The goal to broaden the scope of our research and focus on the ethical issues involved in the literary and cultural representation of conflict and positively influence both UAB students and society in general has been realized through the project “Words Beyond War: Fostering Academic and Community Dialogue through Literature.” This project has been awarded funding by the Fons de Solidaritat de la UAB (Fundació Autònoma Solidària) to conduct a range of educational activities focused on awareness, debate, and conflict resolution. The key activities will include:
- Workshops on the Theatre of the Oppressed: Based on Augusto Boal’s methodology, these workshops use theatre as a tool for social and personal transformation, allowing participants to perform their own stories and reflect on power dynamics and social injustices. The main technique, “forum theatre,” invites the audience (“spect-actors”) to intervene and suggest solutions to the conflicts presented.
- Role-Playing Sessions: They focus on immersing individuals or small groups in specific characters or situations, allowing them to experience and understand various perspectives more directly. These sessions create fictional contexts where participants adopt roles and explore emotions, decisions, and consequences from the perspective of migrants or refugees.
- Storytelling Sessions: These sessions provide a platform for migrants and refugees to share their personal stories through narration and song.
- Seminars on Sensitisation and Training: Discussions on the repercussions of war, the value of memory and postmemory, and the role of literature in promoting peace.
- Pre-Activity Training Course: Intensive preparation for participants to actively engage in the proposed activities, through the promotion of empathy, intercultural understanding, and conflict resolution strategies.
These activities will be conducted in collaboration with the association KUDWA and involve various members of the academic and local community.
