06 December 2010

State’s Public Diplomacy Chief Opens Cultural Center in Indonesia

Washington — The Obama administration seeks to redefine “America’s engagement with the world as one based on mutual respect, mutual interests and collective action,” a senior State Department official told an audience in Jakarta, Indonesia, December 1.

“Governments acting alone cannot solve the problems which confront us or seize the opportunities which surround us,” Judith McHale, under secretary of state for public affairs and public diplomacy, said. “We are working hard to find new and innovative ways to expand and strengthen the relations between the people of the United States and people all over the world.”

During her trip to Indonesia, McHale visited Jakarta, Yogyakarta and Borobudur Temple in Magelang, Central Java, to engage Indonesians on a number of topics in a variety of venues. The centerpiece of her visit was the opening of the new U.S. cultural center in Indonesia: @america.

Other activities included a panel discussion on entrepreneurship education with university students and a tour of an ancient temple where volunteers are working to remove volcanic ash.

NEW AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER IN JAKARTA

After many months of planning, @america, the United States’ first high-tech cultural center, opened to the Indonesian public December 2.

At a December 1 gala in honor of the event, McHale described the center as an example of “what we hope will be the first of a new generation of American cultural centers.”

According to the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta, @america is a one-of-a-kind, high-technology American cultural center where visitors can explore, experience and express their interests about the United States in innovative ways. In the physical and virtual spaces of @america, visitors will experience cutting-edge technology, interactive games and live events designed to facilitate people-to-people exchanges virtually and in real life.

The new center, developed by the embassy in collaboration with Indonesian and U.S. partners, aims to expand engagement between young Indonesians and young Americans. The Indonesian firm PT Ganesha Aggies Jaya designed and will manage @america. The center is located in the Pacific Place Mall in Central Jakarta and admission is free.

Visitors to @america, assisted by Indonesian “e-guides,” can use touch-screen monitors and tablet computers to access information about the diversity, culture, education, politics and history of the United States, and can share these same aspects of Indonesia with an American audience.

In her December 1 remarks, McHale outlined the ways in which the new center is breaking new ground for public diplomacy:

• Housing the center in a shopping mall makes it an accessible place to explore and experience the best of America.

• A dynamic, attractive, interactive facility offers unique programs and events that will especially appeal to young Indonesians.

• A customer-driven approach allows Indonesians to use social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter to communicate with peers, and to provide feedback to @america that will allow the center to tailor programming to meet the demands of its audience.

• Partnering with U.S. corporations, nongovernmental organizations, universities and museums allows @america to showcase the best of U.S. creativity, ideals and ingenuity.

Programming themes at the center are scheduled to change every two months. The initial theme, oceans and marine environment, is illustrated by images and interactive displays provided by the Sant Ocean Hall of the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum of Natural History in Washington. Nonprofit groups The Nature Conservancy, the World Wildlife Fund and Conservation International provided @america with graphics and information about their work on marine conservation and will have programs in the facility.

“Because Indonesia has the most diverse marine ecosystem in the world, scientists from our two countries are working to protect Indonesian waters, and the results of that work will be showcased at @america,” McHale said.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP EDUCATION

At the University of Gadjah Mada in Yogyakarta on December 3, the under secretary attended a panel discussion on entrepreneurship education. In addition to the local audience, students from dozens of universities throughout Indonesia participated via digital videoconference.

“The U.S.-Indonesia relationship is a critically important partnership. We are constantly looking for ways to mutually strengthen the relationship,” McHale said. “One particular area in which we engage with young people in Indonesia is entrepreneurship.”

She credited the Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship held in Washington in April, which brought together more than 275 participants from more than 50 countries around the world, with deepening “ties between business leaders, foundations and entrepreneurs in the United States and Muslim communities around the world.”

Since the summit, the U.S. State Department has joined with the Indonesian attendees to form the Global Entrepreneurship Program Indonesia (GEPI), which is focused on supporting and empowering Indonesian entrepreneurs by marshalling partners, in the United States and in Indonesia, as well as multiple U.S. government programs designed around elements that are essential for creating a successful ecosystem for entrepreneurs.

“GEPI is a powerful demonstration of the U.S. government’s long-term commitment to advancing entrepreneurship in Indonesia — by providing expertise and tools geared at building local capacity,” McHale said.

For more information visit the @america website at www.atamerica.or.id, the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/atamerica and the Twitter page at www.twitter.com/atamerica.

(This is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://www.america.gov)