arts-inspired peacebuilding

Emergent from the practice and life-vocation of peacebuilding and the pursuit of nonviolent social transformation, change agents need to envision themselves as artists. Building adaptive and responsive processes to accompany and facilitate social change requires a creative act, which at its core is more art than technique. Time and again, lasting social change that makes a difference has the DNA of the artist's intuition: The complexity of human experience captured in a simple image and in a way that moves individuals and whole societies. Far beyond the instrumental use of arts, peacebuilding unfolds as an artistic and aesthetic process. In this section, the archives explore the evolution and examples of John Paul's understanding and practice of arts-inspired peacebuilding.

Developing the Capacity to Birth Something New

An interview in contribution to the Leadership Conference of Women Religious Winter 2020 issue of Occasion Papers entitled Leading with the Moral Imagination.

Foreword, Journal of Peace Education

The foreword to a journal issue on music and peace education, this article considers the centrality of sound, vibration, and music to social change and response to deep conflict.

“In Conversation”: John Paul and Gladys Ganiel

A conversation at the 2021 4 Corners Festival reflecting on peacebuilding and conflict transformation through John Paul's career past and present.

La imaginación para la paz

An interview in contribution to the series Gente Interesante - Relatos en Cultura de Paz.

In Conversation with Toni Shapiro-Phim

An interview with Toni Shapiro-Phim on the occasion of John Paul's receipt of the Joseph B. and Toby Gittler Prize at Brandeis University.

Beyond Intractability Interview

A interview with Julian Portilla exploring themes of narrative and storytelling, insider-outsider models of mediation, and personal and professional formative influences in the U.S. during the Civil Rights Movement, in Nicaragua, and in Costa Rica.

Prelude, The Edge of a Cry

The prelude to Oumar Farouk Sesay's book of poetry entitled The Edge of a Cry.

Forewords, Navigating the Nexus of Art and Peace

A foreword authored for the book Navigating the Nexus of Art and Peace: A reflective guide for peacebuilding practitioners and artists working together to transform conflict and inspire creativity published by Women Peace Makers in Cambodia.

Foreword, Acting Together

The foreword to the first volume of Acting Together: Performance and the Creative Transformation of Conflict, which describes peacebuilding performances in regions beset by violence and internal conflicts.