Forum Theatre for Reconciliation: a drama-based approach to conflict transformation applied to socio-environmental struggles in Bolivia

Abstract

This paper examines how participatory theatre methods can be used to foster reconciliation and conduct research in communities affected by socio-environmental conflicts. We design and pilot a distinctive drama-based approach to conflict transformation that we call Forum Theatre for Reconciliation (FTR). The method furthers embodied intersubjective understanding as well as a critical analysis of structural causes of conflict. We discuss this approach applied to low-intensity communal conflicts linked to extreme wildfires in Bolivia, where fires exacerbate tensions between different communities and result in (sometimes) violent confrontation and polarising discourse. We identify three key innovations of this peacebuilding approach: rehumanising the Self and Other, co-creating complex and inclusive narratives of conflict, and devising collective response across different perspectives and experiences.