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This blog is published by the Communication for Governance & Accountability Program (CommGAP).
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Conflict

Johan Galtung and the “P” Word

Submitted by Caroline Jaine on Thu, 02/05/2009 - 12:46

On a cold January evening, shortly after watching President Obama take office from a crowded bar in central London, I dashed across town to the Palace of Westminster to listen to the wise words of Johan Galtung who was talking at the All Party Parliamentary Group for Conflict Issues.

In the field I work in, Galtung is a legend.  The 78 year-old Norwegian socialist is the grandfather of peace studies and has mediated in over 40 conflicts around the world.  He has been a peace activist most of his life – in his teens he was sent to prison for insisting that he be engaged in peace-making activities rather than serving in the military.  

How do we Make People Value Peace?

Submitted by Caroline Jaine on Wed, 09/17/2008 - 08:38

International Day of Peace on Sunday 21st September is an annual event that has been organised by the UN for more than a quarter of a century.  International Day of Peace is also a day of Global Ceasefire which, if adhered to, provides a small ray of sunshine for those who endure war and conflict and often allows essential food, water, and medical supplies to reach those most in need. The UN have launched an admirable campaign this year, encouraging like-minded global citizens to network, participate and even send text messages of peace to world leaders.  Jeremy Gilley has even made a film about it, set in Afghanistan and starring Jude Law.  But as a Communications Strategist I have been contemplating the difficulties of selling “peace” both in my work with the UK ministry for peace and as research for a book on the subject.

Pangea Day!

Submitted by Henriette von K... on Tue, 04/08/2008 - 16:08

This group of Kenyans singing the Indian anthem is part of Pangea Day. In 2006, filmmaker Jehane Noujaim won the annual TED award. A self-described American-Lebanese/Egyptian/Syrian, Jehane has become known for her documentary “Control Room,” an insightful view at the relationship between Al Jazeera and the US Central Command, as well as the other news organizations that covered the Second Iraq War. The TED prize granted $100,000 and a wish to change the world. Her wish was to create a day in which the world came together through film.

The Art of Attitudes

Submitted by Henriette von K... on Tue, 03/11/2008 - 18:01

Photocredit: Rami Farah, in “Not a matter of if but when,” by Julia Meltzer and David Thorne (Whitney - NYT 6/3/08) Almost any newspaper is filled with stories about conflict from around the world. Even in the deepest province the reader will find a report on atrocities in Darfur or suicide bombs in Iraq. Images of war have become frequent guests on TV screens in households around the world.  For someone not keenly interested in Foreign Policy the stories and images might get blurred: Somalia - Darfur; Iraq - Lebanon – it all looks like the same madness; violence on a scale almost unimaginable and seemingly never ending. The political leaders of some countries have made it very clear who are the “good” guys and who are the “bad” - who is “with us” and who “against”.