The “Cartooning for Peace” initiative was launched in October 2006 by Kofi Annan and French newspaper Le Monde’s cartoonist Plantu in the wake of the cartoon crisis over Danish caricatures of the Prophet Mohammad.

The idea behind the initiative is that just as cartoons can provoke intolerance, they also offer the means for public opinion to “unlearn” intolerance.  Cartoonists, everywhere, can help us to think more clearly about culture of conflict and how we react to it.  And, perhaps, we the public can help cartoonists to think about how they can use their influence, not to reinforce stereotypes or inflame passions, but to promote peace and understanding.  Cartoons are a means of communicating to citizens in a way that is often clearer and simpler than writing.  Can Europe’s policymakers take advantage of that?

Plantu of Le Monde and eight other leading cartoonists from around the world, will talk about navigating the political and cultural minefields of their profession, and about the responsibilities of political cartooning.

Welcome address by:

Afsané Bassir-Pour, Director, United Nations Regional Information Center for Western Europe (UNRIC)

Featuring:

Plantu (France), Lars-Ole Nejstgaard (Denmark), Dilem (Algeria), Kroll (Belgium), Thembo Kash (Congo), Bahgory (Egypt), Rita Moukarzel (Lebanon), Kichka (Israel) and Jeff Danzinger (USA)