Program & Research
CERITA
Community Empowerment for Raising Inclusivity and Trust through Technology Application, abbreviated as CERITA, is a program that uses the art of storytelling to fight discrimination, promote inclusivity, and build trust within society.
The CERITA program was first launched in April 2017, driven by concerns over the increasing polarization within society. The rise of distrust, hate speech, discrimination, and radicalism fueled by misinformation (especially on social media) threatened national unity and cohesion. Conflicting opinions often escalated into tensions that sometimes led to violence or bullying.
Activities
CERITA gathers young people from diverse religious, ethnic, racial, and social backgrounds in a workshop called Kafe CERITA. In this workshop, participants are trained in storytelling, dialogue facilitation, and conflict transformation using interactive and engaging methods. They are also encouraged to better understand themselves and others.
Kafe CERITA is designed to foster meaningful interactions among participants. At the end of the workshop, participants from different backgrounds share their personal stories, enabling deeper understanding and connections beyond differences.
Program Elements
Kafe CERITA
A series of workshops for young leaders to practice storytelling and cross-cultural/religious dialogue facilitation.
CERITA Ambassadors
Change agents trained in Kafe CERITA who spread CERITA's skills, experiences, and values to wider communities.
CERITA Map
An online platform to share and map stories in video format, accessible to the wider public.