Southeast Asia Philanthropy Tour with U.S. State Department Specialist James P. LaRose, CFRE

JAKARTA, INDONESIA – May 5, 2009 – Jimmy LaRose took his Beyond Government Tour to Southeast Asia challenging citizens, philanthropists, corporations, and government officials of Indonesia to new heights of involvement in civil society. As a young democracy, Indonesia has made incredible progress over the past ten years and is now home to a multitude of non-governmental organizations and associations with the goal of improving democracy. Though civil society has been a major force in advocating reforms, many still lack the tools to constructively engage government to both shape and implement policy. The U.S. government has an intrinsic interest in seeing the work and support of NGOs expand in Indonesia by engaging foundations and corporations in support of their efforts. Jimmy LaRose’s two week speaking tour played a key role in encouraging this expansion and in turn has moved forward the U.S. State Department’s goal to support Indonesia’s reform agenda. The outcomes have resulted in a stronger global partner in combating terrorism and a further constructive dialogue between Indonesians and Americans.

Over ten days the U.S. Embassy featured Mr. LaRose in eighteen venues in Jakarta, Medan, Pontianak, and Batam meeting with Political Party Officials, Government Officials, Corporate CEOs, Foundation Executives, University Staff, Faculty, and Students, and Non Governmental Organizations.

The U.S. Speaker and Specialist Program foster’s communication between individual U.S. citizens who represent a broad range of responsible and informed opinion to key foreign audiences. Speakers are selected on the basis of their credentials, their ability to communicate, and the relevance of their contributions to State Department mission performance objectives. Speakers are not limited to the expression of U.S. government policies.