ReSTORYing Peace: Arts, Storytelling and Transformation

A collaborative initiative hosted by the Centre of International Studies, University of Oxford in Parternship with Theatre of Transformation Academy.

Geneva & Enacting Global Transformation Initiative, Centre for International Studies, University of Oxford

It is essential for peacebuilding to integrate war-affected populations, and to build peace in collaboration with, rather than for, them. Yet the different perspectives and priorities of local people affected by war and of international experts building peace can make collaboration between these two worlds difficult. 
Can the arts help to bridge this gap? This session explores the transformative role of film, storytelling and theatre in peacebuilding.
This Participatory Presentation-Performance-Dialogue features three trans-disciplinary Academic-Activists who have engaged with art and culture to bridge theory and practice and build peace and development with local populations in war-torn and transitional societies. They will share vivid examples from their own experience of how the visual and performing arts, such as filmmaking, storytelling and theatre can be effectively used to build peace and development after war and crisis. They will showcase extracts of their collaborative films portraying how the arts can powerfully transmit the stories of, connect with, and engage local populations, especially youth, in peacebuilding. Finally, a short collaborative performance by Graduate Institute students of the Human Rights and Conflict Initiative (HR&C) will shine light on the transformative power of art in peacebuilding. 
About the PRESENTERS
Professor Alexander Schieffer, Co-Founder of Trans4m Centre for Integral Development, Professor at Da Vinci Institute, South Africa, Lecturer at St. Gallen University, Switzerland, and Co-Convenor of Home for Humanity, France (<A HREF="http://www.trans-4-m.com/" TARGET="_blank" DATA-MSYS-CLICKTRACK="0" REL="nofollow noopener noreferrer">www.Trans-4-m.com</A>)
Elena Butti, Anthropologist and doctoral candidate at the University of Oxford. Former Steering Committee member of Oxford Transitional Justice Research, Collaborative filmmaker of  ‘Somos’ (trailer <A HREF="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HT_BqPT9E-U" TARGET="_blank" DATA-MSYS-CLICKTRACK="0" REL="nofollow noopener noreferrer">here</A>) (<A HREF="http://www.elenabutti.com/" TARGET="_blank" DATA-MSYS-CLICKTRACK="0" REL="nofollow noopener noreferrer">www.elenabutti.com</A>) 
Dr. Rama Mani, Founder of  <A HREF="http://www.theatreoftransformation.org/" TARGET="_blank" DATA-MSYS-CLICKTRACK="0" REL="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Theatre of Transformation Academy</A>, Convenor of <A HREF="http://www.politics.ox.ac.uk/cis/theatre-of-transformation/menu-id-482.html" TARGET="_blank" DATA-MSYS-CLICKTRACK="0" REL="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Enacting Global Transformation Initiative</A>, Centre for International Studies, University of Oxford, Councilor of World Future Council, former Executive Director of ICES, Sri Lanka (<A HREF="http://www.rama-mani.com/" TARGET="_blank" DATA-MSYS-CLICKTRACK="0" REL="nofollow noopener noreferrer">www.Rama-Mani.com</A>)
Abut the PERFORMANCE and MODERATION:
Moderator: Moritz Neubert, recent international affairs graduate, specialising in conflict and peacebuilding, and former member of the HR&C Initiaitve. He is now focusing on EU foreign policy, security and defence. 
Rama will also collaborate with the HR&C Initiative members in an interactive theatrical performance of testimonies of transformation from war-torn countries and poems from The Gift of Peace publication presented to the United Nations Library in April 2018. 
About the INTERACTIVE DIALOGUE
An interactive dialogue with all participants will follow the presentations to explore jointly: 
*Can the arts help engage conflict-affected people and youth in and beyond academic research? 
*Can storytelling generate empathy and build collaboration between international and local actors? *How can we unleash the full potential of art and culture to achieve transformation after crisis?
(Poster credit: Team No Borders shooting the film "A Borderless World", Directed by Abdi Deeq, Somalian asylum seeker aged 19)
(<A HREF="http://www.abdideeq.com/" TARGET="_blank" DATA-MSYS-CLICKTRACK="0" REL="nofollow noopener noreferrer">www.abdideeq.com</A>) photograph taken by Eda Elif Tibet, filmmaker and doctoral student Berne University (<A HREF="http://www.karmamotion.com/" TARGET="_blank" DATA-MSYS-CLICKTRACK="0" REL="nofollow noopener noreferrer">www.karmamotion.com</A>)
About the PRESENTATIONS
Elena Butti will feature ‘Somos’ (trailer <A HREF="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HT_BqPT9E-U" TARGET="_blank" DATA-MSYS-CLICKTRACK="0" REL="nofollow noopener noreferrer">here</A>), an ethnographic documentary film she made collaboratively with 24 Colombian adolescents affected by the conflict who present their visions of Peace. She will share her experience in engaging war-affected youth through the arts, and the impact of this film on both academia and the public. 
Professor Alexander Schiefferwill share his approach and experience in catalysing peacebuilding processes through storytelling and cultural renewal in crisis-affected countries including Egypt, Jordan, Palestine, Sri Lanka, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, and South Africa. He will feature ‘The Journey’, a short film on how European university students used their academic course to contribute to these pioneering peacebuilding initiatives.
Dr. Rama Mani will share the aims and impact of the 'Oxford Enacting Global Transformation Initiative', and the catalytic methodology of Theatre of Transformation developed at Oxford with local peacebuilders and artists around the world, featuring excerpts from films.
Join via Livestream at www.facebook.com/TheatreofTransformationAcademy

A2, Maison de la Paix

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