Jakarta. A Québécois and an Indonesian business owner recently received awards for advancing Jakarta’s diplomacy with Canada in their respective fields.

They were Québécois writer and filmmaker Ugo Monticone as well as Indonesian businessman Johannes Doy. Johannes owns "Tribal Voices", an Indonesian handicrafts and home decor business in Kingston, Canada. Ugo earned praise for his Bali-themed documentary, which he co-directed with Richard Olivier Jeanson. The documentary was screened in Canadian and European cine-conferences.

Presenting the awards was Indonesian Ambassador to Canada Muhsin Syihab, citing that the two individuals had contributed to the country’s cultural and economic diplomacy efforts. The awarding ceremony took place during the Independence Day celebrations at the embassy on Monday.

“We want to show what Bali values the most, and that is the warmth of the people who always welcome us as if we were family,” Ugo, who was unable to attend the ceremony, said in a video statement.

Hundreds of thousands of people in French-speaking eastern Canada as well as France, Belgium, and Switzerland saw the film. Ugo went on to say that the film had motivated some of the audience to visit Indonesia.

Johannes has promoted Indonesian handicrafts over the past three decades.

“I started Tribal Voices in 1992. Since then, our focus has not merely been on promoting products, but rather on introducing the beauty of the craftsmanship, the dedication, and the spirit of Indonesia’s local artisans to the Canadian public,” Johannes said.

On the same occasion, Muhsin reiterated the embassy’s commitment to governance.

“Every staff member at the Indonesian Embassy in Ottawa has signed an integrity pact to ensure there is no misconduct in the conduct of our official duties,” Muhsin said.

“We welcome the public to directly provide feedback to foster continuous improvement at the embassy.”

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