Regional Development in Indonesia – Meeting Local Needs?
Elizabeth Morrell, Flinders Asia Centre, Flinders University
In the past decade, at the same time as global development objectives moved from a focus on economic expansion towards wider socio-cultural aims, local autonomy has been increased in many Southeast Asian nations. Together, these two factors should produce more appropriate regional development which pays closer attention to local circumstances and needs. The local focus has grown from - and is simultaneously engendering - robust assertions of regional awareness and identity. Because of the change from centralism to increased local input, regional development policies are now influenced by a wider range of political, geographic, social and cultural factors. These include socially-determined local values and norms, and a strong connection to territory and place. This paper asks if the enhanced local orientation is producing the balanced opportunities sought by current donor strategies. In particular, it examines aspects of development practices within Indonesia’s new regionalism to determine who is constructing this, how it is being implemented, and who is benefiting.
