On Friday – Sunday, 31st January – 2nd February 2020, Cecemuwe Café and Space with Art for Refuge, Atma Jaya’s Silver Program, Sisterhood Community Center, Roshan Learning Center, and Al Diaa Learning Center held an event titled Dialogue on Displacement: Refugee – Resident Partnerships.
For refugees of all ages, one of the main issues in their extended stay in Jakarta is being unable to pursue a career or formal education. It creates a gap in their lives and often feels like their lives are being put on hold indefinitely. For those three days, the event introduced visitors to these issues, and how partnerships between refugees and residents, both expats and locals, have created educational and entrepreneurial programs to mitigate these issues.
As a local-led initiative, Art for Refuge exhibited some of the artworks from Berdiam/Bertandang Art Exhibition. Chris Bunjamin, as the teacher of AFR Photography Class, also shared his experiences and views on young and talented refugees in Jakarta. Moreover, Art for Refuge held an anti-bullying workshop followed by an art session for the refugee kids.