Media and Peace: The Possibilities

Palestinians carry Olympic-style symbols as they run during in the annual Peace Marathon in the West Bank town of Bethlehem. The run included Palestinians and Israelis. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)

A New Generation of Media for Peace

In this issue we explore how various individuals and organizations are attempting to use media – broadly defined – in the pursuit of peace.

Whether it is musicians rapping an anti-violence message, young entrepreneurs designing video games that promote peaceful conflict resolution, or USAID media assistance programs in war or tragedy torn countries, possibilities for media to promote non-violence continue to emerge.

After too many years of war, it seems that people are exploring new, more creative ways to educate the public about the root causes and cures for violent conflict through song, text messaging, blogging, sports, clothing, advertising and more.

You’ll find descriptions of several innovative groups, movements, and examples in this issue. We hope you enjoy our work.

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Nonviolent video game

Carnegie Mellon University graduate students Eric Brown, left, and Asi Burak pose in front of a projection of PeaceMaker, a video game they authored. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

A New Perspective on Video War Games

By Steven Landry

An abundance of studies have shown correlations between the amount of violent media entertainment consumed and a child’s susceptibility to engaging in aggressive behavior later in life. In response, a new video game alternative comes from two graduate students at Carnegie Mellon University. PeaceMaker deals with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from a refreshing viewpoint: it promotes peace. Unlike the “traditional” video game approaches where players win wars through explosions and death, PeaceMaker promotes non-violent conflict resolution, along with a deeper understanding of this Middle East conflict.