BILATERAL ORDER AND CREATIVE COMMUNICATION: ASSOCIATION OF SERBIANINDONESIAN FRIENDSHIP’’NUSANTARA’’

Abstract

The paper discusses the process of institutionalization of Serbian-Indonesian friendship projected in an association as a specific type of social entity, state-body excange, networking and empathic connections. Through the analysis of program and content activities of the Association of Serbian-Indonesian Friendship “Nusantara”, we are investigating the social and cultural paradigms and interactions which create policies and value systems of both familiarity and diversity in the established micro-community. The Association “Nusantara” was established on the Indonesian Independence Day – August, 17, 2003 in Belgrade, as a civil organization. The founders of the “Nusantara” were eminent diplomats, former and actual Ambassadors, military diplomatic representatives in Serbia (former Yugoslavia) and Indonesia, university professors, artists, businessmen, journalists, fellow students, citizens – residents of Serbo-Indonesian marriages and others who were interested to contribute in the creation of friendship between the two countries. Political aspect of the friendship stems from the historical context marked in the politics of Non- Aligned Movement (NAM), which has left its mark in the bipolar and bilateral order of the two countries, since the sixties of the twentieth century until the collapse of Yugoslavia. Today Association “Nusantara” is one of the most active associations of friendships in Serbia, which has over 170 members and has rich exchange programs in the cultural, economic, educational and diplomatic level. This association, as well as most of the associations of this type, functions in two ways: first, as a correspondent with political and governmental authorities; second, as a communicator in the establishment of connections among people and the exchange of knowledge.