@america Celebrates Its One Year Anniversary

Posted by Dawn McCall and Jason Rebholz / January 14, 2012

Dawn McCall serves as Coordinator of the Bureau for International Information Programs, and Jason Rebholz serves as Assistant Cultural Affairs Officer for @america, U.S. Embassy Jakarta, Indonesia.

Today, we celebrated the one year anniversary of U.S. Mission Indonesia's innovative American Center -- @america -- and kicked off a month of celebrations. We joined Ambassador Scot Marciel and special guest and 2011 CNN Hero of the Year Robin Lim, an American living in Bali, for the opening day's events. Over 150 guests joined us for the lively celebration, including many of the Indonesian and American organizations that have supported the center over the past year, helping us create a dialogue on a range of topics from the environment, to hip hop, to American literature, to entrepreneurship, and everything in between.

Conceived as a laboratory for innovative, high-tech public diplomacy, @america has transformed public diplomacy for U.S. Embassy Jakarta, reaching new audiences for the first time and engaging them in dialogue about the United States and U.S. policy. One year after its opening, @america has welcomed over 100,000 visitors and has been the subject of significant media coverage, including features in the New York Times and USA Today.

The kick-off celebration coincided with the launch of the new @america website, available in both English and Bahasa Indonesia. With active social media platforms and Livestream, UStream and YouTube Channels, @america also reaches Indonesians outside of Jakarta, integrating the U. S. Consulate General in Surabaya, the American Presence Post in Medan, and partner institutions -- including 10 American Corners and Indonesian universities -- in programs taking place at the center. Its unique location inside a popular downtown shopping mall provides easy access to a range of audiences 11 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The center has utilized public-private partnerships with American companies, NGOs, universities, and museums to bring innovative programming to young Indonesians, such as working with TEDxJakarta to bring TED Talks to Jakarta. @america represents a laboratory for new ideas and new initiatives. The creative programming and partnerships with civil society organizations, corporations, universities, and museums make @america a model for 21st century diplomacy.

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