Dr Harla Sara Octarra (Atma Jaya Catholic University)

My name is Harla Sara Octarra. I am the MAP Network Plus Co-Investigator from Indonesia, who enjoys film and travelling. Since summer 2019 I have worked alongside Ananda, Kirrily, Rajib, Bishnu, Sylvestre, Eric, Tajyka and others to implement MAP project. In Indonesia, I have the honor of collaborating with adolescents in the city of Jakarta, youth facilitators, and researchers of Atma Jaya Catholic University of Indonesia (AJCUI) to run MAP activities and enable MAP to grow in interest, network and to inform youth policy. MAP’s arts-based and participatory approaches are what interests me to take part in the project in the first place and will remain so until 2024.

I have a doctoral degree in Social Policy from the University of Edinburgh, UK where my research focused on Scottish children’s policy. I enjoy teaching my students at AJCUI about psychosocial intervention and public policy & human rights. I am also a consultant and resource person for the Government of Indonesia and local governments, specializing in child rights and protection. As a lead researcher, I have been working with UNICEF and other development partners in conducting studies to inform policies around youth rights and participation. I am now working to influence the country’s child participation policy using MAP approaches.