Culture is a victim of war says Director General of UNESCO

Irina Bokova, Director General of UNESCO visited King's this week and spoke on 'Culture Under Attack - Preventing Violent Extremism' at an event hosted by the department of War Studies in the Weston Room at the Maughan Library during which she suggested that culture is in itself a victim of war. Attended by President & Principal Professor Ed Byrne, Deborah Bull, Assistant Principal (Culture & Engagement), former Vice Principal (Strategy) Professor Sir Lawrence Freedman, Dr Dov Lynch, Special Advisor, UNESCO, Professor Theo Farrell, Head of War Studies and War Crimes Research co-directors, Professor James Gow and Dr Rachel Kerr, this was the launch event for the King's Arts & Conflict Hub and was hosted jointly with the War Crimes Research Group. The event focused on the threat posed by extremist attacks on culture the refugee crisis, and in particular the urgent need to provide education to the large numbers of Syrian refugee and displaced children who otherwise risk becoming a lost generation. The Director General highlighted the importance of the role King's War Studies department plays in bringing scholarly research into the political sphere. She spoke about the changing shape of conflicts today, noting how culture has become a victim of war with cultural cleansing threatening identity and a sense of belonging for individuals, communities and countries. She warned of the threat posed by extremists destroying cultural diversity and encouraged us to view culture as a force of resilience and peace-building.