Talk shows and script shows have been held as a series of events leading to the summit of the Global Youth Conference (GYC) at SDG 2021 on 8 – 9 October. The activity, which carries the theme “Talk With Us, Bonding To Speak Up,” was carried out virtually considering the ongoing pandemic conditions. The interesting thing about the participants, besides embracing friends with disabilities to take part, there was also a participant from our neighboring country, Timor Leste, to participate in enlivening the event.
For 2 days, participants were invited to open their minds and interact with friends with disabilities. On the first day, participants presented very inspiring speakers at the talk show session. He is a post-natal person with disabilities who shares stories of struggles in changing society’s stigma regarding people with disabilities, which of course takes a long time.
I am a postnatally disabled person, and that has made a huge difference in my life, one of which is related to the way society views me. At first, it made me down but I realized if we just keep quiet nothing will change. From there I started to prove to my family and people around me that I was capable, so now, I can get a bachelor’s degree with cum laude, I work, I have an income and I have a family,” said Dayu Wid in response to questions posed by the participants.
The Finance and Admin manager from PUSPADI Bali said that the role of non-disabled friends is also very important for friends with disabilities. through what? Moral support can strengthen and encourage our friends with disabilities not to fall into all the limitations because every human being is the same, they have their strengths and weaknesses.
“We don’t want to be pitied, we want to be appreciated and interacted with. Like you, don’t immediately think that we can’t. First, ask “do we need help or not?” With that little thing, we will feel more appreciated,” continued Dayu Wid.
From this, we learn that friends with disabilities also have the same dream as us. And there should be no stigma that becomes a differentiating barrier to keep them from reaching it.
Furthermore, participants were invited to interact with each other to mingle and share their thoughts and opinions regarding a problem theme given by the committee in the breakout room. compose a story or video script via google document which on the second day will be shown and demonstrated in turns for each group and then recorded virtually by the committee’s friends. This is expected to be able to change their view of each other and practice collaborating as a team.
This activity is enough to get extraordinary feedback from each participant. Through this, many participants hoped that things related to activities for people with disabilities could continue to be fought for, one of which was related to inclusion. In addition, the participants hoped that there would be more activities like this that embrace and invite friends with disabilities to join in which are expected to be able to open people’s minds at large about what friends with disabilities are.
Eliminating the stigma that tends to take root in people with disabilities is the main essence of holding this activity, which is expected to be a concrete step in realizing the vision of topics 5 and 10 of the 17 sustainable goals that have been proclaimed by parties related to gender and related to it. Remove the stigma because we are all equal!
