“Je Suis Charlie ... Or Am I?”

Cartoons in Conflict Dialogue

Ballymoney Community Resource Centre and Community Dialogue organised this topical dialogue in the aftermath of the killings of the charlie hebdo journalists in Paris, to invite discussion about freedom of speech, respect for the religion and cultures of other communities and the war against conflict.
The dialogue took place at BCRCon Thursday 22 January and was attended by 17 people who came from across Northern Ireland, and also France, Italy and India. In addition there was a representative of the Muslim community in Northern Ireland.The workshop featured an exhibition of cartoons which grew out of societies in conflict. Featuring some 35 cartoonists from more than 20 countries, the exhibition was the idea of The Parents’ Circle, a group of bereaved Palestinian and Israeli families who wanted to highlight the futility of violence in the region.The exhibition itself came about from a dialogue amongst a group of bereaved relatives. Artists who have contributed work to Cartooning in Conflict include Pulitzer Prize winners Pat Oliphant and Jim Morin; Polish-born satirist Andrzej Krauze; Britain’s David Bromley, and Japan’s Norio Yamanoi.
The dialogue workshop provided a forum to ask questions such as:

  • Does freedom of speech carry responsibilities? Is there a fine line for discussion which we should not – must not cross?
  • Has satire got out of hand – have we reached the point at the point is lost in the cruelty of the satire?
  • Do we have the right to criticise other religions?

The Dialogue Process and the Cartoons

Dialogue opens up questions about our own thoughts and beliefs. This dialogue was prompted by the fact that so many people across the world were affected enough by events in Paristo protest about them in their millions. A number of participants were also reminded of the Northern Ireland conflict and intimidation experienced by journalists in this country before, during and after the Troubles, with one commenting that although there had been many demonstrations here, nothing on the scale that had been seen in the last week.

Each participant was invited to pick out one cartoon which meant something special to them as an individual and asked “ how does the cartoon you have chosen make you feel”? The group was further assured that “there is no one truth. You see your own truth.”

There was a consensus in the group that while the cartoons on show provoked thought and discussion, not one was designed to offend, unlike those in the Charlie Hebdo magazine which several participants believed to have been deliberately offensive and intended to hurt. One participant remarked that every cartoon showedat least two sides of the conflict, and another that the media often whipped up the sentiments that incited conflict. There was an undercurrent of anti-media sentiment in the room, and strong support for the concept of freedom of speech coming with responsibilities.

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The Cartoons

JimO’Neill then introduced the group to the cartoons which were exhibited in the room.

The cartoons had been commissioned to showcase the futility of violence and each cartoon is a personal representation of that belief and also a reflection of the work of Parents’ Circle – Families forum to bring understanding to the wider community.

Caricatures can be cruel, but while some artists often made cynical works, there were others who did not - both optimism and pessimism can provoke people to action. Each participant was invited to pick out one cartoon which meant something special to them as an individual and asked “ how does the cartoon you have chosen make you feel”? The group was further assured that “there is no one truth. You see your own truth.”

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(This cartoon was not part of the original exhibition but is one of a number which appeared in the Arab press after the Paris killings and was printed for the dialogue)