Creative and media interventions in humanitarian relief
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| Introduction |
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| Creative Exchange plans to initiate the development of standards for arts and media activities in emergency relief programmes as part of an extended programme of research and information exchange between arts practitioners, aid agencies and other organisations involved in humanitarian relief programmes. Support for the development of standards, research and networking in this field was expressed by participants at an Open Partners´ Meeting in London on July 27 hosted by the British Council. Creative Exchange was mandated to take leadership of this process. The event attracted a wide range of representation from the arts and humanitarian aid sectors including UNHCR, UNICEF, Department for International Development (DFID), Disasters Emergency Committee, Oxfam, Merlin, Save the Children, World Vision, REFAID, the Arts Council of England, London Arts Board, British Actor´s Equity Association and many individual practitioners and arts organisations. Creative Exchange launched a preliminary survey of creative and cultural inputs into the Kosovo crisis, following eight weeks of research and mapping of arts and media activities in the region and among refugee host communities in the UK. Presentations on the role of arts and creative media in humanitarian relief and post conflict reconstruction were given by Sue Birchmore (World Vision), Sally Burnheim (UNICEF), Bobby Lloyd (Arts Therapy Initiative), David Wilson (Pavarotti Music Centre), Gordon Adam and Mary Myers (Media Action International), Eugene Skeef and Robert Walker (Department of International Development). Creative Exchange will follow up this event by developing a 12-month programme to progress information exchange and standards development. We will be seeking donors for this programme. |
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Kosovo: the creative dimension of humanitarian aid
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| Chairman: Richard Edwards, Director, Governance and Society, British Council |
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| Presentations |
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| Sue Birchmore spoke of the importance of using creative approaches as part of World Vision´s holistic approach to humanitarian aid and post-conflict reconstruction. The agency was using arts activities in trauma therapy, for awareness raising on mines and with elders and in the redevelopment of communities and civil society. World Vision was currently undertaking research in Rwanda on a new culturally sensitive system for evaluating levels of trauma in emergency situations. Art Therapy Initiative programmes in the former Yugoslavia, South Africa and the UK had shown that: "Art therapy can provide a means of expression in the context of an experience which perhaps cannot yet be verbalised and is potentially overwhelming. Through the art-making, the individual can begin to make meaning of events, emotions and experiences in his/her life," said Bobby Lloyd, ATI co-founder. Key issues to be taken into account when planning and managing art therapy interventions: funding, which was a prerequisite for sustainability; safe spaces in which the work could take place; models of good practice; peer supervision, pre-training and de-briefing; communication with local support systems and humanitarian organisations; monitoring and evaluation and flexibility to respond to changing needs. Creative activities had been valuable to UNICEF´s programme in Kosovo as part of education and recreation for children and young people, said Sally Burnheim. However, one of the principal lessons learned from the Kosovo crisis was that too much recreational activity can distract attention from formal educational activities. She stressed the need for follow up with implementing partners and spoke of the need to respect the privacy of participants involved in creative programmes: UNICEF asked permission from participants before promoting their creative work to a wider public. Ms Burnheim also stressed the need for a flexible approach since what works in one emergency would not necessarily work in another. Gordon Adam, of Media Action International, said that radio had proved effective in providing information, education and entertainment quickly and easily. It required limited resources, it was quick to set up and it could reach a wide audience. There was a need, said Mr Adam, to get away from the top-down broadcasting and enable people to feedback and ask questions through off-air information and counselling lines. MAI´s format enabled people to participate in programmes: young people had been involved in the development of jingles about mines awareness and separation from family groups. Mary Myers reported that a needs assessment in the region had shown that refugees priorities for radio broadcasts were receiving practical information about such issues as health, family and repatriation. A second priority was alleviating boredom and the need for play opportunities and ´reflective´ entertainment. "When the lights go out, when the food disappears, when death is ever-present, you still find music," commented David Wilson, Director of the Pavarotti Music Centre on the significance of music in Mostar. "It was an expression of defiance, a testament to the survival of the one thing that kept them human in an inhuman situation." The centre had worked in communities, with schools and kindergartens, with disabled people, with the displaced and those suffering from mental health problems. It had enabled former enemies to face each other across a room and "exorcise their demons" through rap music. "Two years after the opening of the PMC in Mostar, children who refused to speak and communicate in any way are now doing so because of our music therapy programme," said Mr Wilson. In addition, the centre had become a major employer in Mostar and its management and administration was being turned over to local staff. Robert Walker from the Department for International Development (DFID) said that the department´s support had focused on information and communications activities including the Media Action International Programme and a BBC Albania Service programme for children. It had delivered clockwork radios to refugees and returnees, supported the media of Kosovo in Exile and provided advisory centres for refugees. He stressed the need for better research on the impacts of creative and media activities, which were at present "more implied than tested", and suggested that more work should be done to prepare for future emergencies. Eugene Skeef pointed out that there were dangers in "people coming from Europe and showing others how to do it." This attitude did not help build the empowerment, confidence and self-reliance which was so desperately needed. He also pointed out creative activities and especially music could be a powerful tool to prevent conflict. He led an energetic participatory session using rhythm and song. |
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| Creative Exchange survey and follow up action |
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| Creative Exchange´s preliminary survey showed that there was great interest in this subject among aid agencies: 75 per cent of UK-based agencies surveyed had used or expressed interest in using creative activities in their relief programmes. The level of interest within the aid community appeared to have increased since the last Balkan war, mirroring greater international acknowledgment of culture in development processes. However, within aid agencies there appeared to be limited understanding of how creative interventions in emergencies might be effectively planned, managed, coordinated and evaluated. There were no clear standards of practice. "Creative and cultural interventions are no different from any other aspect of humanitarian relief in so far as principles and performance standards need to apply," said Creative Exchange Coordinator, Helen Gould. "We believe that both agencies and arts practitioners have a duty of care to ensure their their creative work is having the desired effect and that staff engaged have the right knowledge and experience to deliver it." Within the Kosovar refugee community in the UK, there appeared to have been quite limited opportunities for creative participation. Most ´cultural´ activities consisted of tourism, television and English teaching. Around half the UK local authorities contacted planned some cultural events or visits. |
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Debate
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| * Eddie Thomas, Save the Children Fund, UK, felt that these activities would also make a valuable contribution to human rights and advocacy. * Bill Hamblett, Small World Theatre, UK, felt that it was the artists´ responsibility to ensure that creative activities did not just become a "finger-wagging exercise ". Creative activities should be built on the values of mutual respect. * Simon Mundy, UK, pointed out that the European Cultural Foundation had researched uses of arts in conflict and may be interested in putting money into initiatives. He pointed out that men were a vulnerable group having lost status in society and should also be targeted for creative activities. * Laura Hessler of Musicians Without Borders, The Netherlands, reported on music activities with refugee communities based in the Netherlands. "It was the first time people had been able to make music without it being politically loaded". * Hugh Manning, British Actors Equity Association, UK, reported on links and initiatives developed by the International Committee for Artists Freedom to support artists in the Kosovo crisis. He called for information about arts work in the region. * Kathy O´Brien, London Arts Board, UK, pointed out that the war had a knock-on effect on the arts sector in the Balkans which would intern impact both culturally and economically on the region. There was a need to raise these issues and offer help and support. An exercise seeking responses to the recommendations elicited the following response: * indicators for cultural activities which would enable projects to be evaluated need to be set participatively (point 6.3). * there was a need for information sharing and exchange to avoid duplication * contact details for participants should be circulated * An internet site should be developed as a platform for the development of standards and networking * Creative Exchange should take away positive leadership to develop standards and networking * There should be further advice and information for local authorities on initiatives for refugee communities in the UK * Information should be made available about artists in the Balkans and their activities. |
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