Page 32 - IN Diplomacy Annual 2017

Indonesia & Singapore
Together
As the Republic of Indonesia and Singapore
celebrate their 50th Anniversary of
Diplomatic Relations in 2017, the Embassy
of the Republic of Indonesia together with
Singapore Manufacturing Federation (SMF) kicked
off the year-long series of commemorative events
by holding the Indonesia – Singapore Business
Partnerships 50 Years and Beyond seminar on 17
January 2017. This was graced by Dr. A. M. Fachir,
Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia and Mr.
Lim Hng Kiang, Minister for Ministry of Trade &
Industry of Singapore. The event also launched the
commemorative pin of the 50th Anniversary.
This was followed, on 10 February 2017, by the
official launch of the RISING50 logo, by Foreign
Minister Retno Marsudi together with Singapore’s
Foreign Minister, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan; this logo
was used throughout the year to commemorate the
Golden Jubilee. RISING50 comprises RI (Republic
of Indonesia) and SING (Singapore) and the number
50 reflects the years we have shared in the past half
century and the future we need to chart for the next
five decades and beyond.
Since then, almost every month the Embassy of
the Republic of Indonesia together with different
institutions in Singapore co-organised events to
celebrate the strong bilateral ties among the two
nations. These commemorative activities held
throughout the year covered all aspects of cooperation
and reached out to different communities and institutions. Be it military,
government, women empowerment, youth entrepreneurs and even
children through books and story telling – all these events were specifically
curated to enhance the partnership, bridge differences, establish mutual
understanding and interest, as well as to strengthen the people-to-people
interaction of the two nations.
One of the successful events that the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia
worked on together with Sun Media was a conference on the role of
women titled Ibu Power! Prominent women speakers shared views and
experiences, as well as the message of emancipation and empowerment to
the Indonesian and Singaporean audience.
Back-to-back with Ibu Power!, the Embassy teamed up with Fortune
Times magaznine to co-organise the RISING50 Women’s Empowerment
Award. This award was given in acknowledgement of Women
Entrepreneurs of Indonesia and Singapore who have dedicated their work
and business to empower other women in these two countries.
32 IN Diplomacy Annual 2017 www.indiplomacy.com
Text by Embassy of the
Republic of Indonesia in Singapore
Aiming to share different daily life activities and cultures
among youth and children, the Embassy along with
the National Book Development Council of Singapore
launched two bilingual children’s books that were co-
written and co-illustrated by Indonesian and Singaporean
authors and illustrators. The launch was jointly done by
Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Vivian Balakrishnan and
Ambassador Ngurah Swajaya who also did an impromptu
reading of the two books - Sayur! Sayur! and CindeRilla.
Emphasizing the important role of youth in creating a
stronger and enduring partnership of the two countries,
the Embassy also supported events that were specifically
curated to empower youth in the area of entrepreneurship.
A coding competition called Bring Your Own Computer
(BYOC) was enthusiastically participated in by more than 450 university
students who spent three days in groups of 10 to crack codes and
established a start-up in the area of fintech, digital health and in the trade
logistics sector.
Furthermore, to empower young designers and entrepreneurs in the
fashion industry of the two countries, a collaborative project called
RISING Fashion was held in Jakarta on August 2017. Twelve young
designers from Indonesia and Singapore collaborated to open a fashion
pop-up store for one month in one of the biggest malls in Jakarta.
Still to empower young entrepreneurs and SMEs, the Embassy teamed up
with National Design Centre and organized the RISING50 Design Bazaar
on 3 – 5 November 2017. Presenting more than 20 SMEs from Indonesia
and Singapore, a three-day bazaar was officially opened by Minister Yaacob
Ibrahim and Ambassador Ngurah Swajaya. The public was able to also
enjoy entertainment from both countries during the bazaar.