VIDEO: Unity in diversity: Indonesian pavilion opens at Expo 2020 Dubai
Artists perform at the opening ceremony of the Indonesia pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai. Photo: Kamal Kassim/ Gulf Today
Mariecar Jara-Puyod, Senior Reporter
The Indonesian Pavilion at the 2020 Dubai International Expo is officially opened to showcase Indonesia’s myriad facets to visitors worldwide.
The Indonesian Pavilion is built on the fundamental concept of ‘unity in diversity.
As in the past and onward to the future through world expositions, Indonesia, among the industrialised and emerging economies comprising the Group of 20, shall continually contribute to solutions and play an active role against global concerns and challenges such as climate change.
Visiting Indonesian Trade Minister Muhammad Lutfi affirmed this commitment twice on Friday from the Expo 2020 Dubai. First, when he met the press preceding the grand opening ceremonies of the Indonesian Pavilion at the Opportunity District of the first-ever World Expo in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia.
“The Expo has always been a show of civilisations. In the past a packet of nutmeg (from the Indonesian islands) was equivalent to seven oxen. Without nutmeg, one could not (engage in long journeys and travels) because (this was used in place of refrigerators to maintain the freshness of food). Spices from Indonesia led to trade routes involving India, China, the Middle East and Europe),” Lutfi replied to a question, pointing out as well that while Indonesia has for the present times, become the world’s largest supplier of edible palm oil for which large swaths of its land area had been deforested for this commodity. the country is “committed” to addressing climate change with reforestation. Specifically by way of the ongoing Expo2020Dubai and through its growing digital economy, constant messaging encouraging efforts to save the environment is in place like the display of 11 Indonesian children speaking about it in 14 world languages.
Lutfi reiterated Jakarta’s commitment in his grand opening ceremonial speech before dignitaries that included top-level executives of companies across the UAE and ambassadors from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations--of which Indonesia is among the five founding member-states--and namely Brunei Darussalam Ambassador Harun Junid, Malaysian Ambassador Mohammed Tarid Sufian, Philippine Ambassador Hjyaceelyn M. Quintana, Singapore Ambassador Kamal Vaswani, and Thailand Ambassador Waravuth Pouapinya,
At the helm of Jakarta’s Ministry of Trade designated by the Widodo Administration to lead the Indonesian participation at Expo2020Dubai, Lutfi said: “Every World Expo marks a new epoch in our global society. And Indonesia is honoured to be a part of his historic venture. In this year’s Expo Indonesia, we will demonstrate our capacity, our commitment, and contribution with the common objective of creating a better and new tomorrow--with out guiding theme ‘Creating The Future From Indonesia To The World.” Our pavilion will be our home in Dubai for the coming months and a window to Indonesia for the world. We want to cement global partnerships--to share our culture, our culinary experience--to offer a glimpse of our vast archipelago and more importantly opportunities to trade and invest.”
“The Indonesian Pavilion is built on the fundamental concept of ‘unity in diversity.’ The pavilion is wrapped in a patchwork of our most cherished traditional textile craft of batik--from across the archipelago. Inside, we have created an interactive journey of our country’s past, present and future. From sparking the global trade through our spices to our resolve as an emerging powerhouse--at the same time, a steward of the global community that commits to protecting the future of our planet,” he also said.
It is the Tomorrow Zone on the topmost floor of the three-storey high sprawling 2,500-square metre pavilion that carries Jakarta’s commitment in helping save the environment from further degradation. With the digital artistry of Indonesians, this section features in three-dimensional format the 23,000 square kilometres stretch of 80 species of mangroves in the world’s largest archipelago of 17,508 islands. This is also where the Smart Forest City project of President Joko Widodo, set to be the new capital of Indonesia, takes centre stage which has been described as a “smart city in the forest” by experts located in East Kalimantan.
This “Smart Forest City,” according to the Delta portal “is a bold move with the potential to offer opportunities for a happier and healthier life to more people across the nation that attracts investments and improves everyone’s standard of life; and, based on a study by Juniper Research shall benefit residents by cutting down on time in traffic, getting better healthcare access through telemedicine and monitoring devices, and having faster administrative processes with government agencies through open data and digitalisation.”
Meanwhile the 11 children of Indonesian or mixed parentage, speaking either in Bahasa Indonesia, Mandarin Chinese, English, French, Russian, Spanish, Arabic, German, Dutch, Hindi, Italian, Niponggo and the Sign Language, are also in digital panels at the Tomorrow Zone. They alternately recite “I promise to protect the future of our planet together” dubbed as the “Pledge of the Future.”
Indonesian Ambassador to the UAE Husin Bagis personally delivered President Joko Widodo’s Expo2020Dubai correspondence to UAE Vice President Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum through Minister of State for International Cooperation/Expo2020Dubai director general Reem Ebrahim Al Hashemy in mid-November 2018.
At the gala reception after the Oct. 10, 2019 pavilion groundbreaking morning ceremonies, then visiting Indonesia Ministry of Trade-Directorate General of National Export Development director general Dody Edward told Gulf Today the Widodo Administration sees the global event as a significant milestone that all sectors of Southeast Asia’s largest economy had been directed to take an active role not only for their country’s continuous prosperity but for the whole world as well: “We want to seize the opportunities we can offer to the world through Expo2020Dubai. That as a diverse people and as a nation blessed with abundant natural resources, talent and local wisdom; what we have become and what we have learnt; that through all the advancing technology, in-born creativity and new discoveries we have through all these years, we can play an active role as well as contribute for all the concerns we have in this world. We want to explore. We want to expand (our horizons) too.”
The Indonesia Pavilion whose second level is the entire floor of indigenous handicrafts and modern inventions necessary for daily living also is a house of a wide variety of coffee and fare.
“We are going to launch the Indonesia Spice Up the World” programme which will promote native Indonesian herbs and spices in the rolling exhibition area. Through our culinary presentation, we will also be launching our gastro-diplomatic campaign--spice up the world later this year,” according to Lutfi.
At the press conference and in reply to a Gulf Today query regarding Indonesia’s trajectory into the global arena, Lutfi mentioned the significance of “economic diplomacy.”
Some of the weekly themes including business fora and cultural arts performances: Biodiversity and Digitising Micro-Small-Medium Enterprises; Forestry Trade and Investment Potential; Aerospace & Sustainable Palm Oil Solutions; Making Indonesia 4.0 Programme & Halal Indsutry Potential; New Potential Tourist Destinations, Art & Culture Performances and the Coffee Industry; Yogyakarta Special Economic Zone and Performing Arts & Culture; New Infrastructure Development Centre in Eastern Indonesia; and Blue Economy: No Waste, More Benefits.
