Jakarta, Indonesia – Against the backdrop of Indonesia's Chairmanship in ASEAN and the celebration of ASEAN Day 2023, the Directorate of Social and Cultural Cooperation of ASEAN, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) of Indonesia, held the "ASEAN Goes to Schools" (AGtS) program. Supported by the Jakarta Provincial Government, AGtS was organized on 8 and 9 August in four administrative regions of the Jakarta Province.
More than 1,400 elementary, middle, and high school students from 14 schools in Jakarta enthusiastically participated in this event. The activities were simultaneously held on August 8, 2023, at Mentari Intercultural School for the West Jakarta region, SMAN 68 for the Central Jakarta region, which also includes students from SMAN 17, SMAN 31, SMAN 40, SMAN 25, and SMP Negeri 216. Meanwhile, for the South Jakarta region, the event was held at SMKN 57 Ragunan, which also saw the participation of students from SMAN Negeri 28, SMAN 43, SMPN 212, SMPN 56, SMPN 218. For the East Jakarta region, it was held at SD Kinderfield on August 9, 2023.
AGtS is an initiative by MoFA through activities in various schools and universities to introduce ASEAN's values and cultural heritage to Indonesian students. This activity serves as an interactive platform that encourages cross-cultural understanding and regional cooperation among the young generation of ASEAN, and brings the community closer to ASEAN's achievements, especially during Indonesia's Chairmanship in 2023. The decision to hold AGtS in Jakarta is also intended to communicate Jakarta’s readiness to host the upcoming 43rd ASEAN Summit in September 2023.
In this edition of AGtS, MoFA brings ASEAN diplomats from Cambodia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, and Timor-Leste stationed in Jakarta to introduce ASEAN and their respective countries to the students. The activities are designed to promote and provide a deeper appreciation for the cultural heritage of ASEAN and shared values, as well as to foster cooperation among the future leaders of this region.
Through AGtS, MoFA hopes that students in Indonesia can better understand the diverse traditions, cultures, and cooperation that portray ASEAN as a unique entity, and together, celebrate diversity with a spirit of collaboration for the well-being of all ASEAN communities. Additionally, it is expected to raise a sense of ownership and pride among students regarding Indonesia's ASEAN Chairmanship priorities in 2023. This year, AGtS has been held in several regions in Indonesia, namely Labuan Bajo, Belitung, Aceh, Yogyakarta, and Jakarta which was attended by around 4,000 students in total.
Contact:
Directorate of Socio-Cultural Cooperation of ASEAN
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia
Jl. Pejambon No. 6, Central Jakarta