Dilem : Pour la Paix !

lundi 8 décembre 2008

Cartooning for Peace draws a line against intolerance

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 11:09p.m.

Twenty cartoonists from fifteen different countries are trading satirical secrets in the capital this week.
However, it is a lot more serious than your average doodle convention. Cartooning for Peace is about drawing a line against intolerance.
It is the brain child of French political cartoonist Jean Plantureaux, who is better known as Plantu.
Plantu says his work is about being intelligent rather than offensive.
The former medical student is in New Zealand to learn about what we can and can not get away with when using pen and paper here.
“If you compare you taboo and my taboo it’s like a bridge to the future,” says Plantu. “Because we can understand all the people.”
Helping Plantu understand kiwi taboos is Guy Body. He sees the event as vital in raising awareness about cartooning.
“There is always a danger of being threatened… if you’re misunderstood,” explains Mr Body. “One of the purposes of cartooning for peace is freedom of the press, which is certainly under attack nowadays.”


Ali Dilem shares this thought. He is an Algerian cartoonist who has been arrested seven times for his controversial work.
Dilem says he will keep putting his opinions on canvas, but living in a country with alleged ties to terrorist group al-Qaeda and a history of brutal internal conflict makes speaking out difficult.
Cartooning for Peace runs until the end of the week.
Despite the event's name, these cartoonists are the first to admit if the world did stop warring they would be out of a job.