 Honorable Gareth Evans, Chancellor of the Australian National University, Vice Chancellor, distinguished academics, and not least of all, the graduates and their families present, ladies and gentlemen. I stand before you today with a deep sense of humility for the recognition that the NU has chosen to confer. But not least of all and most of all, I have been inspired by the possibilities and by the potentials that each and every one of the graduates present here today are bringing in making for the betterment of our global society. In particular, in promoting a stable, in promoting a prosperous, and indeed in promoting a Pacific Asia-Pacific region. For there is indeed an unfortunate refrain that speaks of some of the ills and some of the challenges that are confronting our world today. I speak here, for example, of the prevalence of trust deficits between nations, large and small, which manifests in the worst case assumptions of the other's intent. Injecting and sustaining a vicious cycle of tensions and instability made all the more acute when matters of territorial disputes are involved. And I speak here also of trust deficits within nations, democratic and authoritarian alike. A condition only too readily seized and exploited by the demagogy of those bent on whipping up public fervor for the sake of popularism. And I refer here as well to the many paradoxes of our world. A world where the revolution in digital technology has made information more bountiful than ever before. And yet a world where peoples are no better informed, often case in other words a post-truth world. A world of endless streams of images and incessant social media chatter. And yet a world having less capacity to hear, let alone to listen and empathize with the other. And a world that may be more technologically interconnected and yet somehow less connected as witness by the increasing evidence of intolerance and of divisive politics. Ours is truly a world full of uncertainties where change is an ever permanent. However, I believe looking around the potentials that is before us today, as long as such is the case, as long as change is an ever possibility, then the possibility for positive change is always before us. More than ever, I believe we are at a critical juncture today, choices between the politics of hope and fear, between intolerance and celebration, not mere tolerance of diversity and between divisive and cooperative leadership. And however insignificant and however powerless one may sometimes feel, the choices that each and every one of us can make a difference, can make a positive difference. Ladies and gentlemen, my association with the ANU began some 26 years ago, coinciding with the beginning of my career in the diplomatic service of Indonesia. Representing one's nations from the hallowed halls of the halls and corridors of the United Nations, security council included, to the conflict ravaged terrains of Darfur and Afghanistan, the displaced peoples in many corners of the world and just now the speech presented by our dear colleague really put things in context of the kind of personal sufferings that have been inflicted due to conflict situations all around the world. The promise that is ASEAN and in the building and nurturing of relations with neighboring countries, not least of all Australia, has been a tremendous honour and a deep privilege. All throughout, and I have learned many life lessons here at the ANU, I have been driven by the quest not to take the world as it is, rather how it can be, a more secure, a more prosperous and a more equitable world, idealistic realism, to positively alter the dynamics in relations among nations, to alter, convince in the belief that nation states are not destined to be permanently mired in relations of tensions and conflict, and that they are actually policy outcomes, the results of decisions made by individuals, they are actually choices to be made, hence the need to wage peace aggressively, to chart synergy and complementarity between the relentless pursuit of national interest and the reality that ours is a globalised world, replete with challenges that define national solutions alone, cooperative leadership, and not least of all, convinced of the power and the efficacy of diplomacy, of dialogue and persuasion in the sustained settlement of disputes. Hence I have sought to pursue a foreign policy that is transformative and not simply transactional, not to see in change as a threat to be overcome, rather as opportunities. Thus ensuring that Indonesia's democratic transformation post-1998 serves as a catalyst in Indonesia's foreign policy to push for greater respect of democratic principles and good governance within ASEAN and to see in Australia not only our geographic neighbour, but also as a fellow partner in democracy. Hence the efforts to extrapolate ASEAN's transformative experience, the conversion of trust deficit in ASEAN in Southeast Asia to strategic trust to the wider East Asia region through the East Asia Summit and the promotion of a dynamic equilibrium for our region. In short, to present in my case Indonesia, but I'm sure in your respective cases yourself as part of the solution, building bridges to address some of the most intractable challenges of our time, international peace and security, sustainable development, promotion and protection of democratic values, human rights and good governance. In a 27 world of incessant new cycle where some may succumb to place primacy on form rather than substance, it is worth emphasising that diplomacy is a process and not an event. It is indeed one that requires the earnest of efforts building and indeed rebuilding trust and confidence. Sometimes it demands an almost infinite reservoir of patience, of perseverance and of resilience not to relent, not to relent to a personal sense of exasperation for emotion is not policy. Not with sending the most sincere of goodwill and the strongest of efforts for different reasons, conditions are not always propitious for optimum progress to be made. In such instances, it is critical to acknowledge the constraints of the moment and ensure that at the very least one does not make the issue even more intractable for future generations who may possess the requisite wisdom previously lacking. Chancellor, biosensular ladies and gentlemen, some 26 years ago in our case, the Australian National University graciously and warmly welcome my wife, Sranja, who is sitting in the audience today and I and our young family here to Canbera. The suburbs of Downer, of Pierce and O'Connor became our home. Our eldest daughter Anissa began her school at the Turner School here in Canbera and subsequently attended the ANU for her postgraduate degree. Ananta, our second, was born at the Wooden Valley Hospital and even as a young toddler, kept me company as we attend the Canbera Raiders Games at the Dan Bruce Stadium. And our youngest, Andreka, has since attended the Asia Pacific Week here at the ANU further deepening his interest and understanding of our dynamic region. Sranja was entrusted by the University's Child Care Centre to provide for a good number of young Australian families. Myself, I got to know the Linem and O'Connor neighbourhoods rather well as I deliver the morning papers every morning. Since then, and because of such personal experience, I have come to learn of the remarkable resilience of Indonesia-Australia relationships. Especially when I have the capacity to make a difference, I have never lost sight of the fact that there is far more that unites us than that which divides as fellow vibrant democracies. And as policy makers, we must not lose sight of such realities and that we must instead foster and nurture people's basic inclination to simply get along. Chancellor by Chancellor, ladies and gentlemen, Before I conclude, please indulge me and allow me a personal note. My family, Sranja, Anissa, Nantai, Ndreka have been the life of my life. They have plant unsinting support and understanding and made personal sacrifices without which all would have been impossible. I dedicate all my efforts then, all my efforts now and all my future efforts to all of them. And of course to all the graduates and their family's presence, once again, congratulations and have a wonderful career ahead.