This page features archival information and video footage from select Peace and Conflict Studies Symposium events in recent years.

The Arts as the Catalyst: Creating a Culture of Peace

This year, our theme was how the arts contribute to a culture of peace. By its very nature, art engages with forms of conflict and its possible resolutions: in its subject matter, the juxtaposition of color and line in visual art, the tension and release in a musical composition, or the underlying structure of drama, dance, literature, and film.

Art creates its own publics and counter-publics, engenders assent, dissent, and perhaps the most important intermediary between peace and conflict: dialogue.

This year also included a panel that explored how art can model alternate world-making and the crucial role it plays in our own day-to-day world making, beyond the gallery and the museum.

This event featured:

• Live performances of dance, theater, music, spoken word, and digital stories;
• Panel discussion with artists and art educators;
• Film screening of Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision with moderated discussion