JAKARTA —-— According to a report by the World Bank, in 2025, the total number of poor people in Indonesia will be 68.3 percent, equivalent to the total population of Pakistan, which is 192.3 million. In fact, Indonesia is a country with abundant natural resources, great economic potential, and high biodiversity.
However, it turns out that all of this does not guarantee the prosperity of its people.
Despite all its potential, Indonesia is still considered a developing country that is not taken into account. A book review of What Would the World Be Like Without Indonesia? The Epic Contribution of the Archipelago as a Guide to the Future by Yudi Latif, at the Dompet Dhuafa Cultural Hall on Thursday (01/29/2026), revealed all this.
“Even humanity itself may not exist without the phenomenon of tectonic plates in Indonesia. Because the formation of humans on earth is related to and influenced by tectonic shifts in Indonesia,” said the author of the book.
The statesman revealed that the book is intended as an introduction to understanding the nation’s identity from an early age. Therefore, the language used is simpler and does not use many academic jargon.
“What makes me happy is that this book, for the first time in my book history, has been reviewed by junior high school students,” said the scholar when giving an introduction before the discussion began.
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In the book, Yudi Latif emphasizes that Indonesia is not on the periphery of history but at the heart of the world. Through 22 key points, the book narrates the strategic role of the archipelago, from spices and its cosmopolitan geographical position to the spirit of liberation.
“This book does not need to be read from beginning to end in sequence, but it is essential to read the introduction so as not to have any misconceptions,” he said, concluding his remarks.
Next, the book discussion was opened by the Master of Ceremony (MC), Arsyiela AH from the Legal Corporate team at Dompet Dhuafa, and moderated by the General Manager (GM) of Education & Culture Development at Dompet Dhuafa, Haryo Mojopahit; and reviewed by the GM of Advocacy, Arif Rahmadi Haryono; and Strategic Alliance & Dompet Dhuafa Volunteers (DDV), Syamsul Ardiansyah.
GM of Advocacy Arif Rahmadi Haryono highlighted the chapter on spices and their relationship with Indonesian cuisine. According to him, no other cuisine has a richness of flavor as rich as Indonesia’s. Soto is proof of Indonesia’s rich flavors. One of the symbols of Bhineka Tunggal Ika, he continued, is soto. Each region has its own unique soto.
“Soto Bandung has a distinctive taste, move a little to Cianjur and the taste is different, move again to Tasik, and so on,” he added.
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For Arif, soto is one of Indonesia’s contributions to the world. With its diverse flavors, soto has introduced ginger, turmeric, lemongrass, and other spices to the world.
“At that time, spices were even more expensive than gold,” said Arif.
While some countries in Europe ate bread topped only with cheese, Indonesia, said Arif, already knew sambal, gado-gado, karedok, and others. Arif concluded that there are two possibilities for those who have finished this book.
“The first is that they will grow to love Indonesia, or they will fall madly in love with Indonesia, giving rise to a new chauvinism,” he said.
Previously, Arif felt pessimistic about Indonesia’s current condition after reading the book Reset Indonesia by journalist Dandhy Laksono and friends. However, the book Apa Jadinya Dunia Tanpa Indonesia? (What Would the World Be Like Without Indonesia?) revived his optimism about Indonesia’s future.
Meanwhile, Strategic Alliance & Dompet Dhuafa Volunteer (DDV), Syamsul Ardiansyah, exposed three dominant paradigms in the writing of Indonesian history, namely Eurocentric, Neerlandocentric, and Indonesocentric.
“The Indonesocentric perspective of this book makes it feel real and authentic,” said Syamsul.
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For your information, book discussions are a regular event held by Dompet Dhuafa at least once a month or more. The purpose of this event is to increase the knowledge and understanding of Dompet Dhuafa employees regarding developments in modern Indonesia.
Dompet Dhuafa librarian Djoko Sunggoro hopes that productive activities such as this will continue so that they can support the growth of each individual. “Anyone who participates in this activity, whether internal or external, can take away the good things they read, what they gain, and the benefits,” he concluded. (Dompet Dhuafa)
Text and photos: Aji Pangestu
Editor: Dhika