”Both journalists and theater practitioners and artists and musicians – have been some of the most powerful people that have taught me these lessons. And we often can find ourselves denigrating or dismissing creativity and imagination. We are often rewarded for a more analytical fact-based view of things, and yet that often holds us back from seeing where our lines of perception can meet.”
Host Eva Dalak interviews Lena Slachmuijlder, whose ongoing journey spans from South Africa's anti-apartheid activism to pioneering efforts in media and technology-based peacebuilding. After living and working in Africa for 21 years, with many of those years in active war zones for peaceful coexistence Lena shares her experiences in fostering social justice, working with Search for Common Ground, and her current focus on the intersection of peace building and technology.
Their discussion illuminates key steps about how we can reframe the impacts of tech and AI : why activating peace from within is a key step in de-polarizing social media, and why pro-social tech design can cultivate social cohesion. Lena's stories from conflict zones around the world highlight the importance of trust, dialogue, and the human capacity to change. For nearly 3 decades, Lena has been offering her unique blueprint of having worked for peace and social change, as a journalist, writer, producer, performing artist, trainer, and project director.