Former United States President Barack Obama will open the 4th Congress of the Indonesian Diaspora on July 1 in Jakarta. (Reuters Photo/John Gress) |
Jakarta.
Former United States President Barack Obama will open the 4th Congress of the
Indonesian Diaspora on July 1 in Jakarta, the chairman of the Indonesian
Diaspora Global Network, or IDGN, Dino Patti Djalal said on Monday (12/06).
"We
have received confirmation that the 44th President of the United States, Barack
Obama, will deliver the keynote address to the 4th Congress of the Indonesian
Diaspora on July 1," Dino said during a press conference in Jakarta.
He added
that Obama has always been a special friend of Indonesia and an inspiration to
many Indonesians.
Obama spent
his early childhood years in Jakarta. He moved to the capital city in October
1967 and lived here for three and a half years. During his time serving as US
president, Obama often talked about his memories of Jakarta whenever he met
Indonesian officials.
Barry, as
he was called in his old elementary school in Menteng, a suburb in Central
Jakarta, has an Indonesian-born stepsister called Maya Soetoro.
According
to Dino, Obama is visiting Indonesia to fulfill an invitation from President
Joko "Jokowi" Widodo to go on a vacation in the archipelago.
Obama has
traveled to several countries, including Italy and Germany, since leaving
office. Last Tuesday, Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made
headlines after Trudeau posted a photo on Facebook of them sharing a meal in a
booth in Montreal, Canada.
The New
York Times reported that Obama will travel to South Korea in July, where he
plans to see former South Korean president Lee Myung-bak.
Dino added
that Obama’s keynote address on July 1 will be his first speech in Asia, after
reportedly delivering a private paid speech during a visit to Italy.
"[Confirming
Obama’s attendance] took us a while. We sent a proposal and it took around 4 to
5 months to receive a confirmation from his office," Dino said.
"We
don't know what Obama's speech will be about, but we have proposed two main
themes to him: globalization and pluralism."
There are
approximately six to eight million Indonesian diaspora, according to Dino. Most
of them – around two million – are migrant workers (TKI). According to data,
most overseas-based Indonesians live in Malaysia, the United States, Singapore,
South Korea, China and Qatar.
The
Congress of Indonesian Diaspora is a biennial event organized by IDGN – a
network established in 2012 in Los Angeles. This year's event will take place
from July 1 to 4 at Kota Kasablanka, a mall in South Jakarta.
The public
will get a chance to attend Obama's address by taking part in a Twitter
competition. After registering through the congress’ event page on Eventbrite,
contestants will be asked to share photos of their acts of kindness, which will
then be selected by the organizers for the chance to see Obama speak at the
convention. Around 2,000 seats are reserved for the public.
The
congress will be open to the public on July 1, with a total of 12 sessions
featuring high-profile speakers available. They include migrant workers
activist Erwiana Sulistyaningsih, singer Anggun C. Sasmi, mayor of Bandung
Ridwan Kamil, Indonesian-born American actress Tania Gunadi, co-founder and
director of Marvell Technology Group Sehat Sutardja, Sillicon Valley's
technology executive Sonita Lontoh and Asian Development Bank Vice President
Bambang Susantono.
The
convention is expected to be the largest gathering of Indonesian diaspora, with
5,000 participants from Indonesia and abroad.
For more
information on the 4th Congress of the Indonesian Diaspora, visit www.cdi4.info
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