TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Inclusive diplomacy: The First Lady on a courageous mission
Diplomatic spouses have actually contributed to the success of diplomacy through various activities, ranging from the private to public fora, from an informal to formal capacity.
Change Size
President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo and First Lady Iriana get ready to board the presidential aircraft that will take them to Moscow on June 30. (The Jakarta Post/Twitter/Jokowi)
P
resident Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has just returned from a peace-building visit to two warring countries, Ukraine and Russia. It was said to be successful and with a significant impact on Indonesia’s Group of 20 (G20) presidency.
Among the many aspects of the highly applauded shuttle diplomacy, the presence of First Lady Iriana accompanying the President was widely noted not only by the Indonesian people but also netizens across the world. This was evident when a picture Jokowi posted of Iriana warmly hugging a patient at a Ukrainian hospital for war victims received thousands of likes and retweets.
In its editorial "Courageous mission" on July 2, for example, The Jakarta Post wrote that "Commendation also goes to First Lady Iriana who stoically stood by the President, accompanying him on the trip to what is currently the most dangerous war zone in the world".
A political communications expert, when asked about the significance of Iriana's involvement despite the grave danger, said this indicated Indonesia’s unwavering commitment to world peace as mandated by the Constitution. In the Ukrainian and Russian outing, the First Lady showcased Indonesian inclusive diplomacy.
From a global perspective, this inclusive diplomacy was momentous. Only a few days earlier, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted a resolution inaugurating the International Day of Women in Diplomacy to be commemorated on June 24 every year. The basis of Resolution 76/269 was “reaffirming the 2030 Agenda of Sustainable Development and that gender equality and empowerment of all women and girls will make a crucial contribution; recognizing the important contributions that women make to diplomacy and noting the underrepresentation of women in diplomacy”.
Mainstream diplomacy is the sphere of official diplomats under the Foreign Ministry as official representation of the state. Hence in the case of UNGA Resolution 76/269, the main subject concerning the resolution is female diplomats.
However, it should be noted that in recent decades the world has transformed completely. Globalization and massive progress in information technology have altered the landscape of almost all fields, including diplomacy. State actors now are no longer the only players; non-state actors in various forms have continuously contributed to the field. Even individuals can take part through the so-called “citizen diplomacy” in quite many ways.
