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Peace Plays
Johan Galtung, Vithal Rajan, S.P. Udayakumar
Peace studies are usually presented as essays, in social science,
political or philosophical-ethical discourses. This book is an
experiment with drama as peace discourse, by authors versed in the
other three. Drama is multi-angle and dialogical; it can be argued
that so is the road to peace. The authors know something about
peace, whether they can write drama is another matter. But those who
do usually know very little about peace.
Johan Galtung, born 1930 in Oslo, Norway, lives in Spain, France,
Japan and the USA, mainly engaged in mediation and research. He has
so far published about 150 books and over 1500 articles on peace and
related issues. 40 of his books have been translated into 33
languages, for a total of 134 book translation. He founded TRANSCEND:
A Peace, Development and Environment Network, in 1993 and was
founding rector of Transcend Peace University 2003-2007 and again
from 2011 (see www.transcend.org and www.transcend.org/tpu).
Vithal Rajan, born 1936 in Madras, now lives in Hyderabad, India. He
has a PhD from the London School of Economics. He worked as a
mediator for the church in Belfast; as faculty at The School of Peace
Studies, University of Bradford, and as Executive Director, the Right
Livelihood Award Foundation. He has founded several Indian NGOs. He
is an Officer of the Order of Canada.
S. P. Udayakumar was born 1959 in Nagercoil, Tamil Nadu, on the
southernmost tip of India, where he now lives with his wife and two
sons. He has an M.A. in Peace Studies from Notre Dame University,
USA, and a PhD in Political Science from the University of Hawaii. He
is a farmer, peace researcher, teacher, author and anti nuclear
activist.
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Peace
Plays
Johan Galtung
Vithal Rajan
S.P. Udayakumar
Table of Contents
Preface
The Cardplayers
A Political Drama in Three Acts
By Johan Galtung
The Spartan Conspiracy
A One Act Play
by Vithal Rajan
Sh...it Happens
A One Act Play
by S. P. Udayakumar
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Preface
Peace is spoken in many
languages. Like analytical, this is what peace is about. Learn it.
Like forecasting, if you continue like this you will suffer the
consequences. Be warned. Like remedy: speak: this is the narrow path
to peace. Walk it. The dialects are numerous.
Drama is a very rich language
family. There are elements of the three just mentioned. But then it
is metaphorical; the author may take you to strange places. There is
that of peace and there is not.
And it is dialogical, the author
sees the place through many eyes and tongues and angles. An
indispensable language, as complex as the subject matter. As opposed
to description, prediction and prescription, singly or combined.
Art? As somebody said, "reality
seen through a temperament". If temperament is evoked in the
reader, then maybe. Anyhow, it so happens that the three of us had a
penchant for using that language and the three plays found each other
and told their authors to bring them together.
Peace plays, plays about peace,
or peace playing itself out? All of that and more. Anyhow, Kumar is
an Indian from Tamil Nadu, Vithal is a Canadian Indian living in
Hyderabad, Johan carries the Norwegian passport of a country killing
Afghans and tries to be a world citizen. We are all familiar with the
three languages above, but felt the need for something more,
something above.
We hope they give you some
experience, maybe beyond learning, being warned and walking. Do write
us what you felt. Unless you just think we should go back to school.
We know that.
Much love to you all Â
Johan,
Vithal, Kumar
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