Breaking the Conflict Cycle, Building Peaceful Communities: Participatory Photography and Storytelling With African Diasporas in Sydney

"Meaningful participation involves letting oneself experience fully the process of collaboration, attributing value to all stories and adopting an ethics of relationship."

This article discusses the experience of a participatory photography project that brought together young people from the Congolese, Rwandan, Burundian, and Ugandan communities living in Sydney, Australia, whose lives are still impacted by the legacy of the conflicts they sought to leave behind in the African Great Lakes region. This initiative, which was designed to provide a space to encourage communication between different groups and enable the promotion of peace between communities starting from the youth, is analysed here, and reflections are offered on the use of this method with diaspora groups.

The article begins with an overview of the literature, bringing together the work of scholars who have examined the context of conflict-generated diaspora; the role of this diaspora, both in conflict and in peacebuilding; and the uses made of diasporic media. Diasporas attach stronger significance on their homeland rather than on their hostland, and conflict in the homeland has a strong influence in the construction of people's transnational identity. Among those cited here is Osman (2017), who argues that diasporic media (including new communication technologies) can not only reproduce local nationalism and maintain a strong local identity relative to the conflict but can actually create "diasporated conflicts", through which those who have better access to technological infrastructure exert a new dominance. From this setting, facilitating media productions that are based on the participation of different groups from the diaspora community is crucial to ensure that a number of perspectives are offered. Provided that all voices have a place, productions including books, film, music, and other art-based objects can not only help members of the diaspora to heal, but they can  reshape the discourse on conflict and peace.

The paper then goes on to provide the main theoretical and contextual notions that are helpful to understand the framework in which the participatory photography project was developed and implemented. For example, the reader learns that, even after resettling in a new country, the trauma and resentment caused by the conflict experienced in diaspora communities' homeland are passed on from generation to generation. Some of the young African Great Lakes region diasporas living in Sydney, for example, are taught from an early age not to trust members of (former) enemy tribes, and the dynamics between these communities are dominated by the perceived sense of injustice perpetrated by one group on the other at the time of the conflict. In such contexts, the media - including theatre, music, storytelling practices, and the use of technologies such as video and photography - have been regarded as crucial instruments in the facilitation of participatory communication processes that provide a space where differences can be shared and understood.

The subsequent section provides an analysis of the project through a presentation of some of the activities that were implemented, the photos and stories produced, participants' reactions, and accompanying reflections from the facilitator (author of this article). In short, the initiative was made possible through a collaboration with the Great Lakes Agency for Peace and Development (GLAPD), a not-for-profit organisation working to foster peacebuilding and social development among the Congolese, Rwandan, Burundian, and Ugandan communities living in Sydney. With GLAPD logistical support, the author of the paper facilitated 4 weekly workshops over the course of 1 month (from mid-August to mid-September 2016), with all activities taking place in Fairfield, one of the Western suburbs of Sydney that is home to a multicultural and mixed-background population. Through a series of targeted exercises, 8 participants between the ages of 14 and 21 learned basic digital camera skills and worked on the development of stories connected to the theme of peace through the use of photographs. The participatory element of this project allowed them to make decisions over the images they wanted to capture, their meaning, and composition.

One of the exercises that the facilitator felt was most powerful in eliciting feelings that could be attributed to the conflict in all participants was the caption matching exercise. Through this game, the youth were asked to associate a series of images that were provided to them with captions that were to be chosen from a list, and then to explain their choice. This task reportedly elicited strong engagement from all members, who participated attentively and whose contribution went toward a smooth group effort (participants were split into 3 groups). It was also significant ground for critical thinking and reflections.

One of the subsequent exercises involved participants working in pairs and explaining to one another something about their respective communities and associated beliefs; they then had to take a portrait of each other in a way that was connected to what they had just heard. All the photos were then projected on screen, and each participant presented the story that their partner had told them to the rest of the group and explained the meaning around the image they had taken of him or her. When asked about their final impressions of the project, there was an overall consensus among the group on the significance of photography as a tool for self-expression and on the value of the opportunity that was given to them to meet each other and share the same space through this initiative.

In addition to offering additional feedback received by participants and shedding light on the strengths and limitations of the project, the ensuing discussion reconnects the existing literature with this new experience. One key point to emerge is that initiatives that encourage the participation of young members of different diasporas are important to understand both their own point of view on conflict-related issues and to provide an opportunity to understand that of others. Participation in media-making should open up channels that are helpful to address differences and allow all voices to be heard; this comes with a choice of visual methods that are not only culturally relevant but also of interest to a particular group while placing emphasis on the establishment of a dialogue. Reflections on alternative channels for dialogue involving the media emerge from this work and are offered within a closing section of the report. One finding: Selecting participants within an age bracket of late teen and early 20s might be a more effective strategy for future work in this area, as older participants were able to engage in more detailed explanations and meaningful exchanges in relation to their background and that of others. Another useful tactic to adopt in the reproduction of this type of project could be the recruitment of those young people who are regarded as key influencers among their peers.

In conclusion: "Developing new avenues through which the youth can find ways to communicate with their peers and initiate a dialogue that goes beyond the long-standing issues passed on from parents to children is a significant step to take in the lives of diasporas. Such step can not only ultimately bring a contribution to peace in their homeland, but it would also create a shared space where the commonalities between different groups are brought to light and used to build peaceful relationships. The media can have a significant responsibility in this setting."