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Raising Indonesia's international profile
Cultural extravaganza: A table at the Indonesian Dinner Night in the Swiss city of St Gallen laid on by the Trade Ministry in May as part of efforts to foster the Indonesiaâs image through cultural and culinary richness
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Cultural extravaganza: A table at the Indonesian Dinner Night in the Swiss city of St Gallen laid on by the Trade Ministry in May as part of efforts to foster the Indonesiaâs image through cultural and culinary richness. (JP/Yohanna Ririhena) (JP/Yohanna Ririhena)
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span class="inline inline-none">Cultural extravaganza: A table at the Indonesian Dinner Night in the Swiss city of St Gallen laid on by the Trade Ministry in May as part of efforts to foster the Indonesia's image through cultural and culinary richness. (JP/Yohanna Ririhena)
Our neighbor's tourism theme song 'Malaysia Truly Asia' has been ringing in our ears for so many years that we can easily hum it. The campaign, presenting the country as a potpourri of Malay, Chinese and Indian cultures living together in harmony, has succeeded in presenting a positive Malaysian image overseas.
'When I travel anywhere around the world and tell people where I'm from, they sing back to me that jingle,' Malaysian politician Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir once said.
In the years after it was launched in 1999, Malaysia saw an annual increases of foreign tourists from 7 million in 1999 to more than 22 million visitors in 2008. 'Incredible India' is another famous slogan from an international marketing campaign that has been successful in promoting tourism, one of the country's major industries. The phrase has helped boost the image of India.
Besides the campaign, India has also used popular culture to promote the country. Film actor Shahrukh Khan, often known as SRK, has become an icon of India.
Trade Minister Gita Wirjawan has acknowledged that Indonesia has not yet succeeded in delivering a national 'brand' to the global audience.
'We are not like South Korea and India who have succeeded in projecting soft power with their artists from iconic K-Pop, Gangnam Style or India's Shah Rukh Khan and 'Incredible India'.'
Suggesting more effort should be made, Gita said cultural diplomacy as well as economic measures would help raise the country's international profile. While talk and negotiation were important elements in increasing trade, investment and political goals, cultural diplomacy was no less significant in achieving a country's objectives, he said.
'Raising the national profile will not only boost trade but everything, from investment, tourism, the whole people can gain benefits,' Gita told The Jakarta Post.
With ''Remarkable Indonesia', the ministry has tried to utilize overseas occasions to foster the Indonesian image. It worked well during a symposium in the Swiss city of St Gallen in May. Besides presenting the substance at the discussion session, an Indonesia Dinner Night was also held in the convention hall of Einstein Congress.
In cooperation with the Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo) and the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM), the ministry laid on a cultural and food extravaganza.
Prepared by celebrity chef Ragil and his Maharasa team, an array of Indonesian dishes from soto ayam Lamongan (Lamongan chicken soup), assorted satay, to asinan Jakarta (pickled tropical fruit), a veritable Nusantara platter consisting of steamed coconut rice, caramelized beef curry, egg in Balinese spices, crispy fried fish in turmeric sauce was served on dining tables attended by some 300 international guests, including major corporate leaders.
The diversity of exotic cuisine was presented along with the richness of cultural heritage. Guests enjoyed the cuisine while also being entertained by Indonesian artists performing traditional and classical pieces. These included violinist-duo Ava and Michel and noted singers Winda 'Indonesian Idol', The Brothers and Lea Simanjuntak.
Gita stressed that projecting soft power using the richness of Indonesia was another measure that should be pushed energetically.
Then BKPM head, and now Finance Minister, Chatib Basri added that when talking about economic diplomacy, it could be pursued through various means but profile was important. 'Since Indonesia has been back to the radar of international investment, such an event brings more benefit. Part of the audience was major corporate leaders, so their attendance was important,' he noted.
Roland C. Vielwerth, an economics lecturer at Hochschule Mittweida, Germany, attending the event welcomed the food and cultural performance as an effective way to introduce Indonesia to foreign audiences.
'It opens hearts and minds. If you talk about statistics and facts, people will listen and think. But cultural pieces touch people's emotions. The heart is very important. Those who don't know much about Indonesia can see it through the cuisine and culture,' he said, adding that the audience was impressed by the performance, as they stayed for more than four hours until the last performance and joined in the dancing with the artists and the Indonesian delegation, including the minister.
