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About the African Union, Leveraging Arts for Peace – Training on Silencing the Guns
The African Union, Leveraging Arts for Peace – Training on Silencing the Guns will cover topics on the role of artists in advancing peace advocacy through arts, introduction to silencing the guns, including AU’s work in advancing peace and security, conflict prevention; and support to post-conflict reconstruction, as well as principles for effective advocacy and outreach, among others.
The African Union, Leveraging Arts for Peace – Training on Silencing the Guns is being held in the run-up to the Africa Amnesty Month (which is observed each September) to mobilize African citizens to surrender illegally held small arms and light weapons to government authorities. It targets African artists from all the regions of Africa (North Africa, West Africa, Central Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa). The training will sensitize the artists against the use of the art to incite violence, promote hate speech, hate crimes or other forms of conflict.
Specifically, the training aims to enable the artists to;
- Heighten public awareness and consciousness about silencing the guns;
- Mobilize African citizens and other stakeholders to rally behind the silencing the guns continental campaign, in order to achieve a conflict free Africa and create favorable conditions for the continent’s socio-economic transformation;
- Heighten awareness on the proliferation of illicit Small Arms and Light Weapons, the negative impact such weapons have on the continent of Africa;
- Encourage African citizens in possession of illicit arms to surrender them to designated authorities in exchange for Amnesty.
As a follow-up to the December 2021 Accra Seminar, the Political Affairs, Peace and Security Department, (PAPS) through the Silencing the Guns (STGs) Unit, in collaboration with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), will, from 14 to 18 August 2023, hold the first series of virtual trainings for African artists on ‘leveraging Arts for Peace’, guided by the outcomes of the Accra meeting; and grounded in the belief that Art helps prevent conflict in communities by raising awareness and inspiring tolerance around societal differences.
IV. Criteria and Qualification
An African Artist with demonstrated commitment and significant contribution to the promotion of sustainable peace and security. Applications from established artists, including young women artists, displaced persons and persons with disabilities who meet the following selection criteria are particularly encouraged:
- Be a citizen of an AU member state
- Have at least secondary school qualifications
- Be an established artist;
- Have experience in promoting, advancing and supporting peace processes, especially, community engagement experience through art
- Have a strong track record with the local community/area where he/she works
- Be proficient in either French or English languages
- Preferably able to attend from a computer for the duration of the training
- Availability and willingness to take part in the online training (5 days and 2 and half hours of training per day and 2 hours of homework daily).
Deadline for Application: 25 July 2023
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