United Society Council President Jessica Chaijaya on the red carpet at the opening ceremony.
79th Cannes Film Festival, May 12, 2026. Photo: REUTERS/Marko Djurica.
The 79th edition of the Cannes Film Festival offered more than a stage for cinema. For the United Society Council (USC), it presented an opportunity to advance the Council’s conviction that culture, when approached with purpose, can serve as an instrument of diplomacy and a vehicle for collective progress. Leading an international delegation drawn from Indonesia, Australia, and China, USC President Jessica Chaijaya used the occasion to connect philanthropic commitment with the Council’s broader mission of building open, inclusive, and sustainable societies.
Jessica Chaijaya’s participation at Cannes reflected a deliberate alignment between high-visibility convening and grassroots purpose. Invited for three days during the festival’s Premier Time programme as President of the USC, she framed her presence not as attendance at a prestigious event, but as an exercise in representation — bringing the voices, values, and philanthropic traditions of Asia into a setting where global cultural and diplomatic networks intersect.
A Programme Rooted in Connection
Convening philanthropists, entrepreneurs, and emerging leaders
Through the United Society Council, Jessica Chaijaya curated a focused programme of cultural diplomacy and philanthropic exchange for a selected group of guests, including philanthropists, entrepreneurs, cultural leaders, and young representatives from across Asia. Consistent with the Council’s emphasis on fostering collaboration across sectors and borders, the programme was designed to cultivate dialogue and partnership rather than spectacle.
The itinerary combined networking and substantive engagement: an arrival lunch in Cannes, a coastal gathering on the Riviera, a private working lunch in Antibes, and a dinner following the festival’s red carpet premiere and official screenings. Each setting was intended to create the conditions for meaningful exchange among individuals positioned to advance shared social and environmental goals.
Sustainability and Ocean Stewardship
Aligning philanthropy with environmental responsibility
Central to the delegation’s engagement was its participation in a charity gala held in support of the No More Plastic Foundation, an organisation dedicated to confronting plastic pollution in marine environments. The Council’s involvement underscored a longstanding commitment to environmental stewardship and climate resilience, areas it regards as inseparable from social equity and human well-being.
As Jessica Chaijyaya remarked:
“Influence only matters when it serves a larger purpose. That is what we came to Cannes to demonstrate.”
JESSICA CHAIJAYA
This commitment carries a personal dimension for Jessica Chaijaya. Raised in the world’s largest archipelagic nation, she has spoken of a direct connection to ocean preservation and the urgent need to protect marine ecosystems. For the USC, that perspective illustrates a guiding principle: that the populations most exposed to environmental degradation are often those with the fewest resources to adapt, and that effective conservation must therefore be both ecologically sound and socially just.
Investing in the Next Generation
Creating pathways for young leadership
A defining feature of the delegation was the inclusion of Kyra Kolim, a nineteen-year-old representative from Indonesia. Her presence reflected one of the Council’s enduring priorities: equipping emerging leaders with the confidence, exposure, and sense of social responsibility needed to contribute to public life on the international stage.
This emphasis on intergenerational empowerment is consistent with the USC’s view that sustainable progress depends on widening access to opportunity. In Jessica Chaijaya’s framing, philanthropy is not measured by giving alone but by the capacity to open doors, build bridges, and encourage successive generations to invest in their own communities. The Council regards the cultivation of young leadership as a long-term contribution to the social fabric rather than a symbolic gesture.
Representation and Cultural Diplomacy
Indonesia’s presence in a global conversation
Among the more notable moments of the delegation’s engagement was Jessica Chaijaya’s access to the festival’s opening ceremony, an invitation-only event governed by the Festival de Cannes protocol system and attended by film industry figures, jury members, institutional leaders, diplomats, and international guests. For an Indonesian diaspora figure based in Europe, such participation carries significance beyond the individual: it advances the visibility of Indonesian cultural diplomacy within a prominent international forum.
Her presence was documented by major international editorial agencies, including Reuters, AFP, EPA, and dpa. Within the context of the Council’s work, this coverage matters less as personal exposure than as a marker of credible representation — evidence that the perspectives and priorities the delegation carried were registered within established channels of international media and record.
From Visibility to Lasting Impact
Taken together, the Council’s engagement at Cannes reflected its conviction that influence is meaningful only insofar as it serves a broader purpose. Through the United Society Council, Jessica Chaijaya continues to connect Indonesia, the wider Asian region, and Europe through philanthropy, sustainability, cultural diplomacy, and cross-cultural collaboration.
The objectives guiding this work remain consistent with the Council’s mission:
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Strengthening the presence of underrepresented voices in global cultural and diplomatic conversations;
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Advancing philanthropy that is substantive, accountable, and oriented toward measurable social benefit;
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Elevating emerging leaders and supporting their participation in international affairs;
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Integrating environmental stewardship, particularly ocean and ecosystem protection, into the broader pursuit of social equity.
In bringing these commitments to Cannes, the United Society Council sought to demonstrate that cultural platforms, approached with intention, can extend well beyond celebration. They can become spaces for diplomacy, partnership, and the kind of collective progress that the Council exists to advance.
References
- Reuters (2026). “Karma Screening – The 79th Annual Cannes Film Festival.” [Editorial photograph].
- Reuters (2026). “France – 79th Cannes International Film Festival, Opening Ceremony, ‘La Vénus électrique.'” [Editorial photograph].
- Reuters (2026). “Cannes – 79th Cannes Film Festival 2026, Red Carpet di Apertura.” [Editorial photograph].
- PurePeople (2026). “Jessica Chaijaya – Montée des marches du film ‘La Vénus électrique,’ cérémonie d’ouverture du 79ème Festival de Cannes, 12 mai 2026.” Photo: C. Jacovides / J. Moreau / Bestimage.
- Madame Figaro (2026). “United Society Council.” Les Adresses Incontournables – Art de Vivre.
- TIME France (2026). “Jessica Chaijaya, pour la bonne cause.” Partner Content. Photo: Laurent Hou.
- Biardzka, M. L’Officiel Monaco (2026). “Giving Back, Generation by Generation: Inside USC’s Cannes Mission.”
- Biardzka, M. Schön! Magazine (2026). “Purpose on the Red Carpet.”
