Representations of the everyday in conflict affected societies

Abstract

Speakers: Roger Mac Ginty, Durham University Annabel McGoldrick, University of Sydney Jake Lynch, University of Sydney This seminar brings together three scholars in peace and conflict studies. Roger Mac Ginty discusses deeply divided societies and the ability of pro-peace and pro-social actions and stances at the micro-level to counter and minimise such divides. He focuses not on the activities of local governments, protest groups, NGOs or other civic institutions, but on individuals, groups and families in various conflict settings, and on their power to redefine the fault lines of discord. Drawing on the fieldwork in a variety of conflict-affected settings, and on letters and diaries from the WWI and WWII, he focuses not on big acts of treaty binding and transnational interactions, but rather, on microscopic actions within the grassroots of personal environments. He employs the concepts of sociality, reciprocity and solidarity, which extend the focus on the 'local turn' for suggestions about how individuals can engage in actions that disrupt conflictual settings and challenge the normalization of divisions. Jake Lynch and Annabel McGoldrick build upon their career as conflict-zone journalists, to discuss the role of media in representation and misrepresentation of violence, the destructive impact that such information may have on personal integrity, and constructive ways that peace journalism may provide to overcome strife in conflict zones. Annabel McGoldrick focuses on manifestations of psychological insecurities and fears of those who experienced violent conflict, and draws attention to the forms of insensitive reporting that may intensify such traumas. Jake Lynch builds on ample field experience to highlight the importance of conflict-sensitive reporting, and offers a set of strategies that critical peace journalism can undertake to deliver better and more peaceful representations of everyday in conflict-ridden societies.