conflict & communication online, Vol. 13, No. 1, 2014
www.cco.regener-online.de
ISSN 1618-0747

Valentina Baú
Telling stories of war through the screen. Participatory video approaches and practice for peace in conflict-affected contexts

By bringing together literatures of Communication for Development and Conflict Transformation, this paper provides a theoretical illustration of the impact of participatory video as a tool for overcoming hostility among groups, as well as for healing and re-connecting communities that have endured loss and suffering as a consequence of civil war and inter-communal violence. This is accompanied by a number of practical experiences of projects implemented by organizations on the ground.
This type of scenario, often characterized by a lack of dialogue among groups, has been recognized to be fertile ground for the setting up of community media, where people are given the means for self-expression. In particular, video productions created through participatory methodology can be effective tools for dealing with the hostility and grief that linger after a civil war, as they provide those channels of communication that are needed for effective development interventions aimed at community healing.

The author:
Valentina Baú is a PhD candidate at Macquarie University (Sydney, Australia). Over the past seven years, her work has been focused on the use of communication in development; she has collaborated with different NGOs, the United Nations as well as the Italian Development Cooperation. She has lived and worked in various African countries. At present, her research looks at the use of Communication for Development in Peacebuilding, particularly through the use of participatory media.

Address:Macquarie University, Department of Media, Music, Communication & Cultural Studies (MMCCS), Building Y3A, North Ryde 2109, Sydney, Australia.
eMail: valentina.bau@students.mq.edu.au