Bina Antarbudaya Foundation

Bina Antarbudaya Foundation, The Indonesian Foundation for Intercultural Learning

Yayasan Bina Antarbudaya was founded on May 2nd, 1985 by Taufiq Ismail, Tanri Abeng, Irid Agoes, Kartono Mohamad and Sophie Gunawan Satari. Bina Antarbudaya saw the importance of having a legal body with a national identity. Born on the National Education Day, Bina Antarbudaya positioned itself as an educational organization, just when the need for cross cultural knowledge was increasing in the global interaction.

Bina Antarbudaya is a non-governmental, not-for-profit, volunteer based organization and a partner of AFS Intercultural Programs, which is committed in building a better world through international exchange program on Intercultural Learning and global education. Its goal is to prepare future leaders who are more sensitive, understanding, and care on the environments.

Through interaction with people from other countries, participants learn to share, communicate, and appreciate each other, and appreciate differences. In the future we hope we will have future leaders who appreciate differences, highly recognize the value of peace and friendships, develops positive relationship and synergy with each other, with other communities and other nations, in an effort to create peace and happiness to humankind.  Those whose lives are touched by Bina Antarbudaya programs are expected to be future leaders, who will actively promote world peace and cooperation among nations, in their respective fields.
Bina Antarbudaya is not affiliated with any religious, racial, socio-economic or political group. It is a non-profit organization that works toward the common good of the people. Bina Antarbudaya also develops itself people of various backgrounds, without exclusivism and elitism. Over fifty five years of providing intercultural learning experiences, Bina Antarbudaya had sent more than 3,000 Indonesian students on the exchange programs and hosted approximately 1,500 students from overseas.

In 1990, Bina Antarbudaya received the Japan Foundation Special Prize. Together with the other Prize recipients from other parts of the world, Bina Antarbudaya National Director (at that time), Mrs. Irid Agoes, paid a courtesy visit to H. E. Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko at the Imperial Palace.

The Prize motivated Bina Antarbudaya even more to continuously improving itself performing its duties while consistently holding to its principles. Bina Antarbudaya always ensures that its programs are educational, and that the participants reflects the socio – economic diversity of the country. To be able to send qualified students who are in need of financial assistance, Bina Antarbudaya cooperates with individuals, corporations and other bodies.  www.bina-antarbudaya.info