Wadah Komunikasi Warga Indonesia-Australia di Queensland
Edisi 1/Agustus-September 2015
Berwirausaha di Australia Bantu Geliat Ekonomi Indonesia
Suasana wirausaha di IndOz2015
Foto-foto oleh: Johan Ramandias
Kata Redaksi Pada edisi perdana ini, media Kopi Brisbane mengangkat tema tentang semangat nasionalisme yang bertalian dengan upaya pengembangan komunitas bisnis Indonesia-Australia di Brisbane dan sekitarnya Redaksi berharap, Kopi Brisbane dapat berkontribusi terhadap perjalanan dinamika sosial dan ekonomi masyarakat kedua negara menuju hubungan bilateral yang kontruktif selanjutnya. Selamat membaca,
Kopi Brisbane Kopi Brisbane ABN 34 305 734 094 www.kopibrisbane.com.au Direktur: Rahmawati Roesydi Pemimpin Redaksi: A. Khoirul Umam Penulis: Shandra Ayu P. Desain & Tata Letak: Peina A., Daniel Fotografi: Euan Mc.M., Johan Ramandias Editor: Sri R. Maretini Finance: Ria A. Wahyuni Humas & Periklanan: Tri Mulyani, Anindita W. Penerjemah: Euan Mc.M. Editorial:
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Walikota Brisbane dan Duta Besar Indonesia untuk Australia di IndOz2015
BRISBANE – Kemerdekaan Republik Indonesia yang jatuh pada 17 Agustus lalu merupakan momentum penting bagi penguatan hubungan bilateral Indonesia dan Australia. Kini, menginjak usianya yang ke-70 tahun, Indonesia telah bertransformasi menjadi negara dengan kekuatan ekonomi yang menjanjikan di Asia dengan pertumbuhan ekonomi yang progresif, rata-rata sekitar 6 persen setiap tahunnya. Kendati demikian, kritik fundamental acapkali dialamatkan pada karakter pembangunan ekonomi nasional yang terkesan menitikberatkan pada prinsip pertumbuhan, bukannya pemerataan. Alhasil, ketimpangan ekonomi semakin tajam. Jurang pemisah antara si kaya dan si miskin kian melebar. Kondisi ini menjadi perhatian besar warga Indonesia di Australia. Presiden Indonesian Diaspora Network Queensland (IDNQ) Noel Pranoto menyatakan masyarakat Indonesia di luar negeri, khususnya di Australia, harus lebih agresif menangkap peluang bisnis yang bermunculan di tengah upaya penguatan hubungan kedua negara. Noel sadar bahwa lambannya petumbuhan ekonomi di Indonesia itu salah satunya disebabkan oleh masih kurangnya jumlah pengusaha dibandingkan dengan jumlah penduduk yang ada. Karena sebuah negara idealnya memiliki jumlah pengusaha minimal 2 persen dari total populasi yang ada. Saat ini, Indonesia baru memiliki 1,3 persen, Malaysia sudah mempunyai 3-4 persen, sementara Singapura bahkan memiliki 7 persen dari total populasinya. “Untuk itu, kami di IDNQ berkomitmen mendukung kesempatan bisnis bagi masyarakat Indonesia di Australia,” ujar pria kelahiran Cilacap, Jawa Tengah tersebut (1/8/2015). Noel berkeyakinan, keseriusan setiap warga negara Indonesia di Australia untuk
Dirgahayu 70 tahun Republik Indonesia www.kopibrisbane.com.au
aktif mencoba membuka usaha-usaha bisnis akan mampu mengurai simpul-simpul perekonomian negara yang ruwet. “Kalau kita yang di Australia ikut aktif menggarap peluang-peluang bisnis dalam jalur perdagangan di antara kedua negara ini, mulai yang kecil-kecil saja, geliat ekonomi nasional di dalam negeri pasti akan ikut merasakan dampaknya,” kata Noel antusias. Noel bersama pengurus IDNQ lainnya berusaha menyinergikan gerakan dengan berbagai elemen di Australia untuk dapat menjembatani para pengusahapengusaha Indonesia yang level maupun menengah agar bisa bersinergi dengan jejaring pengusaha-pengusaha yang lebih luas di Queensland, dan di Australia pada umumnya. Sementara itu, salah seorang pengurus Perhimpunan Indonesia Queensland (PIQ) yang sebelumnya menjadi dosen hukum di Universitas Ibnu Khaldul, Soetjie Klein juga berpendapat senada. Terbatasnya minat menjadi entrepreneur membuat masyarakat Indonesia cenderung konsumtif.
Jumlah penduduk Indonesia yang kini mencapai 245 juta justru menjadi pasar yang tidak tergarap secara optimal oleh para pengusaha lokal. Pandangan serupa juga disampaikan Rahmawati Roesydi, warga Indonesia yang sebelumnya menjabat sebagai GM salah satu perusahaan Jerman di Indonesia ini. Menurut Rahma, karakter konsumtif itu harus diimbangi dengan jiwa kewirausahaan yang tinggi. Lanjut ke hal.3
edukasi
Perkuat Kembali Indonesian Studies di Australia!
BRISBANE – Studi tentang Indonesia yang pernah populer di kalangan masyarakat Australia pada tahun 1970-an kini terancam ‘punah’ dalam radar sistem pendidikan Negeri Kangguru ini. Perubahan trend itu mulai dirasakan ketika Indonesia mengalami fase transisi demokrasi pasca reformasi yang ditandai oleh beragam peristiwa yang berdampak signifikan terhadap kualitas dan dinamika hubungan kedua negara. Lepasnya Timur Leste dari NKRI, kasus bom Bali I dan bom Bali II serta tragedi bom di kedutaan besar Australia di Jakarta membuat citra positif Indonesia semakin pudar di mata warga Australia. Setidaknya terdapat 15 Indonesian Studies yang terpusat di sejumlah kampus beken di Australia ditutup pada sekitar akhir tahun 2012 lalu. Trend itu terus berlanjut dengan ditutupnya program Indonesian Studies di UNSW pada akhir 2013 dengan alasan rendahnya enrollment mahasiswa. Perhatian ini menyita perhatian komunitas warga Indonesia di Australia. “Kita perlu merawat Indonesian Studies di Australia. Pemerintah RI harus ikut mendorong penguatan ini guna kepentingan strategis kedua negara di masa mendatang,” ujar Malia di hadapan
Presiden Joko Widodo saat kunjungan resmi kenegaraan terkait G20 di Brisbane akhir tahun 2014 lalu. Perempuan yang telah lama mendedikasikan hidupnya untuk Indonesian Studies di sekolahsekolah di kota Brisbane tersebut menilai, trend penurunan ini sebenarnya tidak hanya terjadi pada program Indonesian Studies saja, melainkan juga program bahasa-bahasa Asia pada umumnya. “Tetapi kita tidak bisa membiarkan begitu saja sambil menunggu hingga program berharga ini punah,” katanya. Pemerintah RI diharapkan dapat terus berusaha meyakinkan pemerintah Australia tentang pentingnya kembali memperkuat Indonesian Studies yang ada. Pada tahun 2006, Julia Bishop yang saat itu menjadi Menteri Pendidikan Federal pernah menyatakan Bahasa Indonesia merupakan bahasa Asia yang sangat strategis untuk dikuasai para pelajar Australia. Saat itu Bishop bahkan mengeluarkan kebijakan kepada kampus-kampus yang ada untuk memperoleh izin dari pemerintah terlebih dahulu sebelum menutup program bahasa Indonesia di tempat mereka. Hal senada juga pernah disampaikan Perdana Menteri Kevin Rudd, PM Julia Gillard dengan
mengeluarkan dokumen Asian Century White Paper-nya atau PM Tonny Abbott dengan kebijakan New Colombo Plannya, yang semuanya berusaha kembali menegaskan pentingnya pelajar Australia menguasai Bahasa Indonesia. Kendati demikian, statements publik pemerintah Australia itu tampaknya kurang berimbas pada minat dan daya tarik Indonesian Studies yang ada. Untuk itu, pemerintah dan masyarakat Indonesia di Australia diharapkan lebih pro-aktif mencari solusi guna memecah kebuntuan tersebut. Mantan General Manager Garuda Indonesia di Brisbane Aryo Wijoseno sempat menyampaikan keprihatinannya. Jika Indonesian Studies tidak diperkuat kembali, maka kualitas hubungan Indonesia-Australia akan terancam mengalami gangguan. “Misalnya akan bermunculan beragam potensi kesalahpahaman, sikap saling mencurigai antar kedua negara, hingga tersumbatnya komunikasi bilateral. Jika itu terjadi, maka akan berimbas pada stabilitas di kawasan pasifik dan Asia Tenggara secara general,” ujar pria kelahiran Surakarta tersebut. Aryo, begitu sapaan akrab pria yang saat ini menjabat sebagai GM Garuda Indonesia di Perth itu, berharap agar semua elemen, baik pemerintah Australia, WNI di Australia serta perwakilan pemerintah Indonesia di Australia memberikan perhatian serius pada hal ini. (A.K. Umam)
profil
Berkarya untuk Institusi, Berbakti untuk Negeri
BRISBANE - Jauh dari tanah air, bukan berarti tidak bisa berbakti untuk negara tercinta. Satu lagi putera bangsa yang mengharumkan nama bangsa Indonesia adalah Beben Benyamin. Rasanya tidak berlebihan jika ia menjadi salah satu inspirasi besar bagi dunia akademik dan penelitian di Indonesia. Beben, sapaan akrabnya, barubaru ini dianugerahi gelar “ilmuwan minggu ini” oleh majalah “Laboratory Equipment” atas penelitiannya untuk membandingkan faktor-faktor yang mempengaruhi beragam seluk beluk kehidupan manusia. Dengan menganalisa data besar yang merekam 50 tahun perjalanan sejarah medis dan lingkungan masyarakat dari berbagai negara, Beben
Foto oleh: Euan Mc.M.
2 | www.kopibrisbane.com.au
bersama timnya berhasil melakukan simulasi pemahaman yang memetakan kecenderungan trend kesehatan manusia, termasuk penyakit, IQ, tinggi badan dan aspek-aspek kehidupan yang lain, dengan menggunakan model perbandingan data genetik dan lingkungan manusia secara general. Dalam rangka menyambut hari Kemerdekaan Indonesia yang ke-70 ini, Beben kembali mengingatkan para generasi muda Indonesia agar memiliki passion yang kuat, tekun, dan bersemangat untuk meningkatkan kualitas dunia pendidikan dan penelitian yang berkesinambungan. Sebab, perubahan mendasar sebuah negara sangat ditentukan oleh perbaikan kualitas riset dan pendidikannya. “Jika Anda memiliki minat di bidang sains, tidak ada alasan keterbatasan atau halangan latar belakang pendidikan,” ujar ayah dua anak ini. Hal yang paling penting, menurut Beben, adalah semangat dan keyakinan diri untuk memahami mengapa kita harus memperjuangkan karir kita di bidang pilihan kita tersebut. Beben juga menyarankan agar generasi muda tidak mudah tergoda oleh kesempatan jangka pendek, serta memaksimalkan proses pembelajaran di studi atau profesi pilihan kita saat ini dan tetap fokus berkarya. “Bersikap pragmatis memang kadang diperlukan, tetapi kita harus memiliki prinsip dan idealisme yang harus kita perjuangkan,” tegas alumni Fakultas Peternakan Institut Pertanian Bogor
(IPB) tersebut. Beben menyelesaikan studi Master dalam bidang Pemuliaan Hewan di Sydney, Australia dan program doktoralnya di bidang Statistika Genetika di Universitas Edinburgh di Skotlandia. Dengan antusiasmenya di ilmu genetika, Beben telah mengecap pengalaman bekerja sama dengan ilmuan mancanegara, mulai dari Amerika Serikat hingga negeri Belanda. Mengingat luasnya cakupan yang dia garap dan the big data yang ia miliki saat ini, suami Ike Herwidi itu lebih memfokuskan pada aspek kesehatan sebagai hal yang paling penting untuk memberikan kontribusi bagi perbaikan kehidupan generasi manusia selanjutnya. Saat ini, pria kelahiran Tasikmalaya itu berkarir di bawah naungan Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Australia. Ia bersama timnya saat ini sedang fokus untuk meneliti lebih lanjut mengenai penyakit motor neuron atau yang lebih dikenal dengan ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis). Penyakit ini menyebabkan penderitanya sedikit demi sedikit kehilangan sistem motorisnya dan hanya mempunyai harapan hidup antara dua sampai tiga tahun. Penyakit ini banyak menyerang laki-laki di atas usia 50 tahun dan belum ditemukan obatnya sampai saat ini. (A.K.Umam dan Shandra A.P.)
festival
Foto-foto oleh: Johan Ramandias
INDOZ 2015 Ajang Pertemuan Multikultural BRISBANE – IndOz Festival yang diselenggarakan di depan City Hall, King George Square, Brisbane (8/8/2015) berhasil menarik ribuan pengunjung. Dengan cuaca yang cerah dan terik mentari yang tak terlalu panas di penghujung musim dingin, para penonton dimanjakan dengan berbagai macam sesi pertunjukkan, mulai dari taritarian tradisional, permainan alat musik gamelan, hingga lantunan musik-musik nusantara. Hal itu masih diramaikan dengan puluhan kios makanan khas Indonesia yang membuat siang hari itu semakin hangat. Menjelang penghujung pertunjukkan, penonton dikejutkan oleh kehadiran artis ibu kota Marcell yang didaulat untuk melantunkan lagu andalannya untuk menarik pengunjung di pertunjukkan musiknya yang digelar pada Minggu, 9 Agustus 2015 di kampus UQ St Lucia.
Suasana seperti itu memberikan nuansa nostalgia tersendiri bagi masyarakat Indonesia serta warga Australia pecinta Indonesia. Di sela-sela keramaian pertunjukan tersebut, sesekali panitia mempromosikan berbagai produk dalam negeri untuk menarik wisatawan serta investor Australia ke Indonesia. Salah seorang pengunjung IndOz 2015 Fikron Washly Arifuddin mengatakan bahwa kegiatan seperti ini akan memainkan peran strategis untuk memperkuat ‘people to people’ serta ‘business to business networking’ di antara relasi kemitraan IndonesiaAusralia. “Saya sangat mengapresiasi pelaksanaan kegiatan seperti ini, semoga memberikan kontribusi signifikan bagi dalam negeri”, ujar pria kelahiran Purworejo, Jawa Tengah tersebut. Pelaksanaan kegiatan yang dipusatkan di jantung kota Brisbane
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ini diinisiasi oleh Synergy Indonesia Australia (SIA), sebuah organisasi event organizer yang memang ditujukan untuk mempromosikan Indonesia di Australia. Pada kali ini, kegiatan IndOz 2015 dibagi menjadi dua kegiatan, yaitu IndOz Business Networking Dinner dan IndOz Festival itu sendiri. Kedua kegiatan tersebut mendapatkan sambutan hangat dari masyarakat Indonesia dan Australia di kota Brisbane dan sekitarnya. Salah satu panitia IndOz 2015, Dody Prabowo, sangat optimis agar ke depan panitia akan terus meningkatkan kualitas kegiatan. Ia juga mengharapkan agar kegiatan IndOz ini dapat dimasukkan sebagai bagian dari kalender “Brisbane Multicultural Event” agar dapat bersinergi dengan pemerintah negara bagian Queensland dan City Council untuk menarik wisatawan di Brisbane dan sekitarnya. (A.K. Umam/Shandra A.P.)
Lanjutan hal.1
Si Cantik yang Tersembunyi
Foto-foto oleh: Shandra Ayu
Bali sebagai salah satu tempat yang paling eksotis di dunia menyimpan beragam keindahan alam, tradisi, dan khasanah budaya yang luar biasa. Hamparan pasir putih dan biru jernih pantainya memikat wisatawan dari berbagai penjuru dunia. Dari sekian banyak tujuan wisata di Bali, ternyata masih banyak tempat-tempat menarik laiknya harta karun tersembunyi yang belum diketahui pelancong dalam dan luar negeri. Salah satunya adalah Taman Puputan Margarana. Terletak di sebuah desa kecil yang bernama Adeng Tabanan, Taman Puputan Margarana dibangun sebagai penghargaan kepada I Gusti Ngurah Rai dan pasukannya yang dikenal dengan nama Tongkring (Kotok Garing). Hamparan batu granit hitam yang berderet rapi merupakan makam dari para pejuang yang berusaha mempertahankan Bali dari rebutan Belanda pada 20 November 1946. Perebutan wilayah kekuasaan Bali itu mengakibatkan pecahnya perang hebat
yang memakan korban 96 pejuang Bali dan 400 tentara Belanda. Untuk mengobarkan semangat para pejuang, kata-kata terakhir yang disuarakan dengan lantang oleh I Gusti Ngurah Rai adalah agar berjuang hingga ‘puputan’ yang artinya “sampai akhir hayat” guna mempertahankan tanah tumpah darah. Agar senantiasa mampu menyalakan jiwa patriotisme masyarakat Indonesia secara general, maka kata Puputan kemudian digunakan sebagai nama taman ini. Nama I Gusti Ngurah Rai sendiri kemudian digunakan sebagai nama Bandara Internasional di Bali. Taman ini ramai dikunjungi pada peringatan kemerdekaan 17 Agustus untuk mengenang jasa para pahlawan Bangsa. Sayang sekali jika Anda tidak mampir ke tempat bersejarah ini saat mengunjungi Bali. Dengan hanya menempuh perjalanan kurang dari satu jam dari Denpasar, Anda dapat menikmati atmosfir mistisnya seraya mempelajari sejarah dan menikmati keindahannya. (Shandra A.P.)
Jika selama ini banyak yang menganggap pemerintah RI kurang mampu memasarkan potensi bisnis, pariwisata, serta beragam jenis komoditas perdagangan yang ada di dalam negeri, maka dalam peringatan kemerdekaan RI yang ke-70 inilah momentum yang sangat tepat untuk memulai semuanya. “Kita warga Indonesia di luar negeri harus lebih agresif menjadi duta bisnis bangsa. Dengan kreativitas kita, mari pasarkan produk-produk dalam negeri ke manca negara,” kata Rahma bersemangat (8/8/2015). Rahma menggarisbawahi, kreativitas berbisnis itu perlahan tapi pasti akan menggerakkan roda perekonomian dalam ruang hubungan bilateral kedua negara. Jika komunikasi bisnis sudah dijalankan, maka levelnya tidak lagi sekadar people to people diplomacy melainkan juga menjadi bagian dari constructive diplomacy yang akan menambahkan rasa saling membutuhkan (interdependency) di antara kedua negara. “Jadi, ini bukan urusan bisnis semata-mata, tetapi setiap langkah dan usaha kita ini juga akan menjadi ujung tombak soft diplomacy yang akan memperkuat serta mematangkan hubungan Indonesia dan Australia di masa mendatang. Semoga perekonomian Indonesia semakin digdaya,” pungkasnya. (A.K. Umam)
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Cooking Classes Indonesian Association in Queensland (PIQ)
BRISBANE - Culinary variety is a cultural richness that is characteristic of different nations. Awareness was highlighted by the Indonesian Association of Queensland (PIQ) by organizing Indonesian Cooking Class PIQ. To avoid monotony and create a more dynamic, culinary menu offered is not only the typical menu of the Indonesian archipelago, but also the Western menu, to enrich the cultural knowledge and knowhow from each other’s culinary traditions of their different countries and cultural backgrounds. In mid- June 2015, PIQ Cooking Class was held at the residence of Hermann Klein in Charlotte Street, Central Brisbane District (CBD), by presenting favorite dishes consisting of appetizer, main course and dessert. PIQ itself is a non-profit organization Indonesia - Australia was established in 1975 with the aim of improving the quality of public relations of Indonesia and Australia. This cooking class event is not the only event that is successfully run by PIQ. PIQ also actively involved in humanitarian activities such as providing assistance to flood victims in Brisbane in 2011. PIQ is also active in organizing meetings and representatives of Indonesian society organizations in Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast and works closely with the Indonesian Ambassador to Australia. By conducting regular program like this cooking class, collectivity and solidarity among its members can be strong. PIQ very open to various parties who want to participate in activities held. As for the requirement to register as a member on the PIQ is very easy and can be accessed through the official website at www.piq.org.au. (Ria A.W/Shandra A.P./Sri R.M./A.K. Umam)
Recipe
Photos by: Shandra Ayu
ENTREE Scallops with spinach and mushroom on the shell, served with crispy baked slices of baguette. Heat the oven (fan-forced) to 200oC. Clean the scallops’ shells under running water and pat dry. Arrange them on the serving plates. Sauté the button mushrooms in some butter, olive oil, red onion and garlic in a wok. Place the spinach on top of the soften mushrooms until the spinach is shrinking. Season with pepper and salt. Set aside. Add the oil or butter in another pan, place -the salt and pepper- seasoned scallops and let it sear undisturbed for one minute on each side until brown and crisp. Arrange one scallop for each shell and top with mushrooms and spinach. Slice the baguette thin then bake for 5 minutes. Serve the scallops with baguette.
MAIN COURSE Grilled Rack of Lamb with Mozzarella Baked Potatoes Rack of Lamb Marinated the rack of lamb with French mustard, tandoori paste, salt and black pepper for at least 30 to 40 minutes. Arrange the capsicums in a baking tray – seeds out, dressing them with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and black pepper. Baked the rack of lamb and capsicums for 20 minutes on a fan-forced oven 200oC. Baked Potatoes
Dessert Chocolate Mousse Melt 30 to 40 grams of unsalted butter. Set aside. Break 400 gram of 70% of dark chocolate and place into a heatproof bowl. Sit over a pan of barely simmering water (a bainmarie) and allow the chocolate to melt, stirring occasionally. Add the melted butter. Add 2 eggs to the mixture. Mix well. Stiff the caster sugar and 600 ml of fresh cream. Fold them with the mixture. Set them on the fridge before serving.
Slice the potatoes thin, arrange them on the baking tray. Mix 600 ml of sour cream (fresh cream or milk) chopped red onion and chopped/ pressed garlic, and some nutmeg powder. Pour this mixture to the slices of potatoes. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese and parsley. Baked for 40 minutes in 200oC fan-forced oven.
Agenda kegiatan PPIA Cabang & Ranting Queensland Agustus 24 – Afternoon Tea with Consulate General of Republic Indonesia. Place : University of Queensland. Time : 14.00 - finish 29 – PBL First week competition. Place : University of Queensland September 5 – Statistic Workshop by ISAQ 12 – UQISA & SMASH Bersalin Badminton Competition 19 – Statistic Workshop by ISAQ
PPIA Basketball League (every Saturday) ISAQ 3rd Discussion Series (to be confirmed) Olahraga Bersama ISAQ (to be confirmed) Jalan-jalan & Gathering ISAQ (to be confirmed) For more info: Website: ppia-queensland.org Facebook: PPIA Queensland & Divisi Medkom (UQISA) Twitter :@PPIA_QUT and @PPIAQueensland www.kopibrisbane.com.au | 5
festival
Foto-foto oleh: Johan Ramandias
INDOZ 2015 Multicultural Event BRISBANE – IndOz Festival was run in front of City Hall, King George Square Brisbane (08th Aug. 2015), attracting thousands of visitors. With sunny weather and a blazing sun that was not too hot at the end of winter, the audience was pleased by various performances, ranging from traditional dances, games, gamelan musical instruments, to the rhythmical chanted music of the archipelago. The crowd was spoiled by dozens of stalls, selling tasty and typical Indonesian drinks and foods made fresh during the day. Towards the end of the show, the audience was stunned and surprised by the presence of a well-known Indonesian singer-songwriter who just arrived from Jakarta, Marcell, He came there to surprise the crowds at IndOz 2015 by singing one of his hit songs to attract visitors in his musical performances that were held the next day, on Sunday, at UQ St Lucia campus.
The atmosphere filled with the nostalgic theme for the Indonesian and the Australian with Indonesian past or present cultural connections. The stalls and displays were promoting and selling many different products and services available in Australia and to attract tourists and investors from Australia to Indonesia. Mr Fikron Washly Arifuddin, who was visiting IndOz 2015, commented that activities like this will play a strategic role to strengthen the ‘people to people’ and ‘business to business networking’ in developing partnerships between Indonesia – Australia. “I really appreciate the implementation of such activities, these will contribute significantly to both countries,” said the man who was born in Purworejo, Central Java. The activities are centered in the heart of Brisbane and initiated by Synergy Event Indonesia Australia (SIA), an event
organizer, targeting to promote Indonesia in Australia. At IndOz 2015, two main activities are featured, namely IndOz Business Networking Dinner and IndOz Outdoor Festival itself. Both activities received a warm support and welcomed by Indonesian and Australian in Brisbane city and surrounding areas. One of the organizers IndOz 2015, Mr Dody Prabowo was also very optimistic that in the future the committee will continue to improve the quality of the events. He also hoped that this IndOz activities can be included as part of the calendar of “Brisbane Multicultural Event”, in order to synergize with the Queensland State Government and City Council to attract tourists in Brisbane and surrounding areas. (A.K. Umam dan Shandra A.P.)
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Undiscovered Beauty in Bali
Photos by: Shandra Ayu
Bali, one of the most exotic places in the world, has lots of nature beauty, traditions and wonderful culture. White sand beach and clear blue water really attracted tourist from around the world. From all of tourist destinations in Bali, there are lots of places that the tourist don’t know yet, this is one of the undiscovered places named Taman Puputan Margarana. Located in the small village named Adeng Tabanan, Taman Taman Puputan Margarana was built as the respect to I Gusti Ngurah Rai and his team, who is famous as Tongkring (Kotok Garing). The view of lines of black granite stone are the graveyard of the fighters that were fighting against the Dutch at 20 of November 1946. Fatal casualties in this big war were 96 Balinese and 400 Dutch Soldiers. To give the spirit to the fighter,
the words that used by I Gusti Ngurai Rai is Fight till ‘puputan’ which means “Till the end” to protect the Homeland. To be able to immortalise the fighting spirit of Indonesian in general, so the word of Puputan was then used as the name for the garden. The name of I Gusti Ngurah Rai was then used as the name of Bali international Airport. The Garden is often visited during Independence Day celebrations on 17th August to remember the spirit of the fighter that was fighting for the country. Too worthy to be missed, you must visit this mesmerizing place while in Bali. Located just less than an hour by car from Denpasar, you can enjoy the mystical atmosphere and learn the history while enjoying the beauty of the surrounding nature. (Shandra A.P.)
“We, as Indonesian citizen living overseas, need to be more aggressive to be the business ambassadors of Indonesia. With our creativity, let’s market our products overseas,” said Rahma with a strong enthusiastic attitude (8/8/2015). Rahma underlined, the business creativity will slowly move the wheel of country economic growth inside the bilateral relationship of the two countries. If the business communication is already started, so the level will not only between people to people diplomacy but also part of the constructive diplomacy, which will trigger the demand of interdependency between the two countries. So this is not just about the business, but also about every step and our movements will be the spearhead of soft diplomacy, which will improve and strengthen the relationship between Indonesia and Australia ahead. Hopefully Indonesian economy will improve significantly,” she concluded. (A.K. Umam)
Photos by: Johan Ramandias
www.kopibrisbane.com.au | 3
education
Revive Indonesian Studies in Australia! BRISBANE – Study about Indonesia became a popular subject in the 1970’s. Now, Indonesian Studies might disappear from Australian education system. The decreasing trend was started when Indonesia faced the phase of democratic transition after reformation, which followed by many events that has significant impact to the quality and the dynamic of relationship between two countries. The independence of Timor Leste (East Timor) from Indonesia, Bali Bomb I and Bali Bomb II and the Bomb tragedy at the Australian embassy in Jakarta, they all contributed to taking away the positive image of Indonesia in the view of Australian. As the impact of these, there were at least 15 Indonesian Studies at big universities in Australia, which were closed at the end of 2012. The trend continues with the closure of Indonesian Studies at UNSW at the end of 2013. The main reason for the closing is the small number of student enrollment. This trend has attracted the attention of the Indonesian community in Australia. “We need to take care of Indonesian study in Australia. Indonesian government need to give good support in order to take care
of the strategic interest of both countries in the future,” said Malia in front of President Joko Widodo, at his official visit in relation to G20 meeting in Brisbane, at the end of 2014. Malia is an Indonesian lady who has been dedicated her life to teach Indonesian Studies at schools in Brisbane. She thinks this decreasing nature of student interest not only happened to Indonesian Studies, but also to other Asian studies as well. “Still we can’t just allow the situation get worse and wait until the valuable program dies,” she said. Indonesian government is expected to be able to convince the Australian government about how important it is to strengthen Indonesian study now, more than ever. In the year of 2006, Julia Bishop, who was an Education and Federal Minister at that time, said that Indonesian language has become a strategic language to be learnt by Australian students. Bishop stated that before the campus decide to close Indonesian Study Subjects, the campus need to ask for government approval. The same idea is stated by the Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Prime Minister Julia
Gillard with the Asian Century White Paper or Prime Minister Tony Abbott with the policy of The New Colombo Plan. Those are the statements of how important it is for Australian students to learn Indonesian. Unfortunately, it seems that the public statements from Australian government have not much impact on the interest of the Indonesian study. For that, Indonesian government and Indonesian citizen in Australia need to be more proactive to find solutions for that problem. Former Garuda Indonesia’s General Manager in Brisbane, Aryo Wijoseno, expressed his concern about Indonesian study. If we do not strengthen Indonesian Studies, it might affect the relationship between Indonesia and Australia. “It might have the potential of augmented misunderstanding between the two countries, the negative attitude between the two countries, and it might also block bilateral communication. If that happen, it will affect the stability of Asia Pacific and South East Asia in general,” said the man that was born in Surakarta, Central Java, Indonesia. Aryo, the GM of Garuda Indonesia in Perth now, expects that all the elements in Australia, including the Indonesian citizens, Indonesian government representatives and Australian Government, to give serious attention to this subject. (A.K. Umam)
profilE
Beben Benyamin, Statistical Genetics Scientist BRISBANE – Away from the homeland, does not mean one cannot be loyal and devoted to one’s beloved home country. There is one person that become one of the major inspirations for Indonesian scientific communities. Beben Benyamin was recently named as “Scientist of the week” by the magazine “Laboratory Equipment” for his research to compare the genetic and environmental factors that affect diverse human traits and diseases. By analysing data from 14 million twin pairs over the last 50 years of twin studies in 39 countries, Beben and his colleagues estimated
Photos by: Euan Mc.M.
the overall contribution of genetic and environmental factors affecting human traits, including IQ and height and many diseases..Celebrating the 70th year of Indonesian Independence Day, Beben wants to remind the younger generation of Indonesia to have a strong passion, persistence, and eagerness to improve the quality of education and research in Indonesia. The progress of a country is largely determined by the advancement of its education and science. “If you have an interest in science, don’t worry about your educational background and other limiting factors,” said the father of two children. The most important thing, according to Beben, is the passion to do what you love and what interest you. Beben also suggested that the younger generation should not be easily tempted by short-term opportunities. Instead, they should use every opportunity to focus on study or to learn every skill needed for their profession of choice. “Being pragmatic is sometimes necessary, but we must have
principles and ideals which we must strive for,” said alumnus of the Faculty of Animal Sciences, Bogor Agricultural University (IPB). Beben completed his Master of Agriculture in genetics at the University of Sydney, Australia and his Doctoral programs in statistical genetics at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. With his enthusiasm in genetics, Beben has the experience of working with many scientists many countries, including from Indonesia, the United States and the Netherlands. He is working on human genetic research on diverse traits and diseases. At the moment, the husband Ike Herwidi is more focused on genetics of neurological and psychiatric diseases. Beben, who was born in Tasikmalaya, is now working at the Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Australia. He is currently investigating genes affecting motor neurone disease or better known as ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis). This disease causes sufferers to gradually lose their motor control system and only have a life expectancy of two to three years. The disease is common in men over the age of 50 years and no cure has been found to date. (A.K. Umam/Sri R.M./Shandra A.P.)
2 | www.kopibrisbane.com.au
Communication Hub for Indonesian and Locals in Queensland
Issue 1/August-September 2015
Being an Entrepreneur in Australia to Encourage Indonesian Economy
Suasana wirausaha di IndOz2015
Photos by: Johan Ramandias
Editorial’s Letter Dear readers, Kopi Brisbane is a publication provided as a media for communication within IndonesianAustralian community in Queensland. At this first edition, celebrating Indonesia Independence day, Kopi Brisbane will bring the spirit of Indonesia nationalism that has the connection with the business community in Australia The Editorial team expects, Kopi Brisbane will give significant impact to the future of social dynamic between both countries toward improved bilateral relations that are constructive and consistence.
Kopi Brisbane Kopi Brisbane ABN 34 305 734 094 www.kopibrisbane.com.au Director: Rahmawati Roesydi Chief Editor: A. Khoirul Umam Writer: Shandra Ayu P. Layout & Design: Peina A., Daniel Photography: Euan Mc.M., Johan Ramandias Editor: Sri R. Maretini Finance: Ria A. Wahyuni PR&Advertising: Tri Mulyani, Anindita W. Translator: Euan Mc.M. Editorial:
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BRISBANE – The Indonesian Independence Day, celebrated on 17 August 2015, was an important milestone to strengthen the bilateral relationship between Indonesia and Australia. Now, at the age of 70, Indonesia transformed into the country with the promising economic strength in Asia and achieves the success of economic growth of 6 percent progressively every year. Nevertheless, fundamental criticism is often given to the character of building the national economy, which has more focus to the principle of growth, not to the equalization of economic opportunity. It creates imbalance in economy and even widening gap between the rich and the poor. This condition concerns Indonesian citizen in Australia. President of the Indonesian Diaspora Network Queensland (IDNQ), Noel Pranoto, said that Indonesian citizen living overseas, especially in Australia, should be able to grab the business opportunity in the middle of the relationship strengthening effort between these two countries. Noel realized that the small proportion of Indonesian entrepreneur, compared with the size of the population, is one of the triggers for slow economic growth in Indonesia. Ideally, the number of entrepreneur is minimum 2 percent from the total population of a country. Right now Indonesia has 1,3 percent, Malaysia already has 3-4 percent, and Singapore already have 7 percent from the total population. “We, in IDNQ, has the commitment to support the opportunity of business for Indonesian citizen in Australia,” said Noel, who was born in Cilacap, Central Java (1/8/2015). Noel believes that the eagerness of Indonesian citizen in Australia to actively create new businesses will be a great help to untangle the country’s knots of economic
Brisbane mayor and Indonesian ambassador for Australia at IndOz2015
intricacy. “If we are in Australia actively work for the business opportunity between two countries, starting with the small one, the national economy in the countries will receive the effect,” said Noel enthusiastically. Noel, together with other IDNQ’s members, tries to synergize the movement of the organizations with some elements in Australia to connect the small and medium entrepreneurs with wider and bigger entrepreneurs in Queensland specifically and Australia generally. Soetjie Klein, who was a former lecturer of Law at Indonesian University and an active member of Indonesian Organization in Queensland (PIQ) also has the same opinion:
The low level of interest to be an entrepreneur makes Indonesian more consumptive. The local entrepreneur is not optimally capturing the big market opportunity of the 245 million Indonesian populations. A similar view is also held by Rahmawati Roesydi, an Indonesian citizen who was formally the GM of a German company in Indonesia, consumptive character has to be supported by the high entrepreneurship to support the consumption. It is the view of many people that Indonesian government is still not able to sell the business potential, tourism, and other trading commodities from our country, so at the 70th year of Indonesian Independence Day, the momentum is perfect to start something from the Indonesian entrepreneurs. Continued to page 3
Happy 70th year Independence Day, Indonesia! www.kopibrisbane.com.au
