Bridging the Gap: Empowering and Facilitating Indonesian and Refugee Youth through Cultural Dialogue and Art-Making

Refugees are not a new community in Indonesia. The first recorded arrivals date back to 1950, and today around 12,000 refugees live in the country—excluding those unregistered. Alongside this long presence, new challenges have emerged for both refugees and Indonesians.

A central issue is limited communication: language barriers often prevent meaningful interaction, leaving refugees excluded from daily activities and with few opportunities to engage with host communities.

Around the world, societies experience complex and sometimes conflicting dynamics, as seen in Indonesia and the countries of origin of the refugees living here. Communities face social, political, and economic tensions, yet they also possess rich traditions of collaboration, mutual aid, and cultural expression. These traditions—ranging from festivals and communal celebrations to artistic practices—offer fertile ground for initiatives that build solidarity not only through sympathy but also through shared creativity, learning, and collaboration.

Globally, cultural events have proven to be powerful platforms for bridging different communities, fostering expression, healing, identity-building, and inclusion. From the New Beginnings Festival in Australia to Refugee Week Greece and the Refugee Festival Kuala Lumpur, such initiatives create safe spaces for exchange, reduce stereotypes, and empower communities. Academic research likewise highlights how cultural engagement fosters trust, identity, and social cohesion between refugees and host societies.

Drawing on these insights and responding to local needs, our initiative will create inclusive spaces for intercultural dialogue, collaborative art workshops, and a final cultural showcase.

Refugee and Indonesian youth will meet weekly to brainstorm, practice, and co-create artwork and/or literatures and performances while developing skills in communication, teamwork, creativity, and project management. The project will culminate in a showcase where participants present their work and share food, traditions, and cultural expressions with the wider community.

This project directly addresses the need for safe, creative, and interactive platforms where refugees and Indonesians can meet as peers, learn from one another, and build stronger, more inclusive solidarities. It also affirms culture and art as tools not only for connection and healing, but also for resilience and empowerment in a world marked by both global displacement and societal challenges.