TAD promotes dialogue, builds bridges of understanding
As any peace journalist knows, one of the keys to creating an atmosphere conducive to peace is establishing dialogue. In the parlance of PJ, this means rejecting “us vs. them” narratives and instead building bridges of communication and cooperation across boundaries.

Thus, I was right at home at the recent Transatlantic Dialogue (TAD) Conference in Luxembourg, whose theme was “Soft Power in Uncertain Times: Building Bridges for Culture, Diplomacy, Peace, Trust, and Compassionate Leadership on a Changing World.” The event was sponsored by the European Cultural Parliament and the University of Luxembourg.

During the PJ session at TAD

In my session, I discussed how peace journalism can be used to build bridges. I gave two examples. I’ve been working on a cross border project for the last five years that has brought together Indian and Pakistani journalists to jointly report on issues of common concern, especially climate change. It’s been gratifying to see them work together, and to bond as professionals and as friends. A short video produced by the East West Center, sponsor of the cross border reporting project, can be found on YouTube. We met the journalists in Nepal in 2022 with the first cohort, and again in Nepal in January this year to discuss peace journalism, multimedia production, and reporting skills.

The second bridge building example I gave was on a recent project I did in Moldova that brought together journalists from the disputed region Transnistria and from the rest of Moldova. Journalists from across this boundary are jointly producing stories in the same manner as their Indian and Pakistani counterparts. For more details, see my earlier blog entry. 

Nour Saleh's session at TAD

I also participated in a panel discussion (“TAD Talk Show”) on challenges for cultural diplomacy. This discussion naturally centered as well on building bridges, but I think offered some hope about the potential for both journalism and art to help spur dialogues. My fellow talk show panelist Nour Saleh, founder of the organization Art Breath in London, also gave a session about cultural exchanges through the arts. I loved her energetic presentation about the power of art to make us more aware of the world around us, and to transcend “us vs. them” barriers. It was fascinating to learn about Art Breath, which is an “interdisciplinary platform where the arts and politics collide. Sharing voices from around the world to showcase the power of people and the power of the arts that speak on matters that affect us,” according to its website.

There were a number of interesting sessions at TAD, attended by professionals and a American students from universities like Emory and Miami of Ohio. I liked the keynote by Hubert Wurth, honorary ambassador of Luxembourg in Moscow, who talked about the role of culture and art in war. He reminded the gathering of the importance of culture in building shared perspectives, and respect for culture as a foundation of ethical behavior. I of course thought of Russia, which has attached Ukraine not only militarily, but also culturally, seeking to erase Ukraine’s heritage. Two other presenters, Ashley Brown from Emory University and Zduy Chu from Florida State University, diplomatically discussed cancel culture, and the pressures being faced by those advocating diversity and inclusion. Baptist Coelho, visual artist from India, gave a fascinating presentation featuring his remarkable photos from Kashmir. Writer Nicolae Burcea led a discussion about social media. He was optimistic about the ability of social media to bring people together. TAD also featured a number of musical interludes from the group Voxology.

The Transatlantic Dialogue conference is the brainchild of Francois Carbon, a long-time educator and peacebuilder in Luxembourg. His energy, vision, and good karma permeate TAD, and create a warm and welcoming environment where hope can flourish. It was, as you can surmise, a vibe very different from the usual academic conference—one I found refreshing and invigorating.

It was an honor to be invited to speak at TAD, and to represent, for the first time, my new partners, the outstanding organization Making Peace Visible. I’ll be working with them on educational programs.

Francois Carbon at TAD