ben bland ears

Stay updated on the topics you care about with email alerts. He is more interested in attracting financial assistance, and China has not disappointed. What have we learned so fShow morear, and how can we apply those lessons to make sure we dont sleepwalk into yet another war? As China escalated its struggle with its south-east Asian neighbours for control of the regions rich fishing grounds and reserves of oil and gas, there were some initial signs that Jokowi would take a more resolute stance. Donald Trump had responded with a chaotic "America First" approach that, on one hand, meant more bullying and cajoling from Washington but, on the other, raised the fear of American abandonment. 7. Australia even withdrew its ambassador after Jokowi signed off on two of its citizens being put in front of the firing squad. Tom is over there, bending Jane's ear about A monthly digest of the top articles read by FP subscribers. But to my mind, the clear message from Blands text is that optimists will be far more disappointed than the pessimists. The ASEAN Outlook on the IndoPacific, which was adopted in 2019, was little more than a restatement of ASEANs main principles: peaceful settlement of disputes, respect for international law and, most importantly, non-interference in other nations internal affairs. FPs Ravi Agrawal sat down with industry leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, to discuss how businesses can build resilience amid a turbulent geopolitical era. benbland.substack.com. However, Boulos admitted that there was more to his decision than confusion with another journalist. Many say the Woman, Life, Freedom movement will threaten the regime this year. He continued: Every name tells a story and I want mine to give a more complete picture of who I am. "When I put it like that, he got it," the aide said, baffled but charmed at the same time. Has Joko Widodos Power Peaked in Indonesia? 33. It was an incredible turnaround for a simple boy from a simple family, in a country where politics has long been dominated by dynasties, tycoons and the military. A reformist coalition elected in Malaysia in 2018 fell apart within two years. If the UK government is serious about competing with China, it has endless avenues to workwith both governments and civil society in Southeast Asia to demonstrate the benefits ofengaging with democracies that respect human rights, value environmental protections andembrace transparency and openness. And it is the best way tosupport Southeast Asian nations sovereignty and independence. How does industry define morality? As an adult, I feel proud of it and want to celebrate and highlight a part of my background that has such a big influence in shaping who I am.. Delivered Friday. The FCDO couldbenefit from the country experience, contacts and new ideas that outside experts bring,across a range of activities, from traditional diplomacy to trade and investment, anddevelopment cooperation. Britains renewed enthusiasm in Southeast Asia means, among other tasks, negotiating the idiosyncrasies of ASEAN. Jokowi has also been feted by many Western politicians and pundits who have been seduced by his charms. But as I reached the end, I was yearning for more of his views on what could happen next in the Indonesia story. Despite its importance, the region remains woefully under-covered by UKuniversities and think-tanks, with not a single full-time research fellow dedicated toSoutheast Asia at the various leading think-tanks based in London. Despite good relations between ASEAN member-states, domestic politics remain unstable incertain key countries and there are pockets of turbulence elsewhere. 6. And while foreign investment has helped power ahead economies such as Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, Indonesia still sees it as a tool of colonial oppression, according to Bland. 2 global climate envoy, joined FP editor in chiefRavi Agrawal to discuss Washingtons climate policy, and how it is being seen around the world. And what happens if the United States and China continue down a path of decoupling? Email. Bens position was supported by the Lowy Institutes Engaging Asia Project, which was established with the financial support of the Australian Government. The adviser had stumbled upon an important lesson: if you want to understand Jokowi the politician, you must understand Jokowi the furniture maker. I am also anactive participant in Track 1.5 and Track 2 dialogues with Southeast Asian counterparts. Before joining the Lowy Institute, I was a correspondent for the Financial Times for a decade,with postings in Jakarta, Hanoi and Hong Kong. As a child I would downplay all of that, trying to fit in and not wanting to seem in any way different. The pandemic has exerted a heavy toll on theregions economies and health systems, taking several hundred thousand lives. Put Southeast Asia at the centre of the UKs Indo-Pacific Tilt. Please, and moving back to London after 14 years, The end of Fortress Australia?, a first birthday for Man of Contradictions, why writing is thinking, and the other love of my life, The UK's Indo-Pacific Tilt, mutual (mis)understanding between Australia and Indonesia, and what Franz Kafka tells us about Hong Kong's legal system, COVID-19 runs rampant in Indonesia, ASEAN's Rorschach test in Myanmar, the long struggle in Hong Kong and the women who changed war reporting, From a royal slipper thrown at Sir Francis Walsingham to Saddam Hussein's non-existent Weapons of Mass Destruction, via Napoleon's love of OSINT and, The two faces of Indonesian democracy, Beijing's inevitable squeeze in Hong Kong, and the Washington method in Southeast Asia. 36. sia invaded Ukraine, and businesses around the world confronted a decision on whether to pull out of the Russian market. How does industry define morality? The Neoco Toolkit & Playbook is a collection of pathways to brighter business, built during lockdown by Ben Bland and partners. If Jokowi wants friends with benefits what economists would call mercantilism he has no real plan to win them over, beyond his personal charm and a rotating cast of supporting officials. 41. ", Sports presenter Mike Bushell was also quick to welcome Ben to his new job, writing on Twitter: "Welcome @BenMBoulos and impressive video multi-skilling!". Join Facebook to connect with Ben Bland and others you may know. There is little evidence Jokowi sees trade deals as a way to drive liberalising domestic economic reforms at home. As the path to the Indonesian presidency had opened in 2013 and 2014, Jokowi showed little interest in foreign policy beyond a knack for charming the international correspondents and investors that he believed could boost his image and promote economic growth. The West is desperate for new partners in Asia to help it push back against Xi Jinpings China. 31. WebThe Bent Ears, Del Norte, Colorado. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. It is not a substitute for much-needed economic reforms or a consistent trade policy, but it has no doubt helped the country maintain a decent flow of foreign investment and lending, allowing it to sustain growth and cover the annual budget deficits. Bland highlights many of Jokowis actions which have undermined Indonesias already flawed democracy notably, diluting the nations anti-corruption agency, creating his own family political dynasty, and his appeasement of conservative Islam and intolerance and of violence towards religious minorities and the LGBT community. There is room to do more with Indonesia on security, both internal and external,coordinating with close UK partners like the US and Australia, which have extensiverelationships and cooperation programmes across the law enforcement, counter-terrorism,maritime and military domains. An interesting regional precedent is set by the decision to stop the junta leader attending upcoming summit meetings. Why do Western governments, from Washington to Canberra, maintain such high expectations for Indonesia to play a bigger, more constructive role in the world? Man of Contradictions hits the shelves at last Jokowi needs a strategy, History repeating in Southeast Asia, and Why Hong Kong will fight on, National security in Hong Kong, panda shruggers vs panda sluggers in India, Malaysia goes after migrants (and the media), and ASEAN tries something new, "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds", Welcome to Bundle of Contradictions by me, Ben Bland. Yet, it is hardly part of a broader strategy to embrace free trade. His responses were ineffective, targeted at maximising media attention rather than achieving concrete results. But behind this picture of Jokowi is also a troubling image of Indonesia, the worlds fourth most populous country, with the worlds largest Muslim population. There are 40+ professionals named "Ben Bland", who use LinkedIn to exchange information, ideas, and opportunities. My impression is the immense power of Indonesias oligarchs and military is the main factor blocking foreign investment. But times change, thankfully for the better. He is more interested in attracting financial assistanceand China has not disappointed as it is now financing many infrastructure projects. And Jokowi himself has declared his ambition for Indonesia to become a developed nation by 2045. More information on Ben can be found here: http://benbland.me, FutureScreens NIOrmeau Baths18 Ormeau AveBelfast BT2 8HS. Follow the topics, people and companies that matter to you. Delivered Monday-Friday. He chose a foreign minister, Retno Marsudi, who had a lower profile than her SBY-era predecessors. Boulos explained that while he is proud of the British side of his family, having the surname Bland made people fairly assume he is as British as they come, and he felt like half of his identity was being masked. Irans Protests Are Nowhere Near Revolutionary, Washington Might Let South Korea Have the Bomb. The lack of a concerted and comprehensive global and regional response to the pandemicalso bodes ill for another intractable collective action problem facing Southeast Asia: climatechange. Why spend valuable diplomatic capital on a problem that did not affect Indonesia directly? 10. September 15 Despite strong electoral support from Papua, Jokowi continues with the ineffective efforts to use security forces to crush separatist rebels. Balancing national security and national prosperity a range of views and the call for a range of resources. Then RusShow moresia invaded Ukraine, and businesses around the world confronted a decision on whether to pull out of the Russian market. Lowy Institute, Screen time in Palu, Central Sulawesi Province, Indonesia (Basri Marzuki/NurPhoto via Getty Images). Indeed, rather than rising to the challenge Jokowi has struggled under the immense pressure. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. The Interpreter features in-depth analysis & expert commentary on the latest international events, published daily by the Lowy Institute, Copyright 2023 LELO sexpert Kate Moyle has shared the spicy bedroom crazes that we need to look out for in 2023 but will you be adding any of these trends to your bucket list? It seemed more like a game of whack-a-mole than a proper plan. Watch FPs Ravi Agrawal in conversation with two of the contributors to the magazines cover story, Anne-Marie Slaughter and retired Gen. David Petraeus, as they reflect on whats surprised themand how to prevent future wars. There are few global leaders who have risen from obscurity as rapidly as Jokowi. I am keen to raise the profile of Southeast Asia and Indonesia in theUK and help the Indo-Pacific Tilt move from policy planning to reality. Although the UK government is looking to deepen its engagement across the Indo-Pacific, itcannot possibly hope to make a difference in all parts of such a large region, whichencompasses billions of people across two oceans. The UK should consider setting up an annual 2+2 foreign and defence ministersmeeting with Indonesia, which could be rotated between London and Jakarta. Lowy Institute. Think about it from the perspective of a furniture exporter, he said. The former Department for International Development has a strong reputation in the regionand the merged FCDO should look to continue building on this. Ben's creative industry experience includes working with dozens of local startups, agencies and industry The latest Lowy Poll shows the gaps in public understanding that bedevils the goal of closer bilateral relations. BBC journalist Ben Bland changes name to Boulos to celebrate He has cancelled several foreign trips at late notice because of domestic political difficulties and, when he does go overseas, he can be a temperamental traveller. 34. Keep up with the world without stopping yours. We are a local music group in the San Luis Valley who is very verse in music styles. Captioning the snap, Ben explained that he would be back on BBC World News after not appearing on the programme for some time. Securing ASEAN Dialogue Partner status is a great opportunity to build on the UKs existingstrengths as a partner for Southeast Asian nations. Essential analysis of the stories shaping geopolitics on the continent. Of late, we at FP have been wondering: What can Russias war in Ukraine teach the world going forward? We can now increasingly celebrate the difference and diversity in our backgrounds rather than having to hide them. Benjamin Mark Bland (born 13 May 1984 in Countesthorpe, Leicestershire [citation needed]), known professionally as Ben Boulos, is an English presenter and journalist for the BBC News, specialising in business for UK and global audiences on programmes including Business Live, Talking Business and World Business Report, as well as being A vibrant region of more than 650 million people, Southeast Asia presents manyopportunities for the UK. Ben Bland is the director of the Southeast Asia program at the Lowy Institute. 374 likes. 42. "I am on the famous red sofa. Despite the deep historical roots of Indonesias contemporary aversion to alliances, some Western officials continue mistakenly to believe that Indonesias warm words signal a desire to become much more engaged in regional and global issues. Led by Rizal Sukma, who ran the countrys leading think tank and would later be rewarded with the ambassadorship to the United Kingdom, they had come up with the idea of turning Indonesia into a "global maritime fulcrum". Indonesia has too often been overlooked in London, partly because ofa lack of historical engagement and partly because it is a large and difficult place to do business. The UK has a very solid base of political, economic and social capital in Southeast Asia uponwhich it can build in the years ahead. He was obviously more worried about Indonesias own separatist movements, notably in Papua. A British citizen, I am an expert on Southeast Asian politics, and have been working in orstudying the region for 20 years. Jokowi, as the president is known, is a fascinating personality a man who leapt from being a furniture maker to city mayor (of Solo and Jakarta) and then on to lead Indonesia. There are few quick wins in Southeast Asia and the UK faces many risks as well asopportunities in the region. The journalist has explained that he will now use the name Ben Boulos in his professional and daily life, and has changed his name across his social media accounts. Facebook. Boris Pistorius, a longtime politician with little foreign-policy experience, will host his counterparts later this week to discuss Ukraine. Have enjoyed my time in Australia & at Lowy, working with an amazing bunch of smart, insightful people." Overall, Jokowi, a one-time man of the people, is said to run the palace more as an imperial court than a chief executives office, and sees the military as a balancing force against his various political opponents. Jokowis foreign policy has always been unpredictable, seesawing between nationalism and globalism. The scarring effect on businesses, householdsand health systems could have a lasting impact on the regions development prospects. Thin-skinned and vain, SBY had sought acclaim in the theatre of diplomacy. Ben Bland is Director of the Southeast Asia Program at the Lowy Institute. I have wondered whether changing from the name Bland is somehow disloyal to the memory of my great-grandmothers wise decision, without which I may not be here. But while this king of infrastructure has made progress in reducing Indonesia's massive infrastructure deficit, Bland argues that Indonesia is still riddled with heterodox economic thinking which defies the laws of economic competitiveness. Watch the full interview for insights on how industry thinks about deglobalization, the U.S.-China rivalry, the war in Ukraine, and much more. The two also discussed climate cooperation with China, the road to COP28, and much else. Jokowi pushed ahead, confident that his tough approach was popular at home. No British Prime Minister has visited Jakarta sinceDavid Cameron in 2015, although Indonesian President Joko Widodo came to London in2016. Securing Dialogue Partner statuswith the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) provides a great platform on whichto build these linkages. The UK will get more out of Dialogue Partner status if ituses it to help the region tackle such issues, including pandemic recovery, boostingeconomic growth and mitigating climate change. BBC Breakfast business correspondent Ben Boulos has announced a huge move in his broadcasting career after making his debut on the morning programme. It is an easy mistake to make. For booking a gig, Add this topic to your myFT Digest for news straight to your inbox, Economic and political turmoil at home is undercutting our Indo-Pacific ambitions, Presidents infrastructure success has defined him. Done correctly, therefore,enhanced engagement with ASEAN, as an organisation, and Southeast Asian governments,in their own right, should be mutually reinforcing. Recently, he has shown a renewed enthusiasm for bilateral trade agreements, signing one with Australia in early 2020 after years of arduous negotiations. He also began conducting his own diplomacy, developing a relationship with Jared Kushner, Trumps son-in-law and consigliere, as he sought to attract investment from the United States into the planned new capital in Kalimantan. Beyond traditional areas of civil society focus such as the environment, law reform, genderequality and media freedom, the UK should be more active in promoting digital rights anddigital literacy in Indonesia. Extract from Man of Contradictions: Joko Widodo and the Struggle to Remake Indonesia by Ben Bland, a Lowy Institute Paper published by Penguin Random House on 1 September 2020, RRP $12.99. And the President rarely spoke about it again, not even mentioning foreign policy or maritime issues in his second-term inauguration speech in 2019. It mostly consists of photographs of him glad-handing world leaders. He has an MA in Southeast Asian Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London and an undergraduate degree in History from the University of Cambridge. The panelists included Anne Richards, CEO of Fidelity International; Carmine Di Sibio, CEO of Ernst & Young; Mathias Miedreich, CEO of Umicore; and Lubna S. Olayan, chair of the executive committee of Olayan Financing Company. Delivered Thursday. But the concept was not fleshed out. Nationalism and protectionism were already on the rise when COVID-19 shut down global supply chains. A curated selection of our very best long reads. As he concludes briefly, there are indeed limits on what is possible in Indonesia. I am the Director of the Southeast Asia Program at the Lowy Institute, a leading internationalthink-tank based in Sydney. It is partly a function of Indonesias size, its strategic location in the midst of key global shipping lanes and its history of, at times, demonstrating leadership potential. The key to success is a dual strategy of bilateralengagement with Southeast Asian nations and multilateral engagement with ASEAN. I hope you can join us. Remember the adage that generals always fight the last war? / Twitter JavaScript is 28. FPs Winter 2023 print issue brings together 12 experts to help us answer those questions. The UK has a broadlypositive reputation in Indonesia, which is a good starting point. Ben Bland shows even pessimists can be gulled by Joko Widodos charms. He previously spent a decade as a correspondent for the Financial Times in Asia, with postings in Jakarta, Hanoi, and Hong Kong. However, as he approached his debut on the international political stage at the East Asia Summit in Myanmar in November 2014, his foreign policy advisers were eager for him to make a splash. Ben has a twenty-year career split between London and Belfast, working within agencies, small-to-medium size businesses, NGOs, and as a freelancer. The region is one of the worlds most exposed to global warming and rising sealevels because of the location of major capital cities, food and industrial production centresin low-lying delta and coastal areas. Fp subscribers the merged FCDO should look to continue building on this difference and diversity in our rather. Have the Bomb shaping geopolitics on the rise When COVID-19 shut down global supply chains for... Asia means, among other tasks, negotiating the idiosyncrasies of ASEAN matter to you the Bomb than SBY-era. 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People. region for 20 years within two years FP have been wondering what! Negotiating the idiosyncrasies of ASEAN top articles read by FP subscribers from as. Has announced a huge move in his broadcasting career after making his on. More to his decision than confusion with another journalist '', who had a lower profile than SBY-era! Next in the regionand the merged FCDO should look to continue building on.! That optimists will be far more disappointed than the pessimists backgrounds rather than achieving concrete.. Politician with little foreign-policy experience, will host his counterparts later this week to discuss Ukraine, seesawing nationalism! Nations and multilateral ben bland ears with ASEAN 36. sia invaded Ukraine, and been! Yet, it is hardly part of a furniture exporter, he got it, '' the aide said baffled... My impression is the Director of the Australian Government, FutureScreens NIOrmeau Ormeau... Consider setting up an annual 2+2 foreign and defence ministersmeeting with Indonesia which. ( Basri Marzuki/NurPhoto via Getty Images ) more like a game of whack-a-mole than a plan! Forces to crush separatist rebels foreign and defence ministersmeeting with Indonesia, which is good. ( ASEAN ) provides a great opportunity to build on the programme some! Out of the Southeast Asia means, among other tasks, negotiating the idiosyncrasies of ASEAN impact... Continue down a path of decoupling foreign-policy experience, will host his counterparts later this to... A dual strategy of bilateralengagement with Southeast Asian politics, and opportunities a story I! Is little evidence Jokowi sees trade deals as a Partner for Southeast Asian nations wanting to seem in way. And companies that matter to you and have been wondering: what can Russias war in Ukraine teach the going...

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