Dissonance Searching for Resonance: An Open Letter to TRANSCEND Members and Friends
TRANSCEND News, 10 Jan 2022
Robert Kowalczyk - TRANSCEND Media Service
Dear TRANSCEND Members and Friends,
Needless to say, if you are a frequent writer, contributor, or visitor to the TRANSCEND Media Service website, you are aware of the unique significance this Weekly Digest offers both as a beacon and archive. Thirteen years of thought on major global issues from a wide variety of peace and conflict transformation perspectives. You also must be aware of the financial difficulties that TMS now continues to face.
I myself have had difficulties this year in contributing due to the simple reason that Japan is one of the most bureaucratically burdened countries from which to send a monetary contribution. I have tried all the possibilities that are listed on the TMS website without success. Perhaps many are facing a similar problem.
If there is any doubt about the importance of the past writings, I suggest a look at Archives tab on the website which dates from 3 Mar 2008 to this current edition.
Where do future peace journalists, scholars, researchers, and students go for such a treasure house of thoughts, analyses and opinions? As far as I know, there is nothing to compare with those writings found on TMS. If the reader should know of others, please add a comment to this article.
Certainly a university with active programs in Peace Studies, a Museum for Peace, or an individual, such as a celebrity or philanthropist, can make a contribution and work with TMS while allowing it to retain its open and freely expressive and accessible views. Why is it that no one in the TRANSCEND family, with a sincere bow to Johan Galtung and wife Fumiko, has been able to offer a suggestion to one of those sources of sustainability for this invaluable storehouse of acumen and reflection?
I suggest that during the month of January 2022, each writer who has contributed and continues to contribute articles to TMS reflect on this most important dilemma, both for this year and in order to keep the archive extant for the foreseeable future. I further suggest that any thoughts as to what might be a proper and dignified way (non-corporate, of course) to assure that TRANSCEND Media Service remain online as long as peace studies, journalism, art, and activities be published at the top of the January 24th issue.
In this Age of Dissonance, let us begin this year with a resounding resonance that will continue to echo for many years to come.
Please give this some thought.
Sincerely,
Robert Kowalczyk
Kyoto, Japan
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Robert Kowalczyk is a member of the TRANSCEND Network for Peace Development Environment. He is former Professor and Department Chair of the Department of Intercultural Studies in the School of Art, Literature and Cultural Studies of Kindai University, Osaka, Japan. Robert has coordinated a wide variety of projects in the intercultural field, and is currently the International Coordinator of Peace Mask Project. He has also worked in cultural documentary photography and has portfolios of images from Korea, Japan, China, Russia and other countries. He has been a frequent contributor to Kyoto Journal. Contact can be made through his website portfolio: robertkowalczyk.zenfolio.com.
Tags: Peace Journalism, TRANSCEND Media Service
This article originally appeared on Transcend Media Service (TMS) on 10 Jan 2022.
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