"The five reports that make up this collection are variously concerned with humanitarian aid, social and cultural evolution, crisis response, the mitigation of cultural divides, and political unrest. The themes that bind them are an international movement towards public safety; a trust-based relatio ... nship between states and citizens; community led social development; and the capacity of social media and big data to make use of, and amplify, the thoughts and voices of under-represented elements of society. Importantly, the reports also begin to question the inluence these violent contexts are having on the development of social media, where communities in crises utilise and shape these new technologies though real-time engagement. The potential of these media is being maximised to such an extent that these platforms are under strain, and developers are increasingly learning how to adapt to the needs of a variety of audiences in volatile contexts." (Introduction, page 6) more

"Participatory theatre is an approach in which the actors interact with the public. Throughout the event, the public participates to adapt, change or correct a situation, an attitude or a behaviour that is developed during the show. The NGO “Search for Common Ground” combined forum theatre techn ... iques initially developed by Augusto Boal in Brazil in the 1960s with its own approach aimed at seeking collaborative rather than adversarial solutions to conflict in war-torn Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. This training manual first gives a brief introduction to participatory theatre and conflict transformation in general. Then, based on the experiences of over 600 performances, it presents practical guidelines for developing a participatory theatre process. They include: information collection; compiling information; scene development; character development; preparation of the performance location; interaction with spectators; and the skills of the conductor. Also some risks of participatory theatre are very briefly touched upon. This publication may not be sufficient to be put in practice by persons without theatre experience, as it does for example not offer practical advise on acting itself. Nevertheless, this is a very helpful introduction to the underlying principles of participatory theatre." (CAMECO Update 1-2010) more