Menu

United States Institute of Peace

Search

Media and Arts for Peace: Micro-Course

Share This
Print the Page

This micro-course identifies the importance of media and arts for peace, the critical role of creativity and storytelling, and how media and arts are utilized in post-conflict environments.

Acrylic painting was created on two 24×24 inch canvases to depict war and peace.
Acrylic painting was created on two 24×24 inch canvases to depict war and peace.

Course Overview & Key Objectives

Media and the Arts for Peace is an online, self-paced course that explores the impact of mainstream media, digital/social media, and the arts – live art, street art, music, dance, film, theater, etc. – on peace. Participants learn how these various media have been engaged to enrich public discourse, highlight civic responsibility and social justice, and tell the stories behind every conflict – stories that can be used to either dehumanize or humanize a conflict and the people behind it. 

By the end of this micro-course, participants will be able to achieve the following objectives:

  • Describe how media and the arts contribute to peacebuilding;
  • Consider the impact media and the arts have on the individual and how that may influence peacebuilding;
  • Identify the role media and the arts have in fostering a culture of peace; and
  • Describe the role of media and the arts have in post-conflict societies.

Overview Video

Click on the video below for an overview of the course.

If you cannot view the video, click here.

 

Agenda

Section 1 - Introduction

Introduces the importance of media and arts for peace through real-world stories and asks the learner to reflect on their prior knowledge.

Section 2 - Pillars

Discusses a variety of conceptualizations of how to use media and arts as tools for peace.

Section 3 - Tools

Explores a variety of tools to use media and arts for peace including communication, storytelling, participatory art and music.

Section 4 - Application

Provides learners an opportunity to practice using media and arts in peacebuilding work.

Section 5 - Conclusion

Provides a space for self-reflection and tests retention while earning a certificate.

 

Instructors and Guest Experts

Instructor

Guest Experts

  • Dr. Cynthia Cohen, Director of the Program in Peacebuilding and the Arts, Brandeis University
  • Dr. James Gordon, Founder and Executive Director, Center for Mind-Body Medicine
  • Rama Mani, Peace and Security Specialist, Poet and Performance Artist
  • Dr. Lisa Schirch, Senior Research Fellow, Toda Peace Institute

Related Publications

The Latest @ USIP: 20 Years of Counterterrorism in Iraq

The Latest @ USIP: 20 Years of Counterterrorism in Iraq

Monday, March 27, 2023

By: Lt. Gen. Michael Nagata

Over the last 20 years, efforts to stabilize Iraq have been plagued by two powerful terrorist groups: al-Qaida in Iraq and then its progeny, the Islamic State (ISIS). While the country has fortunately managed to hold together in that time, there is still a long way to go toward security and stability in Iraq. Lt. Gen. Michael Nagata, the former director of strategy at the National Counterterrorism Center, discusses his time fighting extremist threats in Iraq, why the battle against ISIS is far from over and what the country needs to achieve peace.

Type: Blog

Conflict Analysis & Prevention;  Violent Extremism

Central Asia Needs a New Approach to Security

Central Asia Needs a New Approach to Security

Thursday, March 9, 2023

By: Ilya Jones;  Shamsiya Rakhimshoeva

After three decades of independence following the fall of the Soviet Union, Central Asian countries continue to face challenges to their stability and governance. Last year saw large-scale domestic unrest in three of the region’s five countries — Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan — and a devastating cross-border conflict between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan was the largest ever trans-boundary escalation in the region. Many of these events follow similar patterns: growing tensions and grievances among citizens lead to protests, which are met with a harsh and disproportionate response including the use of lethal force by security forces, feeding into further mistrust between authorities and the population.

Type: Analysis and Commentary

Conflict Analysis & Prevention;  Violent Extremism

Africa’s Sahel Needs a Coordinated Plan on Extremist Violence

Africa’s Sahel Needs a Coordinated Plan on Extremist Violence

Thursday, February 23, 2023

By: Kris Inman, Ph.D.

The African Union held its summit last weekend in the dark shadow of escalating bloodshed amid the violent extremist upheavals of the Sahel region. The surge in violence underscores a need to redouble regional and international efforts to address multiple, simultaneous crises in a holistic and unified manner that goes beyond the security-focused response that has characterized efforts to curb the violence to date.

Type: Analysis and Commentary

Violent Extremism

Fragile States Provide Extremists Fertile Ground to Recruit and Grow

Fragile States Provide Extremists Fertile Ground to Recruit and Grow

Tuesday, February 21, 2023

By: Mona Yacoubian

Editor’s Note: Below are the excerpts of an interview originally published by the European Eye on Radicalization with USIP’s Mona Yacoubian about the various drivers of terrorism and constructive ways to address the phenomenon. She says the fragility of states provide an enabling environment for terrorists to operate and underscores the various ways that extremists benefit from this environment.

Type: Analysis and Commentary

Fragility & Resilience;  Violent Extremism

View All Publications