The Slifka Program, Coexistence International, and Theatre Without Borders present:

Acting Together on the World Stage:Setting the Scene for Peace
Actuando Juntos: Trabajando Por la Paz en el Escenario Mundial

October 4-8, 2007
Brandeis University
Waltham, MA



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Pieces of the Coexistence Puzzle: Part II



Improving understand between Tamil and Sinhalese artists in Sri Lanka


As the level of violence in Sri Lanka has escalated over the past months, many people in the peacebuilding field ask themselves about points of entry: where is it possible to engage with this conflict in such a way that the level of violence might be reduced or that the prospects for peace might improve? This workshop takes as a starting point a proposal emerging from CI’s theatre and peacebuilding project, namely that collaboration between the increasingly isolated and targeted theatre artists from the Tamil and Sinhalese communities in Sri Lanka might provide such a starting point.  A number of significant and influential theatre initiatives have been produced on this divided island, but very few Sinhalese and Tamil performance artists are able to find ways to collaborate or to have a collective impact on intercommunal coexistence issues.  In fact, even pro-peace theatre artists on both sides are unaware of how those in the other community interpret theatrical works. Workshop participants will consider whether or not creative and complementary approaches can be used to reduce the current escalation of violence and empower constituencies for peace in Sri Lanka. If they agree that theatre artists might be able to play a more positive role, participants will be asked to brainstorm the design of such a project and to develop action steps to be developed into proposals for funding and support. Preliminary discussions indicate that a gathering of Tamil and Singhalese theatre artists (possibly outside of Sri Lanka) would be useful. Such a project could include working with Diaspora communities.


Questions for Discussion:

  • Are there possible points of entry for peacebuilding and coexistence workers in the current Sri Lankan context? If so, what are they?
  • Realistically, what are the possibilities for theatre collaboration in the current situation given the escalation of military activities and security context?
  • What could be the role of the Diaspora and what work is required in the Diaspora in order to engage them and enlist their support for such collaborations?
  • Where can theatre artists come together to begin their dialogue on the most pertinent issues concerning their cultural work and its contribution to increasing mutual understanding and reconciliation?
  • How can such a gathering and joint performance be structured in a way that would serve as a transformative experience for the theatre artists themselves and serve as a platform for creation of performance pieces that could be transformative for their audiences?
  • How do we make this happen?  What shape does this meeting/dialogue/collaboration take place?  Who should take it on? 


Background Readings:


Participants:

  • Joni Doherty (Facilitator) is the Director of the New England Center for Civic Life.  She is also a Senior Lecturer in American Studies and Humanities at Franklin Pierce University
  • Chris Kingsley (Rapporteur) is a Senior Program Associate at Brandeis University's Heller Graduate School in its Center for Youth and Communities.  He has been a learning partner with, and evaluator of, Coexistence International for two years.
  • Sunil Pokhrel (Rapporteur) is a development activist working in the field of awareness creation, peace and conflict management in social, economic and cultural issues in Nepal.  He is currently a student in the MA Program in Coexistence and Conflict at Brandeis.
  • Dr. A.T. Ariyaratne is the founder of the Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement which is Sri Lanka’s biggest charity.  Sarvodaya is dedicated to the sustainable empowerment of people through self-help and collective support, to non-violence and peace.
  • Sudila de Silva is a researcher in International Security and Conflict Resolution. He was a Visiting Lecturer at the University of Colombo and a visiting consultant for the Center for the Study of Human Rights. He was also a news anchor at one of the national  television channels in Sri Lanka for over 7 years.
  • Mari Fitzduff is Director of the international MA Program in Coexistence and Conflict at Brandeis University and Chair of the Advisory Board for Coexistence International.
  • Mary Ann Hunter teaches drama and performance at the University of Queensland, Australia, and is a research associate with the Australian Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies.
  • Pushpa Iyer is Assistant Professor and Program Coordinator of Conflict Resolution at the Graduate School for International Policy Studies at the Monterey Institute for International Studies. Dr. Iyer specializes in identity conflicts, civil wars and peace processes.
  • Isabella Jean is an independent consultant who has undertaken extensive research on issues of peacebuilding and conflict in Northern Ireland, South Africa, Cyprus, Israel, Gaza Strip, West Bank, and Egypt.
  • Madhawa Palihapitiya is a native of Sri Lanka, where he works with local populations in order to build communities, settle conflicts, and cope with natural disasters.  He is a student in the MA Program in Coexistence and Conflict at Brandeis.
  • Larry Simon directs the Master of Arts Program in Sustainable International Development and the Center for International Development at Brandeis University.
  • Polly Walker is a peacebuilding scholar/practitioner based in the Australian Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Queensland.
  • Seung Hwan Yeo is a student in the MA Program in Coexistence and Conflict at Brandeis.  For his field project, Seung worked with the Small Arms Network in South Asia. His study looked at the possibility for reducing the intensity of the Sri Lankan Conflict through a reduction/restraints on small arms and their availability.