ADVANCING DEMOCRACY: ARTS FOR SUSTAINABLE PEACE BUILDING AND NATIONAL RECONCILIATION

MISANGO ARTS ENSEMBLE P.O.BOX 3599-40100, KISUMU KENYA Email: obatmasira@yahoo.com. TEL: +254 726164954 http/misangoarts.blogspot.com 16th July 2012 PRESS RELEASE THE PEACE EDUCATION, PEACE BUILDING AND DEMOCRATIZATION ARTS FESTIVAL IN KISUMU. The Misango Arts Ensemble is Kenya’s vibrant education and developmental theatre. A theatre that its purpose is to create space where all people have the possibility and the right to be heard. It brings the people together to openly discuss a problem and encourage participation and self-expression, especially from those who often go unheard. THEME: ADVANCING DEMOCRACY: ARTS FOR SUSTAINABLE PEACE BUILDING AND NATIONAL RECONCILIATION. The organization seeks to use the medium of arts in the quest for the national cohesion, reconciliation and healing. The festival will solidly address the challenges of a holistic peaceful transformation and therefore easily provide accessible and creative platform for peace education, peace building and democratization process in Kenya. The peace education, peace building and democratization arts festival will therefore provide a rich forum for peace reflection. It will be a proactive learning process to reduce political tension and tribal animosity in the region, therefore promoting democratization and peace. Drama is the most exciting method of message dissemination. People learn better while they are happy. The Western Kenya region, so to speak, is usually a politically charged area in Kenya, and with the impending general election there is need to arrest the situation. The festival will therefore, enhance regional debates on the devolution, peace and democracy. The festival is dubbed ‘’THE VICTOR OGOLLA NYANGORE PEACE ARTS FESTIVAL’’ ,to be held in Kisumu City as from the 7th_8th December 2012 at the Kisumu Social Centre, a centre that propelled Victor to fame in artistic world. The festival will feature performing and visual arts, symposia (paper presentations on democracy and peace building) films and photo exhibitions. The late Victor Ogolla Nyangore was greatly involved in peace building initiative and peace education through the medium of arts both in Kenya and in Sudan. He participated in various peace education in creative arts performances and training in Mount Kenya District during land clashes supported by Action Aid Kenya.(1994_1995)He was part of the Kenya delegation sponsored by UNESCO to Sudan for interactive workshop and the launch of the Africa Association of Drama for Peace(A.A.D.P),an organization which focuses on the use of drama/theatre and peace education/peace building and seeking sustainable reconciliation amongst all peoples in Africa. The Misango Arts Ensemble therefore seeks the national and international development partners interested in a holistic peaceful transformation through the medium of arts to promote democratization process. The festival therefore will be a forum for actively engaging the community in a unique, creative, stimulating, memorable and thought provocative way. We hereby appeal to well wishers and development partners to support THE VICTOR OGOLLA NYANGORE PEACE ARTS FESTIVAL. AKECH OBAT MASIRA DIRECTOR.