Considering that arts are emotionally, intellectually and even physically appealing, they can certainly play an important role in making peace in the world.
By the use of rhetoric, art can be very persuasive by employing different resources to convince and to touch the public. Artwork is symbol as well as allegory, its polysemous nature can evocate multiple meanings to support and justify the need of peace.
Because, while a person is in front of a work of art, they live the aesthetic experience and can perceive things in an utterly new way. We should make the most of this potential that art from all times has.
In fact, we can promote the creation of an intercultural democratic and peaceful society through art education. As artworks are part of culture that allows us to have an in-depth understanding of our own culture and others, they can be useful to build bridges of peace and intercultural and fair understanding, to encourage love to one´s neighbor through empathy and respect among different cultures.
For that reason, worldwide governments and cultural institutions, should work together to motivate the creation of art pieces that promote the practice of an intercultural and democratic citizenship in favour of peace. They should also stimulate the teaching of artworks that are related to the democratic ideals such us respect to human dignity, social justice and solidarity.
As a conclusion, let´s use the potential of art, as a tool to encourage the theory and practice of universa
l values, human rights and civic virtues.
Arts as DiplomacyPosted by The Editorial Wed, September 25, 2013 01:40:21
By: Prof. Maria Gabriela Figueroa, University of Buenos Aires
Useful link: http://mariagabrielafigueroa.com/
