The Drum Cafe 2010 Peace Arts Festival/Conference

CALL FOR PAPERS

On September 19-25, 2010, a festival and conference promoting peace and conflict resolution will be held in Nairobi, Kenya. A two-day conference will be accompanied by seven days of artistic performances featuring traditional and popular music, oral narrative, and drama. Organized by the Drum Café (for information, see www.drumcafenairobi.bravehost.com), the event seeks to bring together practitioners and researchers working in areas related to the arts and/or conflict resolution in and out of Kenya. Presentations and performances will be held in three slum areas around Nairobi and in the city centre. Participants will benefit not only from the events of the festival and conference, but also from the vibrant Nairobi city life and easy access to tourist attractions such as the nearby Nairobi National Park.

2010 Peace Festival and Conference, Nairobi, Kenya

At the end of December 2007, the Kenyan presidential election was marked by bloody confrontation during which 1,500 persons were killed and over 350,000 were displaced. Some media spoke of ethnic hatred, while others concentrated on the political and economic causes of the crisis. The conflict in Kenya is only one recent example of the type of unrest which has marked communities and nations around the world since the beginning of time. Such unrest has caused upheaval within communities and the loss of millions of lives. In such times of conflict, cultural practitioners and producers can play important peace-making roles. During the recent unrest in Kenya, for example, musicians of different ethnicities joined together to present concerts promoting peace. When crises emerge, or when repressive governments take control, artists may operate within a relatively safe space and offer a strong voice within communities. Furthermore, recognition and acceptance of cultural diversity, including through innovative use of media and the arts, can promote dialogue, respect, and understanding within and between communities and cultures.

The 2010 Peace Festival and Conference seek to promote peace, conflict resolution, and the arts, with particular attention to how these topics impact upon each other. Specific sessions will be dedicated to the following issues, though papers and performances on other topics are also welcome:

(1) Role of world citizens in conflict resolutions;
(2) Age, gender and professionalism perspectives in peace development;
(3) Cultural and artistic interventions, practices and experiences in peace creation;
(4) Promoting dialogue, respect, and understanding within communities and cultures;
(5) Acceptance and recognition of cultural diversity through innovative uses of media and arts as key elements in developing sustainable peace;
(6) Investing in art and culture as a social tool for community development, empowerment and peaceful co-existence and integration.

Participants are welcome from any discipline or practice. Papers should be 20 minutes long. Performances may vary in length (please stipulate length in your proposal). Please send proposals, maximum length one page, to Dr. Tom M. Olali at olali@hotmail.com by 30 June 2010. Please include all details of all AV needs.

For further information, including on registration and accommodation, visit the festival website by clicking here.

Contacts:

Edward Kabuye, Festival Organizer, Drum Café, Nairobi, Kenya, drumcafe2010@gmail.com
Dr. Tom M. Olali, Lecturer, Department of Linguistics and Languages, Nairobi University, Nairobi, Kenya, olali@hotmail.com
Dr. Kathleen Van Buren, Lecturer, Department of Music, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom, k.j.vanburen@sheffield.ac.uk