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National University of Singapore helps survivors of '65 massacre tell their own stories

Jakarta Globe - July 12, 2016

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Jakarta – National University of Singapore's (NUS) research center for culture-centered approach to research and evaluation (CARE) recently launched "Learning65" – an online creative writing campaign to encourage survivors of the 1965-1966 communist pogrom in Indonesia tell their own stories about the horror ordeal.

So far, contributing survivors have written stories about their first-hand experiences of forced labor, imprisonment without trial, physical torture and sexual harassment under the New Order regime led by former president Soeharto.

"The central theme of the campaign is to create a narrative entry point for articulating the lived experiences of suffering as well as the pathways of hope for the survivors," said Dyah Pitaloka, CARE's media spokesperson, on Monday (11/07).

Started by an advisory committee comprising ten survivors, the campaign found a willing partner and a guide in Professor Mohan J. Dutta, CARE's Director. The main goal of the campaign is to offer hope to the survivors by directly addressing their trauma.

The team took eight months to design a culture-centered campaign, comprising a digital storytelling website, social media outreach and a documentary film ahead of its official launch on July 4.

Learning65 can be accessed here: http://www.learning65.com/

Source: http://jakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/natl-university-of-singapore-launch-online-campaign-for-65-massacre-survivors/.