Culture Diplomacy Mission Headed to the U.S.A.

(12/22/2003)

An 11-member team comprised of representatives of the Indonesia Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Association of Indonesian Students in the U.S. (PERMIAS) will soon launch a cultural diplomacy offensive on three cities in the United States. In an effort to try to persuade American tourists to recommence their visits to Indonesia, the group will hold a series of dialog sessions with American academics, religious leaders, journalists, students and the public in Washington, D.C., Chicago, and Los Angeles.

Included in the Indonesian delegation will be a leading Indonesian religious and human rights figure, Professor Dr. Ismail Sunny. Joining Dr. Sunny will be alumni from PERMIAS, representatives of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and a representative from the Department of Foreign Affairs.

In announcing the mission, Mr. Thamrin B. Bachri, the Deputy Chief for Increasing Capacity and International Cooperation from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, said a cultural approach was being used in communicating with the American public because of the shared belief, expressed in the universal declaration of the UN, that cultural understanding builds bridges between peoples.

A main goal of the road show delegation will be to try to provide a fuller understanding of Indonesian society to the people of America and to try to persuade the U.S. Government to remove negative travel advisories in place for travel by American to Indonesia.