Indonesia is the largest archipelagic country in the world with 17,508 islands and has more than 360 ethnic groups. Historically, The abundance of the island, tribe, and nation, causes Indonesia to be rich in culture and diversity. Based on data from Statistics Indonesia, it explains that in 2020, Indonesia has several cultural heritages with an amount of 1,635 spread across various regions in Indonesia (Hadi et al., 2021). A large number of cultural heritages in Indonesia can be a potential for Indonesia to continue to develop culture and creativity by increasing the potential of Indonesia’s creativity product. Indonesia is a country that has a variety of diversity and each region in Indonesia has its advantages in terms of culture. Besides culture, Indonesia is also a country designated by UNESCO as a category of Creative Cities Network (UCCN) in various cities in Indonesia, including Pekalongan, as a creative city in 2014 in the field of craft and folk arts, Bandung as a city of design in 2014. 2015, and Ambon is a creative city in the field of music in 2019 (Permanent Delegation For UNESCO, nd). Sunday, January 30, 2022, the Bandung city government hooked up a big consultant, Markplus Inc to maximize the potential of the creative industry owned and promote Bandung as a World Creative city until 2030, in which Bandung became a city nominated by UNESCO as a Creative City Network in the field of design.
It shows that besides Indonesia has a lot of diversity which causes Indonesian culture to be diverse which shows the characteristics of each region in Indonesia has creative communities in each city in Indonesia who can show their talents and the city have the potential to become a creative industrial city by introducing the advantages of Indonesian culture. Social and cultural diversity can be a source of innovation in society because it can provide an idea of cultural performances in a contemporary way such as designers, architects, music, and fine arts. One of the cities in Indonesia that has the development of creative industries in Bandung. Bandung is a city in Indonesia located in West Java, known as Parijs van Java, which Bandung got the name because the Dutch colonialists made the city in West Java, especially Bandung a tourist destination (CNN Indonesia, 2020, #).
Indonesia’s Contribution in Realizing the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC)
The ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) is one of the pillars of ASEAN which aims to realize economic integration in the region to create a high level of development and economic growth, in addition to reducing poverty levels in the region. To realize the ASEAN Economic Community, all ASEAN member countries need to be active in participating in realizing the ASEAN Economic Community. Through many contributions from various countries, it can be a strategy of the ASEAN pillars to achieve regional goals and national interests of a country. Based on a report from the Ministry of the Republic of Indonesia, explaining that Indonesia, especially Bandung, has contributed to the National GDP by 14.33% and Bandung has become a city as a center of creative industry and manufacturing activities with a contribution of 60% (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia). , 2015). Through this contribution, Bandung’s potential as a creative city can be maximized to contribute to advancing the regional and national goals of the country. In addition, with the potential to become the world’s creative city, this can provide many opportunities for Indonesian to have jobs. However, to maximize the creativity, the community needs to be given skills training first to find the passion, interests, and talents of the community in contributing to realizing a creative city by involving various actors to maximize community empowerment by providing facilities and training to maximize the worker skills. Based on data from the Indonesian Central Statistics Agency, explaining that Indonesian workers in the creative economy sector from 2011-2019 increased by 4.02% with a total of 19,240,184 Indonesians working in the creative economy sector (Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy). , 2020). Realizing a creative city can reduce unemployment by providing facilities such as advanced training to maximize the performance of the workforce and Indonesian creative products will also increase, with the contribution of many people who have skills in this field. Indonesia has great potential in the creative economy including interior design, music, fine arts, product design, fashion, culinary, performing arts, and innovation in creating applications (Kemenparekraf, n.d.).
The potential and ability, it show that Indonesia can become a country that has high creativity that can enhance the identity of a country abroad in introducing the social and cultural aspects of a country. Bandung is a city that received a nomination in the field of design designated by UNESCO as a Creative City, where the design has a creative process that combines elements of function and aesthetics so that it is useful and has added value for the community. In addition, Indonesia, especially Bandung, has advantages in craftsmanshift where the design of this product is supported by industry players which can be Indonesia’s strategy to promote Indonesian culture through Indonesian handicraft products to foreign countries. The creative economy sector is a contributor to Indonesia’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Based on data from the Indonesian Central Statistics Agency, explaining that from 2010-2019, Gross Domestic Product increased to 1,153.4 trillion in 2019 (Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, 2020). By Maximizing a creative city, it not only maximizes the identity of the country, but it becomes a potential for a country to improve its economy. In particular, Indonesia can contribute to realizing the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) by maximizing the creativity produced by a country. Through Indonesia’s contribution to maximizing the products produced, this can also be an Indonesian strategy to create a nation branding for a country and maximize the Indonesian Public Diplomacy, by involving the Indonesian people who contribute to improving local products and being promoted to foreign countries as a form to promote the good image of the country to the international communities. Therefore, this strategy can help the role of the state to launch negotiations between countries and international cooperation will be formed in the future, if Indonesian products are increasing and have a high quality.
