Intercultural Dialogue
In 2017, UNESCO Juba contracted Likikiri Collective to implement a project on intercultural dialogue and participatory theatre. Supported by UNESCO through a grant from Search for Common Ground (SFCG) and the EU, the project aimed to use cultural exchange and co-creation as vehicles for exploring personal and national identity and promoting social inclusion, tolerance and respect for diversity, with a special emphasis on interaction among and between displaced South Sudanese living in the Protection of Civilians (PoC) camp and South Sudanese living in other spaces in Juba. Likikiri is now expanding the Intercultural Dialogue workshop into a curriculum appropriate for educational institutions and community groups.
For our first Intercultural Dialogue workshop, Likikiri Collective designed a 5-day experiential education and peacebuilding program which which brought together three different social groups: 1.) individuals living in the PoC 3, 2.) students from the College of Arts and Humanities at the University of Juba, and 3.) residents of the Gumbo suburb. The workshop drew 22 participants, encompassing a diversity of backgrounds, educational levels and experience in cultural performance and intercultural exchange.
Drawing on creative pedagogies and participatory methodologies, our Intercultural Dialogue program created a safe and exploratory atmosphere for interpersonal and communal exchanges and cultural co-production.
The week was organized to begin with self-exploration, move toward broader communal exploration and end with activities that invited participants to work together in a creative process as part of a shared community.
Three exercises encouraged the exploration of personal identity: “Your Names” demonstrated the multiplicity of identities within each person; In “Earliest memories,” participants shared memories with their partners and practiced active listening; “Where I’m From” (Ana min Ween in Arabic) gave participants a structured way to explore their personal history and ancestry through the creation of a poem based on memory and sensory details.
The workshop also encouraged the exploration of communal cultures: Participants shared songs and riddles. As part of an assignment, participants recorded an origin story from members of their community, broadly defined. Groups listened to the recordings and eventually adapted each story into a short play.
Sessions of the workshop were also dedicated to critically analyzing the prejudice and stereotypes circulating within participants’ communities that may prevent or distort intercultural exchange.
Ana min Ween / Where I'm From: Poems exploring identity
Listen to Emma’s poem
List to Emmanuel’s poem
Listen to Nhial’s poem
Listen to Yonis’ poem
Listen to Veronica’s poem
Listen to Isa’s poem
LIKIKIRI COLLECTIVE PROJECTS
