The dynamic international realm followed by the cold war, not only transformed the wars but also the state and non-state actors and hence, therefore requires a pluralist approach and a diversified response. The terrain of this new road is rather ambiguous and very different from the bi polarity of the cold war era. The 21st century is marred by wars, conflicts, transnational challenges, global pandemic, and climate change which definitely require a multi-pronged approach for a peaceful multipolar system. The field of conflict resolution continues to evolve in order to address these various dynamic and global challenges thereby providing effective framework and new promising international strategies. Hence where the regular tools of conflict resolution such as negotiation and mediation prove unsuccessful, the new tool kit for resolution of conflict and peace building must include preventive diplomacy, humanitarian intervention and also inclusion of cultural and artistic dimensions.
Although the world acknowledges the powerful force of culture which has the potential to bridge differences across communities, but unfortunately international peace building has not yet invested enough into cultural institutions. Although being neglected in International Relations for quite some time culture has recently started to make a come back on the current international stage in the form of cultural tourism, organization of cultural events for foreigners, sports and even exchange of gifts by diplomats.
The wonders of the world and the UNESCO heritage sites are not only the irreplaceable sources of inspiration and creativity but owing to their potential, cultural tourism is classified by the IMF as a reasonable export strategy especially for debt ridden countries. Thus, cultural heritage resources not only attract visitors but also boost economic advantages. Cultural tourism has also proved to be a rather powerful force for social change and reinforcement of peacebuilding but to attain maximum benefit from this concept , cultural tourism should be understood in its wider context. Today many scholars of International relations strongly believe in the idea that cultural tourism has the potential to respectively reduce tension and suspicion between various countries thus promoting international peace. For instance, when President Zardari’s visit to India, which was originally mooted as a religious pilgrimage but eventually took the shape of an official visit when he met the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi before visiting a Sufi shrine in Ajmer. This meeting raised high hopes between both sides. At the same time Indian journalists were quite optimistic about the meeting and one of the Delhi based security analyst stated, “Historically whenever things have been stuck, they have eventually got unblocked. Both leaders are keen on peace agenda, and this means they can get together informally without the pressure of coming up with any solution.”
Throughout history arts have been associated with social change and peace building. Arts and museums play a pivotal role in raising awareness not only about the impacts of violence but also offer opportunities for intercultural collaboration for peacemaking. With the passage of time the use of art to promote conflict prevention mechanisms has gained popularity across the globe. The Uppsala peace museum is dedicated to role of teaching human rights, moral courage, and conflict resolution. Exhibitions held here shed light on the role of peace leaders throughout Swedish history. At the same time great strides are being made to understand the value of art therapy for its contribution towards healing after experiencing post war trauma.
Various programs for war veterans are being introduced to successfully manage their stress and anxiety levels where various holistic and integrative approaches are used effectively. Therefore, where words fail, an alternative language of symbolism is used which tends to bridge communication gaps and address complexity of trauma. Art therapy has taken various forms such as painting, dance, and theater, where children and adults of war zones involve in art making processes which eventually helps them to derive the required social skills to manage anxiety levels and boost self-esteem. This management of acute stress amongst people in war zone areas encourages a sound mindset which then leads to better ideas of conflict management and lasting peace. Post conflict reconstruction and rehabilitation can never be successful without addressing societal healing and policy makers with an insight to mitigate the negative effects of war memories can help achieve a lasting peace even in deeply divided societies. Various arts also have the potential to provide voice to marginalized groups in a society and create atmosphere where people can effectively understand each other’s perspectives. Based on the philosophy of creating harmony in a society through art-based activities, a musical initiative named “Musicians without borders “was established in 1999 in Kosovo. The purpose was to harness the power of music, not just to connect people but also allow them to express their respective feelings and at the same time provide ground for forgiveness and reconciliation. There also have been instances where various creative arts methods were used directly in political processes and yielded fruitful results. One such example is of Rwandan government truth and reconciliation tribunals for hearing the perpetrators and simultaneously healing the wounded. The prisoners would ask for forgiveness by performing certain dances during court proceedings. So creative arts helped and motivated people to express themselves, eventually facilitating people to rebuild their communities post war.
Although the role of women in promoting peace building is instrumental coupled with revolutionary work in the field of justice and international security yet they continue to be under represented in peace processes across the globe. For instance, women represented only 10 percent of negotiators in Afghan talks. Conflicts have unique impact on women’s lives but their sheer reliance in the face of challenges and their contributions towards resolving and preventing conflict is often overlooked. It is highly imperative that more women should be made part of peace making, as with women participation peace processes tend to represent broader constituencies and a diverse range of views. With their history of strength and survival, they should be encouraged to play a central role in conflict resolution.
Today ambitions for effective conflict management seem to be challenged from a diverse range of conflicts as we have witnessed some very radical changes in the international environment. A multi-dimensional approach which involves both military and civilian actors, diplomatic and local level mediation along with arts and cultural development projects promise a deeper and sustainable foundation of comprehensive peace building.
Although the world acknowledges the powerful force of culture which has the potential to bridge differences across communities, but unfortunately international peace building has not yet invested enough into cultural institutions. Although being neglected in International Relations for quite some time culture has recently started to make a come back on the current international stage in the form of cultural tourism, organization of cultural events for foreigners, sports and even exchange of gifts by diplomats.
The wonders of the world and the UNESCO heritage sites are not only the irreplaceable sources of inspiration and creativity but owing to their potential, cultural tourism is classified by the IMF as a reasonable export strategy especially for debt ridden countries. Thus, cultural heritage resources not only attract visitors but also boost economic advantages. Cultural tourism has also proved to be a rather powerful force for social change and reinforcement of peacebuilding but to attain maximum benefit from this concept , cultural tourism should be understood in its wider context. Today many scholars of International relations strongly believe in the idea that cultural tourism has the potential to respectively reduce tension and suspicion between various countries thus promoting international peace. For instance, when President Zardari’s visit to India, which was originally mooted as a religious pilgrimage but eventually took the shape of an official visit when he met the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi before visiting a Sufi shrine in Ajmer. This meeting raised high hopes between both sides. At the same time Indian journalists were quite optimistic about the meeting and one of the Delhi based security analyst stated, “Historically whenever things have been stuck, they have eventually got unblocked. Both leaders are keen on peace agenda, and this means they can get together informally without the pressure of coming up with any solution.”
Throughout history arts have been associated with social change and peace building. Arts and museums play a pivotal role in raising awareness not only about the impacts of violence but also offer opportunities for intercultural collaboration for peacemaking. With the passage of time the use of art to promote conflict prevention mechanisms has gained popularity across the globe. The Uppsala peace museum is dedicated to role of teaching human rights, moral courage, and conflict resolution. Exhibitions held here shed light on the role of peace leaders throughout Swedish history. At the same time great strides are being made to understand the value of art therapy for its contribution towards healing after experiencing post war trauma.
Various programs for war veterans are being introduced to successfully manage their stress and anxiety levels where various holistic and integrative approaches are used effectively. Therefore, where words fail, an alternative language of symbolism is used which tends to bridge communication gaps and address complexity of trauma. Art therapy has taken various forms such as painting, dance, and theater, where children and adults of war zones involve in art making processes which eventually helps them to derive the required social skills to manage anxiety levels and boost self-esteem. This management of acute stress amongst people in war zone areas encourages a sound mindset which then leads to better ideas of conflict management and lasting peace. Post conflict reconstruction and rehabilitation can never be successful without addressing societal healing and policy makers with an insight to mitigate the negative effects of war memories can help achieve a lasting peace even in deeply divided societies. Various arts also have the potential to provide voice to marginalized groups in a society and create atmosphere where people can effectively understand each other’s perspectives. Based on the philosophy of creating harmony in a society through art-based activities, a musical initiative named “Musicians without borders “was established in 1999 in Kosovo. The purpose was to harness the power of music, not just to connect people but also allow them to express their respective feelings and at the same time provide ground for forgiveness and reconciliation. There also have been instances where various creative arts methods were used directly in political processes and yielded fruitful results. One such example is of Rwandan government truth and reconciliation tribunals for hearing the perpetrators and simultaneously healing the wounded. The prisoners would ask for forgiveness by performing certain dances during court proceedings. So creative arts helped and motivated people to express themselves, eventually facilitating people to rebuild their communities post war.
Although the role of women in promoting peace building is instrumental coupled with revolutionary work in the field of justice and international security yet they continue to be under represented in peace processes across the globe. For instance, women represented only 10 percent of negotiators in Afghan talks. Conflicts have unique impact on women’s lives but their sheer reliance in the face of challenges and their contributions towards resolving and preventing conflict is often overlooked. It is highly imperative that more women should be made part of peace making, as with women participation peace processes tend to represent broader constituencies and a diverse range of views. With their history of strength and survival, they should be encouraged to play a central role in conflict resolution.
Today ambitions for effective conflict management seem to be challenged from a diverse range of conflicts as we have witnessed some very radical changes in the international environment. A multi-dimensional approach which involves both military and civilian actors, diplomatic and local level mediation along with arts and cultural development projects promise a deeper and sustainable foundation of comprehensive peace building.