A very difficult problem for nations recently experiencing conflict and civil war is what to do with the weapons once the war is over. Disarmament is a difficult end to achieve, and perhaps even more challenging to maintain. Countries like Mozambique have found unique solutions.
One of my favorite projects for students is to investigate that very issue. We investigate not only how disarmament can be achieved but also, since it usually marks the end of a conflict, how it can also be part of a society's healing process. In the first link below you'll find some amazing pictures by photographer Jan Banning about a 1995 project in Mozambique started after its civil war ended in the 1990s. The project, called "Guns into Ploughshares," was started by church leaders as a way to begin to heal the wounds of the country's long civil conflict. The instruments of death and destruction literally became the instruments of healing and reconciliation. The other links are news stories on similar projects.
We'll be looking at the issue of human rights and art often in our discussion.
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