Explore how various arts can play a part in reducing violent conflict and can create peaceful environments. The Peacebuilding Through Media Arts (PMA) project aimed to strengthen and encourage this emerging field by exploring how various arts, including theatre, film, music and storytelling, can play a part in reducing violent conflict and creating peaceful communities through healing trauma, fostering compassion, and building communication across cultural, ethnic, religious and social divides. In recent years, increasing numbers of theorists and practitioners of peacebuilding have begun to recognise the potential of the creative arts for contributing to processes of peacebuilding and conflict transformation. Hence, this project was particularly interested in arts-based peacebuilding that engages religious actors, networks and resources In partnership with the University of Notre Dame and York St John University, the PMA project brought together artists and peacebuilders in a series of interdisciplinary workshops. These workshops shared expertise, fostered critical conversation around the theory and practice of peacebuilding through the arts, and explored the ways in which arts-based peacebuilding both supplements and challenges conventional diplomatic means of conflict resolution. Events involved in the PMA project: The Art of Listening: Peacebuilding in the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland Read about Theodora Hawksley's work on practical peacebuilding in the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland in the wake of the abuse crisis. Religion Causes Violence? Syria and Sant’Egidio Read about the Sant'Egidio community's efforts to hold peace talks with Syrian representatives to bring about a peaceful future for Syria. The Media We Deserve Geoffrey Stevenson, researcher on the Peacebuilding Through Media Arts project, reports on a summer Church and Media Conference. Words, words, words… and some silence Geoffrey Stevenson, researcher on the Peacebuilding Through Media Arts Project, reports on at an international conference. Shadows of the Divine: Craigie Aitchison Read about Craigie Aitchison's life and his 'Pink Crucifixion'. Can there ever be peace without justice? Read about the involvement in Scotland's African Film Festival. See other events and publications: Peacebuilding and the Arts Peacebuilding and Catholic Social Teaching Cabaret of Dangerous Ideas This article was published on 2024-03-19
