Published on
October 1, 2025
The importance of cultural diplomacy has increasingly been recognized as a cornerstone of effective international cooperation. At the Indonesian Embassy in Tehran, Iran Cultural Attaché and diplomat Adfikri Kevin Marvel underscored the significance of direct engagement between communities as a driving force for long-term partnerships. While official state visits and formal agreements remain essential, it is the bonds forged through person-to-person connections that deeply shape how nations perceive and interact with one another.
Marvel highlighted that beyond treaties and government-level cooperation, the essence of diplomacy lies in consistent social, cultural, and experiential exchanges. By encouraging Iranians to experience Indonesia’s landscapes, traditions, and lifestyles, greater authenticity and mutual respect can be cultivated.
Experiencing the Authentic Indonesia
Through a recent exchange program organized under the auspices of the Embassy, participants from Iran were given the chance to witness the diversity and richness of Indonesian culture directly. They encountered not only the famous beaches of Bali but also the contrasting energy of cities such as Jakarta, where modern life intertwines with deep-rooted traditions.
Marvel explained that these journeys allow people to experience what Indonesia represents beyond brochures and digital campaigns. By visiting the heartlands of villages, immersing in local cuisines, joining performing arts events, and conversing with citizens, participants gained firsthand insights into the cultural contrasts between Indonesia’s regions. The delicate balance between Bali’s serenity and Jakarta’s cosmopolitan pulse served as an entry point to understanding the wider diversity of the archipelago.
Such cultural discovery was positioned not merely as leisure travel but as a profound form of education. Experiencing Indonesia from multiple perspectives was highlighted as essential for breaking down stereotypes, strengthening cultural empathy, and generating long-term curiosity among Iranian visitors.
The Role of People-to-People Diplomacy
Central to Marvel’s vision is people-to-people diplomacy, which he described as the foundation of sustainable engagement between nations. Unlike formal meetings that often remain confined to governmental frameworks, direct interpersonal exchanges nurture a sense of familiarity and respect across divides.
When citizens from different nations invest time in exploring one another’s traditions and exchanging views face-to-face, the result is the normalization of cross-cultural interaction. Friendships are formed, stories are shared, and cultural misunderstandings are reduced. Such organic connections, in Marvel’s view, operate as informal yet powerful threads weaving together long-term diplomatic ties.
It is through these consistent exchanges that both countries can move from being distant geopolitical partners to becoming communities that understand, appreciate, and interact with one another naturally.
Raising Awareness on Multiple Levels
Marvel emphasized that efforts to enhance mutual understanding should not remain confined to visitors or elites. Instead, awareness must be cultivated across layers of society, from grassroots communities to higher institutions.
At the grassroots level, community exchanges through universities, cultural groups, and small business associations can create momentum and broaden participation. At the institutional level, government agencies, academic think tanks, and decision-makers are given opportunities to chart meaningful frameworks for long-term cooperation.
The role of media and journalism was equally underscored as vital in shaping public perception. By covering cultural events, sharing authentic stories, and giving visibility to exchange programs, journalists can amplify cultural initiatives and bring them into mainstream discussions. The cooperation of local and international media is thus regarded as essential to reinforce people-to-people diplomacy with credible narratives.
This layered structure ensures that cultural diplomacy does not operate in isolation but becomes interlinked with education, governance, public opinion, and tourism industries.
Continuing Programs as Strategic Necessity
Marvel concluded his reflections by stressing that consistency in such cultural initiatives is not only desirable but strategically necessary. When these programs are sustained over time, they evolve into an enduring pillar of public diplomacy.
He pointed out that cultural exchange is particularly relevant in today’s global context, where multilateral relations are often tested by global uncertainties. Constructive cultural engagement between Iran and Indonesia creates pathways that transcend political fluctuations and economic challenges. Such programs press forward with long-term stability, ensuring that the bonds nurtured today contribute to tomorrow’s diplomatic resilience.
The diplomat expressed that continuity is key. Sporadic and symbolic gestures cannot create the desired impact. Instead, systematic focus and sustained cooperation are required to maximize benefits. Every exchange program, cultural event, and tourism initiative thus stands as an investment in a shared future between the peoples of Iran and Indonesia.
From Tourism to Long-Term Cooperation
While cultural programs may begin with participants experiencing tourism in Bali or Jakarta, their ultimate goal is far more expansive. Participation in such initiatives exposes travelers, artists, students, and journalists to an authentic encounter with new perspectives. These impressions often lead to deeper, long-term collaborations, whether in education, creative industries, research, or trade.
Marvel’s insights illustrate that in diplomacy, impressions aggregate over time. A cultural performance in Tehran, a workshop on Indonesian cuisine, or a collaborative seminar at a university can all seem modest. Yet, repeated consistently, they reinforce mutual understanding, elevate trust, and shape perceptions positively.
Conclusion
Through his remarks, Adfikri Kevin Marvel, Cultural Attaché of the Indonesian Embassy in Tehran, presented a clear framework for cultural diplomacy. People-to-people connections, authentic experiences, multi-level awareness strategies, and consistent cultural exchange programs are positioned as the bedrock for strengthening Iran–Indonesia relations.
What emerges is a vision in which diplomacy is not abstract or distant, but rather lived out in the shared laughter of cultural festivals, the curiosity of academic exchange, and the discovery of contrasting lifestyles from Jakarta’s skyline to Bali’s coastal traditions. This vision outlines cultural diplomacy not as a parallel to traditional diplomacy but as its lifeline drawing nations closer by drawing their people together.
