"A comfortable, secure life where all needs are met" is Forest Whitaker's definition of peace. The key topic of our last Campus XL. The film For the Sake of Peace, directed by Christophe Castagne and Thomas Sametin, was shown as a preview. The filmmakers, supported by the Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative, focused on South Sudan, the world's youngest state, at war since its creation in 2011. In this context, they met the people who are fighting for the construction of a lasting peace.
The screening was followed by an exchange with the film team and young students from Paris, Malakoff, Alfortville, Aubervilliers, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Les Lilas, and Rueil Malmaison, as well as from abroad, in Algeria, South Africa, Ivory Coast, Portugal, Morocco, Lebanon, Rwanda and Cameroon.
The major question of this event was: how to act on an individual level for peace?
This Campus XL was punctuated in the afternoon by a conference entitled Acting for Peace during which four personalities were able to develop their actions at different levels:
- Krista Pikkat, Director of Culture and Emergency Situations, Culture Sector at UNESCO
- Eric Blanchot, Director of Promediation
- Meethak Al-Khatib, Journalist, Radio Al Salam
- Ernest Dukuzumuremyi, Program Manager, Interpeace Rwanda
- Franca Ma-ih Sulem Yong-Akinboboye, Founder and President #Afrogiveness and Positive Youths Africa
First, Krista Pikkat recalled the place of culture and heritage in a peace-building process: "It is at the heart of our identity, our origins, our roots, it is our strength in crisis situations". Indeed, UNESCO favors the collaboration of personalities from diverse backgrounds to "celebrate beauty, richness and diversity".
Eric Blanchot answered questions from the young participants about his job as a mediator in conflict zones. Negotiation is carried out with the analysis of a geopolitical situation that deteriorates over a more or less long period of time, followed by the consideration of the responses of neighboring countries in similar situations, and the importance of the specificities of each local context. This negotiation can only take place when both entities are in a "loose-loose" position.
The Iraqi journalist, Meethak Al-Khatib, in his speech, insisted on the need to be interested in others. In his daily life, he explains that he exchanges with various people whose opinions he does not share but who allow him to better understand conflicts, no matter how big they are: from daily tensions between neighbors, and between students in a school, to armed wars on an international scale.
The role of social networks in new peace processes was mentioned by Ernest Dukuzumuremyi. Indeed, according to him, they allow to attract the attention of the world and mobilize around the same cause. Especially for young people, social networks offer many opportunities to act for peace.
Finally, Franca Ma-ih Sulem Yong-Akinboboye discussed the value of art therapy in post-traumatic processes related to conflicts. According to her, "everything begins in the mind, and ends in the mind", thus understanding that individuals possess intrinsic capacities and potential for psychotherapeutic purposes through art.
The exchange was moderated by Sylvère-Henry Cissé, communication consultant, journalist and author.
This event was realized with the support of the Engie Foundation, and the collaboration of 6C Conseil.
