Former US President Barack Obama is still beloved by many in Indonesia, not just because he’s not Donald Trump but also because he famously spent a part of his childhood living in Jakarta. The last time he visited his old hometown was in 2010 while he was still in office, but it seems he’ll be returning again at the start of next month when he delivers an address to the Congress of Indonesian Diasporas on July 1.
That confirmation comes from the chairman of the Indonesian Diaspora Network Global (IDNG), Dino Pati Djalal.
“This will be Obama’s first speech in Asia since he was president, we are honored to welcome him back to Jakarta to deliver a keynote address at the convention,” Dino told journalists today as quoted by Okezone.
The 4th Congress of Indonesian Diasporas will be held from July 1-4 with the theme “Synergy to Build the Nation”. Indonesians living across the globe are expected to attend and discuss issues they face.
Dino said that it took about 4-5 months to secure President Obama’s appearance at the event.
The former president’s speech at the congress may be due to fortuitous timing with an Obama family vacation at the invitation of Indonesia’s current president.
“Obama will be in Indonesia for a holiday at the invitation of President Jokowi,” said Mohammad Anshor, a director general at the Foreign Ministry, as quoted by Viva today.
Anshor did not indicate the exact dates and destinations of the Obama family’s vacation but said they would be visiting Indonesia as private citizens.
Obama moved to Jakarta with his mother to live with his Indonesian stepfather in 1967, when he was 6 years old. He lived there for four years, spending most of that time living in in the Menteng Dalam village of Tebet, South Jakarta. He still remembers a bit of Bahasa Indonesia, as seen in this speech from his previous visit in 2010.
For more information on the 4th Congress of Indonesian Diasporas, check out www.cid4.info
