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Founded in 1961 by the International Theatre Institute (ITI), World Theatre Day was created to celebrate theatre around the world, with various national and international events organised to mark the occasion.
Each year, a theatre figure (artiste, educator or enthusiast) of world stature is invited to share his or her reflections on theatre and international harmony in the hope that it will be read on or around March 27.
This year’s message came from accomplished playwright, actress, director, academic and humanitarian Dr Jessica Kaahwa from Uganda.

The international message is read at all World Theatre Day celebrations around the globe and in Zimbabwe the celebrations were scheduled to be held at Theatre in the Park yesterday where the chairman of the steering committee of the ITI Zimbabwe Centre, Zane Lucas, was supposed to deliver the national message.
The Zimbabwe Theatre Association (ZiTA) also celebrated the day yesterday at the Jameson Hotel by holding their inaugural Zimbabwe Theatre Awards.

Thirteen individuals and institutions across the Zimbabwean theatre scene were scheduled to be honoured at the event, which also saw a presentation of Peter Churu’s new play, Beauty and the Ugly, featuring Rutendo Chigudu and Tatenda Mangosho.

Below is the World Theatre Day message by Dr Kaahwa.
Today’s gathering is a true reflection of the immense potential of theatre to mobilise communities and bridge the divides.
Have you ever imagined that theatre could be a powerful tool for peace and reconciliation? While nations spend colossal sums of money on peacekeeping missions in violent conflict areas of the world, little attention is given to theatre as a one-on-one alternative for conflict transformation and management. How can the citizens of mother earth achieve universal peace when the instruments employed come from outside and seemingly repressive powers?

Theatre subtly permeates the human soul gripped by fear and suspicion, by altering the image of self and opening a world of alternatives for the individual and hence the community. It can give meaning to daily realities while forestalling an uncertain future. It can engage in the politics of people’s situations in simple straightforward ways. Because it is inclusive, theatre can present an experience capable of transcending previously held misconceptions.

Additionally, theatre is a proven means of advocating and advancing ideas that we collectively hold and are willing to fight for when violated.
To anticipate a peaceful future, we must begin by using peaceful means that seek to understand, respect and recognise the contributions of every human being in the enterprise of harnessing peace. Theatre is that universal language by which we can advance messages of peace and reconciliation.

By actively engaging participants, theatre can bring many a soul to deconstruct previously held perceptions, and, in this way, gives an individual the chance of rebirth in order to make choices based on rediscovered knowledge and reality. For theatre to thrive among other art forms, we must take the bold step forward by incorporating it into daily life, dealing with critical issues of conflict and peace.

In pursuance of social transformation and reformation of communities, theatre already exists in war-torn areas and among populations suffering from chronic poverty or disease. There are a growing number of success stories where theatre has been able to mobilise publics to build awareness and to assist post-war trauma victims. Cultural platforms such as the “International Theatre Institute” which aims at “consolidating peace and friendship between peoples” are already in place.

It is therefore a travesty to keep quiet in times like ours, in the knowledge of the power of theatre, and let gun wielders and bomb launchers be the peacekeepers of our world. How can tools of alienation possibly double as instruments of peace and reconciliation?

I urge you on this World Theatre Day to ponder this prospect and to put theatre forth as a universal tool for dialogue, social transformation and reform. While the United Nations spends colossal amounts of money on peacekeeping missions around the world, through the use of arms, theatre is spontaneous, human, less costly and by far a more powerful alternative.
While it may not be the only answer for bringing peace, theatre should surely be incorporated as an effective tool in peacekeeping missions.

Dr Kaahwa lectures in the Departments of Drama and Literature at Makerere University, Uganda. She has been the architect of a number of initiatives that have sought to use theatre and media as a constructive force in conflict settings and for health improvement.
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