A Note From The Director

Listening to some radio talk show hosts and overhearing some folks communicate with each other, I get the feeling that we--as a society--might be about to lose the art of decency of speech. It also seems to me that we--as a society--become increasingly unable to disagree with each other.
Instead, we revile and vilify our opponents. Heads of state in this country and abroad are called "traitors", and locally, one is bewildered by an outpouring of hatred, animosity and physical violence towards the "Other"--be it: Hispanics, African-Americans, Native-Americans, foreigners, gays and lesbians, pro-choice people or people with progressive views.

As the Director of the Center for Holocaust, Genocide & Peace Studies, I am convinced that words of hate can lead to acts of physical violence. This vicious cycle of hateful words to hateful actions needs to be broken.

Thus far, the Center has organized several successful public events, and the staff of the Center has been invited to speak in local schools about issues concerning the Holocaust, genocide and peace. But it is not enough to only talk. If we want to reach those most susceptible to hateful proclamations--namely our kids between the ages of 11 to 17--we need to engage them on a different level as well. To this effect the Center is planning a unique Festival for Peace.

In this Festival for Peace the students of Washoe County will be the STARS. They will share the stage with local choirs, musicians from the university, and poets and artists from the Truckee Meadows. Specifically, the Center wants to hear from young people in grades K-12 what peace means to them--from sharing toys to growing up in an environment free of fear and violence. We want to encourage students of all ages to create posters for peace, poems for peace, skits for peace, dances for peace. Furthermore, we want them to do a PR -- a Peace Rap.

As you all know, rap music is the most popular musical form among young people. For the most part, rap music is racist, violent, homophobic, misogynist. We want to turn that around and have kids tap their feet in a Peace Rap finding words that rhyme with peace, respect and tolerance.

This outdoor festival and concert for peace is going to take place in late May next year just before the end of the school year. An exiting Festival for Peace under the auspices of the Center for Holocaust, Genocide & Peace Studies will increase the credibility of "university folks" in the eyes of many young people. In the past, all too often we have showed up in their classroom to teach "from up high".

But recent events in our community dictate that we work together "peace by peace" with other concerned citizens and officials toward conflict resolution, prejudice reduction and peaceful social relationships. This can be achieved through teaching, through workshops, through courses of study, through the arts and a concert for peace.

Viktoria Hertling