After the 2012 coup against the Malian government and the subsequent election of a new president, in June 2015 Mali signed a peace agreement to bring stability to the country. However, peace building has been difficult to achieve. Frequently, violence between armed state and non-state actors has escalated and heightened conflicts between ethnic groups, often leading to a cycle of violent attacks and counterattacks. In this unstable and dangerous context, civilians neither understand nor trust the peace agreement. The most recent Action Plan issued by the Prime Minister calls for the strengthening of the military but also recognizes the need for a wider and better understanding of the terms of peace and the creation of spaces for more inclusive dialogues.

The video animations that we have created through local discussions are designed to build new spaces on the ground for dialogue and the de-escalation of violence. These stories deal with some of the most contentious disagreements and painful experiences that have dominated Malian society for decades. They include the kidnapping of civilians, the recruitment of child soldiers, and the long-term harm and suffering that so many have gone through. Because survival and ultimately sustainable peace are also long-term processes, the stories in these video animations are open-ended. That is, they pose questions and invite dialogues rather than give final answers or prescribe solutions. Not every voice can be heard in these video animations. It is up to the audiences – the active listeners and dialogue participants – to listen to the voices that they do hear, to fill in the silences, and to press for clarification so that the long-term process of healing and better mutual understanding can begin.

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