Peacebuilding and the Arts

January 4, 2018

Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights (ONCHR)

This special report includes initiatives and projects that are part of Peacebuilding the Arts program network such as Arlene Golbard's writing on Medellin, the example of the United States Department of Arts and Culture, Ajoka Theatre in Pakistan, Theatre Without Borders, Lena Schlachmuijlder's research on work in Burundi (undertaken while she was a Brandeis International Fellow from 2002-04),and Ruth Margraff's and Polly Walker's contributions to Acting Together: Performance and the Creative Transformation of Conflict.

The Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights addresses how actions in the field of arts and culture can make significant contributions towards creating, developing and maintaining societies in which all human rights are increasingly realized.

"By engaging people and encouraging their interaction through artistic and cultural expression, actions in the field of culture can open a space in which individuals and groups can reflect upon their society, confront and modify their perception of one another, express their fears and grievances in a non-violent manner, develop resilience after violent or traumatic experiences, including human rights violations, and imagine the future they want for themselves and how to better realize human rights in the society they live in. The increased social interactions, mutual understanding and trust that can be built or rebuilt through these initiatives are essential to achieve a range of human rights goals and to respect cultural diversity."