DIPLOMASI BUDAYA INDONESIA MELALUI KJRI SYDNEY DALAM PROGRAM INDONESIA GOES TO SCHOOL TAHUN 2019-2021

In an effort to strengthen people to people relations between Indonesia and Australia, cultural teaching and promotion is an important instrument not only to facilitate communication but also to enhance mutual cultural understanding. The Indonesia Goes to School programme is a programme implemented by the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia in Sydney to introduce Indonesian culture to students in Australian schools through various interactive cultural activities. The purpose of this study is to explain the implementation of Indonesian cultural diplomacy through the Indonesia Goes to School programme in the KJRI Sydney working area in 2019-2021. This research uses a descriptive qualitative approach with literature studies and interviews as data collection methods. The results showed that the Indonesia Goes to School programme in Australia was effective in increasing people-to-people connections through cultural interactions, namely exhibition, negotiation, and expert exchange, in accordance with the concept of cultural diplomacy defined by Tulus Warsito and Kartikasari. In addition, the implementation of the programme in 2020 and 2021 is an example of Indonesia's cultural diplomacy efforts during the Covid-19 pandemic. Even though Australia has the strictest border rules in the world to control the spread of the virus, the Indonesian Consulate General in Sydney still managed to implement this programme well, despite budget limitations and adjustments in its implementation.