@america

It is not just business that scramble for every possible opportunity to project their brand. Vision obsessed Governments just can't help themselves as their messianic histories push them to the conclusion that "to know us is to love us". The United States has now opened its first center @america in the continuing effort to win the hearts and minds of the world's youth.They have chosen a highly strategic area, too. Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim country. @america opened its first center in Jakarta and because they are targeting the young affluents, they have situated this one right in one of Jakarta's top-end shopping malls, the Pacific Place. Jakarta is capital to Indonesia, Southeast Asia's fastest growing economy with the greatest number of social media such as Twitter and Facebook users. Commendable strategy. It sees that it needs to try to offset the images of oppression and hatred for Islam projected by some Imams with a more positive and progressive vision.

Kudos to some creative thinking and social media savvy embassy officials who thought of doing this. I remembered in the past how as a growing kid in Asia, the American Cultural Center or the United States Information Center (USIS) was our frequent destination when we had to do serious research or just get hold of books or glance through some of the foreign newspapers we could not get hold of there. We, of course, threw slogans at it when as university students, we were in the streets to demonstrate against imperialism. Yet, it did help us in many ways advance our knowledge. And it did create a feeling of interest in us having information and not just agitprop or "the Government Line". But many of these centers all over the world are gone now. With the internet world and travel becoming easier and affordable to many, the need changed as budgets shrank. And, maybe, America became a little less sure of its image as a warm fuzzy Uncle to emerging nations who defined image by actions rather than advertising.

Still, America or the United States in this case (remember, Canada and Mexico are "America" too) or at least the Clinton driven State department, feels the need to reach out again with a softer cultural image to engage especially the young in an activity more creative than flag burning and more linked to the common interests of the young. American songs, fashions, movies and videos, status products (Coke etc.) toys and success images are solid raw material. But they need to be gently woven into a fabric displaying the creative culture that generated them. They want to shift the image especially in many Islamic countries, from the Great Satan to one of a gentler, more creative, more change committed nation who can talk to the world without a gun. Many of these younger generation have a fear for America eventhough they dream of studying in its universities. 9-11 has created that divide and has made studying in the U.S. more difficult for Islamic students as American politicians fed the paranoia of isolation and protection. So, is this the U.S. reaching out to Islam or just a logical promotional step in a world that has become social media savy?

Whatever it is, it looks like the young of Jakarta have taken to this first center. It is now on facebook and its friends increasing. In fact, the number of Indonesians that have now become "friends" of the U.S. embassy in Jakarta after the center's opening in December 2010 continues to climb.