DIALITA Choir

DIALITA Choir was formed and developed by a group of survivors of the 1965 political tragedy and their families. The choir initially aimed to raise funds for fellow survivors of 1965 who are elderly and in need of assistance, especially for the elderly who are sick or experiencing calamities. DIALITA, which stands for di atas lima puluh tahun (above fifty years old), was formed on December 4, 2011. DIALITA’s presence was welcomed by women activists who then helped promote them to NGOs that organized events such as discussions, book launches, international human rights day, etc. For its members, survivors and their families, DIALITA is a place to meet and gather with friends who share the same history. DIALITA is a ‘child of history’ who throughout her life barely had a place and lost her rights as a citizen, stigmatized as a child of the PKI (Indonesian Communist Party). By gathering together with these “Families in History”, there was no longer any hesitation and fear to share her background and past. Slowly but surely, DIALITA members are recovering from trauma. It didn’t take long before one by one, ‘friends in common’ joined DIALITA. DIALITA members then increased to 24 people. In 2019, DIALITA received the Gwangju Special Price for Human Rights from the May 18th Foundation, South Korea. DIALITA is also a recipient of the Jakarta Academy 2022 award, in an annual event that honors artists, writers, and cultural figures who have consistently championed their vision.