New Delhi-3 Oct.2024
The Nelson Mandela Centre for Peace and Conflict Resolution (NMCPCR), Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI), organized a workshop on “Creative Writing for Dignity: Trauma, War, and Poetry” on 1st October 2024. The keynote speaker and chief guest was Mr. Julio Cesar Diaz Calderon, a lecturer and researcher at the National Autonomous University of Mexico and MIT, USA.
The event was chaired by Prof. Md Mahtab Alam Rizvi, Director, NMCPCR, who welcomed the speaker and emphasized the importance of conflict resolution and peace building. Prof. Muslim Khan, Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, was the special guest and delivered a welcome speech, shedding light on the intensity of wars and their ramifications in today’s world, while underscoring the necessity for peaceful resolutions. Dr. Binish Maryam, Assistant Professor at the NMCPCR, coordinated the workshop.
Mr. Diaz introduced participants to the impact of political violence on trauma, with a focus on how creative writing can be used as a method to study and transform gender, sexual, and racial violence, particularly in university settings. His presentation delved into medical trauma definitions related to war, global political economies, and different types of traumas.
The workshop outlined six principles of creative writing aimed at cultivating care for trauma survivors, listening to diverse needs, and addressing inadequate responses to trauma.
Participants were encouraged to share their social justice projects related to trauma and war, linking them to global struggles and planning for social transformation. As part of the workshop, participants engaged in an activity where they wrote letters from the perspective of an ex-combatant to a victim of sexual or gender-based violence. Mr. Diaz provided positive feedback to the students who shared their letters.
The workshop concluded with a deeper understanding of how creative writing can serve as a tool for navigating trauma. Dr. Binish Maryam delivered the vote of thanks on behalf of the students and faculty of the Centre. The workshop was organized by the Subject Association of Nelson Mandela Centre for Peace and Conflict Resolution.