Abstract

Laura Hassler, founder and Director of Musicians without Borders presents the case for using music as a powerful tool for peace-building, reconciliation and healing the wounds of war. She will illustrate with examples from the work of Musicians without Borders with children, youth and women in the Balkans, the Middle East and Africa and with refugees and survivors of torture in the UK. MwB, a network organisation of socially engaged musicians, is exploring partnerships with academic institutions to research, monitor and document the effects of its music projects in conflict regions.

Musicians without Borders initiates and implements projects, develops methodologies and organizes concerts and international conferences on healing and reconciliation through music. Since its founding in 1999, Musicians without Borders has implemented successful projects in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Kosovo, the Middle East and Africa. From successful projects, MwB develops models, methodologies and tools so that its work can be shared and replicated in other places. Musicians without Borders’ work is based on the belief that music is directly related to empathy and therefore can promote emotional healing and create a space in which it is possible to meet across divisions of ethnicity, politics or religion. Musicians without Borders believes that music has a unique potential to contribute to peace building and to create a culture of nonviolence.