As part of its international cultural diplomacy, Indonesia plans to open cultural centres abroad, with Japan and the Netherlands already on the list.

“There are many foreign cultural centers in Indonesia such as Germany’s Goethe Institute, France’s Centre Culturel Francais or the Dutch Erasmus Huis, so Indonesia must also have similar centers abroad to promote Indonesian and its culture,” Deputy National Education and Culture Minister Wiendu Nuryanti, said in an interview last year.

Wiendu told reporters that the centers would be set up in countries with which Indonesia had relations. However, the deputy minister had yet to detail the plan, saying it was still being discussed.

Wiendu explained that opening such centers was one of the many plans the National Education and Culture Ministry would execute as the government had reunited the Directorate General of Culture and the Directorate General of Education after 11 years of separation.

“We will also certify our artists such as dalang [puppeteers], sinden [gamelan orchestra singers] and movie censorship agencies to help give them the opportunity to improve their creative efforts,” she said.

Cultural diplomacy is one of the five principles included in a blueprint for cultural development that is now being prepared by the ministry, along with different stakeholders such as sociologists and artists.

The other principles are character building; history, heritage and cultural innovation; human resources and institutional building in culture; and cultural infrastructure.

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Read the full article in The Jakarta Post

Image: BBC News - The Art of Indonesian Puppetry

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