New York (ANTARA News) - Nearly 100 Indonesian students and professionals in the United States are by the end of this week getting together in a forum in Washington DC for sharing ideas and views on challenges Indonesia has been facing in the 21st century.

The forum themed "Generation 21: Indonesian Ideas Forum USA 2011" was held by the Indonesian embassy in Washington with the support of all Indonesian representative offices in the US, namely in New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Los Angeles and Houston.

The forum also has the support of the Investment Coordinating Agency (BKPM)and Modernisator -- an Indonesian non-profit organization developing a development vision -- assembling 97 young Indonesian students and professionals of various universities in the United States.

They were involved in three days of discussions under the guidance of Indonesian prominent figures including the Indonesian ambassador to the US Dino Patti Djalal; former finance minister, now World Bank executive director Sri Mulyani Indrawati; and businessman Peter Gontha -- who in the forum shared their experience in global branding Indonesia by way of the international music festival Java Jazz.

The Indonesian embassy in Washington said that the topics discussed in the forum Generation 21 included Vision of the 21st Century for Indonesia; how the Indonesian generation is currently making the good into the best; how the Indonesian generation is planning a change for the better future of Indonesia; and how to place innovation, brilliance and entrepreneurship in the main stream in Indonesia.

The discussions were held interactively, with the participants having the chance to openly say what is in their minds.

Dino Patti Djalal said in the forum that the challenges facing the generation of the 21st century are quite heavy and different from what their predecessors were facing.

But he believed that Indonesia`s current potentials could answer all the challenges.

The potentials of the Indonesian people in the 21st century, Dina said, included the very productive workforce; rapidly growing economy, and a better education for the people. (*)

Editor: Aditia Maruli Radja
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