by Kayla Lapiz, Voice Communications Officer, and Sokha Srey, Programme Officer, Voice in Cambodia

On June 4, 2024, we had the privilege to take part in the close out event of Voice Indonesia. Led by Pamflet, its Linking & Learning Facilitator, and the Voice Country Team under the Yayasan Humanis dan Inovasi Sosial, we spent a whole day of vibrance and togetherness with Indonesia Inklusi.

Indonesia Inklusi is the community that was born from the Linking & Learning process in Voice Indonesia. In English, it means “Indonesia Inclusion”, which is exactly what they envision. Being with them for this event was both refreshing and nostalgic. It was refreshing to see the community gathered again before our eyes, different yet a family of its own. On the other hand, very much nostalgic as we remember moments spent with them in the past, and upon viewing their Linking & Learning journey video.

As we got on through the day, we couldn’t help but be in awe of the talents and capabilities we were surrounded by.

We were in awe of Pamflet, who pulled off such an amazing event! The design and setup were wonderful, making the whole place energetic and welcoming. More than their talent to curate events, we were amazed by their sincerity and love toward Indonesia Inklusi. They are a youth organization, and to see that passion from young people adds to our hope of sustaining the gains that have been made towards beautifully diverse and inclusive societies. They went an extra mile to ensure that the Linking and Learning journey of Indonesia Inklusi is one that is shared and valued, one that shouts ownership by the community.

We were in awe of the active participation of community members. While of course not all grantee partners were present, the togetherness of who were there makes it very apparent that the Linking & Learning process is something of their own. Watching their journey, we appreciate how they are vocal with their needs and interests, and how responsive the process is towards those. In the event, they presented their List of Recommendations which they aim to share with relevant groups, organisations and institutions. You can check the document here.

We were in awe of how they walked the talk on NOW-Us! (Nothing About Us Without Us) by ensuring an inclusive space is co-created. Deaf individuals were fully participating and enjoyed the moments with sign language intepretation from plenary sessions, to small group sessions, up to the mini concert! We appreciated observing the open space session on sign language which not only taught the basics of sign language but also on how we can respectfully interact with deaf individuals. There was also an open space session with two women journalists from Papua, reflecting how far the reach of Voice Indonesia has gone and how intersectional the issues, challenges and opportunities are.

They say that to name something is to build a connection or attachment to it. Indonesia Inklusi is the first of the Voice Linking & Learning communities to have its own name. With this name came a sense of ownership and trust, and hopefully, an intention to continue journeying together.

You can also read here an article about the event written by Yayasan Humanis dan Inovasi Sosial.