Ambassade des Etats-Unis d’Amérique
Communiqué de presse – BAM2014-
USAID-MALI
March 25, 2014
“Reconciliation through Art”: With USAID’s support, Malian artists work through the trauma of the past to create beautiful works on the themes of peace and reconciliation
Bamako, MALI — The United States Government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and in partnership with Bogolan Kasobane Group, launched an art exhibition entitled “Kawral” having peace, reconciliation and social cohesion on Thursday evening March 20, 2014. The artwork and program highlight themes of peace, reconciliation and integration. The opening ceremony and the exhibition took place at the Museum of the District of Bamako and was well attended.
The exhibition, supported by USAID’s Office of Transition Initiatives, was launched in Mopti, where the artists worked in residence for three weeks during March. The works were displayed at the Alliance Francaise in Mopti, giving residents in the area an opportunity to experience the works, as well. This project allowed Malian men and women to reflect on the hard process of reconciliation, that demands accepting not only that there are different point of views, but accepting that these different perspectives must be included as an integral part of the social fabric, and which demands true forgiveness.
Since 2012, the U.S. Government has supported several activities to promote peace and reconciliation through art, including the exhibition “Photo Trasition,” local dialogue in Niafunke and Douentza, a theater caravan along the Niger and an inter-neighborhood theater competition in Timbuktu. “Kawral” represents the process of dialogue and the reconstruction of the social fabric, both essential to true reconciliation. The exhibition will be displayed at the Museum of the District of Bamako until March 30.
