Indonesian Diaspora Expected to Push Motherland Development

Jakarta (Antara) - The second congress of Indonesian Diaspora in August this year is expected to inspire Indonesian diaspora communities to push the development of their motherland, an official said. "The government sees their existence is possible to encourage a tangible development of their motherland, like those of China, India, and Vietnam," Head of the Indonesian Diaspora Desk at the Foreign Affairs Ministry Wahid Supriyadi said here on Friday. Wahid made the remark in relation with the preparation to hold the second congress of Indonesian Diaspora in Jakarta from August 18-20, 2013. The first congress was held in Los Angeles, the United States, in 2012 and was participated in by 3,000 people. He said the congress will aim to inspire Indonesian diaspora communities to connect and to unite themselves into one big community and create a tangible force in order to achieve a better Indonesia. "The event also aims to foster and implement concrete initiatives to empower Indonesian communities worldwide," he said. He added that the congress would be a landmark event that could create a paradigm shift in what it means to be part of the Indonesian Diaspora in the 21st century. "In the past, we have primarily focused on the role of Indonesian migrant workers, who remain an essential part of the Indonesian Diaspora, but do not reflect the full and diverse spectrum of the Indonesian Diaspora across the globe," he said. According to him, there are around 150 thousands Indonesian nationals in the United States and about 4.6 million around the world.(*)