Intermestic: Journal of International Studies
Intermestic: Journal of International Studies (INTERMESTIC) is a peer-reviewed, biannual academic journal published by Universitas Padjadjaran in collaboration with the Indonesian International Relations Science Association (AIHII). The journal aims to advance scholarly discourse on the interplay between international and domestic spheres, emphasizing global–local relations across various contexts and actors. As a national association of international relations scholars, AIHII (Asosiasi Ilmu Hubungan Internasional Indonesia) contributes to strengthening the journal’s academic network, peer-review process, and scholarly dissemination. This collaboration enhances the journal’s engagement with broader academic communities and supports the development of high-quality research in international studies. The journal covers a wide range of topics including, but not limited to, transnational movements, intercultural interactions, foreign and domestic policy linkages, diplomatic practices, global and local governance, political economy, and contemporary security issues. INTERMESTIC encourages interdisciplinary approaches and critical perspectives within the field of international studies. INTERMESTIC accepts manuscripts in English under several categories, including Original Articles (based on qualitative or quantitative research), Review Articles, Perspective Articles, and Editorial Articles. The journal is published twice a year (May and November). It has been accredited at SINTA 3 level by the Ministry of Research, Technology, and Higher Education of Indonesia. INTERMESTIC is registered with the following identifiers: ISSN (Online): 2503-443X DOI Prefix: https://dx.doi.org/10.24198/intermestic Garuda
Departemen Hubungan Internasional, Fakultas Ilmu Sosial dan Ilmu Politik, Universitas Padjadjaran
The authors submitting a manuscript do so on the understanding that if accepted for publication copyright of the article shall be assigned to Intermestic: Journal of International Studies, International Relations Department, Padjadjaran University as the publisher of the journal.
DELEGATING DESTRUCTION: PRINCIPAL-AGENT DILEMMAS AND THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF HEALTH SOVEREIGNTY IN FRAGILE STATES
The traditional “guns versus butter” model fails to capture aid allocation in fragile states where external donors fund both security and social sectors. Using principal-agent theory, we argue that aid modality (budget support versus humanitarian bypass). With the aid of structured comparison and fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) of four states with developed, yet varying, armed conflicts: the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Afghanistan, Colombia, and Ukraine, I analyze how aid delegation (budget support vs. humanitarian aid) affects the resilience of health systems. Findings suggest that parallel humanitarian aid generates numerous principal-agent problems which produces a sovereignty gap and separate the provision of services from the accountability structures. However, the scope of this is limited. First, budget support builds a state’s capacity only if it is accompanied by middle levels of pre-existing institutionalization (e.g. Colombia, Ukraine). In states that are classified as collapsed (post-2021 Afghanistan and the DRC), aid support might even further predatory extraction. The article connects the literature of liberal peace and delegation theory in International Relations, claiming that the form of international aid is a dependent variable which determines the pathways of state formation. In post-colonial nations, externally placed delegation often repeats the ‘extraversion’ process which undermines the social contract.
Copyright (c) 2026 Intermestic: Journal of International Studies https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
EFFORTS TO ADDRESS CHILD SOLDIERS IN THE CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
Children are a vulnerable group at risk of being recruited as child soldiers in the armed conflicts that have been taking place in Africa in recent years. This research aims to analyze efforts to end the recruitment and use of child soldiers in the Central African Republic (CAR). It will focus on explaining the efforts made by UNICEF using a negotiation management perspective, specifically William Ury's third-party negotiation theory. The present study employs a comprehensive literature review and meticulous document analysis of books, scientific journals, news articles, official documents from the Central African Republic government, UNICEF, and other relevant reports. The findings of this study indicate that UNICEF's strategic mediation has successfully freed and reintegrated thousands of children. However, challenges remain due to mistrust and resource constraints. This study makes a significant contribution to the field of conflict resolution research by emphasizing negotiation as a multidimensional approach worthy of consideration for addressing the issue of child soldiers in complex humanitarian crises.
ABRAHAM ACCORDS: NORMALIZATION AGREEMENTS BETWEEN ARAB COUNTRIES AND ISRAEL
The Abraham Accords are the most important agreement in the Middle East between Israel and Arab countries, such as Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, and Sudan. The Abraham Accord has opened the gates of bilateral relations between Arab countries and Israel and has also changed the geopolitical dynamics in the Middle East. Until now, many previous studies have viewed the Abraham Accord as a strategic collaboration aimed at enhancing influence and countering the opposing power in the Middle East. As a result, this study presents a new perspective to examine another side of the Abraham Accord, namely its economic cooperation. This research uses a qualitative method to analyze comprehensively about the economic cooperation. The Abraham Accord is a potential platform to meet economic interests between countries. Economic interests are the main drivers in the ratification of the treaty. Strategic economic interests between countries are based on the same economic orientation that has the potential to open the door to other forms of intensive economic cooperation. Economic cooperation between Arab countries and Israel is focused on the economic diversification agenda that has an impact on economic growth and development between these countries. Theoretically, this research has implications for the existence of new approaches and perspectives in studying the Abraham Accord. As for practically, this research can be a reference in formulating policies related to the Middle East.
Copyright (c) 2025 Intermestic: Journal of International Studies https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
EDITORIAL: Evil By Commission in International Relations
The purpose of this essay is to explore the concept of evil in international relations, specifically focusing on evil by commission in various dimensions. In the field of international relations, the discussion of evil within the international political arena is often overlooked. In the study of International Relations, evil results from deliberate actions by agents such as states, corporations, or non-state actors, often obscured by complex bureaucracies. This framework aims to systematically analyze evil by distinguishing between material and non-material instruments and defining various impact locations. It seeks to frame evil as a subject for scientific inquiry, rather than a mere moral issue.
INDONESIA'S TECHNICAL EDUCATION AID TO KENYA: A SOUTH-SOUTH COOPERATION PERSPECTIVE
South-South Cooperation (SSC) has become a structurally different form of development that is a challenge to the conditionality-based structures of North-South aid. This paper discusses the technical education assistance given by Indonesia to Kenya as a development diplomacy tool in the SSC context, filling a literature gap on how Southern donors use education assistance as a soft power and public diplomacy instrument. Based on qualitative documentary analysis of policy reports, institutional documentation, and peer-reviewed literature, 2009-2025, the study explores three dimensions of analysis: the institutional architecture of SSC in education in Indonesia, how technical education partnerships are aligned with the industrialization agenda of Kenya Vision 2030 and the soft power politics inherent in Indonesian involvement as an emerging Southern donor. The results show that the Indonesian technical education aid, in the form of scholarships, TVET capacity-building, and bilateral memoranda of understanding is a demand responsive, sovereignty-respecting model that fulfills Kenya-reported skills shortage and serves Indonesia development diplomacy goals. This work advances both constructivist explanations of SSC and the literature on public diplomacy by developing technical education as an analytically meaningful yet under-researched tool of Southern Unity.
development diplomacy; industrialization; South-South Cooperation; technical education aid
HYBRID GOVERNANCE IN INDONESIA’S NATION BRANDING: M4 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2023
This study examines the dynamics of hybrid governance in Indonesia’s nation branding practices through the 2023 M4 World Championship. The global esports tournament was organized by Moonton as a multinational private company, while the Indonesian government acted as a facilitator through policy support, institutional legitimacy, and symbolic involvement. This study employed an interpretivist qualitative approach with a single-case study strategy. Data were collected from policy documents, official press releases, government statements, organizer publications, and credible media coverage. Previous studies still limited research that specifically analyzes the 2023 M4 World Championship as a global esports event organized by a multinational corporation from the perspective of hybrid governance. This study addresses that gap by examining how the interaction between state and private actors constructs nation branding practices in Indonesia within a hybrid governance structure. The findings show that Indonesia’s nation branding through M4 was formed within a hybrid governance configuration. Moonton controlled the operational and production aspects of the event, while the state utilized the event as a strategic platform to project Indonesia’s national image. Indonesia was represented through narratives and symbols emphasizing modernity, tourism, digital entertainment, and the creative economy. The novelty of this study lies in its use of hybrid governance theory to explain nation branding practices in global esports events managed primarily by multinational private actors. This research demonstrates that nation branding in the digital era is no longer fully state-led, but emerges through collaborative governance between governments and global corporations in transnational digital spaces.
esports, hybrid governance, Indonesia, nation branding, soft power
WORLD BANK AND DECENTRALIZED CLIMATE FINANCE: IMPLEMENTATION GAPS IN LAMU, KENYA
This paper analyses the World Bank initiatives in promoting its role in decentralizing climate finance through the Financing Locally-Led Climate Action (FLLoCA) and the Kenya Climate-Smart Agriculture Project (KCSAP) in Lamu County, Kenya. A qualitative case study is used to examine the substantial tension between the Bank's perception of its institutional function, its actual bureaucratic performance, and the pressing demands, through the intersection of Function of Role Theory and Climate Resilience Theory. A significant implementation gap is revealed from the empirical findings, highlighting that the creation of the local ward committees in the projects purportedly regularizes climate governance. However, the strict procurement regulations provided by the Bank, systemic delays in the release of funds, and strict environmental standards have compromised local sovereignty. Misplaced expectations are frequently encounters through these efforts and the occurrence of elite capture, hindering marginalized groups from cultivating genuine and transformative resilience. This paper concludes that the international development finances must abandon rigid technological imposition in favour of adaptable funding models and genuinely integrate local survival knowledge to thrive in extremely fragile socio-ecological zones.
climate finance; climate resilience; decentralization; Kenya; World Bank
KENYA’S ENVIRONMENTAL DIPLOMACY AT UNEP IN MOBILISING CLIMATE ADAPTATION FINANCE
Climate change causes devastating socio-economic and environmental effects. Developing countries like Kenya that contribute little to global greenhouse emissions are disproportionately affected. This paper explores how Kenya’s environmental diplomacy at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) contributes to mobilisation of climate adaptation finance. The study is guided by concepts of environmental diplomacy and climate finance, utilizing qualitative research methods through semi-structured interviews and documentary analysis. The findings demonstrate that through environmental diplomacy at UNEP, Kenya strengthens diplomatic visibility, builds coalitions and global partnerships that would indirectly increase the chances of securing climate finance. Nonetheless, some drawbacks hinder the transformation of Kenya’s diplomatic leverage into concrete financial outcomes. These include geopolitics, institutional separation of UNEP and United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), competition, bureaucracy and national institutional capacity. This research contributes to academic discourse on environmental diplomacy, affirming that to effectively mobilise climate finance, a country must balance between diplomacy, reinforcing national institutions and engagement with global governance structures.
WHY REGIONAL LEADERS UNDER-TRADE: KENYA-INDONESIA TIES IN A SOUTH-SOUTH CONTEXT
This article examines why Kenya and Indonesia continue to under-trade despite renewed diplomatic engagement that was marked by the opening of a Kenyan embassy in Jakarta in 2022. As regional economic actors that share South-South cooperation narratives, the two countries experience limited bilateral trade that stood at approximately $295 million in 2024, with Kenya running a significant trade deficit of about $233 million. The study employs a qualitative case study approach that draws on trade data, policy documents, secondary literature, and semi-structured interviews with a former Indonesian diplomat in Nairobi as well as students of international relations from both Kenya and Indonesia. It applies neoliberal institutionalism complemented by constructivist insights to analyse the structural and ideational constraints shaping this outcome. The findings of the study pinpoint five key hindrances: asymmetric policy priorities favouring traditional markets, weak institutional frameworks, logistical and regulatory barriers, structural trade imbalances, and enduring perception gaps. These factors collectively constrain the translation of diplomatic intent into substantive economic exchange between the two countries. The article argues, while Kenya and Indonesia rhetorically align under the Bandung Spirit and South-South cooperation, this has not materialised into meaningful economic outcomes.
bilateral trade deficit; institutional gaps; Kenya-Indonesia relations; regional powers; South-South Cooperation
ADVOCACY CAMPAIGNS OF GREENPEACE IN ADDRESSING AIR POLLUTION PROBLEMS IN AFRICA
Air pollution is a major environmental and public health problem in Africa, contributing to hundreds of thousands of premature deaths annually. Countries such as South Africa, Nigeria, and Egypt face high levels of pollutants, including nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), and particulate matter (PM2.5), primarily caused by fossil fuel combustion, industrial activities, transportation, and household fuel use. This study examines Greenpeace’s advocacy campaigns in addressing air pollution challenges across the continent. As an independent international non-governmental organization, Greenpeace promotes renewable energy transition, stronger environmental regulations, and improved public awareness. Its strategies include digital campaigns, online petitions, social media mobilization, public framing techniques, and direct engagement with political leaders, particularly during election periods. Through these approaches, Greenpeace seeks to influence policy reform and pressure governments to adopt cleaner energy systems. The study concludes that effective advocacy, combined with regulatory strengthening and renewable energy adoption, is essential to reduce environmental injustice, protect public health, and support sustainable development in Africa.
MAPPING GENDER-RELATED PROVISIONS IN INDONESIA'S FREE TRADE AGREEMENTS
International trade is increasingly recognized as a policy arena that is not gender-neutral. However, systematic mapping of gender mainstreaming across Indonesia’s trade agreement portfolio remains limited. This study maps the presence and design of gender-related provisions in 19 Indonesian international trade agreements concluded up to 2025. It applies a gender-related provisions framework and assesses five agreements containing explicit provisions using the International Trade Centre instrument across ten dimensions. The study combines document-based content analysis, corpus analysis using AntConc, manual verification, and a staged scoring procedure with triangulation to reach consensus scores. The findings indicate that 14 agreements (74%) are gender-blind, while five agreements (26%) contain explicit gender-related provisions. The Indonesia–Canada CEPA (2025) achieves an Advanced Gender Responsiveness score (85%), while the remaining agreements fall into the Evolving (42.5% and 35%) and Limited (32.5% and 20%) categories. The frequency dimension is most commonly met, whereas the dispute settlement dimension is most frequently absent.
free trade agreements, gender mainstreaming, gender responsiveness, Indonesia.
MODERN SLAVERY AND AUSTRALIA’S STRATEGIC RESPONSE DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC 2020-2023
This article examines Australia’s strategic response to modern slavery during the Covid-19 pandemic from 2020 to 2023 through the Theory of Change framework. The study identifies a central Pandemic Paradox where enhanced institutional detection and reporting capacity coexisted with persistent structural vulnerabilities. Empirically, the research documents an underanalyzed crisis period, while theoretically, it extends the Theory of Change to conditions of global systemic disruption. Findings reveal that while deterrence and global regulatory strategies significantly improved case visibility, transparency-based approaches remained insufficient without binding due diligence to address the socio-economic drivers of exploitation. At the regional level, Australia’s leadership in the Bali Process with Indonesia strengthened intermestic governance, yet its efficacy remains contingent upon proactive protections for migrant workers. This study provides a strategic policy roadmap for middle powers to balance domestic enforcement with multilateral coordination. In conclusion, a transition toward rigorous legal accountability is essential to break the cycle of modern slavery paradoxes during global crises.
BORDER TRADE EFFECT ON INDONESIA’S EXPORT
Grounded in Adam Smith’s theory of trade favoring high-GDP and proximate partners, we analyze determinants including GDP, Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), Logistics Performance Index (LPI), language, shared borders, and distance across Indonesia’s top 30 export partners (2019–2023). Unlike prior studies, we integrate LPI and border effects into a gravity model, addressing endogeneity with Poisson Pseudo Maximum Likelihood (PPML) estimation alongside OLS, FEM, and REM. Results indicate that LPI is the most significant driver, while distance has a negative impact on trade, confirming the advantage of proximity. Contrary to expectations, FTAs showed limited significance, suggesting non-tariff barriers may dominate. Policy implications highlight the importance of investments in port modernization and customs digitization to capitalize on trade with high-GDP neighbors, alongside strategic agreements with distant, high-growth markets.
DRIVERS BEHIND JAPAN’S DEFENSE BUDGET SURGE(2013-2023)
Japan since 2013 has increased its defense budget significantly and consistently annually. Recently in 2022 a decision was approved to increase the defense budget to the target of 2% of its GDP in 2027. Empirically from 2013 it amounted to ¥4.6 trillion which increased slowly until 2022 with the target starting to increase significantly to ¥8.7 trillion in 2025. The move was motivated by the perceived threat of China, North Korea, and Russia surpassing Japan's defense. This study analyzes the significant and consistent increase in defense budget from 2013 to 2023. The data was analyzed using the determinants that influence the allocation of the national defense budget by Triantama and Abdul (2023) with qualitative research methods. The results show that there is a high threat perception, strong military ambition, and civilian support that encourages Japan to continue to increase its defense budget until it reaches the target in 2027.
DIGITAL GEOPOLITICS IN INDONESIAN NETIZENS’ PERCEPTION TO THE 2025 IRAN-ISRAEL WAR
The “12-Day War” between Iran and Israel in June 2025 sparked broad discussions on social media platforms, such as among Indonesian users on X (previously known as Twitter). In this study, the conflict is analyzed in the context of digital geopolitics and the perception of the conflict by the Indonesian digital publics. The article examines online discourse regarding military concerns, humanitarian solidarity, religious identity, and geopolitical anxiety in the context of Indonesia as a large Muslim society and Global South society. The study employs the concept of digital geopolitics and uses a mixed-method approach combining IndoBERT-based sentiment analysis, unguided topic modeling, and qualitative interpretive reading. The data used is in the form of tweets in the Indonesian language with a total of around 3,000 tweets from 13 June to 24 June 2025. The results highlight three prevailing discourses: escalation and tactical warfare, religious-humanitarian solidarity with Palestine and public concerns about wider global instability. The sentiment against Israel was overwhelmingly negative, across a variety of issues. The study finds that the digital public sphere in Indonesia can be described as a geopolitical space that is decentralized and where international conflicts are understood by local moral language, religious identity, and political awareness of the Global South. The article is a valuable addition to the literature of digital geopolitics by highlighting the growing role of the digital publics in Southeast Asia in shaping transnational political discourse.
digital geopolitics; digital public sphere; Indonesia; Iran–Israel conflict; sentiment analysis
INCLUSIVENESS OF ACTORS IN THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (SDGS) AGENDA
This article discusses the role of the West Java Provincial Government in supporting the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as a form of inclusiveness of actors within the framework promoted by this agenda. The issue raised in this study is how subnational actors, particularly provincial governments, can contribute to bridging global interests with local needs, as well as how their institutional capacity influences this process. To answer this question, the study uses a global governance framework to analyse the dynamics of subnational actors' involvement in SDG implementation, examining it through a governance activity matrix. Methodologically, this study employs a qualitative approach with descriptive analysis, drawing on literature studies and reviews of policy documents related to the implementation of the SDGs in West Java. The findings show that through the global governance perspective, subnational actors possess the capacity to actively participate and make significant contributions to achieving the SDGs through policy integration that reflects both global and national sustainability interests, while also being relevant to the local context. However, the dispersed nature of the relationship between levels has created several gaps, particularly in certain SDG goals, reflecting the complexity of coordination and the challenges in implementation.
This study examines Finland’s decision to join NATO in 2022 through the lens of Neoclassical Realism, analyzing the interplay between systemic threats and domestic political factors. Employing qualitative methods, including literature review and expert interviews, the research investigates how shifts in regional power dynamics, fueled by NATO’s eastward expansion and Russia’s military actions, created systemic pressures. Concurrently, domestic media framing, public opinion, and elite debates mediated these external influences, shaping Finland’s foreign policy response. Findings reveal that the convergence of systemic security threats and domestic political dynamics prompted a strategic pivot, illustrating the significance of domestic actors and perceptions in small state foreign policy under conditions of systemic threat. This research advances understanding of alliance formation by integrating systemic and domestic-level analyses, contributing valuable insights into regional security and NATO’s evolving role in Europe.
The free movement in the Schengen Area was gradually eroded by the reintroduction of Internal Border Controls (IBC), a trend currently being pursued not only by destination countries but also by transit countries such as the Czech Republic. Current literature largely employs securitization analysis with underlying existential threats, yet this approach fails to capture the logic underlying transit countries' policies. This paper aims to deconstruct the Czech Republic's IBC policy for 2020-2024, arguing that it is driven by a preventive logic of riskification. Through qualitative discourse analysis of government documents and secondary data, the study uncovers three aspects of riskification. First, the grammar justifies policies based on potential risks such as pandemics and the domino effect of migration pressure. Second, the locus of policy management of referential objects is not only migrants but also “what they carry” as evidenced by joint forces and random checks. Third, the performative effects of these policies create a new long-term border governance through intensive cooperation and joint patrols with neighbouring countries. This study demonstrates how risk management logic consistently erodes core principles of European integration, sacrificing for security measures to manage borders against future potential risks.
EAST KALIMANTAN PROVINCE'S PARADIPLOMACY IN HANDLING SUSTAINABLE TOURISM DEVELOPMENT OF DERAWAN ISLAND
Paradiplomacy, the international activities of sub-national governments, has become increasingly relevant in environmental governance and sustainable tourism, particularly within decentralized political systems. Indonesia's regional autonomy has enabled provinces such as East Kalimantan to build cross-border partnerships, environmental cooperation frameworks, and tourism promotion networks that transcend national diplomatic channels. Derawan Island, one of Indonesia's most renowned marine tourism destinations, is facing increasing pressures from mass tourism, coral degradation, inadequate waste management, and socio-economic transformation. This article examines how East Kalimantan Province employs paradiplomacy as a strategy to promote sustainable tourism development on Derawan Island. Drawing on a qualitative analysis of regional policies, provincial cooperation initiatives, institutional arrangements, and global environmental partnerships, this paper argues that paradiplomacy has emerged as a tool for capacity building, green tourism innovation, and adaptive environmental governance. Yet, structural challenges, including fragmented authorities, limited local capacity, asymmetrical relations with foreign partners, and weak ecological enforcement, continue to undermine progress. This research contributes to the discourse on subnational diplomacy in maritime Southeast Asia and provides recommendations for enhancing East Kalimantan's international engagement to support sustainable island tourism.
UNPACKING INDONESIA’S MOTIVES THE IUAE-CEPA THROUGH THE LENS OF CROSS-REGIONAL TRADE AGREEMENTS
This study examines Indonesia’s motives in establishing a cross-regional economic partnership with the United Arab Emirates through the IUAE-CEPA. Departing from Indonesia’s typical trade strategy focused on large or geographically proximate economies, this agreement reflects a shift in economic diplomacy. Applying cross-regional trade agreement partner selection theory and a qualitative document analysis method, the research reveals that Indonesia’s motivations extend beyond economic interests to include political and diplomatic strategy. The findings contribute to understanding how emerging economies leverage trade agreements for geopolitical positioning and regional economic integration.
Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement
This study analyzes Tuvalu’s foreign policy as a Small Island Developing State (SIDS) facing the existential threat of the climate crisis. Using Constructivism, Small State Theory, and Climate Diplomacy, this qualitative case study examines COP26–COP29 (2021–2024) documents to explore how Tuvalu transforms its “most vulnerable state” identity into normative bargaining power. The findings show that Tuvalu leverages moral pressure, symbolic acts, identity framing, and the AOSIS network to (1) secure the 1.5°C target in the Paris Agreement, (2) advocate for the Loss and Damage Fund, and (3) push for a US$300 billion annual increase in global climate finance through the New Collective Quantified Goal. Tuvalu’s strategy illustrates how small states, despite limited resources, can shape global norms and policy outcomes. This study contributes to international relations scholarship by highlighting the role of identity, norms, and moral authority in contemporary climate diplomacy.
WATER DIPLOMACY AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENTGOALS (SDGS)
Artikel ini membahas implikasi strategis diplomasi air untuk pembangunan berkelanjutan di Indonesia, dengan menekankan perannya dalam mencapai Tujuan Pembangunan Berkelanjutan (SDGs). Pendekatan penelitian yang dipilih adalah metode kualitatif yang menggabungkan analisis studi kasus. Penelitian ini menggunakan data primer dan sekunder, dan dilakukan dengan analisis tematik untuk mengidentifikasi, menganalisis, dan menggambarkan pola pelaporan dalam data, yang terkait dengan tantangan, peluang, dan strategi dalam diplomasi air. Konsep kekuasaan dan saling ketergantungan diadopsi dalam memahami artikel ini. Hasil dari penelitian menunjukan bahwa diplomasi air sangat penting bagi Indonesia sebagai bentuk kerjasama tata kelola air global, yang melibatkan berbagai pihak, untuk mengelola air secara efektif. Implikasinya dapat berkontribusi pada pencapaian Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) dan mempromosikan perdamaian dunia. Studi ini menekankan pentingnya tata kelola air secara multi-level dan keterlibatan aktor negara dan non-negara dalam diplomasi air, sehingga keterlibatan Indonesia dalam diplomasi air sangat penting untuk Agenda 2030 PBB, SDGs, dan keamanan global.
global water governance, Indonesia, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), sustainable development, water diplomacy
THE POTENTIAL OF TEACHING VIETNAMESE IN INDONESIA UNDER A COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN VIETNAM AND INDONESIA
This article examines the potential development of Teaching Vietnamese to Speakers of Other Languages (TVSOL) in Indonesia within the framework of the Vietnam–Indonesia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP). The study aims to analyze the geopolitical, economic, and educational factors driving the need for Vietnamese language education in Indonesia, while also identifying institutional and pedagogical challenges in establishing such programs. The research employs theories of second language acquisition, negative language transfer, human capital theory, and soft power diplomacy to explain both linguistic difficulties and the strategic significance of language education. Using a qualitative research design, the study employs documentary research, a systematic literature review, and qualitative content analysis of policy documents, labor market data, academic literature, and online educational platforms. The findings reveal that increasing bilateral cooperation in trade, tourism, investment, and education has generated growing demand for Vietnamese language proficiency in Indonesia, particularly in business, diplomacy, and cross-cultural communication sectors. However, the absence of formal Vietnamese language programs, limited institutional support, and significant phonological differences between Indonesian and Vietnamese remain major barriers. The study concludes that integrating Vietnamese language education into the CSP agenda through government support, university partnerships, teacher training, and public–private collaboration could strengthen Indonesia’s regional engagement with Vietnam and contribute to broader ASEAN cooperation.
ASEAN; comprehensive strategic partnership; Indonesia; Vietnam; Vietnamese language program
Hibridisasi Heavy Metal dan Islam: Tranformasi Band Metal Sebagai Lahirnya Metal Islam di Indonesia
This paper aims to analyze the hybridition of heavy metal and Islam through Islamic metal in Jakarta, Bandung and several other places in Indonesia, which have changed the metal scene in Indonesia. This paper uses a descriptive discussion with qualitative methods and concepts of hybridization and cosmopolitanism. The results of this study indicate, Islamic metal occurs, because of the low conflict between government, Islam and metal. The presence of Islamic metal in the metal scene changes community patterns, habits and identity in metal, by applying values based on Islam. The existence of Islamic metal as a new sub-genre incites the pros and cons of Islam and the metal scene, because it considers the phenomenon of exclusivity in inclusiveness in metal.
Copyright (c) 2020 Intermestic: Journal of International Studies https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
Does the Single Draft of COC in the South China Sea Matters?
This paper attempts to elaborate on the impact of the Single Draft of CoC in resolving the South China Sea (SCS) dispute. This paper uses the concept of International Dispute Settlement Procedures (IDSPs), where the parties try to resolve problems based on international law. This paper argues that countries in the region have been trying to have CoC mechanisms since the 1990s. Although in 2018, the ASEAN countries and China agreed on a Single Draft of CoC in the SCS, however the settlement of the SCS dispute is far from over. The CoC Single Draft is only a collection of ASEAN and China proposals. The Single Draft weaknesses in terms of legal status are they do not clearly state the obligations of each country to add or withdraw their respective proposals.
Ebola Virus in West Africa as National Security Threat to the United States of America
This study sought to explain the reasons the United States (US) makes the Ebola virus became pandemic in West Africa as a priority of US national security. This research is shows that the US lowered its troops to 3,000 troops to Liberia. In addition, countries in the West African region in particular Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia as countries affected by the Ebola geopolitically located in the Sahel region highly vulnerable to conflict likely to be used by terrorist groups. Through linkages framework of national security and foreign policy, this study will explain the reasons behind the US decision in making the Ebola virus as a national security priority. By using literature and data analysis, this research concluded that the US has Ebola as a national security priority for the United States wants to prevent the use of Ebola virus for bioterrorism events. This is confirmed by the adoption of the US strategy of selective engagement through the use of the countries in West Africa as an instrument for anticipating such bioterrorism.
Nigeria-China Bilateral Trade Relations: Is There Market Opportunities in China?
This study used normalized revealed sectoral comparative advantage, import demand share, growth identification and facilitation framework to identify market opportunities for Nigeria in the Chinese markets over the period 1988-2017. Our findings revealed that Nigeria has a steady and long-term comparative advantage in few commodities and there is limited scope for Nigeria to improve on its balance of trade due to limited export potentials. Furthermore, sixteen market opportunities were identified, out of which fourteen are stable and growing markets. Our findings also revealed that these market opportunities can't all be meet by Nigeria, as these commodities were not exportable due to poor competitive position and highly capital-intensive nature of the commodities. These findings are not only relevant to academics but also for policy making.
This study analyzes the fanwar phenomenon within the K-Pop fan community, specifically the Stray Kids (Stay) fandom on social media X. The problem raised is how internal conflicts within the fandom arise due to biased favoritism, offensive inside jokes, and violations of fan ethics that stem from the phenomenon of K-Pop fan fanaticism. The purpose of this study is to identify the active and reactive interaction patterns of the Stay fandom in responding to fanwars and to understand their community culture when fanwars occur within the internal fandom community. This study uses a qualitative method with a virtual ethnography approach, through participant observation, content documentation, and cyber media analysis. The theoretical basis of the study refers to Symbolic Convergence Theory and Computer Mediated Communication (CMC). The results show that the active interaction of the Stay fandom when responding to fanwars includes the use of hashtags and do cleaning timeline, while reactive interactions include call outs, mass reports and blocks, and calls for peace between fans. The contribution of this study lies in the development of virtual ethnographic studies in the context of online fandom communication and broadens understanding of the dynamics of conflict and solidarity in digital popular culture.
AUSTRALIA’S HEDGING STRATEGY IN THE UNITED STATES-CHINA RIVALRY IN THE INDO-PACIFIC REGION 2018-2022
Indo-Pacific region has been an important region for Australia, Australia has made Indo-Pacific as a main region for implementing its foreign policy. Indo-Pacific region is known as high politic economic region with the influential countries, this become both a strength and a weakness for Australia. Though Australia get advantages to join important cooperation, US-China rivalry conflict requires a bad impact for Australia. Political conflict makes the stability of Indo-Pacific region begins to fall, so Australia trying to control its national security. Australia must choose an impartial policy between the US-China, though Australia has diplomatic relations with both. This research uses descriptive qualitative research, with Hedging Theory and Balance of Power (BOP) Theory. The results of this study elucidated the hedging strategy implemented by Australia in response to the rivalry conflict between the United States andChina in the Indo-Pacific region during 2018–2022, which posed threats to both Australia's security and regional stability.
Strategi, Hedging, Australia, Kawasan Indo-Pasifik, 2018-2022.
STRATEGI HEDGING AUSTRALIA DALAM RIVALITAS AMERIKA SERIKAT-TIONGKOK DI KAWASAN INDO-PASIFIK 2018-2022
Copyright (c) 2025 Intermestic: Journal of International Studies
Yogyakarta's Parallel Diplomacy to Victoria, Australia in the Preservation and Development of Regional Cultural Heritage
The purpose of this research is to analyze the parallel diplomacy activities by DIY towards Victoria, Australia in the preservation and development of local cultural heritage. Local cultural heritage plays an important role in strengthening the identity of a region and can be used as an opportunity for cooperation. DIY, which is known as the center of Javanese culture, is aware of this potential and strives to preserve and develop cultural heritage by utilizing international networks, namely parallel diplomacy. The concept of parallel diplomacy used in this research makes the foreign actions taken by DIY legitimate in the national and international law. The approach used in this research is qualitative with interview techniques and document studies. The findings obtained from this research show that DIY's parallel diplomacy does not only introduce local culture to global parties, but also strengthens relationships between actors and produces concrete cooperation in the context of preserving and developing local cultural heritage.
Cultural Heritage, Parallel Diplomacy, Special Region of Yogyakarta, Victoria.