Alternatives in Conflict

 Journal of Alternative Perspectives Perspectives in the Social Sciences ( 2010) Vol 2, No 1, 112-135 112

Dramatic Problem Solving: Transforming Community Conflict through Performance in Costa Rica Steven T. Hawkins and Alexia Georgakopolous, Nova Southeastern University (Fort Lauderdale, Florida)

1. Introduction  This study is an examination of how Dramatic Problem Solving (DPS), an interactive theatre based facilitation was implemented in a community with the goal of structural conflict transformation at a community, interpersonal, and intrapersonal level. By incorporating action research in a study of a theatre based facilitation model, the study merges the fields of conflict resolution with performance studies. The study’s focus is praxis, equally examining theory, process and outcomes. The field of facilitated conflict resolution has often focused on process (Frey, 2003; Broome, 2003; Schwarz, 2005). The field of performance has often focused on the external expression and final outcome (Schechner, 2003; Park-Fuller, 2005). By combining performance studies, theatre for social change, and facilitation, this study provides an example of transdisciplinary research that is the hallmark of both conflict analysis and resolution and performance studies.  The study took place in La Carpio, a neighborhood composed of mainly Nicaraguan immigrants, in San Jose, Costa Rica. Performance Studies provided key theoretical insights into the formation of the analysis of the DPS model.  The concept of liminality, that space created during ritual and performance that is in between the present and the future (Yancey, 2009; Golden, 2009) and communitas, the spontaneous moment when the individual members of the group become focused on the larger needs of the group and new, unforeseen actions are created via that energy Steven T. Hawkins and Alexia Georgakopolous, Nova Southeastern University (Fort Lauderdale, Florida) 113

(Schechner, 2003), were key for applying performance theory to the conflict resolution workshop model studied.  This study provides a bridge between the structured group facilitation conflict resolution models (Lederach, 2007; Broome, 2003) and the more free-flowing, interpretive nature of the performing arts (Grady, 2004; Marin, 2005; Mitchell, 2007). This was made possible by the use of a qualitative, participatory action research model that asked participants to be both informants and agents of change (Herr & Anderson, 2006). The theatre provides a space for this 1

change to take form in a playful, safe, facilitated space. Several studies have looked at the ways theatre and theatre based exercises can be used for conflict analysis and resolution, often in the educational setting (Pecaski Maclennan, 2008; Schroeter, 2009; Snyder, 2008). This study looks at ways issues based theatre works in the community setting for conflict resolution. Research participants were led through the DPS process, following a series of exercises and processes to identify a problem, look at the root causes of it, design a plan of actions to transform the conflict, implement the plan, and imagine and plan next steps for an ongoing process of  community action. This examination of the full action research cycle with TO groups was lacking in the research.  Though recently more scholars are beginning to think about  TO in an academic light (Sun, 2009; Smith, 2006; Schroeter, 2009; Pecaski Maclennan, 2008), a study that involved follow up with a structured action plan within the TO framework did not exist prior to this study. Performance Studies is focused on understanding the ways performances create and sustain meaning in a society (Taylor, 2002). Victor Turner believed in the power of  performance to create liminality. The liminal, as defined by  Turner, is a space or threshold that is created by ritual and performance where the norms of culture can be changed and broken by the actors. The creative, theatre based exercises and the performances within the research described here sought to provide the participants and the community a chance to examine a conflict in a “liminal phase” (1982, 27). During these times of liminality the participants can try on new identities, new behaviors and ways of dealing with  Dramatic Problem Solving: Transforming Community Conflict through Performance in Costa Rica 114

conflicts, themselves, and others. “This intermediary space ... is where symbolic realization takes place before it is transformed into everyday life” (Feldhendler, 1994, 104). Schechner discussed the importance of liminality in performance. Schechner’s group, as did Turner’s original ethnodrama conception, used a workshop model (1998; 2003). This performance workshop is parallel to the conflict resolution workshop models proposed by Lederach (1997) and Schwarz (2002; 2005). In these, the facilitator works to create rapport, and a space of safety, trust, and honesty where people can be open and “discuss undiscussable issues” (2002, p. 97). Schechner argued that by getting the t he group to this level of confidence, in a liminal space where roles and past actions are seen as changeable, the group can 2

work to transform conflicts. The workshop works, according to Schechner, as a way, “of re-creating, at least temporarily, some of the intimacy and security of small, autonomous cultural groups … The aim of the workshop is to construct an environment where rational, arational, and irrational behavior exist in balance ... leading to expressive, symbolic, playful, ritualized, ´scripted´ behavior. It is my opinion that workshops are more important than most people dream of”” (2003, p. 110). All of the above components, clarity, goal setting, trust, creativity, liminality, and intimacy are important aspects of the DPS workshop model.  The workshop and the liminal space created can lead to what Turner called “communitas” (1982, p. 45). It is in this space, where Schechner states that there group may experience a, “leveling of all differences” (2003, p. 128).  Through the ability of the workshop and the performative to create a liminal space in which communitas can happen and new, unthought-of consensus based agreements can result in a completely different set of actions taken by the participants in their lives following this experience. Diana Taylor’s contributions are important for this study because she focuses on two central aspects of the study, Latin American performance and the role of women in performing meaning (Taylor, 2002; 2004). Taylor delineates between the archive and the repertoire with the former being the written, archival theatre that is found on proscenium stages and the latter being that which is created in cultures through the performance of rituals, protests. Often, these are Steven T. Hawkins and Alexia Georgakopolous, Nova Southeastern University (Fort Lauderdale, Florida) 115

acts taken on by members of groups with limited agency or the oppressed. This repertoire, argued Taylor, is what allows for these groups to have a voice. Her study s tudy of women, Holy  Terrors (2004) and their wide ranging performances of gender roles and issues showed how this type of theatre could be used to question, threaten, provoke and change. The community based efforts of people trying to bring about community change through theatre is an act of performance; is part of the repertoire. The archive is reserved for the groups in power, for those with the highest levels of agency within the culture. This study, by involving immigrant women at the grass roots, seeks a better understanding of  the repertoire. It asks the questions that Taylor does. Such as, what are the everyday performances of these women? What are their roles? Through an explicit performance of  them there can be a challenging of the current order, a fresh look at the conflict. 3

One of the strengths of theatre based facilitated problem solving model is the way performance can make physical and real what is often unspoken or hidden. Cultures depend on signs being understood by everyone in the group and not questioning them. Theatre heavily utilizes signs and gestures as a way of presenting a point. Brecht spoke of the gestus, “the attitudes which people adopt towards one another” (2001, p. 86), stated through bodily expression. The various masks worn by people as they move through their lives can be taken off, put on others, and examined through theatre. Theatre is “transformational, creating or incarnating in a theatre what cannot take place anywhere else” (2003, p. 186). With the Theatre of the Oppressed, the Brazilian Augusto Boal followed the line of Brecht´s Epic Theatre (Mumford, 2009), Grotowski´s Poor Theatre (Slowiak & Cuesta, 2008), and Schechner’s Performance Group (Schechner, 2003), in the desire to create a theatre that engaged and incited the public to thought and action. This work created what Sandi Diaz has called the anti-scenario.  These “anti-scenarios provoke debate among audiences and question social and political structures, helping to bring about social change” (2007, p. 4). The TO, “is a system sys tem of  physical exercises, aesthetic games, image techniques and  Dramatic Problem Solving: Transforming Community Conflict through Performance in Costa Rica 116

special improvisations whose goal is to safeguard, develop and reshape this human vocation, by turning the practice of  theatre into an effective tool for the comprehension of social and personal problems and the search for their solutions” (Boal, 1995, p. 15). The system includes Image Theatre, Forum Theatre, Cop in the Head, Rainbow of Desire, Invisible Theatre, and Legislative Theatre (Boal, 1979; 1995; 1998, 2006; Baiocchi, 2006). Storytelling is another aspect of performance that was part of the DPS model studied here. Storytelling is less formal and requires less traditional acting on the part of the participants. As Byrne and Senehi suggest, storytelling is low tech, a skill that is easy to attain, “everybody gets it” (2004) Zelizer found that storytelling and performance based sharing in post-war Bosnia between Bosnians and Serbs, Christians and Muslims, led to increased understanding. Performance was seen as central to coping with large scale conflict both during the war and post-war (2003). This demonstrated the power of performance to provide for the catharsis and metaxis necessary for carrying on in situations of conflict. 4

DPS combined the traditional facilitation models and behaviors as described by Schwarz (2002; 2005), Justice &  Jamieson (1999), and Broome (2003), with the TO facilitation model known as the Joker system (Schutzman, 2006; Bentley, 2001; Boal, 1979). The Joker system originated in the Arena Theatre of Sao Paolo, Brazil. The Joker an on stage facilitator acting as narrator, commentator, a person with the power to stop the action, take the role of any other actor, and propose immediate and unexpected changes to the scene. How the performance went depended greatly on the  Joker’s interventions, knowledge, energy, connection with the group, ability to ask questions and provide relevant information. He or she would frame the issues in new ways for the public to consider (Schutzman, 2006). These are all important tasks of any group facilitator. As Boal and others developed this work into the current system of the TO, the Joker took on the role of facilitating the entrance and exit of the spectators into the scenes during Forum Theatre performances. In this new format the power of the Joker is given over to the spectators, or in Boal’s term, the spect-actors (Schutzman, 2006; Popen, Steven T. Hawkins and Alexia Georgakopolous, Nova Southeastern University (Fort Lauderdale, Florida) 117

2006). Bentley’s interviews with six of the major TO practitioners in North America revealed that they have had to adapt their practices based on the needs of the participants. The TO Joker must be flexible in the face of  changing participant groups and varied social and political contexts (2001). This represented a shift from the original design to a more participant led design; an even more dialogic approach to facilitated performance. Recent studies of TO have revealed applications of the model in varied settings. Snyder (Snyder, 2008) studied adolescents and their identities. That study focused on the specific nature of the antagonists in the lives of the participants. The participants worked to identify their personal antagonists, those that were actively working to block their progress. The study also had the participants explore their inner antagonists, the “cops in the head” from Boal’s structure (Snyder, 2008, Boal, 1995). Marin (2005) worked with Latina adolescents on issues of identity. Her study was an important mirror for this study as it worked with Latinas in the US exploring their own identities through Boal’s work. Her results were summed up thus, “By creating an environment for emancipatory pedagogy, the study opened up a space for the participants to critically reflect on their own perceptions of how society portrays Lateen@s as a 5

subculture. Through praxis, a symbiotic relationship between theory and action, the young people involved in this study have awakened in themselves a critical consciousness, described by educational theorist Paulo Freire as essential for social change” (3). Sun (2009) completed a study on the use of theatre by preschoolers to promote breast cancer education and awareness among Chinese immigrant women. The results showed that women’s awareness and knowledge about the guidelines for breast cancer screening were significantly increased. This study provides insight to the present study as it demonstrates another study using theatre for breast cancer awareness. It was shown to be a highly effective tool to increase awareness of the Susan G. Komen breast health guidelines. Rollin & Gabriel (2002) applied TO in their action research project resulted in a manual for use in a sexual health education program that featured Boal’s techniques,  Dramatic Problem Solving: Transforming Community Conflict through Performance in Costa Rica 118

specifically Forum Theatre. The project was used in Guinea with refugees from Sierra Leone to perform trainings for facilitators and then about sexual health for youth refugees.  The study stressed the importance of the necessary health services in conjunction with the information and dialogue that comes from the play. All of the above referenced research indicated that scholars increasingly recognize the value of theatre and performance for increased understanding and dialogue around important conflicts. Systems of oppression and structures of violence continue to be at play, especially in the squatter’s community that was the setting of this study. In order for this process to be effective in the view of the participants, the issues need to be real and urgent in their lives, something in which they “have an investment, situations in which they venture their lives and their feelings, their moral and their political choices” (Boal, 1995, 16). Through connecting to issues that are of such intimate connection to the participants, and working through a dialogic relationship with the facilitator, meaningful changes can take place. 2. Research Process  The participants were residents of La Carpio, a poor, neighborhood in San Jose, Costa Rica. This burgeoning squatter’s community has over 30,000 inhabitants, the majority Nicaraguan immigrants. The participants were brought together via the CRHF (Costa Rican Humanitarian Foundation, www.crhf.org). This Non-Governmental 6

Organization has been working in La Carpio since 1997. Previous research and workshops coordinated with the CRHF using the DPS helped to enhance the level of  community trust and credibility helped me gain entry and acceptance in the community.  This study employed an action research model. The researcher worked directly with the group of women in the Core Group, guiding them through the DPS model utilizing theatre techniques to analyze a group-selected issue.  Together, the researcher and the participants created an interactive theatre piece to present to the community for Steven T. Hawkins and Alexia Georgakopolous, Nova Southeastern University (Fort Lauderdale, Florida) 119

their input and ideas for transformational actions. This interactive theater production was designed to help people recognize and relate to the conflict, define and name it, and create a series of steps to act on it. From the community presentation there resulted an action plan that defined steps and actions the participants committed to completing. The researcher worked with the community to ensure that follow up on the stated actions of the action plan were attempted and/or implemented. The final step saw a follow up session with the Core Group that facilitates a dialogue around the changes that were implemented, what worked, and what did not. The Re-look Core Group then began to work on a new project utilizing the DPS process to bring more change to the community. 3. Procedures  Three basic methodological foundations for the processes were employed. Those were Roger Schwarz’s facilitated problems solving structure (2002), Boal’s theatre of the oppressed techniques (1979; 1995, 2006), and an action research cyclical model (Stringer, 1999; Herr & Anderson, 2006). Action research is a model of research in which the researcher directly involves the participants as researchers.  The research is also always directly focused on analysis of a specific issue that directly affecting the participants. Actions that transform the problem are sought through this research methodology. The methodology is generally broken into four phases: look, think, act, rethink (Herr & Anderson, 2006; O’Connor, 2003). In the look phase, the researcher observes what a community is like, their perceived needs and how they might be defined. This then moves into the think phase where the researcher, working directly with the participants, creates possible alternative actions that might result in positive 7

change in the observed situation. Techniques utilized here include brainstorming, consensus building, voting, feedback gathering, and role-playing. Finally, the problem looked at and thought about is acted upon through a series of   Dramatic Problem Solving: Transforming Community Conflict through Performance in Costa Rica 120

interventions developed through the previous two phases.  The participants themselves are the actors and therefore participate directly in the research while the lead researcher is there to observe, collaborate, and provide support so that there is follow through. This culminates with an analysis of  the actions taken based upon the research. The method is cyclical and requires prolonged engagement with the community to see that there is continuity and a carrying out of the defined actions (Dick, 2005; Herr & Anderson, 2006). Below is a graphic presentation of the DPS Participatory Action Research Process. The table demonstrates how the process was continually revisiting similar questions. It was cyclical but it did not necessarily come back to the same place. The overall goal was for movement and progress on an issue while still reviewing what has worked and what is now needed. Schwarz described the use of a process for facilitated problem solving through a nine-step model. The use of this DPS Participatory Action Research Process Steven T. Hawkins and Alexia Georgakopolous, Nova Southeastern University (Fort Lauderdale, Florida) 121

set framework is important for, as he states, “A group that solves complex problems using a structured approach is likely to develop a high quality solution” (2002, 221).  Therefore, the DPS model utilized a structured model derived from Schwarz’s nine-step model. The nine steps are: 1. Define the Problem, 2. Establish Criteria for evaluating solutions, 3. Identify root causes, 4. Generate alternative solutions; 5. Evaluate alternative solutions; 6. Select the best solutions, 7. Develop and action plan; 8. Implement the action plan; 9. Evaluate outcomes and the process ( 2002; 221).  The Schwarz model fits well within the framework of  action research. The nine steps can be chunked together into three phases. Proceeding through the first three steps, define the issue; think about desired outcomes; and root cause identification, is what happens during the “look” phase of the action research process. The middle three steps, generate, evaluate, and choose alternative solutions, are the “think” phase, where the group thinks about ways it can confront the issue. Finally the last three steps are the act phase, 8

develop, implement and review the action plan, brings the cycle back to the beginning, to looking at the situation is now and thinking about creative ways to transform the conflict. Augusto Boal stated that the, “real goal of the arsenal of the Theatre of the Oppressed is to contribute to the preparation of the future rather than waiting for it to happen” (1995, 185). With this forward looking approach to theatre, the TO has created a set of activities and theatre performance formats that work to analyze and provide solutions to the problems confronted by people living in the world. This research utilized Boal’s methods of using games that develop muscular and sensory awareness. The participants also undertook Boal’s techniques of using images and sculpting humans to create images of what emotions, issues, and conflicts look like to various participants. This results in an image theatre that can provoke people’s emotions and sensibilities in relation to a problem (O’Connor, 2003, Linds, 2006). Improvisational theatre techniques for scene and character development are also part of the Boalian structure  Dramatic Problem Solving: Transforming Community Conflict through Performance in Costa Rica 122

(Boal, 2006; 1995; Rohd, 1998) and were incorporated into the model. These techniques, combined with the image theatre work, were used in the creation of the dramatic presentation that the participants presented to the community group in the style of theatre called, “Forum  Theatre” (Schroeter, 2009). In this style of theatre, the audience is engaged by being presented with the opportunity to change the scene through their own actions. The audience has a chance, after viewing the play once, to stop the action and enter the scene to try new actions that may change the situation. The audience member is transformed from “spectator” to “spect-actor” (Boal, 2006). The audience then evaluates these proposed solutions and discussions of which interventions are the most applicable are held. The end result hoped for in Boal’s techniques is that the audience member will then take home these ideas for new behaviors and apply them in his or her life. This forum theatre has “the capacity to produce different outcomes than those a public is presented with as given, rests with the theatre itself as an occasion whereby a critical presence can gather” (Martin, 2006, 28). It is in those liminal moments of critical presence, the moments of communitas, that the DPS process can begin to challenge people to consider new ideas (Schechner, 2003). All three of these methodological formats have at their 9

core the same structure, of first defining a problem, then thinking about it through varied lenses, and finally seeking to create concrete actions to change the situation. This is the focus of the model studied here, how did the merging of  these three methodologies work to promote social change in this community of La Carpio, San Jose, Costa Rica.  The Core Group went through the nine steps of  Schwarz’s problem solving model in order to look, think, and act on issues and conflicts of importance to them. We utilized many image theatre exercises. These allowed for a non-verbal expression of feelings and knowledge about the conflicts. The process relied heavily on story telling constructs that engaged the whole group in an exploration of  the conflict. In the first sessions the group brainstormed a list of  the most pressing conflicts/problems in their community.  Through interactive, theatrical exercises such as “Snowball Fight”, “Dueling Images”, “Unpacking the Story”, and “the Steven T. Hawkins and Alexia Georgakopolous, Nova Southeastern University (Fort Lauderdale, Florida) 123

Great Wind Blows” they narrowed down the issue. The group focused on the community trash problem. This was an obvious problem. La Carpio is located next door to the largest active landfill in Costa Rica (Sandoval Garcia, et.al, 2007). The company that operates the landfill provides the community with trash collection services as compensation for their presence and the daily passing of innumerable trash trucks. However, the trash service is irregular, there are no trash bins in the streets, large numbers of dogs roam the streets and tear open trash bags, strewing the rubbish everywhere. The community is located on a hill. Trash from the main road washes down on those living at the bottom of  the river bank. The La Libertad community where this research took place is at the bottom of the hill. Root causes were explored through the Boal exercise, “Two Secrets”; to uncover what was hidden. What the group found was that attitudes had as much to do with the problem as any other factor. Thus when the women named the antagonists and protagonists present in this problem, they named only themselves. Through exploration of the issue in depth and the increased self esteem built through the group building experienced, a metaxis emerged where these women could begin to look at their own behavior and be ready to change it. A short play was created about the issue of trash in the community. The play came from the minds and experiences of the group members. They began with sculpted 10

images and grew them into full fledged scenes. These scenes showed community members not acting in the face of the problem. Health problems and increased contamination surrounded the characters but they did nothing. The play was made, rehearsed, and ready to present to the community. This whole process, from first session to having a play ready to be presented, required 8 two-hour sessions and one extra rehearsal on the day of the performance.  The Community Group was the audience for the first play. “Theatre for a Better Future” was the title the group gave to their short play. The play was presented and was received with applause. Now the audience was asked to get out of their seats and intervene to change the problem. And they did. Three people called for a stop in the action on the  Dramatic Problem Solving: Transforming Community Conflict through Performance in Costa Rica 124

second run through. They entered with actions focused on raising awareness, taking responsibility for waking up on time, and organizing a campaign to petition the Health Department. When the intervention portion of the Forum was finished, the researcher facilitated a discussion about how people felt about the issue. They were asked to name how they felt about this problem/conflict after participating in this group performance. They listed such things as health, lack of communication, solidarity, humility, respect, love, cleaning, friendship, and an example for the community. Based on these stated desires and the interventions seen in the forum theatre, the creation of an Action Plan for the community to deal with the trash problem was facilitated. The action plan had short, mid-range, and long term actions in it. It called for a day of cleaning, posting of  signs indicating the days for trash pick up, a petition to send to the Ministry of Health was planned, and a day of  education for the children of the community. The responsible people were identified and dates for implementation were agreed upon. Over the course of the next three weeks the community completed all of the action plan steps. The petition to the Ministry of Health was signed by 106 adults.  The signs announcing the trash pick ups were made and posted. A Carnival of Cleaning that included clowns, music, children’s theatre, educational activities about trash, and a community clean up was held on a Sunday afternoon. Some of the older children created signs showing children cleaning up their garbage. These were laminated and posted around the center for all the children to see. Following this success, the Core Group met again to 11

begin the process of re-looking at the action plan and its impact. This facilitated processing session resulted in a song and a prayer about the new hopes they had for their community. One of those was for there to be more opportunity for them and their children. Another was to broaden their reach and open up the group. Gail Nystrom, director of the CRHF, had an idea to bring this group of  women together with another group from the center of La Carpio, about a quarter of a mile up the hill.  The re-think phase of the action research process began. The women, inspired by Gail, were going to focus on Steven T. Hawkins and Alexia Georgakopolous, Nova Southeastern University (Fort Lauderdale, Florida) 125

breast cancer awareness. Most of these women had at one time been seasonal coffee pickers. They decided to create a play to help bring education and awareness about the breast cancer to the coffee pickers in the plantations. The play would be part of a three pronged education and health promotion project that the Foundation would bring to the plantations, including educational activities for coffee pickers’ children, and free health screenings.  The process of creating a play about breast cancer began. Image Theatre and Storytelling exercises provided the foundational material. Stories about lack of education, opportunity and understanding were told. Images of children in the fields, of angry supervisors, of depression, were created. After several sessions the women asked me to write them a formal script. This was a variation from the first play, which had been rehearsed improvisation. They felt that if  they were going to travel and present it that it should be a real play with a real script. A script was written based on the stories and images. Rehearsals were carried out over the course of a month. The bulk of the directing and rehearsing was done by the women of the group. The researcher facilitated sessions only twice, once at the beginning of the month and once at the end. A date was set and the women were ready to take it on the road. The performances were also interactive, inviting the audience members to enter the scenes and change the choices made by the protagonist, creating a new outcome. Education about how to conduct self-breast examinations and breast cancer detection was shared. The children participated in the educational activities. The volunteer doctors and medical students saw many patients.  The play, The Coffee Dance, has now been performed many times all across Costa Rica. A grant for the project was attained from the Susan G. Komen Foundation. A 12

documentary film was made about the process. These successes have emboldened the women to propose adapting the play to present it to other mainly Nicaraguan immigrant communities such as banana and pineapple plantation workers. They also began a new cycle of re-looking at their lives through performance. They decided to work on internal issues again. They defined the conflict to be addressed via  Dramatic Problem Solving: Transforming Community Conflict through Performance in Costa Rica 126

theatre as a lack of a name or story behind their face that was seen by the numerous volunteers that were brought briefly into their lives in La Carpio through the CRHF. They wanted to show that although they were poor women, they had a great deal of dignity. They began a new DPS process of  storytelling and image theatre to create a play entitled, “The Dignity of Poverty.” As of this writing the play is still not complete. However, the women of the group are committed to continuing the participatory exploration of their lives and their community’s needs through performance. 4. Discussion  Three central areas of importance that emerged in the study are examined here: communitas, play, and action. The following is an analysis of this research in terms of each of  these facets of performance as brought to light by this process and in terms of the existing literature and the contributions of the study. Communitas

 The DPS process was not searching for revolution as a goal or as an answer to a research question. However, the importance of abandoning fighting and seeking a single mind to be successful in the attainment of a goal was something that emerged in the data. The women reported anecdotally that one of the main accomplishments of the process was the lessening and even the elimination of infighting and gossiping within the group. The ritual space in the facilitation created a moment of communitas where they could come together and be of one mind about the success of  the process.  This was especially true during the Re-Look Core Group phase. The group wanted to take on the breast cancer issue and take it outside of La Carpio. This was a great challenge to them. It challenged their existing roles and societal rules for someone in their place. It required a great deal of group focus, mutual support and recognition.  Through storytelling and image theatre exercises this mutual recognition and group focus was fostered. Communitas was, Steven T. Hawkins and Alexia Georgakopolous, Nova Southeastern

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University (Fort Lauderdale, Florida) 127

however, not achieved until after the stories and images had been transferred into the script of The Coffee Dance. When each woman had their own part, lines and cues; then they began to see their mutual needs for support. However, the presence of an outsider/researcher did not allow for communitas. To fully use the empowering nature of the liminal space created by the DPS process and theatre, they needed to be more autonomus. Due to cultural limitations they were restricted as to how much they could question the researcher’s authority as the director and playwright. Therefore, a decision was made to leave the group alone to carry out the ritual of rehearsal on their own. From this emerged two things, an in-group leader in the form of Francella, one of the Re-look Core Group members, and a sense of communitas. The sense of being one supportive group, capable of completing this challenge, emerged. They set aside their personal differences, their disbelief in the capabilities of both themselves and their fellow participants. They recognized that this was a challenge that could only be completed through the concerted, directed effort of the entire group.  The emergence of communitas in this fashion is significant in that it demonstrated that the model did actually create communitas. However, the model can not forcefully create a spontaneous communitas. Elements that engender a sense of safety, unity, and a desire for change were present. But the emergence of a true spontaneous communitas could not nor can not be expected or predicted by the implementation of this model. It can be hoped for and its power as a vehicle for change recognized, but the DPS model does not automatically create a true communitas.  The core group that created the trash play, developed the action plan, and carried out the steps of the plan with enthusiasm could not be categorized as a group working from a place of communitas. The workshop model of conflict transformation utilized created a safe space. It led to a desire for change, a vision of a better future. It did not, however, create what emerged in the re-look core group’s experience of  the Coffee Dance.  Dramatic Problem Solving: Transforming Community Conflict through Performance in Costa Rica 128

Play

“Games for Actors and Non-Actors” (Boal, 2002) was first published in South America in the 1970s. Its title in Spanish was more extensive, “Games for Actors and NonActors with a Desire to Say Something Through Theatre” 14

(Boal, 1975). Calling exercises which are designed to elicit emotions and create theatre that challenge existing power structures games speaks to the importance of play in the process. That a work of theatre is called a play in English is another reflection of this importance. Victor Turner subtitled his seminal 1979 work on ritual and theatre, “the Human Seriousness of Play” (Turner, 1979).  The Alternative to Violence Project has been using experiential games with prison inmates as the vehicle for personal development and conflict resolution since the early 1970s (www.avpinternational.org, 2009). The play creates a space, a liminal space, where you can behave differently, more like a child, and try new or old things. Break habits and create new ones in a safe space. Boal’s games work to “de-specialize the body” (1998, 49). These categories are designed to integrate different senses, touch, hearing, sight, through movement, memory, and images. How did this playing of games translate into significant findings in this study? Is play a tool for empowerment and community change? The research would suggest this. Research field notes continually reference the laughter created by the exercises among group members. The games are fun. While having fun, the participants discovered, rediscovered, or integrated senses rarely used. The participants moved their bodies in new ways, listened attentively, limited and enhanced sight, recalled stories, shared memories, and expressed this all in images. This dynamic structure moved people out of their chairs and the limitations of verbal expression. By doing this, the process had more democratic validity. The discussion was never dominated by one or two speakers. Everyone played the games. Everyone’s image was seen by everyone else. While laughing and playing the participants were being given a voice. The democratic nature of play translated into a more inclusive facilitation process. Women who at the outset of the process were very reticent Steven T. Hawkins and Alexia Georgakopolous, Nova Southeastern University (Fort Lauderdale, Florida) 129

and shy to speak were, by the second or third session, opening up and sharing their thoughts and opinions on the conflicts researched. Whether or not the group would have acted as democratically, would have completed their goals, or given everyone an equal voice without play is not possible to say because play was built into the model. However, in this facilitation process, these goals of facilitation were met in an environment where play and fun were stressed. 15

Action

As Herr and Anderson pointed out, creating concrete action is the missing part of much action research (2006).  The DPS process was created with the goal of brining direct action to TO, which was also missing this action portion. Analysis of problems and proposed solutions without actual follow through was often encountered in both academics and  TO. A pilot study of the DPS process had ended with frustration over not successfully completing the action plan. Why was direct action so difficult? Are people simply complacent? Was the facilitator solely responsible for the completion of direct actions? How does a performance-based model influence the possibility to complete direct action? As Schwarz stated, “developing an action plan increases the likelihood of the group implementing a solution effectively and on time” (Schwarz, 2002, p. 230). The design of the model took this into account. The central focus of the community group performance was the creation of an action plan. The idea being that the direct actions proposed would have be fresh and important to the group, having just been performed and analyzed. This would be the time for the group to decide on which actions to implement. The action plan was created and it was successfully implemented. During the second phase, an action plan was created and completed. But the action plan had more to do with creating and performing an interactive theatre piece. Following those performances there was no action plan.  There was an interactive portion but no actions. This was because there was not a structure for follow up because the audience was not from the same community as the  Dramatic Problem Solving: Transforming Community Conflict through Performance in Costa Rica 130

performers. This would suggest that the model is effective in creating actions when the group is from the same community and are focused on an internal problem. The process does use the performative nature of the forum theatre to generate a call to action. The successful completion of that action requires that those that performed it and named it be able to carry it out. In conclusion, the research demonstrated that through performance, group processes could lead to direct actions that changed participants’ lives, empowering them to think in new and creative ways. The process left behind a group of  people who have a framework for facilitating issues that arise in their lives. The significance of the study is that the process may be transferred to other settings, similar and dissimilar to the one presented here, so that community 16

issues may be confronted in creative, dynamic ways. References Steven T. Hawkins and Alexia Georgakopolous, Nova Southeastern University (Fort Lauderdale, Florida) 131

AVP International, “What is AVP?” http://avpinternational.org/whatisavp.html, (July 15, 2008). Boal, Augusto (1979). Theatre of the Oppressed. NY: Theatre Communications Group. Boal, Augusto (1995). The Rainbow of Desire. London: Routledge. Boal, Augusto (1998). Games for Actors and Non-Actors. London: Routledge. Boal, Augusto (1998). Legislative Theatre.  New York: Routledge. Boal, Augusto (2006). The Aesthetics of the Oppressed.  New York: Routledge. Bonson Baquero, M. C. (2009). The Creative Path to Understanding: Organizations Building Community Through Performing Arts. Dissertation, The American University. Brecht Berthold. (2001) “The Street Scene” in Counsell Colin and Wolf, Laurie (Eds), Performance Analysis. London: Routledge. Broome Benjamin. (1998). “Overview of Conflict Resolution Activities in Cyprus: Their Contribution to the Peace Process.” The Cyprus Review, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 47-66. Broome Benjamin (2002/2003). “Responding to the Challenges of Third Party Facilitation: Reflections of a Scholar-Practitioner in the Cyprus Conflict.” The Journal of Intergroup Relations, vol. 29, no 4, pp. 24-43. Burns, D (2007). Systemic Action Research: A Strategy for Whole System Change. Bristol: The Policy Press. Dick, B. ¨You want to do an action research thesis? -- How to conduct and report action research.¨ www.arlist.scu.edu.au. (October, 15, 2005). Feldhendler Daniel (1994). “Augusto Boal and Jacob L. Moreno: Theatre and therapy” in Schutzman Mady and Cohen Cruz Jan, (eds), Playing  Boal: Theatre, Therapy, Activism. London: Routledge.  Dramatic Problem Solving: Transforming Community Conflict through Performance in Costa Rica 132

Freed, D. and Davis, M. (2009). Exploring "The Prodigal Son" through  Augusto Boal's Forum Theatre with Seventh-day Adventist Academy  Drama Students . PhD Dissertation, Arizona State University. Freire Paolo. (2003). Pedagogy of the Oppressed. New York: Continuum. Frey Lawrence. (Ed.) (1995). Innovations in Group Facilitation: Applications in Natural Settings. Hampton Press. Golden, Isis (2009). Performing Cultural Empowerment: Native American  Activism on Alcatraz Island. Davis: University of California. Grady, S. (2004). “Go Theatre Motivational Performance Team: Six Hour  Facilitation Training Manual.” Austin: University of Texas at Austin. Haedeicke, S. and Nellhaus, T (2001). Performing Democracy:  International Perspectives on Urban Community-Based Performance.

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Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press Herr, K. and Anderson, G (2005). The Action Research Dissertation: A Guide for Students and Faculty. London: Sage. Justice, T. and Jamieson, D. W (1999). The Facilitator’s Fieldbook. New York: Amacom Lederach, John Paul (1995). Preparing for Peace. Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press. Linds Warren (2006). “Metaxis: Dancing (in) the In-between” in CohenCruz, Jan and Schutzman, Mady (eds), A Boal Companion: Dialogues on Theatre and Cultural Politics. London: Routledge. Marin, C (2005). Breaking Down Barriers, Building Dreams: Using  Theatre for Social Change to Explore the Concept of Identity with Latina  Adolescents. PhD Dissertation, Arizona State University. Martin, Randy (2006). “Staging the Political: Boal and the Horizons of  Theatrical Commitment” in Cohen-Cruz, Jan and Schutzman, Mady (eds),  A Boal Companion: Dialogues on Theatre and Cultural Politics. London: Routledge. Steven T. Hawkins and Alexia Georgakopolous, Nova Southeastern University (Fort Lauderdale, Florida) 133

Mitchell, M. M. (2007). Theatre of the Oppressed in United States  Prisons: Eight Years of Working with Adult and Youth Prisoners  Examined. PhD Dissertation, Cornell University. Mumford, M. (2009). Berthold Brecht.  New York: Routledge. O’Connor, P. (2003). Reflection and Refraction: The Dimpled Mirror of   Process Drama: How Process Drama Assist People Reflect on Their   Attitudes and Behaviours Associated with Mental Illness. PhD Dissertation, Auckland: Griffith. Park-Fuller, L. (2008). “Beyond Role Play: Playback Theatre and Conflict Transformation. www.playbackcentre.org, (August 15, 2008). Pecaski McLennan, D. M. (2008). Kinder/caring: Exploring the Use and   Effects of Sociodrama in a Kindergarten Classroom. PhD Dissertation, University of Windsor (Canada). Rohd, Michael. (1998).Theatre for Community, Conflict, and Dialogue: The Hope is Vital Training Manual. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Rollin, J. and Gabriel A. (2002). Manos a la Obra: Un Manual para el Trabajo con el Juventud en Salud Sexual y Reproducción. Sociedad Alemana de Cooperación Tecnica: Eschborn, Germany. Sandi-Diaz, G. (2007). Latin American Theater for Social Change: The Case of Augusto Boal and Enrique Buenaventura. University of Kansas, UMI Microform Sandoval Garcia, Carlos. (2004). Threatening Others: Nicaraguans and  the Formation of National Identities in Costa Rica. Athens, Ohio: Ohio University Press. Brenes Montoya, M., Masis Fernandez, K., Paniagua Arguedas, L., Sanchez Solano, E. (eds), (2007). Nuestras Vidas en Carpio: Aportes para una Historia Popular. San José, Costa Rica: Editorial Universidad de Costa Rica. Schroeter, S. (2009) Theatre in My Toolbox: Using Forum Theatre to

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 Explore Notions of Identity, Belonging and Culture with Francophone Secondary Students in a Context of Diversity. PhD Dissertation, York  University (Canada).  Dramatic Problem Solving: Transforming Community Conflict through Performance in Costa Rica 134

Schutzman Mady and Cohen Cruz, Jan. (eds) (1994.). Playing Boal: Theatre, Therapy, and Activism. New York: Routledge. Schutzman Mady. (2006). “Social Healing and Liberatory Politics: A Round Table Discussion” in Cohen Cruz, J. and Schutzman, M., (eds), A  Boal Companion: Dialogues on Theatre and Cultural Politics. London: Routledge. Schechner Richard. (2003). Performance Theory, 2 nd  Edition. London: Routledge. Schwarz Roger. (2002). The Skilled Facilitator. San Francisco: JosseyBass. Schwarz Roger. (2005). The Skilled Facilitator Fieldbook. San Francisco: Jossey Bass. Senehi Jessica and Byrne Sean (2004). “From Violence Towards Peace: The Role of Storytelling for Youth Healing and Political Empowerment after Social Conflict.” University of Manitoba, Canada. 2004. Slowiak, J. and Cuesta, J. (2007). Jerzy Grotowski.  New York, Routledge. Smith, R E (2006). Theatre of the Oppressed and Magical Realism in Taiwanese and Hakka Theatre: Rectifying Unbalanced Realities with  Assignment Theatre. PhD Dissertation, University of California, Santa Barbara. Snyder, D. (2008) The Rules that Rule Their Worlds: Urban Youth  Deconstruct Their Antagonists Through Theatre of the Oppressed. PhD Dissertation, New York University. Spence-Campbell, M. S (2008). Pedagogical Change: Using Drama to  Develop the Critical Imagination. PhD Dissertation, University of  Alberta (Canada). Stringer Ernest (1999). Action Research. London: Sage. Sun, A. (2009). Promoting Breast Cancer Screening Among Chinese  American Women through Young Children's Theatrical Performance. PhD Dissertation, Walden University. Taylor Diana( 2002). The Archive and the Repertoire. Durham, NC: Duke. Steven T. Hawkins and Alexia Georgakopolous, Nova Southeastern University (Fort Lauderdale, Florida) 135

Taylor Diana and Constantino, R. (eds) (2003). Holy Terrors: Latin  American Women Perform. Durham, NC: Duke. Turner, Victor. From Ritual to Theatre: The Human Seriousness of Play.  New York: PAJ Publications. 1982. Text. Yancey Jason (2009). Dark Laughter: Liminal Sins in Quevedo's  Entremeses PhD Dissertation, The University of Arizona, Zelizer Craig (2003). “The Role of Artistic Processes in Peacebuilding in Bosnia-Herzogovina” Peace and Conflict Studies, vol. 10, no. 2, Fall pp. 62-75. .

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 The Power of Theatre in Transforming Conflicts at Kakuma Refugee Camp By Maurice O. Amollo  January, 2008

 This piece was written while the author was completing a Master of Arts degree in Peace Studies at the Joan B. Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame.  The major theoretical approaches to peacebuilding provide for the systemic dimension in the peacebuilding process. However, the cultural dimension — which carries with it local indigenous knowledge — has not been well integrated into the system; nor have practical indigenous methodologies been well integrated with theory. To understand these shortcomings, we need to look at John Paul Lederach's widely applied model. He has gone one step further than most, and many peacebuilding programs in Sub-Sahara Africa use his model. He outlines four stages in what he calls conflict transformation.[1] They are: Dealing with immediate crisis; Re-establishing working conditions; Dealing with the systemic issues underlying the conflict; Finding a way to introduce the systemic issues so as to uphold, re-enforce and build on the mutual relationships established in stage two. Lederach's "transformational" model offers the best available theoretical framework for integrating the indigenous and cultural dimension in the understanding of  conflicts. His first stage includes establishment of a ceasefire, clean-up of war-torn areas, disarmament, delivery of relief aid, and restoration of security. This may take one to two years. The second stage, which is the building of relationships, may last twice as long as the first stage and includes getting the groups to talk, interact, and work with each other. From here, he moves to the systemic stage, where the focus is on transforming the systems of injustice and oppression — on unraveling the deep-seated structural incongruities and imbalances that are built into the system through traditions, history, and culture. In a way, this stage seeks to change whole cultures and the pathways that create and sustain situational injustice. The third stage attempts to arrive at a clear vision for the path that the peace process must follow. This stage is the hardest to achieve in any peacebuilding process.

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However, most peacebuilding initiatives today get stuck in the second stage, even though states often create policy to deal with the third stage or its equivalent. Moving on to the third stage has remained a pipe dream in many such cases, because it presents the challenge of fostering a cultural integration process based on previously established cultural knowledge. To move into the third stage requires not only some element of institutional retooling and an examination of the sociocultural roots of the conflict, but also an adequate "integrational vehicle" with which to facilitate the cultural changes sought in the third stage. Theatre/drama has the capacity to achieve this onerous task because: As an oral medium in the local language, it appeals to and involves those audiences which, either through problems of illiteracy or through a lack of knowledge of the prevailing language, are kept out of the development of the political, social, and economic structures within which they live; It is a means of cultural expression, and thus enhances the sense of ownership for everyone within the community;  The message to be put across becomes an integral part of entertainment — an enjoyable social occasion; It provides a forum within which diverse — and sometimes sensitive — issues can be discussed without the fear of victimization or intimidation. Crossing the Barrier: Rebuilding Relationships at Kakuma Refugee Camp In 2000/2001, Amani Peoples Theatre (APT), in collaboration with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and Caritas Italiana, conducted a drama peacebuilding program with young Sudanese refugees and local Turkana youth at the Kakuma refugee camp.The Sudanese refugees, numbering about 80,000, had escaped war from Southern Sudan and had been settled at a camp in Turkana-land, Northern Kenya. The Turkana are Nilotic pastoralist peoples of Kenya, and number around 350,000. The rate of poverty and insecurity is high in Turkana-land. The land itself, for the most part, is parched desert plain strewn with rusty sun-baked rocks and coarse sand, and some low and equally barren hills. The climate is dry and often blisteringly hot, and the paltry annual rainfall of around 250-300mm prevents all but the hardiest of desert plants from growing. In any case, rainfall patterns are unreliable and patchy. Life here is tough, and the arrival of thousands of refugees only made things worse.  The Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) consisted of three main factions: the SPLA Torit faction, led by John Garang; the SPLA Bahr-al-Ghazal faction, led by Carabino Kuany Bol; and the South Sudan Independence Movement, led by Rick Machar. The internal divisions had intensified fighting in the South, hampering any peace negotiations and affecting life in the refugee camp due to tribal alignments. A clash between any two of the adversaries in Sudan would always spill over to the camp with adverse effects. Even worse, the local community (the 21

 Turkanas) hated the refugees; they thought the UNHCR and other international NGOs were providing a good life for the refugees while turning a blind eye to the suffering of the Turkana community, even as Turkana land was used as a home for the refugees. The clashes between the refugees and the Turkanas were serious and deadly. APT was to work with the two parties — but particularly the youth, who were the main characters in the intermittent violent conflicts.  The APT project aimed to use drama/theatre as a tool by which peacebuilding and reconciliation could be enhanced among young refugee leaders and the local  Turkana community. In the initial peacebuilding initiatives to end the violent fights between the refugees and the Turkana community, it had become clear to the UNHCR that a theoretical discourse with the youth in the camp on why they should embrace peace was proving ineffective. (It had slowly become clear that the famous dialogues between the "Turkana elders and refugee representatives" were not bearing much fruit; something more dramatic was required. The conflicts, having taken on a violent dimension, did not simply resist dialogue but actively destroyed it, bringing about an active reversion to a state anterior to language, to the sounds and cries a human being makes before language is learned; only now it was accompanied by lived memories of pain. Working with 200 refugee and Turkana youth (divided into groups of 25 each in three-week blocks over two years), the artist facilitators started by asking them to do what neither the experience of a peacebuilder nor a rational solution for the problem could justify. In groups of five, the participants were asked to go and compose a play or dramatized dance in which they could express whatever they wanted — to the UNHCR, their friends, their governments, their countrymen, or the outer world and universe. Instead of talking, they were supposed to perform all their fears, nightmares, doubts, and opinions, and let the characters they had created do the talking for them. At first, this process was hard and undertaken only with a lot of skepticism, confusion, and dead ends. But after five days, the artistic pieces started shaping up, showing the first contours of potential plays. The game of reconstructing life through stories on stage, in times of pain and destruction, started picking up. Their stories got condensed in time, space, and action, even as they were expanded to create new perceptions and understanding. It is in this sense that John Paul Lederach's conception of devising an appropriate infrastructure for peacebuilding[2] becomes important; this was a way to establish a safe space for a negotiated transition for a successful conflict transformation. This space, according to Soyinka[3], can be interpreted as the reflection of the archetypal struggle of the mortal being against exterior forces. It becomes a transitional abyss which confronts the actors in the same way it confronted Ogun (the first creative instinct and conqueror of transition leading to accommodation and harmony). However, the above analogy should not be restricted to the actors/performers on stage, but must be extended to the audience. After two visits, we had two open-ended 22

performances, one of which was a play titled Bor, and the other a Dinka dramatized dance called Pinda, about new initiates into society. The two pieces allowed for audience involvement and participation through a facilitator. They were constructed as a microcosm of the realities of life at the camp and its implications for the local  Turkana community, revealing fears, anxieties, aspirations, dreams, and visions. As such, when their performance was opened to the public, the theatrical space was constructed to transcend the actors and engulf the audience in order to create an unsigned mutual contract. The mutual arena of confrontation represented a symbolic conflictual space, and the roles of the characters within it revealed the fearful awareness of the delicate context of the participants' existence. The performances incorporated audience interaction, which precariously challenged the transitional abyss that nobody dared talk about in the "dialogue meetings" and made the play uniquely effective. The audience members could question the characters — their decisions, cultural assumptions, and values — and this led to extended dialogues long after the performances were over. These scenarios reinforce Soyinka's argument that: "Acting channels anguish into creative purpose which releases man from a total destructive despair, releasing from within him, the most energetic, deeply combative inventions in which, without usurping the territory of internal gulf bridges it with visionary hopes."[4] A clear example of this power was manifested in the cultural creative dance, Pinda. Although the main spoken language was Dinka, the piece actually used very little dialogue, relying mainly on songs, dances, and mimes. It is important to understand that most of the songs and dances were ritually derived and would, under normal circumstances within their authentic culture, not be performed by non-Dinkas. But in making the dance drama, Dinkas and Turkanas sang and danced together, overcoming the challenges of putting together a creative work of art, oblivious to their cultural differences. During the performance, the crowd joined in the presentation, completely ignoring cultural affiliations within the theatrical space. Athough the central theme of the dance was drawn from the Dinka community, the audience came from a wide spectrum of the refugee community; it included Ethiopians, Somalis, and hundreds from the local Turkana community, and all participated enthusiastically without any particular cultural or racial inhibitions. The audience was drawn into the aesthetic nuances of the dance and the songs, and did not prioritize the source of the material. Indeed, at this time, all cultural "differences" and "otherness" got dissolved into the lyric and rhythm of the dance.  This power of song and dance to melt cultural and conflict boundaries is further captured by Tania Kaiser in an anthropological study of the ways in which musical and dance forms have been used to negotiate identities, bring about social transformation, and deal with political upheavals at the Kiryandongo refugee settlement in Uganda. Kaiser concludes that music and dance have been used by the residents of Kiryandongo "to negotiate competing and overlapping identities, providing a forum in which both a specifically Acholi identity, as well as a more 23

inclusive Sudanese identity, can be asserted and explored."[5]It is in this sense that the theatrical space becomes a neutralizer of barriers — dismantling some and redefining others — and, in doing so, creates a safe space for discussion of  pertinent structural imbalances and builds social harmony. As Cecil O'Niel observes, "the medium of drama is available for discovering and articulating ideas, feelings and aptitudes, and shaping this private understanding into public form."[6] If, in  John Paul Lederach's[7] words, "to look is to draw attention to, or pay attention to... and to see, is to look beyond and deeper," then theatre is an appropriate and powerful tool, "a way of looking, as well as seeing."But the possibilities offered by theatre in bridging Lederach's third stage gap are not restricted to dramatized dance. The play, Bor, dramatized a conflict and the attempts at challenging the transitional abyss at several levels. Though the narrative focused primarily on the cultural and generational conflicts that were common at the camp, it also portrayed, in a larger sense, the developing tension that emerges as a result of the coexistence of two different cultures.In the play, the girl called Rot is a foreigner in the society she lives in, even though she has been a resident of this community since childhood. She has been brought up in their ways, but when the time comes for "initiation" (a rite of passage in her society), she is denied the opportunity to participate. However, her age-mates who go through the initiations vow to initiate her. They want to do this by allowing her to participate in the initiation dance, and moreover, to actually be the leader of the dance. Ultimately, however, the girls (but not the boys) feel jealous about Rot being the leader of the dance and rebel, marking the beginning of conflict between the male and female initiates.Through this conflict, the play magnified itself not only into a cultural and a generational gap, but also captured the discrimination against refugees by the local Turkana community, and the exclusion of Southern Sudanese from engaging in all sectors of  Sudan by the Arab North. But, the play's dynamics became even more interesting during a discussion with members of the audience who saw the jealousy and rebellion against Rot by the female initiates as representative of the troubles in SPLA that had led to its eventual split. In the play, the role of the ritual was subverted. Ordinarily, rituals should signify the whole process of cultural identification and consciousness; however, for the Turkana youth in the story of Bor, the converse is true: the initiation rite not only alienates them from their culture and tradition, but propels them to a new level of  consciousness, leading to a rebellion. The new initiates challenge the community's long-held beliefs, which they deem as prejudicial against the aliens living among them. Thus in developing this play, the participants deliberately set out to subvert the ritual as a prelude to challenging the transitional abyss through a conflict, and subsequently introduced reconciliation and harmony. When the play was staged, its theatrical space acquired ritual proportions and perspectives among the diverse audience. The space ignited a conflict intended not only towards transition, but also towards a transformation of behaviors among the 24

parties in conflict — in this case, the Turkanas and the refugee community. This is well articulated by the protagonist hero of the play, Kur, when he implores his fellow initiates: Patience, patience my dear friends. We swore when the knife ate away our childhood that ours would be the season of light and sight. Our manhood and womanhood would be a fight against all darkness and blindness. Rot is part of our fight; if the elders have refused to admit her to womanhood with us, that is their blindness and we should not follow blind men into ditches of their ignorance.[8]  The play reaches its climax when the initiates become adamant in their demands, confronting the conservative elders and the transitional abyss. Hence, the young actors and their audience not only dared look into transitional essence, but also triumphantly bridged it with knowledge and vision — a scenario well captured in protagonist Kur's words when he declares: Here in this great land of our forefathers, in the soil of their bodies,  You the future of our forefathers,  Take up your spears...Raise them before our ancestors and the elders Here before the father of the hills and the valleys Swear, WE WILL NOT KILL no man, or woman, no Child will die at the strength of these spears.  This is our season, and it will be a season of life and peace We will not kill, Men must live Here before our forefathers, We deposit our spears. [thrust spears on the ground] Kur's statement must be understood in a larger and wider sense. The statement, though directed at characters in the play, was meant for the refugee and local  Turkana community in attendance at the performance. In this way, one can see how the theatre and its space becomes a conciliatory medium, as the statement challenges our narrow cultural beliefs and attitudes. Within the safe confines of this play, the youth explored Lederach's nested paradigm[9], bringing to the fore issues deeply buried in the system, taken for granted even though they contributed to the recurrent conflicts. The power of theatre as a vehicle for negotiating transitions and transformations is captured by Wole Soyinka in his description of the Yoruba Ogun, or the first creator. He says: 25

 The first conqueror of transition was Ogun. The Yoruba metaphysics of  accommodation and resolution would only come after the passage of the gods through transition gut, after the demonic text of the self will of Ogun the explorer, god in the creative cauldron of cosmic powers — only after such testing could the harmonious Yoruba world be born; a harmonious will which accommodates every alien material or abstract phenomenon within its infinitely stressed spirituality.

At all levels, theatre includes a mechanism for transformation. At the level of  staging, there are costumes and masks, exercises and incantations, incense and music, all designed to allow the performer to exist in another time and place, but to simultaneously manifest a presence in the here and now, so that time and place are doubled. It is in this doubling of time and space that theatre becomes privileged among other reconciliation approaches in serving as an "integrational vehicle," able to unblock movement to John Paul Lederach's stage three. It becomes paramount in the whole process of intervention and transference of information, as well as in the entire process of mediation and conciliation.The two productions in Kakuma acted as a lens to help the parties in conflict perceive the patterns of their conflict — to realize that domination and injustice were part of endlessly repeating social and personal "scripts." When the world is a theatre of violence, as is the case in postconflict communities, the roles are strictly limited. There is the aggressor, the accommodator, the avoider, and the counter-aggressor. The scripts for each of  these roles, when played out on stage, can expose the conflicts for what they really are.  True transformation should discard old scripts and enact a new system, using locally sourced symbols. Theatre offers the opportunity to dramatize possibilities where none existed before. It offers a space in which to try alternative ideas for resolving conflict and to jar ourselves and others loose from the spell of structural imbalances, breaking the action/reaction cycle so typical of protracted conflicts. It offers a space for exposing the offending scripts of violence and structural domination and then the ability to rewrite those scripts, enacting a drama that replaces the existing conflicts with a formula that is more human and just. In this sense, theatre becomes an active process of revision and re-enactment of the systemic structure of our life. Conclusion. The second stage of John Paul Lederach's conflict transformation

model — getting the groups to talk together, to interact and work with each other — is much easier than making them face up to the challenge of unraveling the deepseated structural incongruities and imbalances that are deeply built into the system. It requires a different approach from what was originally happening in Kakuma. The initial approach failed to account for the fact that the players in a 26

conflict frequently have no other frame of reference. It is the world in which they live and move. It is "the way things are." In this case, people's ideas about conflict had become culturally conditioned and constructed. But in providing a space within which these assumptions can be challenged, theatre tells us that those scripts of  structural violence, though enshrined at the heart of a culture, can be re-written. Scenarios of violence, though reinforced endlessly and thus often forming wellgrooved neural pathways, can be transformed. Music and Arts in Action | Volume 2 | Issue 2

Music and Art in Conflict Transformation: A Review ARILD BERGH & JOHN SLOBODA University of Exeter | UK * Oxford Research Group | UK  ABSTRACT Since the early 1990s, there has been an increase in the use of music and the arts within a conflict transformation context. This guest editorial discusses the developments in this research and practical area. The current status of the field, and challenges it faces, are then examined within the context of this issue's theme of the arts and conflict transformation/peace building. *HUSS, University of Exeter, Rennes Drive, Exeter, EX4 4RJ, UK  © Music and Arts in Action/Bergh and Sloboda | ISSN: 1754-7105 | Page 2 http://musicandartsinaction.net/index.php/maia/article/view/conflicttransformation

Music and Arts in Action | Volume 2 | Issue 2

INTRODUCTION In Music and Arts in Action's first theme issue we focus on two areas that until recently were treated as separate, namely music/arts and conflict transformation/peace building. In recent years, however, these two areas have often been joined up and have received increased interest from musicians, practitioners and academics. It is an area where we can learn a lot about how music and art is used (positively and negatively) in situations that are relatively extreme, thus expanding our understanding of how the arts and their use affect us. There is also an important role for researchers and practitioners to play here to help improve the results of  interventions aimed at reducing conflict and tension. In this extended editorial we provide some background information from two converging viewpoints: Sloboda has for many years researched the psychology of  music (Sloboda 2005) and simultaneously but separately been a peace activist and, 27

more recently a contributor to peace research and policy (Abbott, Rogers & Sloboda 2007) whereas Bergh has combined the two areas in a recently concluded PhD on music and conflict transformation (Bergh 2010). Here we sketch out the background against which this issue’s papers have emerged. We will first examine recent and current forms of violent conflict, and rather importantly, how music has often been used to generate or support conflict, rather than reduce it. This will be followed by a historical background to the growth of music m usic and arts in small scale conflict transformation as it is currently practised. Given our backgrounds the focus will primarily be on music. We will conclude this section by discussing some of  the core problems that have been highlighted through a overview of the articles in the current issue and how they in different ways help improve this situation. MODERN CONFLICTS AND CONFLICT TRANSFORMATION

Since the 1990s the attention of conflict transformation researchers and practitioners has been increasingly directed towards what Kaldor (1999) calls “new wars”, wars that are more complex than before and a nd are frequently internal to a country.  Typical examples of this are the wars in the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s or the conflict that affected Northern Ireland from 1968 to 1998. The term “protracted social conflicts” coined by Azar (Azar et al. 1978; Ramsbotham 2005) in the 1970s captures the essence of these wars by describing them as “hostile interactions which extend over long  periods of time with sporadic outbreaks of open warfare fluctuating in frequency and intensity.” 

(Azar et al. 1978, p.50). Azar identified four elements of protracted social conflicts; unfulfilled basic needs such as security or recognition; lack of good governance by the state; identity issues (referred to as communal content); and international linkages, whereby a country intervenes across borders, directly or through support 28

for one side (Ramsbotham 2005, pp.114-117). Azar maintained that as conflicts were more complex than the Cold War bi-polarisation indicated, they should also be handled by different academic disciplines working together since no single discipline covered all aspects of such conflicts (Miall et al. 1999, p.99). This is something taken to heart in this issue where ethnomusicologists, music psychologists, theatre practitioners and sociologists all discuss different aspects of the role of music and arts in conflict transformation.  Today there is a clearly established, but very diverse, discipline of conflict transformation/conflict resolution (Miall et al. 1999; Kemp & Fry 2004; Wallensteen 2002; Woodhouse 2000). A major strand in the recent development of this discipline © Music and Arts in Action/Bergh and Sloboda | ISSN: 1754-7105 | Page 3

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has been the increasing adoption of a human security approach to conflict and conflict resolution (for instance, Human Security Report Project (2005)). The premise of a human security approach a pproach is that no political or strategic goals can be pursued that ignore basic human needs for safety, well-being and livelihood. People on the ground, and their legitimate aspirations, should be an integral part of  any political or strategic considerations. This has opened the door to conflictresolution activities at all levels of society, not just at the level of the state or interstate processes which dominated the conflict-resolution community during the cold war.  This has meant more opportunities for small scale, local peace building with new approaches and experiments. These new approaches tend to focus on the  psycho-social

effects of conflict (Miall et al. 1999, pp.269-277; Stubbs 1995; Bradbury 1998, p.335; Chandler 2000, pp.147-148), e.g. traumas and other invisible effects of war that were often ignored in earlier conflict transformation work. The projects developed in this space range from dialogue workshops (Lumsden & Wolfe 1996; Maoz 2000), drama 29

(Epskamp 1999), cross cultural music events (Independent 2005) and reconciliation work (Chicuecue 1997; Chirwa 1997) to music therapy with traumatised children in Bosnia-Herzegovina (Osborne 2004; Sutton 2002). It is within this psycho-social domain of conflict transformation that music and art are used. The activities themselves have generally been ad hoc with little theoretical underpinning specific to the use of arts and the academic research that focus on the intersection of music/art and conflict transformation is rather limited. MUSIC IN CONFLICTS Music as a social activity and distribution mechanism of ideology is often used to foment conflicts, a brief summary of how music has been used for such purposes is therefore useful. This, we hope, will also demonstrate that not utilising music for peaceful purposes will leave it open to abuse by those who attempt to maintain boundaries between enemies, either by performing music that emerged during a conflict, by creating new music that commemorates a conflict or through music that highlight latent conflicts. Over time such unchallenged enemy images of “the other” can become part of future conflicts as happened in Northern Ireland after the 1960s (McCann 1995). Before a conflict music is often used to mobilise resources for “the cause”: in Nazi Germany in the 1930s music provided a uniting focus in the large Nuremberg rallies (Reinert 1997, pp.13-14);1 in Croatia independently produced tapes of  ultranationalistic Croation music were produced and sold before the war started in the 1990s (Pettan 1998, pp.11-12) and in Serbia turbo-folk2 was used by Serbians to bolster the myth of the Serbian uniqueness (Hudson 2003; 2003 ; Bohlman 2003, p.215). Kosovo Albanians actively used music videos to disseminate a message that tried to create a national identity whilst also bolstering preparation for war (Sugarman 2006,

30

 p.13). Music is also used to clarify and disseminate ideology as discussed for

instance with regards to White Power music (Corte & B. Edwards 2008; Eyerman 2002; Futrell et al. 2006). Music during wartime has tended to be thought of as a morale booster or a diversion for the non-fighting population, as seen in the UK during the second world war 1 For

more discussions on music use in Nazi Germany see Levi (1994), Gilbert (2005), Reinert (1997), Bergh, Sutherland and Hashim (2008) and Jaros (2005). 2 A mixture of Eurovision Song Contest style pop with traditional folk music/themes. © Music and Arts in Action/Bergh and Sloboda | ISSN: 1754-7105 | Page 4 http://musicandartsinactio http://musicanda rtsinaction.net/index.php/mai n.net/index.php/maia/article/vi a/article/view/conflic ew/conflicttransformatio ttransformation n

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(Weingartner 2006) or in parts of Bosnia-Herzegovina in the 1990s (Hadzihusejnovic-Valasek 1998; Zelizer 2004). In active warfare music has been used to marshal troops in(to) battle, through marching rhythms that help build a (temporary) community and foster strong euphoric feelings (McNeill 1995). In the 2003 invasion of Iraq American soldiers played recordings of loud, predominantly rap, metal and hardcore music, whilst engaging in patrols and attacks inside armoured vehicles (Gittoes 2006). In times of war music has also been used to intimidate as was seen in the Balkans (Hogg 2004, p.223; Pettan 1998, p.18) or in the second world war (Moreno 1999, p.4; Gilbert 2005, pp.177-178). Music has also a lso been used as torture (Cloonan &  Johnson 2002) to torment and humiliate prisoners of war (Cusick 2006; Bayoumi 2005). Songs have been used to encourage fighting in Rwanda (African Rights 1995) and Sudan where the hakkamah, female praise singers from Darfur (Carlisle 1973) have in recent years used their skills to encourage jihad (Lacey 2004).  Thus music is not inherently peaceful and groups and individuals who want to create or maintain conflicts have often made good use of music to further their agenda. However, this does not mean that these musical positions are fixed. In the Israeli31

Palestinian conflict for instance songs about Jerusalem have often changed as a result of political twists and turns on the ground (Al-Taee 2002). Hence a musician that sings for conflict today may sing for peace tomorrow. AN OVERVIEW OF MUSIC AND ART IN CONFLICT TRANSFORMATION

In this summary we sketch out a rather broad picture of the literature on music/art and conflict transformation as it has emerged over the past 20 years, space consideration prohibits a in-depth review of each contribution. It is important to realise that the use of music or art in conflict transformation contexts is not a new innovation. In the Philippines for example, the Buwaya Kalingga People established peace pacts that were cemented through feasts which included peace pact specific songs (Prudente 1984). However, in recent years there has been an increase in the use of the arts by nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) who are increasingly involved in local and international mediation efforts. NGOs are commonly seen as leastcontentious channels for external funding, and can often provide a neutral meeting ground for parties who would otherwise find it hard to come together. On the other hand, there has been increasing criticism over the domination of external NGOs in some conflict zones, whose operations can drain resource and capacity away from the indigenous population (Ghani & Lockhart 2008). Partnerships between international NGOs and local citizen-led organisations may work better if there is real sharing of  decision-making. However, in many conflict areas (or areas emerging from conflict) such local organisations are thin on the ground, and can often be infected by strong political or sectional interests such that their involvement polarises, rather than brings together, the key sectors of local society. A 1996 review of the workshop model by Lumsden and Wolfe (1996, p.48) pointed towards current trends when suggesting a move away from purely analytical approaches to using arts related methods for “creative problem solving” efforts. 32

A common approach to using music for conflict transformation is the multicultural

project or event. These have been arranged in late modern countries since the 1970s © Music and Arts in Action/Bergh and Sloboda | ISSN: 1754-7105 | Page 5 http://musicandartsinaction.net/index.php/maia/article/view/conflicttransformation

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when Rock Against Racism (Frith & Street 1992; Roberts 2009) and similar concerts took place. Although not a method per se, the general purpose of such events is commonly defined as an endeavour to “build bridges” (Lundberg et al. 2000, p.138; Al-Taee 2002, p.53; Skyllstad 1995, p.10) between different groups who are perceived to be in conflict. Multicultural events frequently take place in educational settings (Baird 2001; Fock 2004; Evron 2007; Bradley 2006). Skyllstad has written extensively about music and conflict transformation based on the “Resonant Community” project in Norwegian schools in the early 1990s (Skyllstad 1995; Skyllstad 1997; Skyllstad 2000). The focus in what he has described was on changing attitudes towards immigrants among young pupils by exposing them to music from around the world. Similar projects have been researched (with less positive outcomes reported) by Einarsen (1998; 2002), Fock (1997; 2004) and Evron (2007) amongst others. More specifically connected to protracted social conflicts we can observe that the conflicts in the Balkans and between Israel and Palestine, which due to their location and connection to “the West” received considerable media attention and outside intervention, were the sites of frequent mediation efforts using the arts at the nonstate level. These range from joint Israeli-Palestinian CDs (Music Channel 1995) being recorded after the Oslo Accord; joint folk arts exhibitions from the  Jewish and Palestinian diaspora communities in Boston (Cohen 2005b); theatre used for reconciliation in Bosnia-Herzegovina (Davis 2005); multicultural workshops involving the arts (Sultoon 2001) via music therapy with children (Ng 2005) to brass 33

band performances drawing children from different ethnic groups with foreign visitors (Veledar 2008). With regards to literature on music/art and conflict transformation, this started emerging in the 1990s. The edited volume Arts Approaches to Conflict  Resolution

(Liebmann 1996) from 1996 has a number practitioners and academics discussing different aspects of conflict transformation through music therapy, drama and arts in the community. The edited volume People Building Peace (European Centre for Conflict Prevention 1999) covers a wide range of peace activities on the local level. Ungerleider (1999) discusses the role of music and poetry in conflict transformation efforts in Cyprus. In the same volume Epskamp (1999) draws on personal experience as a community artist from theatre of development as well as summaries of  a number of practical music initiatives around the world to provide a list of  “lessons learnt”. Weaver's (2001) thesis on music and reconciliation suggests that one should see reconciliation between parties in a conflict as a creative process. Zelizer (2003; 2004) conducted research in Bosnia-Herzegovina and focused on the practical use of artistic processes in peace building in so-called identity conflicts. The underlying idea was that these conflicts can be resolved by broadening or transcending the identity of the participant beyond their separate and conflictimbued group identities. Overall his work provides an early look at this field with empirical data from the field, albeit mainly focused on musicians and organisers. Cohen (2005a), Zelizer and Weaver all suggest that emotional work, not strict rational though, is the route to reconciliation after civil war. However, Cohen also stresses that music and arts should connect with other conflict transformation type activities and take into consideration the context within which the work is done. Such advice is relevant to all individual peace building initiatives, not just those involving music. Coordination between disparate activities is essential to strategic progress, and it is 34

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precisely the lack of co-ordination which has so profoundly hampered peace building and development activities around the globe (Ghani & Lockhart 2008). However, this injunction has particular force when considering music, precisely because music is, despite the enthusiasm of the current constituency, a statistically rare component of global peace building efforts. Most people involved in conflict resolution activities worldwide have never used music as part of their toolkit, and have no conceptual or practical understanding of its dimensions or benefits. Unless music practitioners can talk the wider language of conflict-resolution, and show a professional understanding of the larger toolkit, their efforts are likely to remain marginalised and largely ineffective. Haskell (2005, p.8) who studied NGOs and international cultural aid in BosniaHerzegovina suggested that “issues of power and control should be central to any study of  situations which involve patronage” . In Haskell’s fieldwork on a village and

its relationship to an international NGO, she found that when funding was allocated to start a village folklore group they had to fit into the NGOs way of working. Beckles-Wilson (2007) has also discussed the issue of power in music and conflict transformation efforts with regards to the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, the Israeli and Arab youth orchestra mentioned earlier. She is mainly concerned with the negotiations of power between the instigator and conductor Barenboim and the young musicians, and shows that despite the utopian character of the orchestra (Beckles Willson 2009) it is clearly dominated by Barenboim. A number of recent articles by music therapists on music and war, peace, trauma and refugees (Hunt 2005; Ng 2005; Akombo 2000; J. Edwards 2005; Kennedy 2001; Lopez 2007) point to an increasing interest in the topic of music and conflict 35

transformation from music therapists. Dunn (2008) provides an exploration of the potential for music use with adults in mediation situations, primarily through role playing by mediators. Community Music Therapy (CoMT) (Pavlicevic & Ansdell 2004) is increasingly used to deal with victims of war and torture both in one on one music therapy sessions (Zharinova-Sanderson 2004), as well as groups of children (Sutton 2002). The use of music for therapeutic purposes may also occur in casual ways, e.g. a US soldier rapped about his experiences in Iraq to cope with the aftermath of his deployment there (Gilchrist 2006) and in Uganda “One young man is playing a string instrument […] all day long, but is too traumatised to talk about his role as a [Lord’s Resistance  Army] commander”  (Mirren 2005).

 Two recent books have put music and art more firmly on the agenda for conflict transformation. The first is a monograph by a well known peace building scholar and practitioner Lederach (cf.1997) who engaged with the question of how artists can contribute to peace building in his book The Moral Imagination: The Art and  Soul of  Building Peace (2005). One chapter is devoted to the discussion of music and

arts in conflict transformation, with a number of anecdotes used to illustrate a wide range of points, within a book that is primarily philosophical and spiritual in tone.  The second book is the edited volume Music and Conflict Transformation (Urbain 2007). Over a number of chapters music therapists, psychologists, academics, musicians and practitioners discuss different aspects of music either used for, or as a form of  conflict transformation, both in areas of protracted social conflicts and multicultural societies. More recently Bornstein (2008) has researched the artistic and religious contributions to peace building in Indonesia. © Music and Arts in Action/Bergh and Sloboda | ISSN: 1754-7105 | Page 7 http://musicandartsinaction.net/index.php/maia/article/view/conflicttransformation

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WHAT NEXT FOR MUSIC AND CONFLICT TRANSFORMATION?

An in-depth review of the literature summarised above and empirical data collected from conflict transformation projects that had used music in Sudan3 and Norway4 (Bergh 2007; Bergh 2008; Bergh 2011(forthcoming)) raised a number of  concerns with regards to the use of the arts for conflict transformation purposes. In particular it became clear that in general there exists an overly optimistic view of what music and art can achieve in conflict transformation situations which has a negative effect on the outcomes. These problems provided the impetus for inviting contributions to the present issue of Music and Arts in Action. It is therefore reassuring to see that the papers presented here all tackle some of these issues and help move this increasingly important field forward. We now briefly discuss the main points that were uncovered and (where appropriate) relevant papers from this issue that deal with these concerns. The participants views are rarely heard: In most research on music and conflict transformation only artists and organisers are interviewed, and they tend (rather unsurprisingly) to report success. This is particularly puzzling as the participants' lives are meant to be altered through engaging with music. Musicians are seen as impartial, and their quotes are often taken as proof of music's effectiveness. The frequent focus on musicians implies that any positive changes are bestowed (at will) upon participants by gifted musicians and the participant-music interactions are rarely interrogated. Positive reports may therefore be a result of informants trying to please the organisers. Fock (2004, pp.23-24) for instance found that teachers in a Danish multicultural music project were more cautious when reporting changes in pupils to her than in the questionnaires returned to the organisers. Furthermore, the parameters by which success is measured are set by the organisation, and their 37

“world view” is used as a starting point; any lack of local knowledge that affects conflict transformation negatively goes unnoticed. Past articles in Music and Arts in Action have provided good examples of how valuable understanding of how music and arts get into action in everyday life is obtained through direct interviews with people who engage with the arts: Lawson (2009) has discussed amateur tap dancers and their motivations and Corte & Edwards (2008) researched the use of music by white power activists. In the present issue this approach has been used successfully by Brooks, Jennings & Baldwin, Riiser and Roberts who conducted research in USA, Northern Ireland, Spain and BosniaHerzegovina. Music’s role is exaggerated or taken out of context: When participants' understandings of conflict transformation are ignored, the result is often that music is elevated to a level that is not matching participants’ experience. In Norway the participants generally liked the musical events but did not see them as particularly important, as one former pupil said: “For us it was like going on an excursion to a power  station” (Bergh 2010, p.133), whereas the official report often focused on the

idea of  musical peak experiences (Skyllstad 1992, pp.8,17,37,50,79). Furthermore, there are no attempts at trying to open the “black box” of the artistic episodes that is often illustrated through anecdotes, the aesthetic experiences are often seen as self  explanatory as to why any conflict transformation changes take place. Thus 3 Data in Sudan was

collected from a settlement of people who were internally displaced in East Sudan due to the 22 year civil war in Sudan. Here music was used as a meeting place between 29 different ethnic groups. 4 The Norwegian data came from interviews with former pupils who were involved with the “Resonant Community” project in Norway from 1989 to 1992. © Music and Arts in Action/Bergh and Sloboda | ISSN: 1754-7105 | Page 8 http://musicandartsinaction.net/index.php/maia/article/view/conflicttransformation

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suggestions such as “The arts by nature hold significant power to transform individuals and 

38

societies” (Zelizer 2004, p.59) are made without any proof or further

discussion as to what this power is. In this issue of  Music and Arts in Action Riiser and Roberts both show how important contextualisation is to understand the real role of music and art in conflict transformation and not be seduced by anecdotes discussed in isolation. Relationships, musicking and interventions: Relationship building is, quite rightly, seen as a core element of conflict transformation, this is clearly illustrated in the articles in this issue. However, when music is used there is an underlying assumption that one can quickly create long lasting relationships where none existed before. What we found was that this is a process that takes a long time, in Sudan an elder in the settlement explained how the relationships between tribes had strengthened over time due to regular joint musicking over a 10 year period: […] those people, when in the past, when they were simple, they used to go to each other as tribes. Now there is a development; even the bands go to participate in the occasions of the people, they go to participate and the people also participate; the bands have brought the people closer together.

 Thus there is a problematic notion that interventions by outside organisations are assumed to make lasting changes. Roberts, Brooks and Jennings & Baldwin all show that long term community based activities can have an effect, and the community aspect is increasingly important to understand. Interventions can also have unexpected side-effects. In Sudan an international NGO helped form professional bands with their own costumes to help raise their income, but as woman explained: Now singing and dancing has become limited to those who are recognized as members of the bands. The rest of the people have been turned into spectators.  This has limited the extent of enjoyment of the rest of people as it has become like a stage where they perform and we, the public are the spectators. Traditions and multicultural issues : Conflict transformation work that

focuses on multi-cultural issues is prevalent, and often takes place in educational settings as aforementioned. This area exposes a range of problems that tend to have a negative effect on the conflict transformation efforts. Often organisers assume that different 39

ethnic groups have a homogeneous, unchanging culture. In multicultural contexts this presents particular problems. Often the invocation of multiple cultures reifies the very boundaries and problems they seek to challenge by emphasising “the other” (Milligan 1999) something that Riiser discusses in her article on the WestEastern Divan Orchestra. One of the informants in Norway who was a young (14 year old) performer in the project explained that in her later experience: […] what I have tried to experiment with a little when I work with kids since, try to relate to kids on the similarities. First and foremost. And then bring in the differences, but not starting up with the differences. Because I think differences put people's backs up instantly and it instantly puts on this kind of strange barrier in their mind which goes me and you. I am here, you are there and that's kind of it.

 Thus multicultural music projects often share certain basic problems: a failure to realise that they often increase, rather than reduce, differences; a problematic assumption (implied or explicit) of music being a universal language; the notion that merely playing music to different social groups will bring them together. A former pupil illustrated how the enjoyment of music does not necessarily translate into an improved view of others: © Music and Arts in Action/Bergh and Sloboda | ISSN: 1754-7105 | Page 9 http://musicandartsinaction.net/index.php/maia/article/view/conflicttransformation

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[…] it was fun to watch [the African musicians] when they played, a little comical and we laughed a bit at their costumes and the way they played, like "is this the way they play?", in a way teasing/bullying [about] the outfits and the way they played. Top-down vs bottom-up power issues : It is obvious that the power

wielded by NGOs and (visiting) artists is largely ignored in writings on music in this field.  Yet there is clearly an imbalance in power between organisers and participants. Zelizer (2004, p.156) has highlighted this: “Much of the arts-based peacebuilding related work is part  of the huge post-war investment of international funds and expertise to support extensive humanitarian and peacebuilding work” and Haskell (2005) suggested that

power and 40

control should be central concerns to any inquiry in this area. As a weaker party may prefer to “play along” with what they assume the stronger party wants, partly out of  deference, partly to avoid trouble (Munch 1964), it is important both for practitioners and researchers to pay attention to power issues (Assal 2002). Although it is important that academics also get involved in this field as Pettan discusses in this issue, we must also be reflexive about our involvement, a key point discussed by Jennings & Baldwin in their article. There is a danger, as was found from the data from both Norway and Sudan that networks of professionals emerge that sideline real local involvement. Interventions may also be too laden with theory or ideology upfront. In a complex and emerging field such as music and conflict transformation this is problematic: In this issue Robertson discusses this point with regards to his own work on music and conflict transformation (Robertson 2006) which had to be revised with considerably less focus on theoretical rules once empirical data had been collected in BosniaHerzegovina.  Top-down approaches to conflict transformation also means that there may be a considerable difference between what leaders think, and the opinions of the participants, as Riiser demonstrates in this issue. In Norway a teacher suggested that: I do actually think that the pupils also thought it was good music and good dance, and that they simply liked what they saw. It wasn’t, I think, that they thought, great that we escape teaching and do something else, I don’t think so.

However the following quotes from some of former pupils tell a very different story: “I think we kind of saw it as a bit of time off or at least time off from the usual routines of the school day”. “We didn’t have to stay in the classroom, and have [regular] teaching, so it was a bit OK to get into the music room and watch someone play.” “It was fun time off ” “[…]I think we were more happy to avoid doing school work and [have] fun different places.” Evaluations are geared towards claiming success, not exploring what took  place and how music may work : Evaluations are central to conflict

transformation 41

projects where outsiders are involved, a successful evaluation may be the key to further funding for NGOs or future work for musicians. Various forms of  evaluations are also what support claims of music's effectiveness as a tool for conflict transformation.  The review of the existing literature indicates that frequently occurring concerns include: evaluations that are done by organisers and authority figures; the assumption that any changes inside a short term project automatically affect the participants’ lifeworlds in the long term; positive changes are assumed to come solely from music © Music and Arts in Action/Bergh and Sloboda | ISSN: 1754-7105 | Page 10 http://musicandartsinaction.net/index.php/maia/article/view/conflicttransformation

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use and little attention is paid to the context; anecdotal evidence is seen as “proof ” and personal experiences of music are extrapolated to apply to entire societies.  These concerns all link back to a single issue: the tendency to interpret and observe the use of music in conflict transformation in a distinct top-down manner. As with conflict transformation in general, this causes problems as it fails to thoroughly understand any conflict transformation processes that may occur through music. Here Jennings & Baldwin's article on evaluations of drama and theatre in NorthernIreland is invaluable to shed further light on a very important part of  interventions through the arts. Passive versus active engagement and sustainability: The default mode of  engagement with music in most societies is that of consumer of recorded music, or spectator at live musical events. The vast majority of episodes of musical engagement in everyday life take place in the context of a non-musical activity which dominates the priorities of the individual concerned (Sloboda 2010). So, people listen to music on portable music devices as they undertake daily tasks, ranging from driving a car, doing housework, exercising, or studying (Sloboda, Lamont, & Greasley 42

2009). This offers both an opportunity and a threat to music in conflict initiatives.  The opportunity is that music offered into a conflict situation by external actors can survive the duration of the intervention if it finds its way onto the CDs and IPods which will allow its survival and dissemination long after the end of a fundedproject.  The threat is that the essentially passive nature of the relationship between listener and music will be insufficiently robust to offer an engine of significant change which endures beyond the immediate confines of the intervention. Long-term personal and social change after music engagement tends to occur where the involvement is active; it involves the participant in the structured acquisition and regular exercise of  musical skills over a period of time measured in months rather than days (e.g. Spychiger, Patry, Lauper, Zimmerman, & Weber 1995; Harland, Kinder, Stott, Schagen & Haynes 2000). In contrast, where the musical intervention involves listening alone, effects are often short-lived and ephemeral (e.g. Hetland 2000; Sloboda 2007). This is clearly demonstrated in Brooks paper where activists have sustain (often decades long) involvement through communal sing alongs. More attention needs to be given to the nature and extent of engagement that music interventions in conflict bring about or encourage in the participants that are the targets of the intervention. This needs to be informed by a better understanding of  the diverse ways in which music and musical engagement can impact on non-musical behaviour (see for instance Clayton 2009; Rauscher 2009, Hallam & MacDonald 2009; North & Hargreeves 2009; Garofalo 2010; Thaut & Wheeler 2010) SUMMARY

We hope to have demonstrated that music and arts in conflict transformation is not only an interesting field for academic reasons, it is also an important space for the development of relationships beyond the art event itself. These relationships are an 43

important part of ensuring that violent conflicts are avoided in the future.  This field is developing rapidly and the lack of theoretical foundations, which means many projects do not survive in “the wild” beyond the evaluation stage, is in urgent need of improvement. Here academics should consider being more than “diagnosticians”. As Pettan suggests in this issue, there is scope for academics to actively involve themselves in conflict transformation, although one should be aware of the ethical implications of this. Conflict transformation interventions in a community requires © Music and Arts in Action/Bergh and Sloboda | ISSN: 1754-7105 | Page 11 http://musicandartsinaction.net/index.php/maia/article/view/conflicttransformation

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considerable reflexivity as Jennings and Baldwin explain in their paper. Practitioners and academics need to work together, and it is important that the type of  peace building communities that Brooks describes are nurtured long term through music and arts that are suitable for their situations. Relying on short term, strong emotional reactions to aesthetic experiences is counter productive. It is longer term projects such as the choir in Bosnia-Herzegovina that Roberts discusses that can benefit from an academic investigation, where it is important to understand power dynamics and identity issues as Riiser demonstrates in her paper. Overall we see that whether we engage with international “high art” or local community theatre, with communal singing during anti-war protests or post-war choirs, the aesthetic experiences do not occur in isolation, they are always connected with the “nitty-gritty” of  everyday life. With this issue of Music and Arts in Action we wanted to provide a more indepth and critical view of this exciting and emerging field. This we feel our contributors have achieved, and we look forward to future work in this field. REFERENCES

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Bergh, A., Hashim, M.J. & Sutherland, I., 2008. Music of the fears: The dialogue between musicking, war and peace. In ESA Sociology of the Arts Research Network Conference. IUAV University, Venice. Bohlman, P., 2003. The music of European nationalism: cultural identity and modern history , California: ABC-CLIO. Bornstein, J.L., 2008. Religion And Art As Peacebuilding Tools, A Case Study Of The Education Of   Arts Appreciation Program, Solo, Indonesia .

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Multicultural Human Subjectivity . Unpublished conference paper, ISA. Carlisle, R.C., 1973. Women Singers in Darfur, Sudan Republic.  Anthropos, 68, 785-800. Chandler, D., 2000. Bosnia: Faking Democracy After Dayton , London: Pluto Press.

Chicuecue, N.M., 1997. Reconciliation: the role of truth commissions and alternative ways of  healing. Development in Practice , 7, 483. Chirwa, W., 1997. Collective memory and the process of reconciliation and reconstruction. Development in Practice , 7, 479. Clayton, M. (2009) The social and personal functions of music in cross-cultural perspective. In S. Hallam, I. Cross, & M. Thaut (Eds.) (2009) The Oxford Handbook of Music Psychology. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Cloonan, M. & Johnson, B., 2002. Killing me softly with his song: an initial investigation into the use of popular music as a tool of oppression. Popular Music, 21(1), 27-39. Cohen, C., 2005a. Creative approaches to reconciliation. In M. Fitzduff & C. E. Stout, eds. The Psychology of Resolving Global Conflicts: From War to Peace vol 3 . Greenwood Publishing

Group, pp. 69-102. Cohen, C., 2005b. Engaging with the Arts to Promote Coexistence, in http://www. brandeis. edu/ethics/resources/publications. Engaging Arts, 3. Corte, U. & Edwards, B., 2008. White Power music and the mobilization of racist social movements. Music and Arts in Action , 1(1), 4-20. Cusick, S.G., 2006. Music as Torture/Music as Weapon. Transcultural Music Review , 10. Davis, B., 2005. Scenarios for Human Rites . Unpublished conference paper. Dunn, B.M., 2008. Transforming conflict through music. Ph.D. dissertation. Union Institute and University, Ohio. Edwards, J., 2005. War and Music. Voices: A World Forum for Music Therapy . Available at: http://www.voices.no/columnist/coledwards200605.html [Accessed October 8, 2009]. Einarsen, H.P., 1998. Møtet som ikke tok sted . Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation. Oslo: University of Oslo. Einarsen, H.P., 2002. Musikkens roller i kulturmøtet. Nord nytt , (83), 17-34. Epskamp, K., 1999. Introduction - Healing Divided Societies. People building peace . Available at: [Accessed December 10, 2009]. European Centre for Conflict Prevention, 1999. People building peace: 35 inspiring stories from around the world , European Centre for Conflict Prevention,

Evron, N., 2007. Conflict and Peace: Challenges for Arts Educators. In International Handbook of  Research in Arts Education . pp. 1031-1054.

Eyerman, R., 2002. Music in movement: Cultural politics and old and new social movements. Qualitative Sociology , 25(3), 443–458. Fock, E., 1997. Music - a part of intercultural communication. NORDICOM-Information om medieoch kommunikationsforskning i Norden, (4), 55-65. © Music and Arts in Action/Bergh and Sloboda | ISSN: 1754-7105 | Page 13 http://musicandartsinaction.net/index.php/maia/article/view/conflicttransformation

Music and Arts in Action | Volume 2 | Issue 2

Fock, E., 2004. world.dk - erfaringer fra verdensmusikprojekter i skoler og på spillesteder. Copenhagen: Center for Kulturpolitiske Studier, Danmarks Biblioteksskole Frith, S. & Street, J., 1992. Rock Against Racism and Red Wedge: From Music to Politics, from

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Politics to Music. In R. Garofalo, ed. Rockin' the Boat: Mass Music and Mass Movements . South End Press, pp. 67-80. Futrell, R., Simi, P. & Gottschalk, S., 2006. Understanding music in movements: The white power music scene. Sociological Quarterly , 47(2), 275-304. Garofalo, R. Politics, mediation, social context and public use. In P. N. Juslin & J. A. Sloboda (Eds.) (2010) Handbook of Music and Emotion: Theory, Research, Aplications. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Ghani, A., & Lockhart, C. (2008) Fixing Failed States: a Framework for Rebuilding a Fractured  World . Oxford: Oxford University Press. Gilbert, S., 2005. Music in the Holocaust: Confronting Life in the Nazi Ghettos and Camps, Oxford: Oxford University Press. Gilchrist, K., 2006. Soldier rapper tells his tale of Iraq. BBC News. Available at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/low/world/americas/4828816.stm [Accessed January 10, 2010]. Gittoes, G. dir, 2005. Soundtrack to War , DVD, Sydney: Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Hadzihusejnovic-Valasek, M., 1998. The Osijek War-Time Music Scene 1991-1992. In S. Pettan, ed. Music, Politics, and War: Views From Croatia . Institute of Ethnology and Folklore Research, pp. 9-27. Hallam, S. & MacDonald, R. (2009) The effects of music in community and educational settings. In S. Hallam, I. Cross, & M. Thaut (Eds.) (2009) The Oxford Handbook of Music Psychology. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Harland, J., Kinder, K., Stoot, A., Schagen, I., & Haynes, J. (2000)  Arts Education in Secondary  Schools: Effects and Effectiveness. NFER/The Arts Council of England. London: Royal Society of  Arts. Haskell, E., 2005. International Cultural Aid and the Case of Guca Gora, Bosnia. In ICTM World Conference 2005. University of Sheffield. Hetland, L. (2000). Listening to music enhances spatial-temporal reasoning: Evidence for the “Mozart Effect.” Journal of Aesthetic Education , 34, 105-148. Hogg, B., 2004. Who's listening? In A. J. Randall, ed. Music, Power, and Politics . London: Routledge, pp. 211-230. Hudson, R., 2003. Songs of seduction: popular music and Serbian nationalism. Patterns of   prejudice, 37(2). Human Security Report Project (2005) Human Security Report 2005: War and Peace in the 21st Century. New York: Oxford: Oxford University Press. Hunt, M., 2005. Action Research and Music Therapy: Group Music Therapy with Young Refugees in a School Community. Voices: A World Forum for Music Therapy , 5(2). Available at: http://www.voices.no/mainissues/mi40005000184.html [Accessed October 8, 2009]. Independent, T., 2005. Rockers from old Yugoslavia reform to heal war's wounds. The Independent . Available at: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/rockersfromoldyugoslavia-reform-to-heal-wars-wounds-497028.html [Accessed December 5, 2009].

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 Jaros, B.N., 2005. Sounds of survival and regeneration: A microstoria of the Holocaust, 1940– 1945 (Poland) . THE CLAREMONT GRADUATE UNIVERSITY. Kaldor, M., 1999. New and old wars: organized violence in a global era , Polity Press. Kemp, G. & Fry, D.P., 2004. Keeping the peace: conflict resolution and peaceful societies around the world , London: Routledge. Kennedy, P., 2001. Working with survivors of torture in Sarajevo with Reiki. Complementary  © Music and Arts in Action/Bergh and Sloboda | ISSN: 1754-7105 | Page 14 http://musicandartsinaction.net/index.php/maia/article/view/conflicttransformation

Music and Arts in Action | Volume 2 | Issue 2 Therapies in Nursing & Midwifery , 7, 4-7.

Lacey, M., 2004. Nyala Journal; Singers of Sudan Study War No More. NYTimes.com. Available at: http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/12/world/nyala-journal-singers-of-sudan-study-warnomore. html [Accessed January 10, 2010]. Lawson, H.M., 2009. WHY DANCE? The Motivations of an Unlikely Group of Dancers. Music and   Arts in Action , 1(2).

Lederach, J.P., 1997. Building peace: Sustainable reconciliation in divided societies , United States Inst of Peace Pr. Lederach, J.P., 2005. The moral imagination: the art and soul of building peace, Oxford: Oxford University Press. Levi, E., 1994. Music in the Third Reich , MacMillan Press. Liebmann, M., 1996. Arts Approaches to Conflict , Jessica Kingsley Publishers. Lopez, M.E., 2008. Music Therapy: Healing, Growth, Creating a Culture of Peace. In O. Urbain, ed. Music and Conflict Transformation: Harmonies and Dissonances in Geopolitics . London: I. B.  Tauris, pp. 147-171. Lumsden, M. & Wolfe, R., 1996. Evolution of the Problem-Solving Workshop: An Introduction to Social-Psychological Approaches to Conflict Resolution. Peace and Conflict , 2(1), 37–67. Lundberg, D., Malm, K. & Ronstrom, O., 2000. Musik, medier, mangkultur: forandringar i svenska musiklandskap, Gidlunds, i samarbete med Riksbankens jubileumsfond.

Maoz, I., 2000. An Experiment in Peace: Reconciliation-Aimed Workshops of Jewish-Israeli and Palestinian Youth.  Journal of Peace Research , 37(6), 721 -736. McCann, M., 1995. Music and Politics in Ireland: The Specificity of the Folk Revival in Belfast. British Journal of Ethnomusicology , 4, 51-75. McNeill, W., 1995. Keeping Together in Time: Dance and Drill in Human History , Harvard University Press. Miall, H., Ramsbotham, O. & Woodhouse, T., 1999. Contemporary Conflict Resolution: the Prevention, Management and Transformation of Deadly Conflicts , Polity Press. Milligan, J.A., 1999. The idolatry of multicultural education. Multicultural Education. Mirren, H., 2005. The lost generation - Africa, World. The Independent . Available at: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/the-lost-generation-486374.html [Accessed  January 10, 2010]. Moreno, J., 1999. Orpheus in hell: Music and therapy in the Holocaust. The Arts in Psychotherapy ,

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26(1), 3-14. Munch, P.A., 1964. Culture and Superculture in a Displaced Community: Tristan da Cunha. Ethnology , 3, 369-376. Music Channel, 1995. Mantra For Peace (CD, Maxi, Promo) at Discogs. Available at: http://www.discogs.com/Music-Channel-Mantra-For-Peace/release/740387 [Accessed May 15, 2010]. Ng, W.F., 2005. Music Therapy, War Trauma, and Peace: A Singaporean Perspective. Voices:  A World Forum for Music Therapy , 5(3). Available at:

http://www.voices.no/mainissues/mi40005000191.html [Accessed October 8, 2009]. North. A.C. & Hargreaves, D. J. (2009) Music and consumer behaviour. In S. Hallam, I. Cross, & M.  Thaut (Eds.) (2009) The Oxford Handbook of Music Psychology. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Osborne, N., 2004. How opera can stop war. The Guardian. Available at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2004/oct/01/classicalmusicandopera2/print [Accessed  January 6, 2010]. Pavlicevic, M. & Ansdell, G. eds., 2004. Community music therapy , London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. © Music and Arts in Action/Bergh and Sloboda | ISSN: 1754-7105 | Page 15 http://musicandartsinaction.net/index.php/maia/article/view/conflicttransformation

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Pettan, S., 1998. Music, politics and war in Croatia in the 1990s: An introduction. In S. Pettan, ed. Music, Politics, and War: Views From Croatia . Institute of Ethnology and Folklore Research, pp. 927. Prudente, F.A., 1984. Musical Process in the Gasumbi Epic of the Buwaya Kalingga People of  Northern Philippines . Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation. Ann Arbor, Michigan: The University of  Michigan. Ramsbotham, O., 2005. The analysis of protracted social conflict: a tribute to Edward Azar. Review of International Studies , 31(1), 109-126. Rauscher, F. (2009) The impact of music instruction on other skills. In S. Hallam, I. Cross, & M.  Thaut (Eds.) (2009) The Oxford Handbook of Music Psychology. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Reinert, K.C., 1997. Music and the Nazi Party Congresses , its role in spectacle, festival and  ritual . Roberts, M.J., 2009. Peace Punks and Punks Against Racism: Resource Mobilization and Frame Construction in the Punk Movement. Music and Arts in Action , 1(2). Robertson, Craig. (2006). The Potential Role of Collaborative Music-Making in Conflict  Resolution:  An Exploratory Enquiry. Unpublished thesis. London: Goldsmiths University.

Skyllstad, K., 2000. Creating a Culture of Peace. The Performing Arts in Interethnic Negotiations. Intercultural Communication, November(4). Skyllstad, K., 1992. Klangrik Fellesskap, Interkulturell musikkpedagogikk som holdningsskapende praksis i det multikulturelle samfunn. Skyllstad, K., 1997. Music in Conflict Management - A Multicultural Approach. International  Journal of Music Education , 29, 73-80. Skyllstad, K., 1995. Society in harmony. A polyaesthetic school-program for interracial understanding. History of European Ideas , 20(1-3), 89-97.

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Sloboda, J. A. (2005) Exploring the Musical Mind: Cognition, emotion, ability, functions. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Sloboda, J. A. (2007) Mozart in psychology. Music Performance Research, 1.1 , 66-75. Sloboda, J. A. (2010) Music in everyday life: the Role of the Emotions. In P. N. Juslin & J. A. Sloboda (Eds.) (2010) Handbook of Music and Emotion: Theory, Research, Aplications. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Sloboda, J. A., Lamont, A. & Greasley, A.E. (2009) Choosing to hear music: motivation, process, and effect. In S. Hallam, I. Cross, & M. Thaut (Eds.) (2009) The Oxford Handbook of Music Psychology. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Spychiger, M., Patry, J., Lauper, G., Zimmerman, E., & Weber, E. (1993) Does more music teaching lead to a better social climate? In R. Olechowski & G. Sivk (Eds.) Experimental Research in Teaching and Learning . Peter Lang: Bern. Stubbs, P., 1995. Nationalisms, Globalisation and Civil Society in Croatia and Slovenia. Available at: http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/62/066.html. Sugarman, J., 2010. Kosova Calls for Peace: Song, Myth, and War in an Age of Global Media. In J. O'Connell & S. E. Castelo-Branco, eds. Music and Conflict: Ethnomusicological Perspectives. Urbana: Univ. of Illinois Press. Sultoon, S., 2001. Bridging Balkan divides. CNN.com. Available at: http://archives.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/europe/07/26/balkan.culture/ [Accessed December 7, 2009]. Sutton, J.P., 2002. Music, music therapy and trauma: international perspectives , London:  Jessica Kingsley.  Thaut, M. & Wheeler, B, (2010) Music therapy. In P. N. Juslin & J. A. Sloboda (Eds.) (2010) Handbook of Music and Emotion: Theory, Research, Aplications. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Ungerleider, J., 1999. Music and Poetry Build Bi-communal Peace Culture in Cyprus. People building peace. Available at: http://www.gppac.net/documents/pbp/7/4_mpcypr.htm © Music and Arts in Action/Bergh and Sloboda | ISSN: 1754-7105 | Page 16 http://musicandartsinaction.net/index.php/maia/article/view/conflicttransformation

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[Accessed December 10, 2009]. Urbain, O., 2007. Music and Conflict Transformation: Harmonies and Dissonances in Geopolitics, London: I. B. Tauris. Veledar, A., 2008. Tutti Concert in Mostar. The Royal Norwegian Embassy in Sarajevo . Available at: http://www.norveska.ba/News_and_events/Culture/Music/Tutti_Concert_in_Mostar/ [Accessed January 10, 2010]. Wallensteen, P., 2002. Understanding Conflict Resolution: War, Peace and the Global System , SAGE. Weaver, H., 2001. Travellin' home and back, Exploring the psychological processes of  reconciliation. Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation. Virginia: Union Institute and University. Weingartner, J., 2006. The Arts as a Weapon of War, Britain and the Shaping of National Morale in the Second World War , London: Tauris Academic Studies.

Woodhouse, T., 2000. Conflict resolution and peacekeeping: Critiques and responses. In O.

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Ramsbotham & T. Woodhouse, eds. Peacekeeping and conflict resolution. Frank Cass, pp. 826. Zelizer, C.M., 2004. The Role of Artistic Processes in Peacebuilding in Bosnia-Herzegovina . Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation. Fairfax, Virginia: George Mason University. Zelizer, C.M., 2003. The Role of Artistic Processes in Peacebuilding in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Peace and Conflict Studies, 10(2), 62–75.

Zharinova-Sanderson, O., 2004. Community Music Therapy with Traumatised Refugees in Berlin. In M. Pavlicevic & G. Ansdell, eds. Community music therapy . Jessica Kingsley Publishers, pp. 233-248. ABOUT THE AUTHORS Arild Bergh has recently completed a PhD on the topic of music and conflict transformation at the University of Exeter, with fieldwork in Norway and Sudan. He is editor of the journal Music and Arts in Action. He has previously worked as a music journalist and researched and written on topics ranging from music of immigrants in Europe to cassette music culture and underground music in communist countries. Published and in press work includes "From windup to iPod: techno-cultures of listening" with Tia DeNora (in The Cambridge Companion to Recorded Music, 2009), “Emotions in motion: Transforming conflict and music.” (in Music

and the Mind: Investigating the functions and processes of music; Oxford: Oxford University Press, forthcoming) and “Forever and ever: Mobile music in the life of young teens.”  with Tia DeNora and Maia Bergh (in Handbook of Mobile Music and Sound Studies; Oxford: Oxford University Press, forthcoming).  John Sloboda , FBA, is Emeritus Professor at Keele and Visiting Research Fellow at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, London. He is also Consultant and Director of Oxford Research Group's Recording Casualties in Armed Conflict programme and chairs its International Advisory Group, and he is Honorary Professor in the School of Politics and International Relations at Royal Holloway, University of London. He is co-director of the Iraq Body Count project. He is author of over 150 publications. His books include "The Musical Mind" , "Psychology  for Musicians" , (with Patrik N Juslin) "Handbook of Music and Emotion" , (with Hamit

Dardagan and others) "A Dossier of Civilian Casualties in Iraq" , and (with Chris Abbott and Paul Rogers) "Beyond Terror: the Truth About the Real Threats to Our World" . © Music and Arts in Action/Bergh and Sloboda | ISSN: 1754-7105 | Page 17 http://musicandartsinaction.net/index.php/maia/article/view/conflicttransformation

 Theatre Without Borders Contact TWB Int'l Contacts Search by Country Login / Register 51

FAQ Home  TWB CONFERENCE 2010 - ACTING TOGETHER ON THE WORLD STAGE: Theatre and Peace Building in Conflict Zones - WAITING LIST ONLY! By rlevitow - Posted on June 19th, 2009  Tagged: INTERNATIONAL • TWB & Coexistence International • United States of  America Start: 23 Sep 2010 - 5:00pm End: 26 Sep 2010 - 6:00pm  Timezone: Etc/GMT-7

!!!! CONFERENCE RESERVATIONS FULL !!!!

!!!! GET ON THE WAITING LIST!!!!

Write [email protected]

VISIT OUR NEW CONFERENCE WEBSITE: www.theatreandpeace.com

La MaMa ETC presents

52

ACTING TOGETHER ON THE WORLD STAGE:

A CONFERENCE ON THEATRE AND PEACE BUILDING IN CONFLICT ZONES

produced by

 Theatre Without Borders

 Theatre Without Borders, presented by La MaMa ETC and in affiliation with Brandeis University, announces ACTING TOGETHER ON THE WORLD STAGE: A CONFERENCE ON THEATRE AND PEACE BUILDING IN CONFLICT ZONES, September 23-26, 2010 in New York City. This conference brings together theatre and performance practitioners from around the world to share their experiences with artists, activists, educators, policy makers, and the general public.

ACTING TOGETHER ON THE WORLD STAGE grows out of a five-year initiative of   Theatre Without Borders and Brandeis University. During this time, Theatre Without Borders members have attended gatherings and explored, with the guidance of  peace-building scholar/practitioners, a range of questions about the relationship between the arts and conflict transformation. ACTING TOGETHER ON THE WORLD STAGE will begin a year of programming to disseminate the documentation of  artists working in conflict-zones worldwide in contexts of direct and structural violence and in the aftermath of mass violations of human rights. At the conference, TWB and Brandeis will launch a documentary film and a website and plans for an upcoming anthology. 53

 TWB is a grassroots, volunteer, virtual community of individual theatre artists around the world who are committed to international exchange. This conference has no formal funding and guests are being sponsored by hosting organizations, including universities, Cultural Affairs divisions of embassies, foundations, and theatres. All are welcome!

 Thursday, September 23 – Sunday, September 26, 2010

Ellen Stewart Theatre, La MaMa ETC, 66 East Fourth Street, NYC 10003 www.lamama.org

WORKING AGENDA - Please note that this agenda is subject to change!

La MaMa E.T.C. presents:

 Theatre Without Borders

ACTING TOGETHER ON THE WORLD STAGE:

 THEATRE and PEACEBUILDING in CONFLICT ZONES 54

September 23-26, 2010

 Thursday, September 23, 2010

3:30-5:30pm

REGISTRATION

5pm

MEET & GREET

5:30

WELCOME AND ORIENTATION

6-7:30

DOCUMENTARY

"ACTING TOGETHER: PERFORMANCE AND THE CREATIVE TRANSFORMATION OF CONFLICT"

A film by Cynthia Cohen and Allison Lund

 Tells the stories of courageous and creative artists, cultural workers and peacebuilders working in zones of conflict. http://www.brandeis.edu/ethics/peacebuildingarts/

Introduction by Dan Terris, International Center for Ethics, Justice & Public Life, Brandeis University 55

Followed by remarks by Devanand Ramiah, Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery, UNDP, and a brief Q & A with Cynthia Cohen, Brandeis University and Allison Lund, filmmaker.

7:30-8

RECEPTION hosted by Brandeis University

8:15-9:45

PERFORMANCE FOLLOWED BY TALKBACK 

“BUCK WORLD ONE” (USA)

Developed under the guidance of playwright and University of California, Riverside Professor of Theater Rickerby Hinds. Buck (sometimes called Krump) is an energetic, expressive and very physical new dance form that grew out of South Los Angeles neighborhoods. “Krump or Buck is a form of expression often related to praise dancing that explores and addresses themes such as violence in the community, police brutality and the civil-rights movement.” Young people with no formal dance training gather in church fellowship halls, playgrounds, parking lots or any neutral space each week throughout Southern California to participate in “krump battles” in which they use dance moves instead of bullets. “Buck World One” portrays how the worlds might have begun 13.7 billion years ago — from the 56

universe, the Earth, continents, countries and neighborhoods down to the individual - showing that everyone is part of the larger picture.

Friday, September 24, 2010

9-9:30am

DOORS OPEN

9:30-9:45am

WELCOME AND ORIENTATION

9:45-11am

KEYNOTE

Dr. Barbara Love, University of Massachusetts, Amherst

"CONFLICT & TRAUMA: Strategies for Transformation and Healing”

In “The Teeth May Smile But the Heart Does Not Forget”, author Andrew Rice grapples with the trauma produced by violence and conflict on individual lives as well as the entire society in the Uganda of Idi Amin. The ongoing trauma produced by violence and conflict in Liberia, Rwanda, Sudan, Sri Lanka, the Americas, and other parts of the world hurts the human spirit and marks the soul. Humankind needs healing to reclaim our capacity to transform ourselves and the societies that cluster us. This discussion reflects on strategies for healing and the extension of  soul healing to the transformation of the world. 57

11-11:10am

BREAK 

11:10am-12:30pm

ROUNDTABLE

AFTERMATH: HUMAN RIGHTS AND RECOVERY:

Facilitator Catherine Filloux (TWB, USA) With Ieng Sithul, Chhon Sina, and Rithisal Kang (CAMBODIA); Pauline Ross (NORTHERN IRELAND); Hjalmar-Jorge Joffre58

Eichhorn (AFGHANISTAN); William Yellow Robe, Jr. (ASSINIBOINE TRIBE, PART OF  THE SIOUX NATIONS)

12:30-12:50pm SHAKE IT UP SESSION - Forum Theatre with Chris Vine and Helen White (Creative Arts Team).

12:50-2pm

LUNCH

Lunch table conversation: "The Emerging Generation" Moderated by J.J. El-Far and  Tracy Francis – The Club Theatre, 74A E. 4th Street

Lunch table conversation: “Responses to the ACTING TOGETHER Documentary” with Cynthia Cohen & Allison Lund –The Club Theatre

2-3:20pm

ROUNDTABLE

IN THE MIDST OF VIOLENT CONFLICT:

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Facilitator Roberta Levitow (TWB, USA) With Dijana Milosevic, DAH Theatre (SERBIA); Lee Perlman and Aida Nasrallah (ISRAEL); Shahid Nadeem, Ajoka Theatre (PAKISTAN); Gũlgũn Kayim (CYPRUS/USA); Mahmood Karimi-Hakak (USA/IRAN)

3:30-3:45pm

3:45-6pm

BREAK 

PERFORMANCE IN DIALOGUE - Welcome, Mia Yoo

The Club Theatre, 74A E. 4th Street/seating limited

Naomi Newman, A Traveling Jewish Theatre (USA)

"Through An Old Woman’s Eyes; Stories and Lamentations About the State of the World and How to Repair the Mess"

Mahmood Karimi-Hakak, Siena College (IRAN/USA)

Dialogue Impossible? "The Glass Wall"

Dawn Saito, Fordham University (USA)

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“Sword of Sea”

Federico Respeto, Loco7 (USA)

Excerpts from “Room To Panic” Scene Titles - “Coming to terms with yesterday to move forward today” And “Trying to get two feet on the ground and take it from there”

(Archive open by appointment 11:30-5:30pm and Ellen Stewart Lobby available for meetings)

6-7:30pm CULTURE ON CANVAS: CONTEMPORARY BURMESE ART Exhibit and Reception – Richard Streiter, Curator

La MaMa Galleria, 6 East 1st Street

(EXHIBIT HOURS: Thurs-Sat 1-8pm, Sun 1-6pm)

8-10pm

PERFORMANCES

61

VOICES FROM CAMBODIA (In Khmer with Translation)

Ieng Sithul sings “The Birth of Sam and Bopha” and “Our Land’s Compassion” from the contemporary opera Where Elephants Weep (Composer Him Sophy).

Chhon Sina and Ieng Sithul perform from “The Tooth of Buddha” a new play by Morm Sokly, a Cambodian performer and playwright. The play is Poetry Theatre (Lakhaon Kamnap) and is done in spoken or chanted verse, portraying the miracle of Buddhism. In Cambodian poetry there are at least 53 styles of verse and 60 different ways of reciting. The sacred relic tooth of the Buddha and its eventual resting place in Sri Lanka is not a common subject for a contemporary stage play in Cambodia. The scene is about a husband and wife bringing this relic of the Buddha to a stupa.

Ieng Sithul performs a scene from a Cambodian story Lea peakriyea tov tak domrey. Morthav the village witch doctor guides elephant catchers in performing a ritual for the souls and spirits of territory, mountains, forest, plants, rocks, and those that safeguard elephants and elephant ropes. The ritual offerings are placed on the highest hill from afternoon to midnight. The next morning, the elephant catcher blows his horn and, as he leaves the house his wife follows, handing him his bag of  supplies for a three-month journey to catch "tadpoles," a codeword for elephants, so as not to alert the spirits. Ieng will use two kinds of flutes (Saneng and Pey).

brief intermission 62

“DISCOVER LOVE" - Belarus Free Theatre (BELARUS)

Written by Nikolai Halezin and Natalia Koliada

Directed by Nikolai Halezin

Choreographed by Olga Skvortsova

Music by DJ Laurel

Established in 2005 in response to repression in “Europe’s last dictatorship,” the award-winning Belarusian company—now outlawed at home—stages a gripping original drama based on the true story of dissident Irina Krasovskaya and her husband Anatoly, who was “disappeared” 10 years ago. Their wrenching story is interwoven with parallel instances of political intimidation and violence in Asia and South America. Belarus Free Theatre is devoted to presenting dramas by banned Belarusian playwrights, whose work it also translates and publishes abroad. The troupe first began performing in private apartments and has since won the backing of prominent playwrights such as the late Harold Pinter, Tom Stoppard and Václav Havel, as well as numerous artistic and human rights organizations. Performed in Russian with supertitles in English.

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Saturday, September 25, 2010

9-9:30am

DOORS OPEN

9:30-9:45am

WELCOME AND ORIENTATION

9:45-11am

KEYNOTE

 James Thompson, University of Manchester, UK 

"An Incident of Cutting and Chopping: A performance lecture on the Bindunuwewa child soldier massacre in Sri Lanka 2000"

 The performance lecture explores a child soldier massacre in Sri Lanka in 2000 and is based on James' work in Sri Lanka since that time. It asks questions about the relationship between theatre practitioners and the contexts in which they work, and where responsibilities lie when things go wrong. 'An Incident of Cutting and Chopping' is linked to a commemorative project about the massacre that has been developed in Sri Lanka in the years since the event and draws on material in the opening chapter of James' book 'Performance Affects'. The performance is part of a broader project researching and developing performance projects in sites of armed conflict that James has directed since 2004 - In Place of War (www.inplaceofwar.net)

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11-11:10am

BREAK 

11:10am-12:30pm

ROUNDTABLE

CONFLICT UNDER REPRESSION:

Facilitator Daniel Banks (TWB, USA) With Natalia Kaliada, Belarus Free Theatre (BELARUS); Roberto Varea, Argentina (USA/ARGENTINA); Iman Aoun, Ashtar Theatre (PALESTINE); Manijeh Mohamedi (IRAN); Ruth Margraff (USA/INDIA)

12:30-12:50pm SHAKE IT UP SESSION – Playback Theatre with Hannah Fox and Mizuho Kanazawa (Big Apple Playback)

12:50-2pm

LUNCH

Lunch Table Conversation: “Theatre Artists in Iran" - led by Torange Yeghiazarian with Ayat Najafi; Manijeh Mohamedi; Mahmood Karimi-Hakak – The Club Theatre, 74A E. 4th Street 65

Lunch Table Conversation: "Using Devised Theatre in Conflict Zones" – led by Iñigo Ramirez de Haro – The Club Theatre, 74A E. 4th Street

2-3:20pm

ROUNDTABLE

REBUILDING SOCIETY AFTER VIOLENT CONFLICT:

Facilitator Deborah Asiimwe (UGANDA) With Maria Draghici, laBOMBA and Bogdan Georgescu, Generosity Offensive (ROMANIA); Dale Byam, Brooklyn College, Theatre for Development in Africa (USA); Adalet Garmiany, ArtRole Iraq-US Exchanges (IRAQ); Zane Lucas, Theory X Media (ZIMBABWE); Lillian Manzor, Cuba/Latina  Theatre Archive (USA/CUBA)

3:30-4pm

BREAK 

4-6:30pm

WORKSHOPS

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1. International Beginner’s Guide: David Diamond, Host; Marcy Arlin, Immigrants  Theatre Project (USA); Fritzie Brown, CEC Artslink (USA); Georgiana Pickett, 651 ARTS/Africa Exchange (USA) – Great Jones Street Studios, 4th Floor

2. International Video Conference: Billy Clark, International Program Director; Catherine Filloux, Curator; FAVILEK Women Theatre Artists (HAITI); Morm Sokly (CAMBODIA); Eugene Van Erven (THE NETHERLANDS); Polly Walker (AUSTRALIA) Culture Hub, 47 Great Jones Street Studios, 3rd Floor

3. Theatre of Festivity: Ali Mahdi and Albugaa Theatre (SUDAN) -Great Jones Street Studios, 1st Floor

4. Forum Theatre: Iman Aoun and Ashtar Theatre (PALESTINE) -

Great Jones Street Studios, 5th Floor

5. Story Circle Workshop: John O'Neal, Junebug Productions (USA) – The Club  Theatre

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6. Open Forum Sharing Session: Josh Perlstein and Lisa Schlesinger, Hosts - Ellen Stewart Lobby

6:30-7:45pm

8-9pm

DINNER

PERFORMANCE

"CROSSING THE LINE" - DAH Teatar (SERBIA)

Dramaturgy and direction: Dijana Milošević

Performers: Maja Mitić, Sanja Krsmanović Tasić, Ivana Milenović

Set design: Neša Paripović

Costume design: Dah Theatre Research Centre

Sound design: Jugoslav Hadžić

Light design: Radomir Stamenković 68

Organization: Ivana Damnjanović and Dejan Popović

 This performance of Dah Theatre is based on texts from the book Women's Side of  War edited by the Women in Black organization (2007). The book is a collection of  authentic women's testimonies about the wars that had occurred in the former republic of Yugoslavia from 1991 till 1999. The book is the result of a year's research by Women in Black, and in cooperation with women's nongovernmental organizations in the region who are dealing with the past and human rights. Most of  the texts have been already published in various books and in other publications created by these NGOs. They consist of testimonies, statements, letters and memories. They show the specific suffering of women in war, but also their courage and strength for surviving the trauma of war to re-establish normal life, and also the importance of solidarity with women beyond all borders and divisions. All testimonies are presented in the first person, without comments or any other kind of use or misuse. The main goal of the performance is to reach the audience not only on a verbal but, primarily, on an emotional and psychological level and to stimulate women to start speaking; to take note of and to express their own sufferings through recognizing the suffering of others; to develop solidarity; to become conscious about the essence of violence in war; to become more active in democratic processes; and to participate in building a righteous and long-lasting peace.

Sunday, September 26, 2010

9:30-10am

DOORS OPEN

10-11:30am

ROUNDTABLE

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ADVOCACY AND STRATEGIES FOR MOVING FORWARD:

Facilitator Erik Ehn (Arts in the One World, USA) With Kitche Magak, Arts & Peace Building Program, Maseno University (KENYA); Emilya Cachapero, ITI US Center (USA); Cathy Zimmerman, MAPP International/Africa Consortium (USA-AFRICA); Ella Fuksbrauner, Bogota Festival (COLOMBIA); John Martin, PAN Intercultural Arts (UK);  Torange Yeghiazarian & Lisa Rothe, Middle East American Play Initiative: Golden  Thread Productions & The Lark Play Development Center (USA)

11:30-11:40am

BREAK 

11:40am-1:10pm ROUNDTABLE

METHODOLOGY CASEBOOKS: HOW THEORY BECOMES PRACTICE

Facilitator Roberto Varea, (University of San Francisco, USA) With Chris Vine and Helen White, The CUNY School of Professional Studies, MA in Applied Theatre and CAT Youth Theatre (USA); Ali Mahdi, Albugaa Theatre & The Theatre in Conflict Zones (SUDAN); Joanna Sherman, Bond Street Theatre (USA); Jo Salas, Hudson River Playback Theatre (USA); Kwesi Johnson, Kompany Malakhi (UK)

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1:10-1:30pm SHAKE IT UP SESSION – Hip-Hop Theatre, Daniel Banks (Hip Hop Theatre Initiative, USA) Kwesi Johnson (Kompany Malakhi, UK)

1:30-2:30pm

3-3:45pm

LUNCH

PERFORMANCE

"SINNAR CRUCIBLE" - Albugaa Theatre (SUDAN)

Written and composed by Ali Mahdi

Performers: Gamal Abdelrahman; Tarig Ali; Gidier Mirghani; Awad Hassan; Abdelsalam Khalil; Ekhlas Noureldin; Amira Ahmed; Ibrahim Khadir; Mohamed Abdalla; Emam Hassan; Abdelaziz Mohamed; and Gasim Elelah Hamednalla.

Called a "Spectacle of Festivity Towards Indulgent Democracy", this performance comes from the Sudan Center for Theatre in Conflict Zones. The center's goals are research and performance in the meeting between Arabic and African cultures. The characters are "from our times" but they also are "the echo of the fathers", who are all meeting in the Sinnar Crucible. The play searches for solutions to the conflicts of  war by retrieving the times of agreement.

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5pm

CONFERENCE ENDS

Please help us be as Green as possible; we will be reusing and recycling a limited number of paper programs.

And please find BIOS for all Participants, Presenters and Performers at www.theatrewithoutborders.com, on the Conference Website www.theatreandpeace.com or in binders in the Lobby.

 This conference was made possible

With Support from:

651 ARTS/Africa Exchange; Brandeis University; Nathan Cummings Foundation Arts and Culture Program; Fordham University; The Public Theater; The Romanian Cultural Institute of New York

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And in Association with:

7 Stages, Atlanta; Brown University; CUNY/Creative Arts Team; Immigrants Theatre Project; The Lark Play Development Center; The League of Professional Theatre Women, International Committee; New York Theatre Workshop; New York University; TCG - ITI/US Center

With Special Thanks to Dr. Sue Snyder, arts education IDEAS, LLC www.aeideas.com; Bernard Lewis; Joe Mantello; Michael Neill; Meile Rockefeller; David Sherman; Richard Streiter; Sunrise Packaging

With Additional Thanks to Ellen Stewart, Mia Yoo, Mary Fulham, Denise Greber, Nicky Paraiso, Beverly Petty, Daniel Nelson, Melissa Slattery, Billy Clark, Frank Carucci, and the entire La MaMa Staff; Morgan Jenness; Gian Marco Lo Forte; Kathleen and Henry Chalfant; Fordham University: Elizabeth Margid, Dawn Akemi Saito, Matthew Maguire; Nerou Cheng; Darek Keo; Phally Chroy; Frank @ Famiglia 8th Street; Toni Shapiro-Phim; Chanveasna Chum; Fred Frumberg; Bunrith Suon; Patrick Fagan; Erin Levendorf; Morm Sokly; Lisa Rothe, The Lark; Liz Frankel, Public  Theatre; Eric Sillen, Club Quarters Hotel; Anna Schmidt, NYU; Chris Vine and Helen White, CUNY; Jose Luis Valenzuela @ The New Los Angeles Theatre Center; Frank Hentschker, Martin E. Segal Theatre Center, The Graduate Center CUNY; Jessica Litwak; Ethan Cobb; and many others….

CONFERENCE PLANNING COMMITTEE

Daniel Banks, David Diamond, Catherine Filloux and Roberta Levitow

PRODUCTION MANAGERS

Daniel Nelson and Sarah Rae Murphy 73

 TWB LIAISONS/VOLUNTEERS

Debby Brand, Arielle Julia Brown, Cosmin Chivo & InterArtGroup, Jessiee Datino, J.J. El-Far, Tracy Francis, Amen Igbinosun, Joan Kane, Ji Yun Lee, Jenny Nissell, Gamal Palmer, Tim Pracher-Dix, Sahar Sajadieh, Garret Scaly, James Simmons, Amy Singerman, Sarah Cameron Sunde, Jenny Tibbels-Jordan and many others….

Unless otherwise noted, all events take place in the ELLEN STEWART THEATRE.

*Donations to support Theatre Without Borders will be gratefully accepted at the registration desk or by one of our volunteers. Thank you!*

SUPPLEMENTARY EVENTS SURROUNDING CONFERENCE EVENTS:

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20

September 20, 2010, 4PM-8PM: An Open Rehearsal for all interested university departments to attend, as well as the general public. At the McMahon Hall Lounge (Room 109)*. A reading of a new play by Cambodian playwright/actor Chhon Sina, PHKA CHAMPEI (FRANGIPANI), about a sex worker and victim of domestic violence who lives in a slum in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. (Translated from Khmer to English by Suon Bunrith.) Directed by Dawn Akemi Saito, Artist-in-Residence, Theatre and Visual Arts at Fordham University at Lincoln Center. To be read by professional and Fordham student actors. At the end there will be an open discussion. Fordham University 74

*McMahon Hall Lounge (Room 109) http://www.fordham.edu/campus_resources/campus_facilities/conference_planning/li ncoln_center/mcmahon_hall_48723.asp

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22

September 22, Time TBA: Belarus Free Theatre reading of CHARONVILLE by Nikolai Khalezin of the Belarus Free Theatre Original translation by Yuriy Koliada and Rory Mullarky Dramaturgical and translation assistance by Erik Ehn In 1979, a 39-year old journalist named Ian McIntosh finds himself in a small town called Charonville and attends the funeral of a local man—the infamous mobster  John Dillinger, who, contrary to legend, was not killed by the FBI, but lived his life out in this remote Midwestern town. Slowly Ian realizes that Charonville has been the refuge of many more legends who died under mysterious circumstances— including the King of Rock and Roll. And when Elvis disappears from town, Ian begins to discover the reasons so many of the famous “departed” ended up in Charonville.  The Lark Play Development Center 939 Eighth Avenue, Suite 301 (btw 55 & 56), New York, NY 10019 212-246-2676/212-246-2609 (fax) [email protected]

September 22, starting 6:30pm: “BROOKENYA!” HOMECOMING, location TBA in Manhattan, with special guest Kitche Magak from Kenya.  To celebrate Kitche’s return to NYC—he's presenting at the conference—we're having a potluck benefit, so bring something to eat or drink, and—if you can—$15 to help pay for Kitche’s airfare. 75

We are also celebrating the exciting news that a Nairobi media company wants to distribute “BrooKenya!” throughout Africa. And, we are launching a campaign to build the Community Theatre Internationale so that we can do more kick-ass projects like “BrooKenya!” For those of you who don’t know about “BrooKenya!”: Back in 2003, Kitche and I got together a bunch of folks in Brooklyn, NYC and Kisumu, Kenya to ‘create community through performance across borders local and global’. We ended up making an intercontinental grassroots soap opera called “BrooKenya!” But more than that, we built friendships that made our world a little bit better. This was most visible during the Kenyan crisis, when our web of creative friendship was able to get money from the US to Kenya. With American friends supporting them, friends in Kenya risked their lives to use that money to buy food to feed starving refugees across the tribal line. Together, we saved some lives a month before international aid agencies arrived. I believe these kinds of linkages go even deeper and are part of creating the new social infrastructure for the world that is coming. For more information about Community Theatre Internationale click on the The Story of BrooKenya! and visit http://www.brookenya.org/. It will be held at 375 Lincoln Place, #1C, Brooklyn (click on address for map.) 1-718-230-8973

 To attend the “BROOKENYA!” HOMECOMING, please contact Kate Gardner at [email protected] for more information. Thanks, Kate Gardner, director, Community Theatre Internationale and WorldEnsemble ‘creating community through performance across borders local and global’  The League of Professional Theatre Women/International Committee New York Theatre Workshop, 4th Street Theatre, 83 E. 4th Street [email protected]

September 26, 7:30pm-11:30pm (Performances begin at 8:30pm) HYBRID THEATRE WORKS Post-Conference Party & Performance forum ( Bowery Wine Co.) Hybrid Theatre Works- a production company dedicated to performance and peacebuilding will be sponsoring an end of the conference party in conjunction with their monthly artist response forum performance series. A select group of international and American artists will be asked to create a short artistic response to a specific world event. This forum is to help encourage artistic engagement with world 76

events, and close the lapse time between world events and artistic response. This will be a great opportunity to see a variety of artistic responses in a shared environment, while celebrating the end to the conference. Party will be held at Bowery Wine Co. E. 1st. St. between Bowery and 2nd, only 2 blocks from the conference. Party will start at 7:30pm with half price food and drink specials with performances from 8:30-9:30 and the party will continue until 11:30. FREE ADMISSION ! ALL ARE INVITED! HURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 - SUNDAY, OCTOBER 3

3-day conference • New York City • Sept 30 – Oct 3 “Performing the World 2010 Conference: Can Performance Change the World?” Performing artists, community organizers, theatre workers, educators, scholars, youth workers, students, social workers, psychotherapists, psychologists, medical doctors, health workers, and business executives are coming from 31 countries to discuss/perform that question and their responses to it. Performing the World 2010 is well underway. Nearly 100 presentations, workshops and performances will be featured at this year’s Performing the World, including presentations dealing with performance, health and wellness. Registered attendees of the Acting Together conference and members of Theatre Without Borders are being extend a special discount rate of $200. Please indicate that you are from TWB when contacting us at: www.performingtheworld.org Performing the World 2010 brings together artists, activists, young people and scholars from dozens of countries, all of whom are involved in the emergence of  performance as a new way of relating to, understanding and transforming the world. The conference is open to all. For more information: [email protected], or 212-941-9400 x 385 performingtheworld.org is sponsored by All Stars Project, Inc.; East Side Institute for Group; and Short Term Psychotherapy. THE PROJECT Acting Together on the World Stage Short Description

Acting Together on the World Stage tells the story of artists, cultural workers and peacebuilders in conflict regions, who use theatre and ritual practices to support 77

communities to address injustices and to appreciate the humanity of former adversaries, mourn losses, and imagine a new future. http://www.brandeis.edu/slifka/actingtogether/aboutus/trailer.htmlDescription

Acting Together on the World Stage, Performance and the Creative Transformation of Conflict, anthology edited by Cynthia Cohen, Polly Walker, and Roberto Gutierrez Varea Documentary by Cynthia Cohen and Allison Lund

"If you get people thinking and talking about real stories, suspending argument for a time, and building relationships through sharing narratives, from there I believe you can expand the process to the exploration of real issues and alternatives." -John O'Neal, Founder, Free Southern Theatre Institute

In the United States and around the world, in regions characterized by inequity and violence, theatre artists and cultural workers are contributing to more just and less violent communities. Through creative processes, they are supporting communities to address injustices and to appreciate the humanity of former adversaries, mourn losses, and imagine a new future.

Acting Together on the World Stage: Performance and the Creative Transformation of Conflict is an examination and celebration of these peacebuilding performances through an anthology, a documentary, and a website. It features the work of 25 theatre artists, cultural workers, and peacebuilding scholars and practitioners working in fifteen conflict regions, who share a commitment to artistic excellence and social change. Their collaboration has yielded rich case studies, theoretical frameworks, and recommendations to policymakers that will legitimate and strengthen this important emerging field of peacebuilding performance.

 The upcoming anthology presents case studies that place peacebuilding performances in their historical, social, and political contexts. It shows the creative process leading to finished productions, and assesses impacts and contributions to establishing sustainable peace.

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 The feature-length documentary, a companion to the publication, shows dynamic footage of rehearsals, performances, and interviews with artists and peacebuilders. It will be accompanied by a toolkit that explores more deeply the issues uncovered through the inquiry, such as ethical questions, the compatibility of aesthetic and political aims, upholding the principle of “do no harm,” and the challenges of  evaluation. Preview the documentary.

 The website supports the emerging community of inquiry by showcasing summaries of the case studies with related multi-media materials, and by providing a forum for dialogue and development. View the website.

 The anthology, documentary, and website will be valuable resources for artists, cultural workers and peacebuilders working in conflict regions, as well as for scholars and students of performance studies, conflict transformation, and related fields. Publishing Organization: Brandeis University Language: | English |

Countries & Regions: | Australia |Israel |Netherlands |Palestine |Serbia |Sri Lanka |  Type: | Documentaries | Interactive Websites | Theater | Other | Subject: | Arts | Children/Youth | Conflict Prevention | Ethnic and Religious Conflict | Gender | Genocide | Human Rights | Mediation, Negotiation and Diplomacy | Peacebuilding | Peacekeeping | Post Conflict Activities | Refugees/IDPs | Terrorism and Political Violence | Trauma Healing | Truth and Reconciliation |

Official Site: http://www.brandeis.edu/slifka/actingtogether/Watch  Trailer:http://www.brandeis.edu/slifka/actingtogether/aboutus/trailer.html

Calendar 79

About TWB Welcome Center Acogedor Ambiente Centre d'Accueil Seed and Grow Info Alerts Int'l Theatre Resources Int'l Theatre Feeds  TWB Site Updates Building Bridges Policy Perspectives Notes from the Field  Theatre and Peacebuilding  Translation  TWB Info Alerts [magdalena] new on the forums / neu in den foren 23 Nov 2010 - 11:42am Afghan Voices at The Theater of the Oppressed Laboratory (TOPLAB) 23 Nov 2010 - 11:36am  Two Lives in the Theater:Peter Schumann and Judith Malina in Conversation at The  Theater of the Oppressed Laboratory (TOPLAB) 23 Nov 2010 - 11:33am  The Gaza Monologues at the UN 21 Nov 2010 - 8:44am Arts Watch - November 17, 2010 18 Nov 2010 - 8:51pm 80

STAGE SCRIPT COMPETITION - NEXT CYCLE & PRODUCTION NEWS 18 Nov 2010 - 8:39pm more Int'l Theatre Feeds Old Story of Ugly Politics Smarter Audiences. Better Art. Art is Hard. Respect is Good. Rap, Peasants and Grammy Imagine John Lennon . Speakers John H. Stanfield, II, a sociologist with senior faculty appointments in African American and African Diaspora Studies, American Studies, Cultural Studies, Philanthropic Studies, and Sociology, is on leave from Indiana University Bloomington this year and is a STM (Masters of Sacred Theology) candidate at the Boston University School of Theology. He is an ordained Baptist and a licensed Pentecostal minister with ecumenical and interfaith interests. He is a newly appointed social issues commentator for an international historically African-American Pentecostal Sunday School Association. As a well published activist scholar, he studies and participates in local, national, and international peace building processes, challenges, and prospects in multiracial institutions, communities, and societies with the emphasis on synthesizing sociological and theological, theoretical and practical principles of personal and structural transformation. He is also interested in the issue of seminary and community collaborations in local peace-building efforts which transform both seminary and community cultures into more open environments. A recent recipient of Who’s Who Among American Teachers and a former editorial board member of Teaching Sociology, he has developed models introducing teenagers and young adults in communities and universities to social justice civic engagement. He is completing a book entitled Musings on Race, Seminary Education, and Deracialization. He is an alumnus of the Fulbright Scholar Program (Sierre Leone and Chair, Fulbright Committee on Sociologists) and twice of the Salzburg Seminar in Austria. He r eceived his Ph.D. from Northwestern University and his B.A. magna cum laude from California State University Fresno. Amir Hussain is Associate Professor in the Department of Religious Studies at California State University, Northridge, where he teaches courses in world religions. His own particular speciality is the study of Islam, focussing on contemporary Muslim societies, specifically those in North America. Although born in Pakistan, Amir  emigrated to Canada with his family when he was four. His academic degrees are all from the University of  Toronto, and his PhD dissertation was on Muslim communities in Toronto. He has a deep commitment to students, and holds the distinction of being the only male to serve as Dean of Women at University College, University of  Toronto. Before coming to Northridge in 1997, Amir taught courses in religious studies at several universities in Canada. He is active in academic groups such as the American Academy of Religion (where he is co-chair of the Religion, Film and Visual Culture group, and serves on the steering committee of the Study of Islam section) and the Canadian Society for the Study of Religion, publishing and presenting his work at conferences. Amir is also interested in areas such as religion and music, religion and literature, religion and film and religion and popular  culture. He has taught a course on religion and literature focussing on the work of the English poet William Blake, and regularly teaches a course on religion and film. Valarie Kaur received her Bachelors from Stanford University in International Relations and Religious Studies with honors and distinction in 2003. Blending scholarship with activism at Stanford, she co-led the Living History project, taught with the Philosophy Discovery Institute, co-founded the first course on Sikhism, and organized for  the peace movement. Since September 2001, she has documented hate crimes against Sikh Americans and is now developing her work into a documentary film. She is currently a graduate student at Harvard Divinity School. For more information on the film, please visit: www.dwf-film.com Clara Wainwright is a quilt-maker and public celebrations artist. For the past fifteen years she has worked with more than thirty community groups on collaborative quilts which explore their lives, dreams and challenges. She is founder of First Night and the Great Boston Kite Festival. In 2002 the DeCordova Museum held a retrospective of  her work, both private and public. Her current passion is the Faith Quilts Project, a three-year initiative which

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Counterpoint International – dialogue through music and media brings together quilt artists and faith groups to cr eate collaborative quilts which explore their faith and explain it to the wider world. In April 2006 Faith, The Arts, and Community will celebrate with a grand exhibition of fifty-five quilts at the Cyclorama and then at five smaller sites in the Boston area. At each of the sites, there will be performances and events which look at faith through various art forms. The central purpose of the Faith Quilts Project is to encourage spiritual exploration and tolerance. Michel ElAshkar is an actor, dramatist, producer, and engineer. Born in Zahle, Lebanon, Michel immigrated to the United States in 1983 and graduated as a Civil Engineer from the University of Massachusetts at Lowell. He founded ASHKAR Consulting Group, a civil engineering and land surveying firm in 1989 and became member of  the board of Surveyors in the state of Massachusetts in 1996. Hailing from a family of artists, his passion for poetry, writing, and acting culminated in his internationally acclaimed monodrama, “A Child of Life”, a theatrical interpretation of 2 acts chronicling many of the highlights of Lebanese-American poet and artist Kahlil Gibran’s life. A Child of Life, performed to standing ovations in many world capitals, has received a number of international awards and “Kahlil Gibran Day” proclamations from the mayors of nine U.S. cities since its debut in 1999. In January 2003, Al-Jazeera network ran an exclusive documentary highlighting Michel’s artistic contribution as an Arab-American. In 2001, Michel formed ASHKARVISION, a production company with the objective of preserving Lebanese artistic heritage. Its current productions range from instrumental music to old Lebanese folk songs to an array of Christian Maronite and Byzantine Hymns. Firas Abi-Nassif is a founding engineer at Airvana, Inc., a leading Cellular Infrastructure equipment vendor, and is pursuing his MBA degree at the Harvard Business School. Born in Lebanon at the outset of the Lebanese war, he graduated in 1996 with a Bachelor’s degree in Computer and Communications Engineering from the American University of Beirut. He then obtained his Master's degree in Telecommunications Engineering from Northeastern University in 1998. Working at Motorola research between 1997 and 2000, he has patented five international inventions in the field of Data Networks and produced several publications in that field. An advocate of religious and political toleration, Firas has developed an extracurricular career in free-lance journalism and is currently a columnist on Lebanese and Middle East politics for Profile News, a Massachusetts-based newspaper. Loai Naamani is a founding member of the National Lebanese Intercollegiate Council and is President of the Lebanese Club at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a grassroots organization aimed at promoting Lebanese culture and concerns and fostering a sense of community among the Lebanese in Greater Boston. Recipient of a number of academic achievement and leadership awards, scholarships, and fellowships in Lebanon and the US, Loai has graduated with distinction from the American University of Beirut with a Bachelors degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering (2002) and with a Masters degree from the Massachusetts Institute of  Technology (2003). With contributions to Lebanese and American newspapers s uch as the Daily Star, Annahar, and the Boston Globe, Loai was recently invited by the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation (LBC) to partake in the special TV episode, “Lebanon’s Spring from Washington”, of its internationally acclaimed talk show to discuss the current political developments in Lebanon. He has recently co-founded the International Network of Lebanese Entrepreneurs and Technologists, a global non-profit organization established to facilitate technology and business development through networking, knowledge exchange, and mentoring among Lebanese entrepreneurs and technologists worldwide. He currently pursues his PhD in Information Systems at MIT, where he has been nominated for the presidency of its Graduate Student Council for 2005. Musicians Ethan Philbrick, 19, grew up on Nantucket Island, Massachussetts. He started to play music at a young age, beginning with flute and later switching to the cello. He has studied with many excellent teachers, including Paul Katz, Mollie Glazer, Mark Churchill, and Hans Jensen, and has been the recipient of numerous awards, such as first prize in the New England Conservatory, Cape Symphony, and Arlington Symphony Concerto Competitions. He attended the Walnut Hill School for the Arts in Natick, MA and is currently a sophomore at the New England Conservatory, in the Contemporary Improvisation Department. He has used it as an opportunity to explore improvised music and music from different cultures, studying with Dominique Eade and Hankus Netsky, and has been playing in various ensembles, including a Free Improvisation group and The ZilZALA Middle Eastern Ensemble. The ZilZALA Middle Eastern Ensemble is led by vocalist/arranger Christiane Karam and is a Boston-based World Music band that draws from several musical cultures to re-interpret classical, traditional and folk Arabic Music. The outcome is a powerful and uplifting blend of Eastern and Western influences that range from Lebanese, Egyptian, Turkish, Greek and North African grooves and melodies, to contemporary Jazz harmonies. Instrumentation includes but is not limited to vocals, kanun, clarinet, flute, ’ud, buzuki, violin, bass and percussion. ZilZALA has performed extensively in the Boston area as well as in New York City, and has headlined at venues such as Ryles Jazz Club, the Berklee Performance Center, Club Passim, The Zeitgeist Gallery and Tagine. It was featured several times on WMBR (88.1 FM), Cambridge.

Counterpoint International – dialogue through music and media Founder Christiane Karam is an award-winning Singer/Songwriter (First Prize Winner, 2001 USA Songwriting Competition/World Category, Finalist, 2003 John Lennon Songwriting Contest/Electronic Category, and SESAC Award recipient, among others). She has performed with the likes of Bulgarian legend Yanka Rupkina and

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