Month: June 2014

Arif Zulkifli to speak at CAUSINDY 2014

Posted on by Samantha Yap

ArifIt is CAUSINDY’s pleasure to announce that Bapak Arif Zulkifli, Chief Editor of Tempo Magazine, will be joining the media panel session at the conference.

Tempo Magazine is an investigative news magazine covering politics and economics in Indonesia since 1971, which was at one pointed banned by New Order Information Minister Harmoko as a “threat” to national stability. The publication resumed after Suharto’s departure from office.

Arif Zulkifli became the Chief Editor of Tempo Magazine in November 2012, making him the youngest editor in the magazine’s history. Arif’s strong presence on social media and his expert knowledge on investigative journalism in Indonesia will provide CAUSINDY with a unique perspective into the ‘Portrayals in the Media’ session.

Arif Zulkifli says the nature of journalism today is very different to the pre-reformasi period:

“Ada perbadaan yang significan antara kita berkerja sebagai wartawan dulu sebelum reformasi dengan sekarang. Kalau dulu itu, susah sekali kita cari informasi karena powernya itu di satu orang jadi tidak ada yang berani kasih bocoran-bocoran gitu. Kalau sekarang, semua orang mau ngomong, semua orang mau kasih info. Problemnya bagaimana kita menverifikasi data-data itu,” kata Arif.

“There is a significant difference between working as a journalist before the reformation period and working now. In the past it was difficult for journalist to find information because one person held the power, so no one was brave enough to leak any information. But now, everyone was to say something, everyone wants to spread information. The problem now is, how we verify mass information,” Arif said.

CAUSINDY looks forward to hearing Arif speak more this September.

Citra Dyah Prastuti to join CAUSINDY 2014

Posted on by Samantha Yap

CAUSINDY is pleased to announce that Citra Dyah Prastuti, the Editor of KBR’s online platform PortalKBR.com, will be joining the conference panel on ‘Portrayals in the Media’.

citra profileCitra spent some time in Australia on a fellowship with ABC Radio National, where her reporting has included an insightful one-hour long radio documentary on ‘Timor’s Lost Generation’, broadcast in 2012.

‘Timor’s Lost Generation’ gave a unique perspective into the legacy behind East Timorese children who were taken from their families during of Indonesia’s occupation of East Timor. The moving program takes listeners on a journey with those belonging to the lost generation of East Timorese returning to find their families and reconnecting with their lost heritage.

Citra’s passion for journalism has led her to pursue stories on issues of tolerance and pluralism in Indonesia. Now, she leads KBR’s online news website PortalKBR.com. She believes it is important to boost the public’s understanding about cultural and religious differences in Indonesia.

“It’s a super important issue for Indonesia, but not many mainstream media [outlets] are [talking about] this issue too much,” she said.

CAUSINDY looks forward to hearing Citra Dyah Prastuti’s thoughts and perspectives on the media panel session held on the 14thof September. As the power of media in Australia and Indonesia has the potential to influence public perceptions, with Citra’s input the discussion at the CAUSINDY media panel session will surely be an insightful one.

Welcoming the Australian National University as a sponsor of CAUSINDY 2014

Posted on by Heath Jamieson

CAUSINDY is very pleased to announce The Australian National University (ANU) has joined CAUSINDY 2014 as a minor sponsor.

ANU is widely recognised as a leading place of research, undergraduate and postgraduate education, and policy engagement.

Given The Australian National University’s reputation as a center for excellence in Indonesian teaching and research we are excited to partner again for 2014. ANU will also assist in securing world-class speakers for our conference sessions.

We appreciated The Australian National University’s support for CAUSINDY 2013, which was held at the University’s campus in Canberra. This year with the conference taking place in Jakarta, we’ll miss its natural central Canberra campus for the hustle and excitement of Indonesia’s capital city.

We thank ANU again for their support of CAUSINDY 2014 and look forward to meeting ANU-based CAUSINDY delegates and staff in Jakarta for the conference.

Chris Barnes to speak at CAUSINDY 2014

Posted on by Karina Akib

CAUSINDY is excited to announce that Chris Barnes, Managing Director at ICON International, will join this year’s conference, moderating a panel discussion on economics and trade.

Screen Shot 2014-06-03 at 9.08.50 pmChris has a unique view on on this topic given his ongoing commitment to young leaders and his experience in key bilateral engagements across business and government including Indonesia Australia Leadership Dialogue, Indonesia-Australia Partnership on Food Security in the Red Meat and Cattle Sector and the Australia-Indonesia Business Council

Mr Barnes said: “I commend the founders of CAUSINDY for taking the initiative to promote relations between the emerging leaders of Indonesia and Australia. There is no doubt that the futures of both our countries are inextricably linked and greater understanding is the key to a successful partnership between us. I encourage all young professionals to get involved in CAUSINDY.”

About Chris Barnes

Chris Barnes is Managing Director of ICON Indonesia. Chris is a highly experienced practitioner in strategy, government relations (especially emerging markets), business development (financial services), public policy (trade and investment), media relations and public affairs.

Chris previously held senior roles with the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, including General Manager, Business Development, International Financial Services, where he developed offshore growth opportunities in the Asia Pacific Region, and General Manager, Government & Industry Affairs with responsibility for all global and domestic government relations. He was also Senior Adviser (Political & Media) to the Australian Finance Minister.

Chris is a member of the Indonesia Australia Leadership Dialogue, the NSW Government’s Export & Investment Advisory Panel, the Indonesia-Australia Partnership on Food Security in the Red Meat and Cattle Sector and a member of the Business Partnership Group (BPG) advising the Australian and Indonesian Governments on the Indonesia Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IA-CEPA). He is a former National President of the Australia Indonesia Business Council (AIBC) and a former Director of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in Australia. He was recognised by the Indonesian Government as a Presidential Friend of Indonesia in 2009.

Q&A with Natrisha Barnett

Posted on by CAUSINDY

Natrisha Barnett is a recent graduate of the University of Western Australia and the founder and president of the Australia-Indonesia Youth Association’s Western Australia chapter. We spoke to Natrisha about her experience at CAUSINDY last year, and her advice for prospective delegates!

Tell us a little about your own background.

I am a recent graduate of the University of Western Australia (BA&BEc) and have a strong interest in the bilateral relationship between Australia and Indonesia. I am the founder and president of the Australia Indonesia Youth Association Western Australia and I really enjoy developing relationships within the community to advance our reach and impact.

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I was selected as a participant of the Australia Indonesia Youth Exchange Program and have undertaken internships with the Australian Embassy and Austrade Jakarta and with the Australia Indonesia Business Council in Western Australia, focusing on the Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement.

Each of these experiences have enhanced my understanding of Indonesian language, culture and its people and have given me insight into the history of Australian engagement with Indonesia. I am eager to stay involved with Australia-Indonesia affairs and to make a positive difference to the relationship.

How did you first get involved in the Australia-Indonesia relationship? Where do you see it headed?

In my first year of high school, Indonesian was a compulsory subject – I really enjoyed learning not just the language, but about the culture. I had a great group of teachers who made the lessons fun, took us to Indonesian restaurants and taught us how to make makanan Indonesia. My experiences had always been very positive and continued in-country when I first visited in 2010. I’ve been back over 15 times in the last two years and I’m writing this from Jakarta.

I see the relationship headed in a positive direction as young people increase their engagement, making their voices and ideas heard.

What are you working on at the moment?

I am currently organising the Australia Indonesia Fashion Exhibition (AIFEX) 2014 with my AIYA WA committee in Perth, to showcase contemporary designs from our two countries best designers, artists and performers – keep an eye out for updates on our facebook page!

How did CAUSINDY change your perspective on the Australia-Indonesia relationship?

I don’t think it changed my perspective, I think it cemented it – the young people of our two countries see each other as seamless extensions of neighbours to friends and have a mutual understanding of the way things should be. Both sides are very keen to see positive change and are willing to make an impact on the relationship. With so much energy and enthusiasm from the next generation’s leaders, we are full of confidence and optimism that the relationship will strengthen in the near future.

What advice would you share with anyone thinking of applying this year?

Articulate your experiences and ability to work with others, to communicate and to engage in discussions. Set out your vision, your ideas and your passion to make a positive difference – don’t be afraid to be bold. It’s a fantastic opportunity to have your say in the Australia-Indonesia relationship and to meet a fantastic group of like-minded young professionals.