Social Cohesion Through Poetry and Language

In a world where words are often silenced, an evening  hosted  by the Center for Dialogue and Conflict Transformation of  “Peace Encounters: With Muted Voices”  invited participants into a space where language becomes resistance, and poetry becomes a pathway to peace.

This event at LCC International University in April focused on the powerful legacy of Ukrainian poets of the 1960s: Vasyl Symonenko, Vasyl Stus, Lina Kostenko, Serhiy Zhadan — voices that, though muted by Soviet repression, continue to resonate across time. Many of these poets faced persecution, censorship, and imprisonment for their work. And yet, through hardship and silence, they crafted poems that spoke of identity, dignity, and the human spirit. As a Psychology Junior student mentioned “Even when voices are muted, poetry speaks.”

Together, we listened to and analyzed short works from this courageous generation of writers. In doing so, we explored how literature — especially in times of oppression — becomes a vessel of truth, a keeper of culture, and a tool for peacebuilding.

An IRD freshmen reflected on the event stating that   “Language holds the power to heal, to resist, and to inspire.”

In every line written under pressure, there is resilience.

In every verse, the refusal to be erased.

In every shared word, the possibility of peace.