Music, Peace Building and Reconciliation
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Music, Peace building and Reconciliation Jigyasa Gulati has been growing literature on its practice in executing peace building projects and To believe in healing is to believe in the especially, bottom-up approaches with creative act.” - John Paul Lederach numbers of NGOs and INGOs utilizing its Music has always been a part of cultures. benefits. With its impact realized, the track Without any discrimination it has served the one diplomacy is also looking towards it, as humankind in various forms. From providing seen in states, like Uganda. However, it has relaxation to entertainment, where it has been a less explored field in India. There is a emerged as a separate field, it has also proven dearth of practitioners as well as academics its utilization in many other paradigms such and research. Nonetheless, India with its rich as medical and psychology. There is a vast musical heritage offers an avenue to adopt and growing amount of research, writing, such creative approaches. A place like Jammu experimentation and application of music as a and Kashmir where most of the population healing tool with broad potential to increase suffers from various mental health issues as a an individual’s health, well-being and life result of the ongoing unrest, music could situation. Music is incorporated in treatment provide a way forward. Jammu and Kashmir plans for dementia, depression, and anxiety as with its unique blend of musical influence well as to improve motor coordination in from Central Asia, near East and the West, people suffering from Parkinson’s, Cerebral holds a rich culture of Sufiana Mausiqi. The Palsy and autism. Music is increasingly used melodies of Rabab, Santoor, Surnai, Sitar, to boost the quality of life of those impacted Tumbaknari, and Noot are praised worldwide. by serious medical conditions including Amid all the chaos and conflict in the former PTSD and cancer (Music for Everyone, n.d.). state, music has always found its place. In At the same time, music therapy has emerged such a context, mixing music with as an effective treatment to provide holistic peacebuilding approaches could prove an treatment to patients. Combining its health effective intervention catering to the general benefits along with its impact on the and mental health needs, healing, and, emotional and social development of an developing a culture of peace among the individual, it has greatly served in peace community. The paper discusses the potential building and conflict transformation. There of music in peacebuilding and sheds light on the current state of music in the erstwhile participants in these programs feel they state. Moreover, it offers certain policy possess and can deploy without the need for recommendations to incorporate music-based extensive formal training” (Pruitt, 2011, pg. approaches for the well-being of the people. 89) (Heble, 2020). Several of the artist groups observed that the Music Festival offered The paper discusses the role of music in artists a space where they could engage with peacebuilding and afterwards, sheds light on each other as musicians and artists, rather the current state of music in the erstwhile than as representatives of their ethnic group, state. Moreover, it offers certain policy mentions one of the participants in the recommendations to emphasize that its SLNMC, a music festival organized Norway benefits could be utilized in the erstwhile Music Corporation in the post-conflict period state to propagate a culture of peace. to strengthen reconciliation through music activities. The process of music-making itself helps in inculcating the values essential for Music and Peacebuilding building peaceful communities. Making There has been a growing recognition of music together, as happens in congregational creative approaches in peacebuilding. Whilst singing, creates beauty and builds it has been acknowledged that creative relationships in several ways. Whenever we approaches have limited application, for sing with others, whether in unison or in instance, at track one level of diplomacy, parts, we must listen as we sing. This teaches nevertheless, they have been extremely us not only to make sound, but to hear sound helpful in providing an enabling environment and respond to what we hear. This dialogical to initiate and facilitate formal practices such foundation also stands at the core of as facilitating dialogue, especially, at the transforming conflict, peacebuilding, and community level. As Kenneth Bruscia states, worship itself. (Bergey, 2020) The Nai “Music can provide a nonverbal means of Children’s Choir in Canada have adapted this self-expression and communication, or it can approach and have been providing free serve as a bridge connecting nonverbal and weekly music classes to children and youth verbal channels of communication. This Syrian refugee arriving in Canada, to provide could provide a medium for participation in them a space where they can express their peacebuilding projects by “de-emphasizing of feelings such as grief, yearning, love and rational, academic modes of intelligence and hope to foster their better integration, a shift to the kind of knowledge that the language development and trauma healing. The unique part of the art-based youth Ashok Seth. (Rahman, 2013) Therefore, it empowerment approach is that, members sing could be said that music could prove wonders in both their mother tongue as well as in the in releasing emotions such as stress, anger official language of the new home and thus, and frustration. MusicWorks in South Africa, preserving their own cultural heritage while has been using music therapy to foster critical promoting diversity. As aesthetic early childhood development to sponsor engagements enliven people; they can support social and emotional development with their communities to confront painful history and VIP approach. But what is more important assist them in grappling with change. here, is the context in which they operate. Individuals and communities can find sources They are providing music therapy classes to of power that are non-violent and non- children living in Cape Flats where crimes, coercive. (Cohen et al., n.d.) The Heartbeat- gang-fights, abuse are a course of the day. In New Sound Foundation, an NGO from such a scenario, Music Works offers a safe Lebanon has been trying to train youth environment to these children where they can through music education as a medium for express themselves for instance, telling their transferable learning, to build bridges and stories through songs and dealing with strong critical awareness between communities emotions such as grief or anger by playing divided by conflict, racism and injustice. musical instruments. This helps to build They create spaces and opportunities for coping mechanisms to develop trust and have youth musicians to develop agency and the faith in possibilities. Women have always critical skills to challenge the structures of been among the most vulnerable groups in protracted conflict, inequality, and any crisis given their political, social, discrimination within their communities as economic, and cultural marginalization. empowered grassroots cultural and When employed effectively, music could community leaders. become a path towards empowerment. Womansong, a group of 75 women, offers an Music therapy has proven to be effective in outstanding example of empowerment with providing holistic treatment to patients. their vision of “singing together to nurture “Music helps relieve stress, and therefore and uplift ourselves and our community”. The works wonders for the cardiovascular system. chorus promotes unity and honors cultural I tell my patients that while it may not always diversity with songs that celebrate many be possible to ward off stress, taking regular themes in women’s lives, including breaks and pursuing a hobby, like music, empowerment, spirituality, healing and helps manage it”, says Eminent cardiologist humor. They also started the New Start Fund Sufiana Mausiqi is the classical Sufi that collects money from the concerts and ensemble music of the Kashmir region. This provides financial support to women in musical form developed through the Indo/ Western North Carolina in the form of grants Central Asian cultural exchange that took and scholarships and thereby, extending place after the arrival of Islam and Sufism in benefits to the community at large. It built the region during the 14th century. self-confidence of women by making them (Mir,2016) The principal concept in Sufiana markers of change in the community. Mausiqi is that of Maqam, a melodic mode and the counterpart of Indian Raga. Like the Through these examples, it could be observed Hindustani ragas, maqams are also believed that Music can play a significant role in the to be useful in treating various ailments & establishment of positive peace in the diseases. In Tarana-i- Saroor written in community by addressing various factors Persian by Daya Ram Khushdil, the such as inter-group differences, supporting description of the temperament and the dialogue and integration, spreading awareness therapeutic characteristics of different and knowledge, providing mechanisms for Maqams is given. As stressed by Jaan Nissar non-violent conflict resolution and fostering Lone, divine music could be instrumental in values such as empathy, understanding and healing and resolving the bitterness. And with healing. the inherent nature of Sufi music to heal and provide peace, it’s essential to revive its culture in the region which has undergone a Music and Jammu & Kashmir straight decline. As Prof. Shabir Ahmad Mir Kashmir has a rich cultural legacy and highlights, there are very few competent musical heritage spanning over years. The practitioners left, and they are struggling to rich blend comes from its internal diversity in pass on the tradition to future generations. terms of language, tradition and religion as Earlier there were a number of gharanas of well as from the external influence poured Sufiana Mausiqi in most parts of Kashmir, from Central Asia, near East and the West however only four of these have survived.