Steve Mara, Chairman of the Melanesian Youth Diplomacy Forum, attended and served as a speaker at the Diplomacy for Development event.

The event, held at the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in London on 15 November 2025, carried the theme “Development to Promote Prosperous Growth Enhancement in Papua, Indonesia.”

In his presentation, Steve Mara explained that the significant transformation currently taking place in Papua has become a major focus of the Indonesian central government.

Infrastructure development, human resource improvement, enhanced healthcare services, economic growth initiatives for community welfare, socio-cultural empowerment, increased roles for local government, and the use of technology to advance Papua are being implemented effectively to achieve a Smart Papua, Healthy Papua, and Productive Papua.

In terms of infrastructure, the government is prioritizing the development of key supporting facilities such as airports, seaports, the Trans-Papua Highway, healthcare facilities, markets, technology centers, and government buildings.

Beyond infrastructure, the government is also deeply committed to human resource development. This includes preparing Papua’s future generations by providing scholarships from high school through undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral levels.

Every year, through the Indonesia Endowment Fund for Education (LPDP) under the Ministry of Finance, the government sends 100–200 young Papuans to pursue postgraduate and doctoral studies.

Moreover, tens of thousands of Papuan students have received affirmative scholarships, such as the ADEM scholarship for secondary education and the ADIK scholarship for higher education.

Steve Mara shared that he himself is one of the many young Papuans who received a scholarship and is currently pursuing his doctoral studies in the United Kingdom.

Through this forum, Steve urged young Papuans and other Indonesian youth to prepare themselves well. He emphasized that studying diligently, reading, and writing are key foundations for preparing Indonesia toward its Golden Vision 2045.

The event, initiated by the Directorate of Defense Strategy of the Ministry of Defense, received strong support from the Indonesian Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Desra Percaya.

In his remarks, Ambassador Desra emphasized that young people, as agents of Indonesia’s future transformation, must be guided properly. By directing the younger generation, Indonesia’s advancement can progress in a clearer and more structured path.

The Ambassador also appreciated the Ministry of Defense for involving young Papuans such as Steve Mara, who is both the Chairman of the Melanesian Youth Diplomacy Forum and an Indonesian diaspora student. The event also featured Nowela, the winner of Indonesian Idol 2014, who entertained and energized the participants.

In addition, the Ministry of Defense also presented another speaker, Dr. Jacob Fonataba, an academic from the University of Papua. In his presentation, Dr. Jacob highlighted that Papua’s development direction has already been outlined in its long-term development plan, which has been carefully aligned with the needs of each province according to customary regions.

The event, attended by dozens of Indonesian students, international students, NGOs, and local organizations in the UK, concluded on a festive note with Papuan songs and dances performed by Nowela, the Indonesian Idol winner.