Authors : Yanyan M. Yani, Tuti W. Irman and Agus Haryanto
Abstract: Since, its independence, Indonesia has sough to take a long and challenging journey on its foreign policy. Regardless the regime that is in power there has always been a silver lining on the characteristic of Indonesia foreign policy embedded in its spirit of independent and active foreign policy. In a more contemporary setting this characteristic is further contested by the new internal and external challenges that include the country’s excursion to uncharted reformasi process as well as the shifting of global power configuration. There are ample refreshed aspiration and demand both by internal and external players for Indonesia to play a world role. This study explores the true brand of Indonesia foreign policy and how it interacts with today’s both internal and external challenges. The study underlines, among others that both internal and external environment have opened up a new possibility for Indonesia to play a major role in the international arena. However, Indonesia’s worldview will predictably fall short to this new expectation, if there are lacks of capacity and leverage. This study, further, argues that there is an urgent need to nurture and strengthen the aspiration of Indonesia’s world role and to live up to the expectation and come up with an intelligent response for the benefit for our people. In this process, Ministry of Foreign Affairs should play a critical role.
Yanyan M. Yani, Tuti W. Irman and Agus Haryanto, 2018. Responding to the New Challenges of Independent and Active Foreign Policy. The Social Sciences, 13: 26-34.