Entertainment as an Alternative Tool for Peace Building

By EKENE AHANEKU (winner NWA campus writer of the year 2015)

We live in the society where the quest for absolute peace is close to an unattainable goal. But we have always over looked an industry which can be used to achieve such aim. The entertainment industry has been very good at it. Starting from the world of sports (which has served as a unifying framework in the globe) to the music industry (which is fast growing). sports being part of entertainment has brought many different ethnicities together. It has promoted co-existence of different races of the world. Such is a better way of achieving global peace. Music industry has also been good at it also by trying to relate the cultural heritage and individual struggles of people with different religious and cultural beliefs. It is a worth appreciating fact that such creative engagement can contribute immensely towards achieving global peace.

Peace building involves individuals and collectivized efforts, through sound interaction that promotes peaceful existence. Wilson stated that peace building is associated with efforts aimed at conflict prevention, bridging the reality gap and communication of peace. Action to identify and support structures which will solidify and strengthen peace in order to avoid a relapse into conflict is always encouraged. And any right thinking individual understands that entertainment industry has lots to contribute towards this peace building.
Peace building does not encompass peacemaking processes, but it can facilitate and support such process. Peace building does not encompass peacekeeping operation; though its most times part of such mandate. Entertainment has been at the fore front due to its diversified nature. It has always promoted inter-communal contact. This is always a language that is both understood by the locals and the foreigners.

This is the reason why the idea of entertainment is so vital in post conflict situations because it promotes peace building process which is holistic in nature. In this form of post conflict peace initiative these individuals already acknowledge the dangers of communal conflict. Music for instance, sends message of what has happened during conflict period and as well give solutions towards peaceful co-existence between people of different ethnicities and cultures. In furtherance to the peace building nature of entertainment, its major essence is to promote the culture of peace, tolerance, peaceful co-existence and mutual development. Different types of entertainment preaches for this; starting from sports to music and down to theater concerts.

The game of football seems to have been a unifying factor of peace amongst nations that have been at war or who does not have a clear good bilateral relationship. The aim of collaboration and featuring of artiste by another singer is to promote peaceful co-existence and mutual understanding between musicians. This as well helps solve problems that culminates to war and communal crisis like racism, marginalization etc. Peace building takes different level of peace processes which are all part of what entertainment industry does. The fact that entertainment is a major tool for peace building is not in any way fallacious but rather a big truth that should be x-rayed and embraced for a better society; so as to promote its processes in order to encourage peaceful interaction and co-existence.