Our Pillars in Popular Media
Peace-building in TV Shows
Good Omens
This show presents a nuanced view of morality and challenges traditional notions of good and evil. The central characters, Aziraphale (an angel) and Crowley (a demon), defy their respective roles and form a close friendship. This portrayal encourages viewers to question rigid moral absolutes and consider the complexities of human behavior and choices. In the context of peacebuilding, this can encourage a more nuanced understanding of conflicts and the individuals involved.
Additional Information:
Release Date: 31 May 2019
Director: Douglass Mackinnon
Content/Age Warning: 13+, inappropriate language, depictions of violence.
Genre: Fiction
Bluey
This is a children's show that focuses on problem solving in ways that even adults have a hard time comprehending. It evaluates different problems that produce obstacles to separate characters and gives illustrative directions on how to work towards establishing a balanced atmosphere no matter if the disruption is caused. It encourages children to evaluate their own feelings, and the feelings of those they interact with, while also showing them how to understand the connection between emotions and actions. It provides comprehensive communication techniques to teach children how to build and maintain peaceful connections and relationships, while also telling them it is acceptable to protect themselves.
Additional Information:
Release Date: 01 October 2018
Director: Joe Brumm
Content/Age Warning: 0, suitable for all ages.
Genre: Fiction
Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir
This is a children's show that focuses on the necessity of teamwork in order to maintain peace. It shows how negative emotions can affect the way we interact with one another and how, in order to maintain or return to peace, we need to be able to address these emotions. It insists that peacebuilding can be done by anyone, of any age, so long as they have the intention of returning to the state of peace. It also points to the growing importance of technology in maintaining the peace, especially when it comes to storytelling about the peacebuilding process.
Additional Information:
Release Date: 01 September 2015
Director: Thomas Astruc
Content/Age Warning: 7+, cartoon violence.
Genre: Fantasy
Photo Credit:
Pose
A TV show that features the fusion of multiple cultures through language, dialogue, and the occasional chaos is exactly where audiences should be looking for peacebuilding structures. The combination and understanding of LGBTQIA+ culture alongside the integration of African-American and Latino traditions and culture create an atmosphere ready for paths of peace that should be taken and emulated in the real world. It reveals the positive effect that can come from engaging in conversations and that sometimes the path to peace is necessarily challenging to personal ideals or beliefs.
Additional Information:
Release Date: 03 June 2018
Director(s): Ryan Murphy, Steven Canals, and Brad Falchuk
Content/Age Warning: 17+, Suggestive/mature language, depictions of physical violence (brief but impactful), mature content, and depictions of drug use.
Genre: Fiction*
* (Based on real life, but features fictional characters)
Photo Credit:
Let the World See
This is a documentary that details the paths a mother will go to in order to restore her and her family's peace, while also shifting an entire movement along in its peacebuilding process. The documentary follows the steps of a mother fighting to bring her son's corpse home, and how this fight for recognition allowed for a peace path to be created and followed by an entire movement. It also documents how we sometimes must give up our own personal peace in order to benefit the peace of an entire society.
Additional Information:
Release Date: 06 January 2022
Program Director: Jeanmarie Condon and Fatima Curry
Content/Age Warning: 7+, references to violence.
Genre: Documentary