Kenya: 2010 Peace Festival/ Conference

Introduction

“THE DRUM CAFE”, is an innovative network of creative and performing professionals with the Central aim of re-defining drum music as a powerful medium of social change in east Africa

The first drum cafe was first hosted by Alliance francaise de Nairobi in September 2006 and supported by various individuals, cultural and artistic institutions.

Since then the Program has continued to work with younger and older drummers, organizations such as UNESCO, Sarakasi trust, Amref, Unity College and the Go down Arts center

The drum café holds workshops and organize performances where skills and knowledge are shared with the audiences besides serving as a source of soulful entertainment.

OBJECTIVES

To highlight knowledge and practices in the field that advance artistic effectiveness to expand a collective impact.

To promote the use of music as a medium for social change through a focus on effective measures,

To increase cultural awareness and promote exchange between culture and development.

To spear head and support the use of arts and culture in conflict resolution, education, Peace and friendship
To improve knowledge on peace making through sharing information and experiences.
To help societies retain their desirable values, arrest impending ailments on time and exercise dynamic avenues for the expansion of the frontiers of peace creation.
To acknowledge cultural diversity as a driving force of development, not only on respect of growth, but also as a means of leading a more fulfilling intellectual, emotional, moral and spiritual life.

Problem statement
At the end of December 2007, the Kenyan presidential election was marked by bloody confrontation during which 1,500 persons were killed and over 350,000 were displaced, some media did not hesitate to speak of ethnic hatred, while others concentrated on the political and economic causes of the crisis.
World War I claimed over 40 million casualties, including approximately 20 million civilian and military dead. And some 60 million people died in World War II, including about 20 million soldiers and 40 million civilians. The twenty first century has witnessed civil wars in Africa which have claimed millions of lives of citizens.
It could be remembered the Cultural practitioners and producers are invaluable at times of political stress. When crises emerge, or when repressive governments take control, artists often operate with a relatively safe space and can offer a strong civil society voice. So giving people the right to express their own culture, to an environment where their creativity flourishes, and to a range of cultural voices are all important ways of making sure that support for culture translate into giving people real choices.
The rich cultural diversity has played a pivotal role in the tremendous growth of among others the local tourism industry in spite of the fact that culture may not have elevated itself to the level of a full-fledged industry - on the local scene.

At the same time, acceptance and recognition of cultural diversity – in particular through innovative use of media and the Arts – are conducive to dialogue among civilizations and cultures, respect and mutual understanding, which has never been realized by many around the world.

We envisage holding a two day conference on Peace and conflict resolution accompanied by a seven days’ festival in three slum areas around Nairobi and in the city centre. To achieve this we require partnering with all world peace loving Individual, Artistic and Cultural Organization, Government bodies Human rights Organizations and financial and material donors (private sector).
“If we fail to use creativity as a force for social justice, transformation and the articulation of human need, we may unwittingly find that we are letting down the very people in whose name we work”.

Relevance of peace and the world
World peace is the Utopian idea of planetary non-violence by which nations willingly cooperate, either voluntarily or by virtue of a system of governance which prevents warfare.
Many interpretations of the concept are not overtly political; however, world peace may simply mean the resolution of global and regional conflict through nonviolent means.

The plausibility of world peace tacitly relies on the assumption of rational agents that base their decisions on future consequences, which is not self-evident.
World peace has been depicted as a consequence of local, self-determined behaviors which inhibit the institutionalization of power and ensuing violence. The solution is not so much based on an agreed agenda, or an investment in higher authority whether divine or political, but rather a self-organized network of mutually supportive mechanisms, resulting in a viable politico-economic social fabric.
If peace is defined as the absence of hostility, violence and conflict, world peace would imply a worldwide end to violence and thus to institutions which rely on threats of violence to sustain their existence. It follows that there could be no law enforcement, because force is a form of conflict. Without law enforcement, there could be no laws, except those which everyone voluntarily agrees to follow. Finally, there could be no governments of the type that rely on threats of violence to collect taxes, maintain their borders, or govern their citizens. Considered in this light, world peace goes beyond the cessation of nation-state warfare and calls for dramatic changes in most of the political institutions familiar to people worldwide.
Perhaps one of the most complex concepts in human history, peace has been used to refer to everything from “absence of war” to “equilibrium” to “a utopian state of spiritual and social harmony devoid of conflict.”
These widely differing images are indicators of essential differences in ideology, culture, and perceptions of history.

Religious views of world peace
Bahá'í Faith- Main article: Bahá'í Faith and the unity of humanity. With specific regard to the pursuit of world peace, Bahá'u'lláh of the Bahá'í Faith prescribed a world-embracing collective security arrangement as necessary for the establishment of a lasting peace. The Universal House of Justice wrote about the process in The Promise of World Peace.
Buddhism- Many Buddhists believe that world peace can only be achieved if we first establish peace within our minds. Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism, said, “Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.
Christianity- The basic Christian ideal promotes peace through goodwill and by sharing the faith with others, as well as forgiving those who do try to break the peace. "But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." Matthew 5:44 - 45
Hinduism- Traditionally Hinduism has adopted a saying called Vasuda eva kutumbakam which translates to "The world is one family." The essence of this saying is the observation that only base minds see dichotomies and divisions.
Sikhism- “All beings and creatures are His; He belongs to all” (Guru Granth Sahib, 425). Gurus furthermore preached to “Sing the Praise of the One, the Immaculate Lord; He is contained within all” (Guru Granth Sahib, 706). “
Islam- Main article: Islamic Peace. According to Islam, faith in only one God and having common parents Adam and Eve is the greatest reason for humans to live together with peace and brotherhood. Islamic view of global peace is mentioned in the Quran where the whole of humanity is recognized as one family. All the people are children of Adam.
Judaism- Judaism holds that when the Messiah comes, all nations will be united in peace.

PROJECT OVER VIEW
The DRUM CAFÉ 2010 PEACE FESTIVAL will be a seven day celebration presented by and for the various Kenyan ethnic subgroups and communities living in Nairobi.
The DRUM CAFÉ 2010 PEACE FESTIVAL aims to create a safe place for all Kenyans and their international guests to value the importance of culture as a tool in conflict resolution and cultures vital role in maintaining peace in local communities, nations and throughout the world.

”In its rich diversity, culture has intrinsic value for development as well as social cohesion and peace.”

The DRUM CAFÉ 2010 PEACE FESTIVAL will feature:
A seven day showcase of performances, presentations, workshops, displays and demonstrations of music, theater, dance, storytelling, food, films, traditional medicines and crafts at various venues in Dandora, Kibera, Kawangware (slum areas which all experienced terrible consequence of the last post election chaos where by neighbors turned against each other, killed and or destroying each others property) and the Nairobi city center
A peace march through the Nairobi city main roads
A parade every day featuring hundreds of drums - to drum against the instability in our world with a very strong voice, and a loud and clear message to those who need to hear
A two day conference on Peace in Our World - providing a platform for civic and religious leaders as well as cultural, educational and community spokespeople
A wide range of performances on different stage with tailored productions on peace.
A screening of various film based messages on large screens in all festival venues.
A display of art facts and other materials on peace making on a variety of stalls around festival venues.

The DRUM CAFÉ 2010 PEACE FESTIVAL will invite and engage the participation of young people, women, families, elders and men from Nairobi, Kenya, East Africa and around the World to come together and celebrate their shared history, their diverse identities and their common futures.

The DRUM CAFÉ 2010 PEACE FESTIVAL will bring together Artists and Cultural entrepreneurs from a broad range of disciplines as well as government departments, Cultural institutions, Social and Humanitarian groups, Educational Institutions, Non-Governmental organizations, Private sector and community based organizations to strength the campaign towards achieving peace in Kenya and the world at large.

THE DRUM CAFÉ 2010 PEACE FESTIVAL/CONFERENCE recognize the need to bring together at a practical level diverse experiences in arts, academics, religious, cultural, social and humanitarian services to identify the conditions necessary to achieve sustainable development on peace

SITUATION ANALYSIS
(I) Opportunity
We have identified the opening that lures our citizens to their death.

We have translated this opening into an opportunity; we have the production machinery, facility and presentations.

We have the promotion facility with linkages on the ground and an outlet and a market although socially this is a reference out of context, yet we feel able to handle the festival with more motivation by subjecting to this perspective from the onset.

We have identified the problem and produced a solution, we have designed a frame work, we lack resources to implement the framework, and our constraints are funds to progress. We are not seeking to begin we are seeking to continue

(II) Human Resource Mobilization
The promotion department (committee) will make initial contact with target groups, which have been identified as
Community based groups(C.B.O.s)
Religious organizations
Constituents leaders (councilors, local chiefs and member of Parliaments)
Youth organizations
e) Artistic and cultural organizations
f) Women groups
Other forums/ leaders/ churches/ companies/ organizations etc.
FESTIVAL ADMINISTRATION

FESTIVAL PROGRAM
DAY ONE SUNDAY 19TH 09 2010
08:00 Drum Parade
09:30 Peace march flag off
13:00 End of procession
19:00 OPENNING GALA NIGHT
00:00 CLOSING
DAY TWO MONDAY 20TH 09 2010
08:00 Registration of conference participants
09:00 Official opening of the conference and Festival
10:00 Entertainment
10:45 Break (coffee/tea)
11:00 session one (Role of world citizens in conflict resolutions).
13:00 Lunch break
14:00 session two
(Age, Gender and Professionalism perspectives in peace development.)
16:00 Artistic session I
(Cultural and Artistic interventions, practices and experiences in peace creation)
17:00 Closing
19:00 Poetry and traditional music night
22:00 Ending
DAY THREE TUESDAY 21ST 09 2010
09:00 session three
(Communicating dialogue among civilizations and cultures, respect and mutual understanding using available methods and facilities).

10:45 Break (coffee/tea)
11:00 session four
(Communicating dialogue among civilizations and cultures, respect and mutual understanding using available methods and facilities.).

13:00 Lunch break
14:00 Session five (Investing in art and culture as a social tool for community development, empowerment and peaceful co-existence and integration)
16:00 Artistic session II
(Acceptance and recognition of cultural diversity through innovative uses of media and arts as key elements in developing sustainable peace).
17:00 Closing
19:00 Oral literature night – story telling, Narratives and short skits
22:00 Ending
DAY FOUR WEDNESDAY 22ND 09 2010 DANDORA
08:00 Arrival of all local groups
10:00 sound check
11:00 program starts (30mins each group)
14:00 Bands and international groups (1hr each)
18: closing
DAY FIVE THURSDAY 23RD 09 2010 KIBERA
Tentatively the same program as above.
DAY SIX FRIDAY 24TH 09 2010 KAWANGWARE
Tentatively the same program as above
DAY SEVEN SATURDAY 25TH 09 2010 CITY CENTRE
08:00 Arrival of all groups
09:00 Drum Parade
09:30 Invited Guests and Institutions/organizations
10:00 Program starts
Activities happening on two stages
00:00 Closing