By: Made Raditya )*
Indonesia successfully held the 14th Bali Democracy Forum which was held in Bali. The public also appreciates the government’s expertise in holding this international event even in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Bali Democracy Forum is an event held in Bali and attended by representatives from Asia Pacific countries. This forum was first held in 2008 and was initiated by Indonesia. Discussions at the Bali Democracy Forum usually revolve around democracy, human rights, equality, and mutual respect.
This year 2021 will be the 14th Bali Democracy Forum meeting and will be held on the Island of the Gods on December 9, 2021. When it was still a pandemic, this forum was held in a hybrid way, aka partially virtual and partially live. Representatives of foreign ambassadors came to Bali (after visiting Jakarta) and the speakers came online.
The hybrid implementation was carried out due to restrictions in several neighboring countries, but it did not reduce the excitement of the Bali Democracy Forum. Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have been accustomed to online meetings so that virtual meetings are also not a problem.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi opened the Bali Democracy Forum and explained the theme, namely Democracy for Humanity Advancing Economic and Social Justice During the Pandemic. This theme is very relevant to the current situation and is a continuation of last year’s Bali Democracy Forum meeting, namely Democracy and Covid-19 Pandemic.
Minister Retno continued, the Bali Democracy Forum was attended by 355 representatives from 95 countries in the Asia Pacific region. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres was present and became a special figure. In addition, there was also the United States Secretary of State, Antony Blinken.
The community supports the success of the Bali Democracy Forum considering the importance of this event’s mission, namely upholding democracy. The notion of democracy is important because it can voice the needs of the people but does not go back to being liberal.
The Director General of Information and Public Diplomacy, Teuku Faizasyah, stated that at the Bali Democracy Forum, participating countries would collaborate to deal with the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. There are 3 important discussions at this year’s meeting, namely overcoming poverty, inequality, and inclusiveness.
Teuku continued, in the midst of various challenges that have arisen due to the pandemic, democracy as a form of governance or the choice of a government system is expected to continue to provide the best for meeting the needs of the community in the economic and social fields.
In a sense, the implementation of the Bali Democracy Forum is still in existence during the pandemic because it campaigns for democracy as a system to nourish the economy. While there is still Corona we can’t just sit still. Through a democratic system, the people can speak out and support the government in restoring Indonesia’s financial health.
When the Bali Democracy Forum was held, after it was opened by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi, it was followed by views from the experts and continued with discussions. It is hoped that after the discussion a solution will emerge to work together to overcome the impact of the pandemic.
The Bali Democracy Forum must be supported because it is not just a get-together, but can form a positive image of Indonesia as a country that truly implements a democratic system in its country. Meetings with many representatives of other members are also important because they can initiate collaboration so that there is good cooperation to deal with Corona.
Even though it is still a pandemic, the Bali Democracy Forum is still being held, given the importance of this event. When this international forum is held, it will spark good cooperation between representatives of countries in the Asia Pacific, especially to overcome the impact of the global pandemic. The community supports this event because it is very good for the future of Indonesia.
)* The author is a contributor to the Press Circle and Cikini Students
