Ambassador Scot Marciel will give a talk entitled “Understanding Indonesia,” as the second in the 2024 Deltaville Great Decisions lecture series. The talk is set for 10 a.m.-noon Friday, Feb. 2, at the Deltaville Community Association building at 17147 General Puller Highway (Route 33) in Deltaville.
Despite its large size, Indonesia remains virtually invisible to most Americans. But as one of the world’s largest democracies, the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation, and as an economic driver, why does it fly below the radar? What are current issues in U.S.-Indonesian relations, and what role can the country play in Asia?
Scot Alan Marciel (born 1958) is an American diplomat and served as principal deputy assistant secretary in the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs until February 2016. He was confirmed by the U.S. Senate to be the United States Ambassador to Burma on Jan. 28, 2016.
He was the United States ambassador to Indonesia from August 2010 until July 2013. Marciel has worked for the United States Department of State since 1985. He has served in various capacities.
Scot Marciel is a career U.S. Foreign Service Officer currently working as a visiting scholar and practitioner fellow on Southeast Asia at the Walter Shorenstein Asia Pacific Research Center at Stanford University. Prior to coming to Stanford, he served as U.S. ambassador to Myanmar from 2016 to 2020. His previous assignments with the U.S. Department of State include as ambassador to Indonesia, ambassador for ASEAN Affairs, and principal deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asia and the Pacific. He also has served in Vietnam, Hong Kong, Turkey, Brazil and the Philippines. Scot Marciel received a master’s degree from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, and a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from the University of California, Davis. He is a native of Fremont, Calif.
Ambassador Marciel presented on Myanmar in 2023 via Zoom and will again present via Zoom from Stanford University.
The session starts with a 40-50 minute presentation, a break for coffee and cookies, and resumes for a question and answer session.
Great Decisions continues with the Feb. 9, U.S., China Trade Rivalry presentation by Dr. Taiyi Sun, professor Christopher Newport University.
To learn more, the 2024 Great Decisions briefing book, which provides an article written by prominent experts on each topic, is available for purchase for $25 at the Deltaville and Urbanna branches of the Middlesex County Public Library system and at each Friday meeting. Reading copies are also available at each library branch.
“Come early and get a good seat,” urged a spokesman for the event.
For information, email stan@stan.coloff.name.
