In a bamboo house in Kalisalak Village, we gathered and learned to tell stories. Because we believe stories can touch and inspire us all. Stories also make us change and move.
Through this short article, I want to share about the "Storytelling Retreat" which we organized at the end of last year, between December 14 and 17, 2023 in Central Java. This event was a collaboration between WeSpeakUp.org with Fatimah Bamboo House and the Our Voice Comedy for Change community which was founded by Comic Sakdiyah Ma'ruf..
Storytelling or telling stories is a skill that has been around for a long time. Long before there was the internet and social media, our ancestors used the power of tales to convey messages and values to their children and grandchildren. Unfortunately telling a story is not as easy as it might seem, not everyone can tell a story well.
This Storytelling Retreat is our effort to provide young changemakers who come from various cities in Indonesia to be able to voice strong stories, narratives that move and have an impact on society. As the name suggests, this "retreat" is held in a quiet location close to nature, far from crowds, so that participants can reflect and take a break from their daily routine.
This activity was attended by selected young activists from our youth leadership program “We Create Change Batch 2” including those from West Kalimantan, Aceh, Riau, NTT and Central Java.
There are 3 main activities carried out by changemakers in this retreat, namely:
1️. Kegiatan di dalam ruang kelas untuk merumuskan dan merefleksikan gerakan masing-masing. Peserta diajak berbagi dan merefleksikan panggilan hidupnya dengan metode River of Life atau sungai kehidupan.
2️. Berinteraksi langsung dengan kelompok masyarakat untuk berlatih menarasikan kisah perjalanan aktivisme dan gerakannya. Antara lain bercerita di kelompok ibu-ibu, bapak-bapak dan anak-anak di desa terdekat, sekalian latihan menghadapi audiens yang beragam
3️. Jalan-jalan, menikmati alam, dan jeda sejenak sebagai bagian dari refleksi dan self care. Kami percaya bahwa joy is an act of resistance, kegembiraan adalah bagian dari perlawanan. Jadi perjuangan dan aktivisme harus digerakkan dengan gembira.
Hopefully this story can inspire you to voice your stories for change!
Kunjungi youtube kami untuk menonton cerita selengkapnya di sini: Storytelling Retreat - We Create Change Vol.2
Interested to join? Please wait for our next storytelling program and follow us on social media @WeSpeakUporg
Writer:
Desmarita Murni
Executive Director WeSpeakUp.org
