2007/4
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How do we 'communicate peace'? People in positions of responsibility in the media, and the creative artists who write, design, direct and produce, can help by providing balanced reporting, emphasizing social responsibility over profit-making, and by promoting peace-building initatives. And religious organizations can use their structures and networks to challenge communicators to be ethically and socially aware, recognizing that people 'are at once citizens of different nations and of one world in which the local and the global are linked.' |
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.’