How to solve an ethnic war? Start an orchestra
mainMore than 7,000 people had been killed in Moslem-Buddhist fighting in southern Thailand when a regional administrator came up with the idea of inviting young people on both sides to form an orchestra.
What happened next?
Read (and watch) the BBC Thai report.
Photographs by Panumas Sanguanwong of BBC Thai
If Barenboim does it, you don’t like it.
Probably the Moslem and Buddhist youth that are killing each other in the streets don’t play Classical music. Thus, this initiative seems to be as effective as Mr Barenboim’s band in solving another conflict.
Well for those naysayers, maybe they should offer something that they would due to reduce tensions. Each of us in our own fields need to do something. It is all we can do
The late great jazz saxophonist, Phil Woods, said it best: “If a kid is holding a musical instrument, he can’t be holding a gun.”
Right on!
The kids who get involved in these things are probably middle class or higher and they eventually will become the opinion leaders and control the media which controls other people’s opinions.
If only it were that easy…