping Indonesia’s economic trajectory.