Ministry of Foreign Affairs Holds ASEAN-ID Roadshow, Promoting Community-Based Disaster Resilience
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Kemenlu) held the ASEAN-ID Roadshow in Bandung, West Java, on Friday (31/7), to promote community-based disaster resilience practices and strengthen the role of youth in building resilience across the ASEAN region. This activity is part of the ASEAN-ID Resilience series, organised alongside the 48th ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management (ACDM) meeting. The programme serves as a follow-up to Indonesia’s initiative during its 2023 ASEAN Chairmanship, which positioned local communities and the younger generation as the spearhead in facing climate change and disaster risks.
The ASEAN-ID Roadshow comprised three main activities. First, ‘ASEAN Goes to Campus’ at Padjadjaran University (Unpad) discussed the strategic role of youth in building regional resilience. Second, a visit to Lebak Muncang Village, Ciwidey, introduced community empowerment and village-based resilience practices to foreign delegates. Third, a cultural visit to the West Java Angklung House served as a means to introduce local culture and the creative economy as components of community resilience.
The event was attended by representatives from ASEAN Member State Permanent Missions, partner countries, embassies of friendly nations, high school students, and university students from Bandung and its surrounding areas.
Yuliana Bahar, Director of ASEAN Social and Cultural Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated that building regional resilience must involve the younger generation rather than being solely an agenda for high-level leaders. “ASEAN must not stop at decisions or meetings of leaders at the top; it must begin with you, the youth,” Yuliana said during a dialogue with students.
On the same occasion, the Ambassador of Pakistan to Indonesia, Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri, highlighted the importance of the youth’s voice in fighting for global climate justice. According to him, although Indonesia and Pakistan contribute less than 1% of global greenhouse gas emissions, both are among the countries most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. “Therefore, we have the right to speak louder for climate preservation, and you, the future leaders, must be brave enough to voice this,” he remarked.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Chief of the Japan Mission to ASEAN, Yoshiyasu Iseking, emphasised that regional resilience must be built from the community level through collaboration between various parties. “Resilience truly begins with the community. Regional challenges require inclusive regional partnerships and cooperation, as well as concrete actions from the youth who will form the foundation of this region’s future,” he said.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the implementation of the ASEAN-ID Roadshow, in collaboration with the West Java Provincial Government and Padjadjaran University, is part of Indonesia’s resilience diplomacy, which focuses on empowering local communities. Through this approach, Indonesia encourages the real-world implementation of regional resilience concepts by positioning villages and the younger generation as the primary drivers in increasing preparedness for disasters and the impacts of climate change within the ASEAN region.