President Prabowo Subianto (right, in cream top) addresses a limited cabinet meeting on June 23, 2025, at his private residence in Hambalang, Bogor regency, West Java.

Indonesia's future: Adapt, act, and lead with feedback

It is time for Indonesia to throw out outdated, hypercautious leadership models and adopt a relexive approach with an experimentation mindset that embraces a feedback culture to harness the very pluralism that defines the country's identity.

1 week ago

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SPIEF, Indonesia and a multipolar world

Indonesia emerges as a self-conscious regional power who aspires to mediate between G7 and BRICS, using Russia to diversify alliances and reduce exclusive commercial dependence on China and the United States. ...

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BRICS and the future of global diplomacy

BRICS nations, with their diverse technological and intelligence capabilities, are well-positioned to develop innovative conflict-resolution mechanisms that go beyond outdated Cold War frameworks. ...

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The Latest

Rescuers search for missing victims of a ferry accident in the waters of the Bali Strait near Jembrana, Bali, on July 4.

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The high cost of a cheap life: Indonesia’s normalized ferry disasters

The Bali Strait tragedy highlights the fact that many ferries operate well beyond their technical lifespan.

1 week ago

A woman carries a toddler on April 6, 2024, as she walks past an anti-hoax and anti-hate mural on a street in Hepi kampung of Joho subdistrict in Surakarta, Central Java.

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Middle East conflict and unfinished business in interfaith dialogues

Despite the aberrance of hate and intolerance, which only seem to be growing, as global citizens we must continue to maintain as well as build efforts at dialogue as a bridge to understanding.

1 week ago

Activists from the Solidarity Network for Victims and Justice (JSKK) hold posters during the 861st Kamisan (Thursday) peaceful protest in front of the State Palace in Jakarta on May 15. The protests call on the Attorney General's Office to take concrete action on unresolved human rights violations that occurred in May 1998.

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Asia: From democracy's hope to repression's leader

Despite denials and official rebukes, ample evidence suggests that India and China, despite their differences, have adopted the same philosophy in tackling borderless repression.

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Heavy equipment is parked at a nickel mining site on Gag Island in Raja Ampat, Southwest Papua, on June 7 after the government ordered a halt to its operations over alleged violations of environmental law.

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Consistent, integrated regulations are pillars of the downstream industry

Strong, consistent, integrated regulations and implementations are indispensable to ensure downstream industry development as a key pillar of national economic transformation.

1 week ago

Two women take a selfie while wearing face masks in Jakarta on a polluted day on October 1, 2023. (Photo by BAY ISMOYO / AFP)

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The urgent need for Earth-centered legal systems

We face both the devastating impacts of ecological degradation and the opportunity to pioneer new legal paths for ecological justice.

1 week ago

Personnel secure the vicinity of KLCC Park ahead of the 46th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur on May 25.

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ASEAN and the political-security challenges in the region

These challenges highlight some shortcomings that have limited the progress of ASEAN political-security cooperation and community building.

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President Prabowo Subianto (right) and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka (second right) take turns congratulating the new ambassadors-elect for Indonesian diplomatic missions following an appointment ceremony at the State Palace in Jakarta on March 24.

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Old envoys for a young nation

Despite Indonesia being a younger nation, it can only come up with old people to occupy positions representing the country's most vital interests.

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Several journalists hold banners during a protest to commemorate World Press Freedom Day in Surabaya, East Java, on May 2.

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Good journalism is still good business

News organizations will not go extinct as long as they continue to practice good journalism, defined as producing accurate, objective and credible content.

1 week ago

A Palestinian mother and her daughter rush for cover during an Israeli airstrike on the Al-Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip on July 4.

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Another Gaza ceasefire deal. Will it hold?

The ceasefire deal offers a potential breakthrough but faces familiar obstacles, with both Israel and Hamas deeply divided on the path to lasting peace.

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Indonesian Navy personnel prepares meal packages for the free nutritious meal program aboard the KRI Banda Aceh warship docked at the pier of the Military Naval Command (Kolinlamil) in North Jakarta on Jan. 23.

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Free meals and military might

The most contentious aspect of this nutritional initiative is the prominent role given to the military in its implementation.

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A person receives a message from the Financial Services Authority (OJK) on Sept. 10, 2023, asking Indonesian citizens to be wary of online lending platforms.

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Gen Z’s dominance in the “pay later” era

With the ability to make immediate purchases and defer payment to a later date, individuals are more inclined to indulge in impulse buying and overspending beyond their means.

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War wary: Demonstrators gather outside the Wilshire Federal Building during a rally opposing the United States' strikes on Iran on June 22 in Los Angeles, California, the United States. The US overnight dropped a series of bombs on several alleged nuclear facilities in Iran, joining Israel's ongoing strikes within the country. Iran responded with a barrage of missiles at Israel and promised retaliation against US interests in the region.

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The shadow of Fordow: Navigating nuclear stability in a multipolar world

Initiatives to stop nuclear proliferation are hampered by multipolar rivalries and escalating nuclear competition.

2 weeks ago

Seeking shelter: A police officer explains law enforcement protocols related to homelessness to individuals grappling with social issues at the Bina Insan Bangun Daya social shelter in Kedoya, West Jakarta on Jan. 23, 2024.

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Jakarta doesn’t need sweeps, but shelter and support

Jakarta's struggle with rural migration stems from its colonial past, when the city, established as an administrative center, attracted migrants without adequate planning for their integration.

2 weeks ago

Healthcare workers weigh a children on a scale at an integrated health post (Posyandu) in Ciamis regency, West Java, on Jan. 16, 2024. The government allocated Rp 187.5 trillion in the 2024 state budget for stunting prevention.

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From home to nation: Family foundational in Indonesia’s future

While population growth brings development potential, it also raises pressing questions about infrastructure, education, employment and resource equity.

2 weeks ago

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Insight: Rethinking work: Driving sustainable growth in the digital age

The digital age has redefined how we live, communicate and work, but perhaps nowhere is this shift more critical than in the field of medicine and public health. As healthcare systems integrate digital technologies, the traditional roles of medical professionals are being reshaped.

2 weeks ago

Residents take tajil food distributed for breaking the fast by a committee from the Dharma Bhakti Temple in Petak Sembilan, Glodok, West Jakarta, on March 28, 2023. The Dharma Bhakti Temple distributes hundreds of tajil packages to Muslims during Ramadan. The charity is held annually as an expression of tolerance among religious followers.

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Navigating religious harmony in the age of social media

Nearly 30 percent of Indonesians, especially Gen Z and Millennial cohorts, now access religious knowledge primarily through digital platforms, including social media, streaming sermons and online preachers.

2 weeks ago

Going digital: An Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology official demonstrates the e-voting system in Jakarta on May 5, 2019.

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From ballot boxes to bits and bytes, e-voting is Indonesia's next democratic milestone

Digital systems can uphold the foundational principles of democratic voting, confidentiality, security and certainty, more reliably than manual systems.

2 weeks ago

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Will Google stay committed to Indonesia's publisher rights?

Only days after Google News Showcase was launched in Indonesia, Google abruptly terminated multi-year licensing agreements with 24 small and ethnic media outlets in Australia, two years before they were due to expire.

2 weeks ago

A Muslim vendor sells Christmas decorations at a shopping mall in Jakarta on Dec. 11, 2024.

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Financing for development must account for women

Women’s options for improving their own economic circumstances are limited, not least because of limited access to finance.

2 weeks ago

Surfers carry their board past chairs and umbrellas along Kuta Beach near Denpasar, Bali, on March 14, 2023.

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Bali to Biarritz: Surf spot overcrowding and protecting the essence of catching a wave

Surf overtourism has led to conflicts over how beaches are used and concerns over social and environmental harms. But there are ways to address these issues.

2 weeks ago

A participant takes the 2025 Computer-Based Written Exam for the National Selection Based on Test (UTBK-SNBT) at Diponegoro University (UNDIP), Tembalang, Semarang, Central Java, on April 30, 2025

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Asian universities rise in global sustainability leadership rankings

Amid global SDG funding gaps, Asian universities are stepping up as leaders in sustainable finance, driving research and innovation to shape a more sustainable future.

2 weeks ago

President Prabowo Subianto (right) talks to his ministers during a limited cabinet meeting at his private residence in Hambalang, Bogor regency, West Java, on June 23.

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Wanted: Minister of Indonesia. Apply via LinkedIn.

Indonesia has no shortage of talent. The real challenge is how to create more open, merit-based pathways into public leadership.

2 weeks ago

Iranians chant slogans and wave national flags as they celebrate a ceasefire between Iran and Israel at Enghlab Square in Tehran on June 24. A fragile ceasefire in the Iran-Israel war appeared to be holding on June 24, after 12 days of strikes that saw Israel and the United States pummel the Islamic republic's nuclear facilities.

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What Indonesia can learn from the Iran–Israel war

While Indonesia currently maintains peaceful relations with all nations, the classic Latin adage Si vis pacem, para bellum (If you want peace, prepare for war) must remain a guiding principle.

2 weeks ago

Relatives gather on April 17, 2024, around a bus carrying prisoners being released from Insein prison for the Buddhist New Year, in Yangon.

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ASEAN’s silence on Myanmar’s political prisoners

The Myanmar junta continues to use imprisonment not as a tool of justice, but as an instrument of repression, while ASEAN remains silent.

2 weeks ago

A K9 robot takes part in a parade during the 79th anniversary of the National Police, also known as Bhayangkara Day, at the National Monument (Monas) in Central Jakarta, on Tuesday. This year’s celebration carries the theme “Police for the People”, reflecting the spirit of service and transformation within the National Police.

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Strengthening police as a civilian and democratic institution

The extensive authority held by the police is suspected to be a key factor triggering and enabling numerous complaints of alleged human rights violations.

2 weeks ago