ABOUT THE THEATRE FOR PEACE SEMINAR

<strong>JAWAHARLAL NEHRU UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL STUDIES CENTRE FOR INTERNATIONAL POLITICS, ORGANISATION AND DISARMAMENT (CIPOD) AND ASSOCIATION OF ASIA SCHOLARS (AAS)</strong> <strong>'Theatre for Peace' seminar</strong> by <strong>Ajoka Theatre</strong> Date: <strong>Friday, 18 September 2015</strong> <strong>ABOUT THE THEATRE FOR PEACE SEMINAR</strong> 'Theatre for Peace' seminar is a part of a two-year long 'Theatre for Peace' programme, initiated by Ajoka Theatre. Theatre has always been a tool and a platform for peace-building and conflict resolution. As a social, cathartic and communicative form of performing arts, theatre enables communities to speak to each other, act out unpleasant and troublesome thoughts. It reaches the mind through the heart and can work when other forms of dialogue and debate have failed or have been blocked due to prejudice, vested conflicting interests or disinformation and distortion. At an individual level, theatre helps its actors or members of the audience to explore or confront their traumas, irrational attitudes and psychological hurdles. 'Theatre for Peace' is an area where exciting and insightful work has been done by theatre practitioners and peace activists in different parts of the world. There have been remarkable initiatives in conflict-ridden or post-conflict societies in East Europe, Latin America, South Africa and India. These experiments have ranged from theatre performances, theatre workshops and theatre-in-education courses. They have focused on issues such as enabling warring communities to interact, enabling post-conflict communities to reintegrate and rehabilitate and promoting pluralism and multiculturalism in societies on the verge of violent conflict. In these activities, pre-production research, rehearsal or improvisation processes and post-performance interaction with the audience are as important as the theme and quality of the performance. The process of theatre-making is valuable and therapeutic for the actors and their communities. In South Asia, communalism, sectarianism, extremism, racism, gender, class or faith based bias are rampant and have frequently led to violent strife and social upheaval. Theatre practitioners and peace/community activists have played a valuable role in dampening the fire of hatred and prejudice and creating a yearning for peace and understanding. However there is a need to share such experiences and also learn from the work of similar groups in other parts of the world. An interaction between theatre for peace activists will indeed strengthen the movement for peace-building and socially relevant theatre in the region.