Alejandro Alfonzo

‘Que las generaciones que llegan a un paso de nosotros no nos acusen de silencio cuando tan perentoria es nuestra voz. En pie de paz, infatigables en la resistencia, a favor de la democracia auténtica. Que nunca puedan decirnos: ‘Esperábamos vuestra voz. Y no llegó’. El silencio puede llegar a ser delito.’ (Federico Mayor Zaragoza)1

Sarah Macharia

In every society the stories repeat themselves: ‘Iraq: Women face increased violence in Kurdistan’,1 ‘“Honor killing” in Italy spurs quest for justice’,2 ‘UN: Brutality Against Women in Congo “Beyond Rape”’,3 ‘Problem of Domestic Violence in Europe’,4 ‘Stopping Sexual Abuse of Children’ [the girl child in Russia].5 Beginning a discussion on peace with accounts about ‘violence against women’ – as these practices are characteristically classified – may appear odd, however it is almost impossible to reflect on peace without evoking its opposite.

Jolyon Mitchell

Why is peacemaking such an apparent rarity in the world of film? From the first days of cinema, filmmakers have delighted in offering viewers moving images of conflict and violence. The torrential cascade of cinematic violence is hard to avoid: from boxing fights to violent train robberies, from fencing duals to dramatic executions, from shoot-outs to exploding helicopters. Whether creating cinematic comedies or tragedies, fantasies or histories, filmmakers have found violence an irresistible topic for their craft.

Emiko Ohnuki-Tierney

Clint Eastwood’s film Letters from Iwo Jima finds the humanity behind the brutality of war, thus honouring the past and opening hearts in the present, says the acclaimed author of Kamikaze Diaries.

Hans W. Florin

Throughout all ages peace has been the highest goal of cultures and religions. This longing for peace is like a high mountain. But unlike most mountains on our planet, this dream-mountain of peace has not yet been conquered. The mountain’s peak seems unattainable. Could communication be a force in mastering the challenge for ever evasive peace?

Allan Thompson

Those who work to build the capacity of the media in Rwanda are soon confronted by a conundrum, a sort of journalistic chicken and egg syndrome. Is it possible, or even appropriate, for outside actors to contribute to building the capacity of the media sector in a post-conflict environment where press freedom still faces overwhelming challenges?

Carlos A. Camacho Azurduy

No cabe duda de que la revolución electrónica entraña la promesa de grandes y positivos avances con vistas al desarrollo mundial; pero existe también la posibilidad de que agrave efectivamente las desigualdades existentes al ensanchar la brecha de la información y las comunicaciones. ¿Cómo podemos asegurar que la revolución de la información y las comunicaciones, que tiene en Internet su primer motor, promueva la globalización del desarrollo y de la solidaridad del hombre (…).

Juan Pablo II (2002)

Brian McNair

The title of this article refers to a book published two decades ago (McNair, 1988) just as the Cold War was coming to an end. Mikhail Gorbachev was still firmly in power and Ronald Reagan was serving out his last months as president of the United States. Peace was breaking out between the superpowers and fears of a nuclear confrontation between east and west were receding after more than four decades of tension.

Kerstin Pihl

Do women have a special role in promoting peace and reconciliation? The answer from nine women from seven countries is a convincing ‘yes’. They are all theologians who take part in an international course in Jerusalem to study women’s roles in peacebuilding, exchange experiences and learn from each other. The programme gives rich opportunities for meetings with groups and individuals from different religions, thus offering an added value to their weeks of study.

Georgios Terzis

It all started in 1997. The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to the International Campaign to Ban Landmines in recognition of the power of the Internet in mobilising and enlisting worldwide support. From the small town of Putney, Vermont, Jody Williams used her e-mail account to coordinate the more than 700 organisations in over 60 countries that make up the coalition. The same year at a conference in Brussels, Nicholas Negraponte was arguing that the ‘Internet will bring world peace by breaking down national borders.’

Dave Pomeroy

‘En film av Ingmar Bergman.’ These words on the opening credits as the house lights dim and the first image is projected onto the screen presage an extraordinary visual/aural/visceral experience. For 63 years (his first screenplay was for Torment in 1944) Bergman’s films have engaged audiences with a potent blend of emotional and intellectual power. Bergman’s death on July 30, 2007 brings a final fade-out to the director many would consider the towering film director of the 20th century. (Although he had significant careers in the theatre and television, it is the corpus of 50 films for which he will be known).

Scott Lovaas

While the end of Apartheid in South Africa brought the end of state repression and formal censorship of the press, new mechanisms have since replaced the old. Market-driven English daily newspapers continue, through a series of new filters, to limit, shape, and censor ideas for the benefit of the elite private and public sectors. The manufactured, one-dimensional, pro-market world view that results restricts both freedom and democracy. As South Africa enters its second decade of democracy, with newfound freedoms and civil liberties, further evaluation of the relationship between the media, the state, and the market becomes increasingly vital.