A MELTING-POT OF PEOPLE, CULTURES & CUISINES

In global terms Indonesia has demonstrated remarkable resilience over the last decade and in many ways is developing into a regional power, not just because of its size but because of its increasing attractiveness as an investment hub.

There are, of course, huge challenges ahead, but as the rapidly growing middle class testifies, entrepreneurship, improved accountability and openness continue to be the engine of change and a conduit by which people are given the chance to add both personal wealth and to the development of the nation.

Due to its sheer geographical scale, Indonesia is a hugely diverse country with an incredible array of differing landscapes, people, cultures, cuisines and expectations. The historical influences, from the invaders and traders to the pre and post-colonial religious and cultural influences, have shaped and continue to shape the nation, both its urban and rural populations. For the older generation, the country must be unrecognisable, whilst at the same time for their younger peers, especially those in its major cities, it must be impossible to consider the difficulties most of their grandparents endured.

Alongside the economic progress there has also been a movement towards defining what it means to be Indonesian, an impossible task some might argue, however a goal that has seen a resurgence in the traditional Indonesian arts, the evolution of Indonesian fine dining and a growing assertion of nationhood that embraces the country’s variety and history.

Perhaps this is what Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz meant in 1677 when he coined the phrase Unity in Diversity, adopted on independence by Indonesia as its motto. The phrase was a deliberate oxymoron on the part of Leibniz as he looked to advance multiculturalism in Europe, but for the Republic of Indonesia, it precisely captures both the strength and potential within and that is something to rejoice in. So, together, let’s Celebrate Indonesia.