Minister of Foreign Affairs, The Honorable Alexander Downer, MP

Excellencies, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, 

Youth Ambassadors,

It gives me great pleasure to attend today’s reception to farewell the Australian Youth Ambassadors for Development (Eighteenth Intake) organized by AusAID. 

I am deeply honored to be given an opportunity to speak at this event of immense significance. I promise that my comments will not be lengthy or extensive and that I will only share a few thoughts with you about the need to understand cultural differences and people-to-people contact. 

Ladies and gentlemen, 

Last night a speech came to my attention written by a year 11 student who was among the winners in a competition held by our Consulate in Perth. His name is Daniel Thomas Williamson and the title of his speech was “Indonesia-Australia Relations”.

In describing the relations, he said, and I quote “The relationship between Indonesia and Australia is a love and hate relationship. The two governments often help each other out, however they just as often shout at each other through the differences between cultures” unquote. In the end he suggested that “the governments have to educate the people about foreign cultures so everyone respects the other nation”.

The role of this program (as mentioned previously by Minister Downer) is all about what was wonderfully recommended by that year 11 student, and that is to strengthen mutual understanding between Australia and the countries of the Asia Pacific, including Indonesia.

And let me assure you, Minister Downer, that I will never shout nor raise my voice to you …

Today, I am delighted to witness youths from Australia make a meaningful and rewarding contribution to a common goal. You have an important role to play in the exchange of cultural understanding and friendship between societies. 

As you embark on your noble journey and make contact with different societies, you will have the opportunity to put a face to a description from all the reading materials and statistical data that you have read to prepare for your mission. 

You will experience first hand who these people really are by living with them, talking to them, working together and sharing the same dream to achieve a better life. 

You will learn so much and I am certain they will also learn from you. 

And I do hope that all the fascinating experiences that you encounter will be shared later on with your friends, family and colleagues back home. 

This is people-to-people contact at its very core.

I must now take this opportunity to express my sincerest appreciation to the Australian Government for its generous contribution to development in Indonesia through the initiatives of AusAID and of course, the Australian Youth Ambassadors for Development. These contributions, especially in times of past difficulties, will never be forgotten by the Indonesian people.

Ladies and Gentlemen, 

As the saying goes, young people are the pillars of future society. And I am confident that through these endeavor to build a common understanding of our cultures, the future looks bright and meaningful.

It is not easy to be an Ambassador, yet I do feel envious of the job ahead of you.

Good luck and God Speed on your journey. 

Thank you so very much.

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