Music as dialogic space in the promotion of peace, empathy and social inclusion

This article considers ways in which music can contribute to the development of social synchrony in situations of social uncertainty generated by global conflict and widespread population movements. Noting Lederach’s view that conflict resolution has an aesthetic and creative dimension, music can be seen to form a dialogic space in which shared meanings can be co-created and through which multiple and sometimes conflictual viewpoints can be expressed in order to facilitate peace-building. At the same time, the dialogic spaces entailed in musical interactions can promote empathy, whether these are initiated by individuals in naturally occurring social settings or on a larger scale by institutions committed to developing social inclusion or promoting conciliation. In exploring these issues, I draw on my current research involving newly arrived forced and voluntary migrant children and young people in Australia, in addition to research from the fields of music education, ethnomusicology, evolutionary musicology, psychology, refugee studies and peace studies.