Source : Perth Now news
The federal government want more children to be like Collingwood captain Darcy Moore, but not for their football skills.
The AFL defender is being used as part of a government push to help more young Australians learn how to speak Bahasa Indonesia in a bid to forge closer cultural ties with the northern neighbour.
Moore, who is a Bahasa Indonesian speaker, played host with Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Defence Richard Marles to their Indonesian counterparts Sugiono and Sjafrie Sjamsoeddinand at the MCG on Wednesday.
Senator Wong said the premiership player demonstrated the value of learning a foreign language to connect with the broader region.
“Darcy Moore is a great example of how learning a language can open doors to new experiences, connections and a deeper understanding of our region,” she said in a statement.
“We want more young Australians to have the opportunity to learn Bahasa Indonesia and other regional languages so that we build greater cultural understanding and connections with our neighbours.”
Moore also took part in events alongside the Krakatoas, an Australian-Indonesian AFL team helping to bridge the gap between the two countries.
He said there had been a significant benefit to learning a second language from Asia.
“It’s a really great way to sort of deepen understanding of the country more broadly,” Moore said.
“It’s been an amazing experience and really, really valuable.”
The federal budget in May set aside more than $2 million for grants to support Asian-language education in schools.
A treaty signed between the two countries in February led to more than $11 million being given to the Australia-Indonesia Institute to expand cultural exchanges.
During formal talks between the foreign and defence ministers, the two parties discussed defence, security and economic ties.
“This is our first meeting since the signing of the Jakarta Treaty and marks a new chapter in the relationship between Australia and Indonesia,” Senator Wong said.
“Together we are building on the strong ties between our countries and deepening cooperation across the full breadth of our partnership.”
