Local actor and producer Adrian Kawaley-Lathan has more than dreams when it comes to peace: he also carries a Masters degree in Peace and Conflict studies.

With tomorrow designated the International Day of Peace by the United Nations, Mr Kawaley-Lathan spoke to The Royal Gazette of his hopes to get Bermudians talking and overcoming their differences through the sharing of stories.

“One thing I’ve been thinking about is the concept of community building, reconstruction and rebuilding, through theatre and the arts,” he said.

After attending United World College’s Hong Kong campus, followed by the European Peace University in Austria, the founder of the fire performance company Rockfire Bermuda carries a background in the techniques of playback theatre.

“It’s the theatre of stories,” he said. “I’m talking about using my company and a space like the Bermuda Musical and Dramatic Society to get people together, so that they can tell their stories and have it be heard. It’s something that could be very good for Bermuda.

“The magic of it is you have actors trained in improvisation who can then play your story back to you on the stage. You always find there’s a little red thread that runs through the stories, and it’s about culture and community. As an actor, you have to listen very hard. You have to put some of the same skills that go into mediations.”

His background in the mapping of conflict encourages him to “look at situations as a whole and see how they join together”.

“Conflict is a neutral thing,” Mr Kawaley-Lathan said. “It naturally occurs and it’s not itself violent. Conflict presents opportunities for communication for creating creative solutions.

“Conflicts are often symptoms that represent larger, deep-seated issues. When gang violence springs up in a place, I’m sure it’s not just because there are guys who are bored, with guns. It takes an open mind to understand it, and an open society to confront the truths of where conflicts come from. And the truth versus what people want to hear are different things.”

He noted that Imagine Bermuda had gathered members of the public this weeky to listen to a live address by South African activist Archbishop Desmond Tutu, a prominent member of the country’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission held in the aftermath of apartheid.

“Not everyone was in favour of it, but that was a groundbreaking example, when you see how it was able to move the country forward,” Mr Kawaley-Lathan said.

“You need to have that reconciliation. Otherwise you get trapped in cycles of violence.”

The International Day of Peace, also known as World Peace Day, carries the theme this year of the right of people to peace.

The run-up to September 21 has been commemorated with peace-themed events around the world, including Bermuda.