On May 27th, 2026, MOMRI Director Olivier Urbain, Research Fellow Elaine Sandoval, and Affiliates Mary Cohen, Gideon Danja, and Kevin Shorner-Johnson were privileged to present the webinar “Music in Peacebuilding: Scholars’ Actions from the Min-On Music Research Institute (Tokyo)” for UNESCO Culture and Arts Education Week, sponsored by the International Society for Music Education (ISME) and the World Alliance for Arts Education (WAAE). UNESCO Culture and Arts Education Week runs from May 25-31, 2026.

The webinar was attended by over 40 people from all around the world, including Bangladesh, Israel, Italy, Norway, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, and Turkey. MOMRI Director Olivier Urbain opened the panel by presenting Min-On and MOMRI’s history and efforts in promoting access and connection, followed by an overview of the 4-Dimensional Peacebuilding framework he developed first in his 2020 keyword on “Peacebuilding” and more recently through his article “Musicking, Consciousness, and Peacebuilding” with MOMRI Research Fellow Michael Golden.

Next, Gideon Danja shared about his work in Nigeria to rejuvenate gulum music in the context of insurgency and violence, as well as other projects he has developed in pursuit of his 3 goals of: restoring cultural dignity; creating dialogue where silence and fear exist; and empowering communities to tell own stories. Kevin Shorner-Johnson shared about the process of developing the 50+ episodes of his Music and Peacebuilding podcast, as well as the framework of mutuality, agency, and imagination that he cultivated to underpin the Music and Peacebuilding MA program at Elizabethtown College. Mary Cohen shared about her work with the Oakdale Community Choir and the shift into her current work with students at the University of Iowa to engage concepts of generative justice, particularly through becoming penpals with incarcerated individuals. Elaine Sandoval introduced the MOMRI Hub as a digital space built to platform and give visibility to the concept of Music in Peacebuilding, and invited everyone to join in sharing their work there.

The Zoom chat was active throughout the webinar, and we had a solid Q&A and discussion thanks to engagement by several participants. Topics discussed included the relationship between peacebuilding, pedagogy, and community music engagement; the use of music therapy with vulnerable learners; the importance of grassroots music technology and focus on skill-building for marginalized youth; the role of community music in sharing lived experiences and rebuilding social connection; and philosophical questions linking music, virtue ethics, restorative justice, and generative justice. MOMRI was also very happy to see many friends and colleagues join in the audience, especially from our Dialogue Network community!

Thank you in particular to Mary Cohen for organizing and chairing this panel! We also thank ISME President Patricia Gonzalez, ISME CEO Ryan Zellner, and ISME President-Elect Jody Kerchner for their gracious invitation, engagement, and support. MOMRI is grateful that we had the opportunity to join in celebrating UNESCO Culture and Arts Education Week!