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View all search resultsIndonesia taps diaspora as strategic asset in turbulent global climate
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Indonesian participants march down Sixth Avenue during the Asian American and Pacific Islander Cultural and Heritage Parade in New York City, on May 21, 2023. (Courtesy of/Shutterstock)
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mid today’s increasingly volatile geopolitical landscape, the government is turning to its overseas citizens as strategic partners in safeguarding the nation’s future and strengthening the economy, officials said at the second Diaspora Global Summit in Central Jakarta on Tuesday.
Thousands of Indonesians from around the globe gathered for the three-day forum to explore how the diaspora can help drive the country’s long-term development, with discussions spanning technology, health, labor migration and citizenship.
Cohosted by the Indonesia Diaspora Network United (IDN-United), the event features more than 100 international speakers across 60 sessions under the theme Connecting Global Talent with Home.
Coordinating Law, Human Rights, Immigration and Correctional Services Minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra emphasized the significance of the roughly eight million Indonesians living abroad, noting that their annual remittances, around Rp 130 trillion (US$7.97 billion), surpass the country’s total foreign direct investment (FDI) inflow.
They work not only in the informal sector but also as professionals, such as academics, scientists, artists and even military and police officers, while promoting Indonesian culture abroad and contributing to diplomacy, he further noted.
“The diaspora essentially represents the nation’s ambassadors who bring honor to Indonesia on the world stage,” the senior minister said. “Instead of seeing them as a brain drain, we should view them as a brain gain; a source of intelligence and global networks that can be connected to our national development needs.”
Read also: #Kaburajadulu and the opportunities for a strategic talent policy
