From Clouds of Chemical Warfare to Blue Skies of Peace: The Tehran Peace Museum, Iran
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| Title: | From Clouds of Chemical Warfare to Blue Skies of Peace: The Tehran Peace Museum, Iran |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Lewis, Elizabeth, Khateri, Shahriar |
| Source: | Journal of Peace Education. 2015 12(3):263-276. |
| Availability: | Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 325 Chestnut Street Suite 800, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Fax: 215-625-2940; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 14 |
| Publication Date: | 2015 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Descriptive |
| Descriptors: | Foreign Countries, Museums, Peace, War, Exhibits, Violence, Social Change, Consciousness Raising, Community Programs, Art Products, Workshops, Seminars, Oral History, Publications |
| Geographic Terms: | Iran |
| DOI: | 10.1080/17400201.2015.1092710 |
| ISSN: | 1740-0201 |
| Abstract: | Despite the limited number of peace museums around the world, there exists an essential role for existing peace museums to promote a culture of peace and peace education. The purpose of this article was to introduce the origins, rationale, scope and work of the Tehran Peace Museum in Iran. The concept of the museum is to facilitate peace education and develop peaceful environments drawn from the personal experiences of war survivors. The museum encompasses exhibitions about the horrors of chemical and nuclear warfare and is balanced with awareness programmes, bridge-building dialogues, connections with other peace museums and a comprehensive peace education programme catering for younger and older members of society. It offers the space and opportunity for a community of learning within the museum and welcomes fresh ideas and initiatives from visitors and volunteers. The Tehran Peace Museum is unique in its body of volunteers, men and women who have been directly affected by chemical weapons. They are involved in the Veterans Voices of Peace Oral History Project and actively voice the need for creating peaceful societies in today's world. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Number of References: | 15 |
| Entry Date: | 2015 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1082820 |
| Database: | ERIC |
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| FullText | Links: – Type: pdflink Url: https://content.ebscohost.com/cds/retrieve?content=AQICAHj0k_4E0hTGH8RJwT4gCJyBsGNe_WN95AvKlDbXJGqwxwG2WXmWtUBJ0kNGWKWwbtk4AAAA4jCB3wYJKoZIhvcNAQcGoIHRMIHOAgEAMIHIBgkqhkiG9w0BBwEwHgYJYIZIAWUDBAEuMBEEDFLInWqy7m_2dRy_GgIBEICBmvMrS_LEtThUSO9DDMgx9Dl38FvAS_zIvUp1-HoO45_UP1-7N6S1r-iky0ADMbVMYWABi8VoxG61ItW6UuiDjMSho3d1KO3rvY1cZTOVvGZp-nOgt5jMUZe1taZ63CEkTCUwxpBzEbRjNYPJjU6z5cR-9v-36Q7L4ZcJIDODGn2BoruBWXwLzrMCn4w4ahqnt-9ClaE5yI9nyXg= Text: Availability: 1 Value: <anid>AN0111177283;rfp01dec.15;2019Mar18.13:16;v2.2.500</anid> <title id="AN0111177283-1">From clouds of chemical warfare to blue skies of peace: the Tehran Peace Museum, Iran. </title> <p>Despite the limited number of peace museums around the world, there exists an essential role for existing peace museums to promote a culture of peace and peace education. The purpose of this article was to introduce the origins, rationale, scope and work of the Tehran Peace Museum in Iran. The concept of the museum is to facilitate peace education and develop peaceful environments drawn from the personal experiences of war survivors. The museum encompasses exhibitions about the horrors of chemical and nuclear warfare and is balanced with awareness programmes, bridge-building dialogues, connections with other peace museums and a comprehensive peace education programme catering for younger and older members of society. It offers the space and opportunity for a community of learning within the museum and welcomes fresh ideas and initiatives from visitors and volunteers. The Tehran Peace Museum is unique in its body of volunteers, men and women who have been directly affected by chemical weapons. They are involved in the Veterans Voices of Peace Oral History Project and actively voice the need for creating peaceful societies in today's world.</p> <p>Keywords: Tehran Peace Museum; chemical warfare; Iran–Iraq War</p> <hd id="AN0111177283-2">Background</hd> <p>The Tehran Peace Museum opened its doors to the public on 28 June 2011, but the journey started many years before. The idea for the museum began to take shape in 2005 following contacts between the Tehran-based Society for Chemical Weapons Victims Support (SCWVS) and the International Network of Museums for Peace (INMP). Visits to Ypres and Hiroshima deepened the resolve to create a museum environment whereby SCWVS could not only record the history of chemical attacks on Iran and its people, but also be a driving force for peace in the world.</p> <p>The Iranian military and civilians suffered from chemical weapons attacks during the Imposed War[<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref1">1</reflink>] of 1980–1988 with Iraq, resulting in a generation suffering from the consequences for the rest of their lives. It is their experiences and their desire to seek a peaceful environment for future generations, which developed the ethos of the Tehran Peace Museum.</p> <hd id="AN0111177283-3">History of chemical weapons</hd> <p>Although the exact date when chemical weapons were first made or used is a matter of historical debate, the first recorded instance in modern warfare occurred during the First World War (1914–1918). Despite international laws outlawing the use of asphyxiating weapons as agreed at the First (1899) and Second (1907) Hague Peace Conferences, in the Great War both sides used chemical weapons ranging from chlorine to phosgene and ultimately also to mustard gas[<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref2">2</reflink>] in July 1917 at the battle of Passchendaele near Ypres, Belgium. Consequently, mustard gas became known as Yperite and started the evolution of future chemical weapons of mass destruction.</p> <p>In her World War I memoir, <emph>Testament of Youth</emph>, the English wartime volunteer nurse and future pacifist Vera Brittain recorded the effects of mustard gas:</p> <p>I wish those people who write so glibly about this being a holy War, and the orators who talk so much about going on no matter how long the War lasts and what it may mean, could see a case – to say nothing of 10 cases – of mustard gas in its early stages – could see the poor things burnt and blistered all over with great mustard-cultured suppurating blisters, with blind eyes – all sticky and stuck together, and always fighting for breath, with voices a mere whisper, saying that their throats are closing and they know they will choke. (Brittain [<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref3">1</reflink>], 395)</p> <p>Indeed, after the Great War, the horrors of mustard gas weapons lead to the signing of the Geneva Protocol in 1925,[<reflink idref="bib3" id="ref4">3</reflink>] prohibiting the use, but not the storage or stockpiling, of biological and chemical weapons in international armed conflict.</p> <p>Yet, despite the legal prohibition of the Geneva Protocol, the words of Vera Brittain have echoed down the years and resonate clearly today with the anguish of many Iranians who are victims of chemical attacks.</p> <hd id="AN0111177283-4">Chemical weapons attacks in Iran</hd> <p>From the beginning of the Iran–Iraq War, there were reports of the use of gas on the battlefield, although these early attacks were most probably testing operations. However, in 1983, mustard gas attacks on the western front killed and injured several soldiers and it became quite clear that the Iraqis were using chemical weapons. There is evidence that in March 1984, a large-scale chemical attack involving both mustard gas and nerve agents took place on Majnoon Island, an oil-rich reserve in southern Iraq, during an offensive known as The Battle of the Marshes, or Operation Kheibar.[<reflink idref="bib4" id="ref5">4</reflink>] Such large-scale gas attacks continued in 1985 and 1986 on many fronts along the border.</p> <p>On 28 June 1987, Iraqi planes dropped mustard gas bombs on Sardasht, a town in the Iranian province of West Azerbaijan, where the population is largely of Kurdish origin. The bombs were dropped in two runs on four residential areas. Sardasht was close to the front line during the Iran–Iraq War. Although not a military zone itself, the town and its people were accustomed to the sounds of bombings and attacks. On the day of the June 28th attacks, the town's people were generally relieved that the bombs had not exploded.[<reflink idref="bib5" id="ref6">5</reflink>] They were unaware that these were in fact chemical bombs.</p> <p>The direction of the wind caused the mustard gas to spread throughout the town, including contamination of its medical facilities. Both residents and rescuers were contaminated by the chemicals and within the first few hours many people, mostly young children and the elderly, died from the effects of the gas. Today, around one-quarter of the population of Sardasht continues to suffer from the consequences of the chemical bombs (Ghanei et al. [<reflink idref="bib3" id="ref7">3</reflink>]).</p> <p>The Iraqi military continued to use chemical warfare throughout the war not only on Iranians but also on their own people. Chemical weapons attacks occurred along almost the entire 1200 km border between Iran and Iraq. Most of these chemical attacks occurred after Iranian military advances during battles and were an Iraqi technique intended to strike fear into soldiers and debilitate the Iranian military. Recently published reports reveal that more than 550 such attacks took place between 1983 and 1988. According to the United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) report, over 100,000 chemical bombs, rockets and shells were used against Iran.[<reflink idref="bib6" id="ref8">6</reflink>]</p> <p>After a series of written requests from Iran to the United Nations, the UN Secretary General, Javier Perez de Cuellar, finally agreed to send a delegation to Iran in 1984 to investigate the claims that the Iraqi military were using chemical weapons. Although the investigation exposed Iraq as a violator of the 1925 Geneva Protocol, the words of the findings fell on deaf ears. In February–March 1986 and again in April 1987, further investigations confirmed Iraq's use of chemical weapons, but the findings were again ignored by member states and the international community at large.[<reflink idref="bib7" id="ref9">7</reflink>]</p> <p>Unsanctioned by other world powers, Iraq was able to continue to use these weapons of mass destruction with impunity. This is evident in the genocidal attack on the Kurdish people in Halabja, a city in Southern Kurdistan on 16 March 1988 (Hiltermann [<reflink idref="bib5" id="ref10">5</reflink>]).</p> <p>The events in Halabja have been recorded in recent history as the worst chemical attack ever carried out against civilians to date. Over 5000 people were killed at Halabja, and it is estimated that approximately 10,000 people were injured. Halabja survivors continue to suffer today from eye and respiratory diseases, cancers and genetic mutations. At the time, there was little or no international condemnation of this heinous crime against humanity.</p> <p>The scars of the Iran–Iraq War are deep and painful for a significant number of Iranian veterans and civilians. Records show over 200,000 deaths directly attributable to the war, with 500,000 war-related disabilities. A total of 75,000 of those disabled by the war are registered chemical weapons victims. Many more people suffer from indirect trauma and injuries.</p> <p>Today, the victims of chemical weapons attacks in Iran are suffering a slow and silent death. At the time of the attacks, there was insufficient medical knowledge about the consequences of these particular gas attacks. In the years since the end of the conflict, this invisible disease has gradually revealed its characteristics. While the burns and blisters have gradually healed over time, victims continue to suffer from skin lesions. Respiratory diseases and limited lung capacity are amongst the most serious effects of inhaling mustard gas. Most victims have also had to cope with losing their eyesight, eye surgery for corneal replacement and blurred vision. Many survivors have been diagnosed with cancer and suffer from impaired immune systems. Neuropathic pain, depression and psychological disorders are also common, as well as stress and anxiety for the families of victims.</p> <hd id="AN0111177283-5">Origins of the Tehran Peace Museum</hd> <p>The Tehran Peace Museum's origins begin with the non-governmental agency, the SCWVS.[<reflink idref="bib8" id="ref11">8</reflink>] Founded in 2003, many of the SCWVS' members are victims themselves or family members of survivors and include volunteers from different sectors of society. In 2005, on Armistice Day, November 11th, a representative from SCWVS (Dr. Shahriar Khateri) participated in a conference organized by the city of Ypres at the In Flanders Field Museum on the use of gas in warfare at Ypres, Belgium, on the 90th anniversary of the gas attacks during World War I. Also at the conference was Dr. Peter van den Dungen of the INMP, and the suggestion was made to build a peace museum in Tehran focused on, but not limited to, the work of SCWVS.</p> <p>A visit to Hiroshima in Japan by members of SCWVS in August 2006 and meeting with the director of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum determined their resolve to create a peace museum. At that museum, members of the Iranian delegation were able to see for themselves the devastating effects of the atomic bomb dropped at the end of World War II on 6 August 1945. Chemical weapons survivors in Iran saw the parallels between their own suffering and that of their Japanese counterparts. The Iranians saw how survivors of the atomic bombing, in sharing their experiences, had become living history lessons for future generations about the devastating effects of war and nuclear weapons.</p> <p>In 2007, citizens from Hiroshima visited Tehran and met the city's mayor, Mr. Qualibaf, and entered into discussions about the importance of establishing a peace museum in the city. The mayor of Tehran, himself a veteran of the Iran–Iraq War, was enthusiastic about a peace museum opening in the capital, and soon after the first peace museum was created. In 2011, the Tehran Peace Museum as it stands today was opened to the public. Several international guests, including the director of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, attended the opening ceremony on 28 June 2011.</p> <p>The Tehran Peace Museum is funded by the Tehran municipality and the SCWVS. The museum relies heavily on its enthusiastic and energetic cohort of volunteers. It is also a member of the INMP, connected to a global network of museums collaborating on promoting a culture of peace.</p> <hd id="AN0111177283-6">Exhibits and raising awareness programmes</hd> <p>The Tehran Peace Museum has developed several awareness programmes. The exhibitions include a war room with informative panels, video screens and facts about the history of war since it began to be documented. Exhibits include photographs and artefacts from both World Wars and show the human cost, in both civilian and military casualties, of wars in recent history.</p> <p>The museum has a substantial section where visitors can view a history of chemical warfare from World War I to the Iran–Iraq War. In this section, there is an introduction to chemical weapons agents and the effects they have on health and on the environment. United Nations reports can also be accessed here.</p> <p>Oral history is one of the museum's focal points, and in the section on victims of chemical weapons, visitors can read first-hand accounts from civilian and military survivors. There are specific sections highlighting the gas attack on Sardasht in 1987, including photographic evidence of hospitals targeted during the attacks. Displays reveal the hidden casualties of war and the lingering effects of chemical warfare. There are also special corners dedicated to the Halabja massacre in 1988 and the use of Agent Orange during the Vietnam War (1961–1971).</p> <p>The museum has also introduced a 'higher form of killing' section,[<reflink idref="bib9" id="ref12">9</reflink>] which raises awareness about modern warfare and the use of prohibited weapons such as depleted uranium, landmines, cluster bombs and nuclear weapons. Information is also displayed about the legitimacy of such weapons under international humanitarian law (IHL).</p> <hd id="AN0111177283-7">Peace education</hd> <p>John Dewey wrote in <emph>Democracy and Education</emph> that people are 'Constantly striving to educate their successors not for the existing state of affairs but so as to make possible a future for a better humanity' (Dewey [manybooks.net]). At the Tehran Peace Museum, peace education is valued as a means to cultivate the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to create and sustain a culture of global peace. Through the museum's extensive peace education programmes, visitors, young people and students are educated about the horrors of chemical warfare and war in general. The peace museum's main focus is on finding ways to prevent violence and developing an approach to conflict resolution through open dialogue, creating international understanding and an appreciation of diversity.</p> <p>The Tehran Peace Museum feels a sense of responsibility to inculcate a desire for peace in all people. Commencing with finding inner peace within individuals, the museum expands this self-discovery to finding ways in which people, as global citizens, can make changes in their own and other societies with the ultimate goal of contributing to world peace.</p> <p>The museum welcomes on average around 1500 visitors each month, including visiting dignitaries from overseas, the local diplomatic community, nationally renowned artists and actors as well as regular group visits from school children within the city of Tehran and university students. A number of workshops and seminars are held at regular intervals specifically for university students related to IHL, disarmament, conflict resolution, peace and health and peace and the environment.</p> <p>Training in peace education is also offered to teachers and teacher trainers. The museum's connections with major centres of peace studies and peace research are detailed on its website. Museum representatives have attended courses on the Peace Boat, sharing ideas about peace education pursued by the museum, and connecting with and learning new ideas from other peace activists.</p> <hd id="AN0111177283-8">Art for peace</hd> <p>The Tehran Peace Museum regularly conducts workshops including Art for Peace, where children, students and adults are involved in drawing and painting projects as well as origami paper folding. Motived by the story of Sadako Sasaki,[<reflink idref="bib10" id="ref13">10</reflink>] the Hiroshima survivor who died at the age of twelve from leukaemia related to radiation from the nuclear attack, visitors learn of the ancient Japanese art of origami and the tale that if a person makes 1000 origami paper cranes when they are sick, the gods will help them to recover. While learning how to create these traditional paper cranes, visitors are informed also about the sad story of Sadako, nuclear disarmament and the role each person can play in seeking a peaceful world.</p> <p>The museum has joint international projects with the Lindau Peace Museum in Germany and the Peace House in Sweden. Currently, there is an ongoing exchange programme with the Berghof Foundation in Germany with volunteers from the Tehran Peace Museum visiting the foundation.</p> <p>The museum, which has a gallery of paintings crafted by both children and adults to share messages of peace, organizes temporary exhibitions of photography and paintings related to peace issues. A competition was held for children to design postcards with a peace message and the winning designs are now available for purchase in the museum shop. Likewise, winning entries from a photography competition on the theme of 'Peace and Smile' are now included in the museum's art gallery.</p> <hd id="AN0111177283-9">Peace education workshops and seminars</hd> <p>The museum holds a number of regular peace education workshops, as well as special workshops related to specific topics of current interest. Working closely with partners, it has signed an agreement with the International Committee of the Red Cross, to collaborate on areas of mutual interest. Regular workshops are held on IHL with the cooperation of the Iranian National Committee of IHL. The museum also regularly conducts seminars and meetings on issues related to disarmament and international treaties related to nuclear disarmament.</p> <p>The museum's close connection to the United Nations Information Center (UNIC) in Tehran enables it to hold several workshops, especially for law students, interested in learning more about the United Nations and how to navigate the UN's website to gather relevant information for their studies. Along with the support of UNIC, the museum facilitates an annual United Nations Security Council workshop and simulation exercise. In cooperation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, frequent workshops take place to educate interested individuals about the living conditions and everyday difficulties of refugees both within Iran and in other countries.</p> <p>The museum regards as one of its responsibilities the sharing of ideas about living in a peaceful and safe environment and works closely with a number of non-governmental agencies to hold seminars and workshops about the role of individuals in caring for and preserving their own as well as the global environment.</p> <hd id="AN0111177283-10">Remembrance</hd> <p>Remember me</p> <p>Duty called and I went to war</p> <p>Though I'd never held a gun before</p> <p>I paid the price for your new day</p> <p>As all my dreams were blown away[<reflink idref="bib11" id="ref14">11</reflink>]</p> <p>The Tehran Peace Museum values the need to remember those affected by war in any capacity. A number of memorial ceremonies and events on important dates are part of the museum's calendar. For instance, on April 29th, each year the museum hosts a ceremony to respect the International Day to Commemorate All Victims of Chemical Warfare. On this date, in 1997, the chemical weapons convention entered into force.[<reflink idref="bib12" id="ref15">12</reflink>] The national day for the campaign against chemical and biological weapons takes place on June 28th on the anniversary of the gas attack against the city of Sardasht in the north-western part of Iran. On September 21st, the museum celebrates the International Day of Peace with a variety of events, encouraging local and international visitors to join in the festivities. Recent celebrations have included young children from a local kindergarten entertaining guests with their own peace song, and local musicians sharing traditional Iranian music with messages of peace.</p> <hd id="AN0111177283-11">Chemical weapons survivors: oral history project</hd> <p>In the famous words of the philosopher George Santayana, 'Progress far from consisting in change, depends on retentiveness ... Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it' (Cohen and Cohen [<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref16">2</reflink>]). At the Tehran Peace Museum, an ongoing oral history project is committed to capturing the experiences and reflections of survivors of the gas attacks during the Iran–Iraq War. Interviewees are from the military as well as civil society, and their memories are recorded on video and also in written biographical accounts, the latter being accessible on the museum's website. The museum's oral history project offers exclusive material, which is used to enhance its peace education programme.</p> <p>By sharing their experiences of the war, survivors are able to record for posterity their eyewitness stories of the chemical attacks. In so doing, readers and viewers are able to engage and empathize with survivors and understand the human dimensions of the consequences of chemical warfare. Digesting these very personal stories enables visitors and readers to identify with the survivor, process the experiences of war and share the collective knowledge acquired to progress towards a common goal of achieving peace. Survivors, who share their deeply personal and often painful memories in this way, not only help themselves through this process of catharsis but also provide an immeasurable service to future generations in comprehending the nature of warfare and its debilitating effects on the survivors themselves and their families.</p> <p>In heading off to fight what they felt was a just war for Iran, most young men did not give any thought to the terrible consequences of conventional warfare, let alone the horrors of chemical weapons. The reflections by survivors all deserve to be told, and each survivor has vivid recollections of the chemical attacks and their immediate reactions. Most survivors relate their surprise at the simplicity of a chemical attack, as these weapons have no explosive detonator. 'We heard the first bomb explode. It was about 10 metres away from us and it sounded like a dull thud', says Ali Reza Yazdan Panah, a volunteer soldier during the war, gassed in an attack in 1987 in Khorramshahr. 'Suddenly, there was a strong smell of garlic in the air', he continues, describing the typical chemical reactions in the atmosphere.</p> <p>Survivors of chemical attacks have an overwhelming desire to give meaning to their lives and the consequences of their injuries. Many wish to share their experiences so as to raise awareness of the horror of such attacks and to ensure that they are not repeated in future. At the time of the Iran–Iraq War, most of Iranian society was unaware of the numerous medical consequences of the use of chemical weapons. Soldiers in the field reported that since they felt no immediate reactions after the bombs were dropped, they went on with their work as normal. The scientific evidence has since shown that nerve agents have immediate effects on victims with no latency period but with mustard gas attacks, symptoms appear with delay depending on the dose of the exposure as well as environmental considerations. Mustard gas symptoms can appear from anywhere between one and four hours after an attack. However, heavy exposure to liquid sulphur mustard can cause symptoms to appear within a matter of minutes.</p> <p>'It was when I was transferred to hospital,' says Ali Reza,</p> <p>two hours after the attack that the effects of the chemical bomb started to show on my body. My whole body was burning. My face, my eyes all felt like they were on fire and even my voice had changed to a rough, rasping sound. My throat and mouth were burning. When I got to the hospital, the medics took off my clothes and burned them ... I then started to feel nauseous for the first time, and started to vomit. The vomiting lasted for 24 h and the whole time I felt terrible pains in my eyes and my throat, and skin. It was a dreadful burning, scratching sensation.</p> <p>Jahanshah Sadeghi, an army paramedic who was gassed in his field hospital in 1986 in Soomar,[<reflink idref="bib13" id="ref17">13</reflink>] recollects,</p> <p>We were all being exposed to mustard gas. We couldn't avoid exposure. The gas was everywhere. I remember running into the operations room, and all the doctors had fallen to the ground. The room was full of gas. Shortly after the attack, the effects of the gas started to take effect. After about an hour, everyone started to vomit. It was no ordinary vomiting. It was like violent, projectile vomiting. I am not exaggerating when I tell you that people vomited so severely, that they started to vomit their own faeces. It was painful to experience and painful to watch. People started to lose their sight. We all felt like we were suffocating.</p> <p>The museum keeps records and photographs of survivors' injuries for visitors to see for themselves the abhorrent effects of chemical weapons. Many survivors also volunteer at the museum as tour guides and, despite the emotional pain often felt at sharing their stories, they willingly discuss their experiences with visitors and with journalists from within Iran and overseas. This unique opportunity for visitors to discuss war experiences with the survivors enables open-minded dialogues to take place and visitors are able to have a first-hand account of the cruelty of war and the importance of trying to prevent the repetition of such tragedies.</p> <p>The museum enables survivors and witnesses of chemical attacks to frame their war experiences in the wider context of their own lives since the time they were wounded. The severe injuries caused by chemical weapons and the medical treatments are documented and shared with visitors, who can see for themselves the slow death brought about by mustard gas and nerve agents. The vast majority of casualties suffer from skin blistering, corneal deterioration incurring difficult and limited eyesight, severe lung infections with drastically reduced lung capacity, breathing problems, sleep apnoea[<reflink idref="bib14" id="ref18">14</reflink>] and the possibility of developing cancer.</p> <p>In reading and listening to the reflections, visitors can visualize the suffering endured by survivors. 'The treatment was difficult and painful', says Hasan Hasani Sa'di,</p> <p>The worst thing for all of us was the daily visit to what we called <emph>Room Hell</emph> to have our blisters treated and the dressings changed. We named it Room Hell, because it was Hell. It was like going to a torture room every day. It was too terrible. We would cry like little kids when the nurse called our name. The doctors called it 'debridement'.[<reflink idref="bib15" id="ref19">15</reflink>] What happened was that every day, we were taken in wheelchairs to this room where nurses and doctors washed our skin. Then the doctor would cut off the top of the blister and cover our skin with a white ointment. Then they would put a new dressing on the skin. We couldn't wear any clothes or even a hospital gown, because the dressings were over our whole body. We were just covered with a single white sheet.</p> <p>While blistering and skin lesions recover gradually over time, all survivors suffer a lifetime of poor eyesight and repeated eye surgery for corneal transplants. 'My cornea had been completely burned. It felt like a curtain was pulled in front of my eyes', said Ali Reza. 'For one year, I couldn't see'.</p> <p>The museum has recorded the difficulties survivors have with lung complaints and difficulties in breathing. A number of the museum's volunteers are awaiting lung transplants and all are required to use a variety of machinery and mechanical devices to assist them in breathing during the day and particularly at night. As Jahanshah Sadeghi comments,</p> <p>I wish for a world without suffering. I wish that peace in this world would replace my coughing, my wheezing vocal cords. I wish that I could once again smell the aromas of all the beautiful flowers. I wish for one night, just one night, when I can relax and get a good night's rest. I wish for one night of peaceful sleep for my wife and my children.</p> <p>Survivors have shared how such difficulties prevent them from leading normal lives and holding down permanent employment. However, in volunteering at the Tehran Peace Museum, many survivors have found a new purpose in life – that of sharing their war experiences and consequently campaigning for peace. Volunteers explain how their work at the museum helps them to realize their own personal goals of being of use to society despite their daily suffering, and that they can spread the message of peace.</p> <p>'For me, now', explains Ali Reza,</p> <p>it is important that my life may mean something to others. The Tehran Peace Museum has helped to change my life, to change my perspective on what is important in all our lives. My wish is that people learn from what happened to me, that war is not the answer. It is my mission now, until my last breath, to share my story in the hope that people will understand how important it is to live a life of peace.</p> <p>Survivors of chemical attacks universally feel a sense of responsibility to give a voice to their past violent experiences in order to inspire action towards a peaceful future. The museum provides a safe haven for these survivors to become peace ambassadors and has created an enabling environment to discuss and develop means of securing world peace. Hasan Hasani explains,</p> <p>When the war was over, I felt that I had done my duty and that I had served my country well. I felt that my responsibilities to my country were over, that I had done my bit. But, when I started volunteering at the Tehran Peace Museum, I realized how wrong I was. I have a huge responsibility now to share my experiences and let others know about the consequences of chemical weapons. As a survivor, it is my responsibility to demonstrate the cruelty of war, to talk about peace.</p> <hd id="AN0111177283-12">People's diplomacy/war Veterans' diplomacy</hd> <p>In a country like Iran which is under the daily threat of possible military intervention, as well as suffering from the multilateral and bilateral sanctions imposed by the international community, and their debilitating impact on the lives of ordinary Iranians, it is the responsibility of a civil society organization like the Tehran Peace Museum to do its best to resolve tensions, use its capacity to lessen the risk of military conflict, and correct misunderstandings. In order to achieve this, the museum regularly seeks meetings with politicians and decision-makers by inviting them to the museum for discussions and meetings.</p> <p>Foreign diplomats, including ambassadors and members of United Nations agencies represented in the country, are invited to visit the museum and its exhibits and to take part in its regular awareness programmes and memorial events. The museum has a good working relationship with the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Iran. It has also developed a line of communication referred to as 'people to people bridges' with the US, Europe and the East. The museum participates in an annual exchange with the citizens of Hiroshima to share ideas and cooperate in peace diplomacy. There are also exchange programmes with non-governmental agencies in Belgium, Iraq, the Netherlands, and Vietnam. The museum is also involved in scientific exchanges between Iranian and American physicians in pursuit of best practices and up-to-date technology in the treatment of chemical weapons victims.</p> <p>Bridge-building exercises are one of the museum's focal points. In January 2014, a delegation of British parliamentarians from the British–Iranian Friendship Group, led by former UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, MP visited the Tehran Peace Museum along with Jeremy Corbyn, MP who is also chairman of the 'Stop the War Coalition' in the UK. During their visit, the discussion covered many of the current issues of particular interest to Iranians, including the sanctions and the consequences of not securing necessary medical supplies for chemical weapons victims. The successful outcome of the meeting led to a commitment of bridge-building between Iranian and British NGOs.</p> <p>April 2014 saw the successful, peaceful campaign to release five Iranian border patrol guards in the province of Baluchistan, where they were abducted by the Pakistani Al-Qaeda affiliated group, Jaish al-Adl. The museum started an e-petition campaign to collect one million signatures. More than one and a half million signatures were received and delivered to the Resident Coordinator of the United Nations in Iran, who subsequently handed them over to UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon. Sadly, one of the border guards was assassinated, but the other four were successfully released to the Iranian authorities. Although, indeed, many factors were at play in the release of the Iranian soldiers, the peace museum encouraged its fellow Iranians to find a solution through peaceful, non-violent means.</p> <hd id="AN0111177283-13">Tehran peace museum projects</hd> <p>In addition to its Oral History Project<emph>,</emph> Art for Peace and Peace Education, the museum has several other projects that are actively being pursued. The 'Lest We Forget' project supports survivors who are still hospitalized. The museum offers help and support to survivors and their families and helps to create a network of survivors to receive mutual and community support. This project also focuses on helping survivors facing financial difficulties to access medical support, and the museum advocates on behalf of those survivors who require extended medical care and social service support for their families.</p> <p>The 'Phoenix Project' is aimed at encouraging survivors of chemical warfare to become volunteers at the museum and in their own communities. Survivors attend workshops and are given training in how to conduct tours and share their own experiences in a meaningful manner with visitors. Volunteers are also given foreign language training to help them with their guided tours, as well as training in producing publications and materials to share their knowledge both within the museum and in outreach posts.</p> <p>The museum has recently begun the 'Nikihaye kouchak Project', which is the Iranian equivalent of the Random Acts of Kindness campaign. It aims to promote a culture of peace and kindness through a variety of means. Supporters help in any small way they can to show love and care to their fellow citizens such as visiting the sick in hospital, helping their neighbours, showing kindness to others they do not know and even just by expressing themselves in the universal language of smiling. The 'Peace and Smile' and 'Peace Tours' projects organize peace education tours to local and overseas war-torn areas, spiritual centres and ecological sites with a view to learning from the past and looking towards a future peaceful world. The project members are involved in choosing sites to visit, and working through the logistics and peaceful outcomes of each visit.</p> <p>The museum also runs an active 'Messengers of Peace' project, which focuses mainly on training survivors of chemical warfare to travel within Iran and overseas to attend conferences and workshops to raise awareness about peace through their own personal experiences. Participants in this project attend 10-h training workshops to learn the necessary skills to share their eyewitness accounts and to record and write reports of each visit and conference.</p> <p>The 'Travelling C-Bomb' exhibition is a key project whose sole purpose is to educate and raise awareness about chemical bombs and their effects. This travelling exhibit has been translated into a number of languages and uses archival photographs and documentation to educate those interested in learning more about such weapons. The Messengers of Peace are able to take this exhibit with them to all their conferences and it can also be sent to interested parties.</p> <hd id="AN0111177283-14">Publications</hd> <p>As a part of its peace education and advocacy programmes, the museum has published a number of journals, books and other materials. It also maintains an active website in both Farsi and English[<reflink idref="bib16" id="ref20">16</reflink>] outlining all the activities and listing current publications. The museum's website has links to publications covering the topics of Chemical Weapons, the Medical Aspects of Chemical Weapons and Peace Studies. The museum holds frequent book launches, to which Iranians and international residents are invited. It has a number of publications related exclusively to the victims of chemical weapons such as the photographic journals titled <emph>War Victims</emph> by Mehdi Monem and <emph>Voice of Silence</emph> by Ahmad Nateghi. The book <emph>Denied Truths</emph>, edited by Shahriar Khateri and Ruth Wangerin, depicts the stories of the thousands of women who were directly affected by chemical weapons attacks, and who continue to suffer the lingering effects today. The novel <emph>Chess with the Doomsday Machine</emph> by Dr. Habib Ahmadzadeh tells the story of a random group of people whose shared experiences in one small town during the Iran–Iraq War bring them together in a shared common humanity. A Canadian theatre company called 'One Light Theatre'[<reflink idref="bib17" id="ref21">17</reflink>] has recently dramatized the book.</p> <p>In collaboration with Dr. Kouki Inai and a team of Iranian and Japanese physicians, the museum published the <emph>Atlas of Mustard Gas Injuries</emph> (Inai [<reflink idref="bib6" id="ref22">6</reflink>])<emph>.</emph> This authoritative study of chemical weapons victims in Iran has been conducted by Japanese and Iranian physicians. It is an extensive project on international scientific collaboration for the purpose of humanitarian assistance to war victims and to help promote a culture of peace. This book, unique in its field, is the result of three years of endeavour by 18 Iranian and 9 Japanese doctors and is a comprehensive study on the health impacts of mustard gas, the diagnosis and treatment of exposure and related illnesses as well as a resource for health advice for survivors and their families. Copies of the <emph>Atlas</emph> have been distributed to universities and research institutes worldwide.</p> <hd id="AN0111177283-15">An umbrella for citizens' peace activities</hd> <p>The peace museum acts as an umbrella for the people of Tehran to meet and discuss peace issues. Social and cultural activities include the weekly 'Talk for Peace' meetings, which are open discussions where people from any nationality are welcome to attend and discuss peace or current topical issues in English. This popular event not only enables participants to practice their English language skills, but also helps to build cross-cultural and internationally minded friendships in a relaxed and respectful environment where members feel free to share their ideas with others. The museum is also home to Physicians for Social Responsibility, a group of physicians and health professionals who are involved in disarmament activities and social services for war victims. Physicians for Social Responsibility-Iran are the national affiliate of International Physicians for Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW).[<reflink idref="bib18" id="ref23">18</reflink>]</p> <p>The museum is also home to the 'Life and Hope' group for women, the wives of war veterans, who are widely recognized as the main supporters in the recovery and sustainability of their families. The group is a forum where wives of veterans can meet in private to discuss and share their problems and where they can find psychological and physical assistance to overcome their difficulties. In learning to cope with their own stress from supporting their husbands, the women are given help in improving their own life skills and spend valuable time discussing and learning how to acquire their own inner peace.</p> <hd id="AN0111177283-16">Museum volunteers</hd> <p>The museum relies on its cooperative network of willing and passionate volunteers. As well as the veterans who act as volunteer tour guides, the museum benefits from a large cohort of young and enthusiastic people. Young people and students who visit the museum and participate in the workshops often find themselves mesmerized by the work of the museum. Their own desires to seek a peaceful world often lead them to become involved within the museum as volunteers and messengers of peace. These young people enjoy the teamwork and cooperation, forge friendships and are free to share their ideas and initiatives in an open-minded and safe environment.</p> <hd id="AN0111177283-17">Looking to the future</hd> <p>The Tehran Peace Museum is also regularly involved in self-reflection and considering options for improvement. This issue of advocacy is one in which the museum is actively seeking to improve its national and international profile. Despite the internal difficulties with regard to the censorship of social media outlets, the Tehran Peace Museum has an active Facebook account and has recently joined Twitter and Instagram in order to spread the word of the museum's work and build bridges internationally with other peace organizations. In line with this advocacy development programme, the Tehran Peace Museum has recognized the need to recruit international interns to come and share ideas and spend time working at the museum. The internship programme is in its infancy at the moment with a nascent summer internship programme and it is hoped that this will expand in future.</p> <hd id="AN0111177283-18">Conclusion</hd> <p>The Tehran Peace Museum, through its exhibits and peace education and awareness programmes, aims to foster a culture of peace. The unique role of war survivors as eyewitnesses of the brutality of war is pivotal in educating the younger generation and informing visitors. It is important in a country like Iran, with a range of ethnic and religious differences, to educate people about tolerance, respect, open-mindedness and the need for peaceful coexistence. In the main hall of the museum, visitors can read a large, tiled exhibit of a verse from Sa'di,[<reflink idref="bib19" id="ref24">19</reflink>] one of Iran's most famous poets:</p> <p>Of one essence is the human race,</p> <p>Thusly has Creation put the base.</p> <p>One limb impacted is sufficient,</p> <p>For all others to feel the mace.</p> <p>The unconcern'd with others' plight,</p> <p>Are but brutes with human face.</p> <p>Every day, the staff and volunteers working in the museum, when reading these lines, are reminded why they come to the museum. They feel deeply in their hearts that there are peaceful resolutions to the world's conflicts and that everyone has a part to play in sharing this vital message.</p> <hd id="AN0111177283-19">Notes on contributors</hd> <p>Elizabeth Lewis is a UK national currently residing in Iran. A history graduate from the University of Glasgow, she has taught English as an Additional Language and specialized in Early Years Education in Austria, India, Pakistan and Thailand. She is married to Gary Lewis, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Iran. They have three daughters. She is a volunteer at the Tehran Peace Museum, where she coordinates the Oral History Project.</p> <p>Shahriar Khateri is a co-founder and formerly head of public and international relations of the Tehran Peace Museum. He studied medicine in Tehran and, since 1997, has been working in health programmes for war survivors. His main research interests are war and public health, psycho-social rehabilitation of war victims and the health impact of chemical weapons. Since 2014, he is a Senior Officer in the Assistance and Protection Branch in the International Cooperation and Assistance Division of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in The Hague, the Netherlands.</p> <hd id="AN0111177283-20">Disclosure statement</hd> <p>No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.</p> <ref id="AN0111177283-21"> <title> Notes </title> <blist> <bibl id="bib1" idref="ref1" type="bt">1</bibl> <bibtext> The Iran–Iraq War (1980–1988), known in Iran as the Imposed War, was a border dispute between the two countries over the Arvand Rud/Shatt al Arab Waterway in the Persian Gulf.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib2" idref="ref2" type="bt">2</bibl> <bibtext> Sulphur mustard, mustard gas, is a cytotoxic and vesicant chemical warfare agent. It is normally colourless and emits a smell similar to garlic. It leaves large blisters on the skin and causes damage to the lungs and the eyes.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib3" idref="ref4" type="bt">3</bibl> <bibtext> The Geneva Protocol was signed in Geneva on 17 June 1925 at a conference held under the auspices of the League of Nations and prohibited the use of asphyxiating, poisonous or other gases and of all analogous liquids, materials or devices.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib4" idref="ref5" type="bt">4</bibl> <bibtext> UN Doc: S/16433, 26 March 1984.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib5" idref="ref6" type="bt">5</bibl> <bibtext> Unlike conventional bombs, chemical bombs do not explode noisily, as there is no explosive device. The gas and chemicals leak out from the bomb itself to infect victims.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib6" idref="ref8" type="bt">6</bibl> <bibtext> UNMOVIC: Unresolved Disarmament issues, Iraq's Proscribed Weapons Programs, 6 March 2003, UNMOVIC Working document.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib7" idref="ref9" type="bt">7</bibl> <bibtext> United Nations Security Council. Report of the Specialists Appointed by the Secretary General to Investigate Allegations by the Islamic Republic of Iran concerning the Use of Chemical Weapons. S/16433, 26 March 1984.UN Document S/18,852, 8 May 1987 – United Nations Security Council. UN Document S/18866, 15 May 1987.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib8" idref="ref11" type="bt">8</bibl> <bibtext> <ulink href="http://www.scwvs.org/index.php/en">http://www.scwvs.org/index.php/en</ulink>.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib9" idref="ref12" type="bt">9</bibl> <bibtext> This section was inspired by ideas from the book <emph>A Higher form of Killing: The Secret History of Chemical and Biological Warfare</emph> (Random House [4]) by Robert Harris and Jeremy Paxman.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> <ulink href="http://www.hiroshima-is.ac.jp/index.php?page=sadako-story">http://www.hiroshima-is.ac.jp/index.php?page=sadako-story</ulink>.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Riley, Harry: Remember Me (The Voice of the Dead) <ulink href="http://www.warpoetry.co.uk/RemembranceB.htm#Remain">http://www.warpoetry.co.uk/RemembranceB.htm#Remain</ulink>.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> The <emph>Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction</emph> is administered by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> A border town in western Iran.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Sleep Apnoea is a type of sleep disorder characterized by pauses in breathing or instances of shallow or infrequent breathing during sleep.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Debridement is the medical removal of dead, damaged or infected skin tissue to help the healing process of healthy tissue.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> <ulink href="http://www.tehranpeacemuseum.org/index.php/en/">http://www.tehranpeacemuseum.org/index.php/en/</ulink>.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> <ulink href="http://www.onelighttheatre.com/chess.html">http://www.onelighttheatre.com/chess.html</ulink>.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> International Physicians for Prevention of Nuclear War (<ulink href="http://www.ippnw.org">www.ippnw.org</ulink>).</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Hilary Cremin is a senior lecturer at the Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge, who researches and teaches in the areas peace education and conflict resolution in schools and communities internationally. She has worked in the public, private and voluntary sector as a school teacher, educational consultant, project coordinator and academic. Hilary has been the principal investigator in a number of prestigious externally funded research projects, and has published her work extensively over a number of years. Her latest book is an edited collection, Sellman, E., Cremin, H., and McCluskey, G. (2014) (Eds) Restorative Approaches to Conflict in Schools: International perspectives on managing relationships in the classroom, London: Routledge <ulink href="http://www.educ.cam.ac.uk/people/staff/cremin/">http://www.educ.cam.ac.uk/people/staff/cremin/</ulink>. Sa'di Shirazi is one of the most famous Persian poets of the mediaeval period. His often-quoted poetry deals with social and moral conduct.</bibtext> </blist> </ref> <ref id="AN0111177283-22"> <title> References </title> <blist> <bibtext> Brittain, V. 2005. A Testament of Youth: An Autobiographical Study of the Years 1900–1925. (1st ed. 1933). London: Penguin.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Cohen, J. M., and M. J. Cohen. 2002. The New Penguin Dictionary of Quotations. (1st ed. 1960). London: Penguin.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Ghanei, M., J. Aslani, S. Khateri, and K. Hamadanizadeh. 2003. "Public Health Status of the Civil Population of Sardasht 15 Years Following Large-Scale Wartime Exposure to Sulfur Mustard." Journal of Burns and Surgical Wound Care 2(1): 7. Published March 11th 2003.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Harris, R., and J. Paxman. 1982. A Higher Form of Killing: The Secret History of Chemical and Biological Warfare. Toronto: Random House.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Hiltermann, Joost. 2007. A Poisonous Affair: America, Iraq, and the Gassing of Halabja. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Inai, K. 2012. Atlas of Mustard Gas Injuries: Building bridges between Iran and Japan through the relief of victims exposed to mustard gas. Japan:  Tehran Peace Museum.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Interview with Ali Reza Yazdan Panah, February 2014. Tehran Peace Museum.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Interview with Hasan Hasani Sa'di, March 2014. Tehran Peace Museum.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Interview with Jahanshah Sadeghi, March 2014. Tehran Peace Museum.</bibtext> </blist> </ref> <ref id="AN0111177283-23"> <title> Website Sources </title> <blist> <bibtext> <ulink href="http://www.un.org/disarmament/WMD/Bio/pdf/Status%5fProtocol.pdf">http://www.un.org/disarmament/WMD/Bio/pdf/Status%5fProtocol.pdf</ulink> </bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Dewey, John. Democracy and Education (manybooks.net).</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> <ulink href="http://www.merip.org/blisters-sanctions">http://www.merip.org/blisters-sanctions</ulink> </bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> https://<ulink href="http://www.un.org/cyberschoolbus/peace/frame.htm">www.un.org/cyberschoolbus/peace/frame.htm</ulink></bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> <ulink href="http://www.peaceboat.org/english/">http://www.peaceboat.org/english/</ulink> </bibtext> </blist> </ref> <aug> <p>By Elizabeth Lewis and Shahriar Khateri</p> <p>Reported by Author; Author</p> </aug> <nolink nlid="nl1" bibid="bib10" firstref="ref13"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl2" bibid="bib11" firstref="ref14"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl3" bibid="bib12" firstref="ref15"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl4" bibid="bib13" firstref="ref17"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl5" bibid="bib14" firstref="ref18"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl6" bibid="bib15" firstref="ref19"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl7" bibid="bib16" firstref="ref20"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl8" bibid="bib17" firstref="ref21"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl9" bibid="bib18" firstref="ref23"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl10" bibid="bib19" firstref="ref24"></nolink> |
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| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: From Clouds of Chemical Warfare to Blue Skies of Peace: The Tehran Peace Museum, Iran – Name: Language Label: Language Group: Lang Data: English – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Lewis%2C+Elizabeth%22">Lewis, Elizabeth</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Khateri%2C+Shahriar%22">Khateri, Shahriar</searchLink> – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Journal+of+Peace+Education%22"><i>Journal of Peace Education</i></searchLink>. 2015 12(3):263-276. – Name: Avail Label: Availability Group: Avail Data: Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 325 Chestnut Street Suite 800, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Fax: 215-625-2940; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals – Name: PeerReviewed Label: Peer Reviewed Group: SrcInfo Data: Y – Name: Pages Label: Page Count Group: Src Data: 14 – Name: DatePubCY Label: Publication Date Group: Date Data: 2015 – Name: TypeDocument Label: Document Type Group: TypDoc Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Descriptive – Name: Subject Label: Descriptors Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Museums%22">Museums</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Peace%22">Peace</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22War%22">War</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Exhibits%22">Exhibits</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Violence%22">Violence</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Social+Change%22">Social Change</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Consciousness+Raising%22">Consciousness Raising</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Community+Programs%22">Community Programs</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Art+Products%22">Art Products</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Workshops%22">Workshops</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Seminars%22">Seminars</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Oral+History%22">Oral History</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Publications%22">Publications</searchLink> – Name: Subject Label: Geographic Terms Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Iran%22">Iran</searchLink> – Name: DOI Label: DOI Group: ID Data: 10.1080/17400201.2015.1092710 – Name: ISSN Label: ISSN Group: ISSN Data: 1740-0201 – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: Despite the limited number of peace museums around the world, there exists an essential role for existing peace museums to promote a culture of peace and peace education. The purpose of this article was to introduce the origins, rationale, scope and work of the Tehran Peace Museum in Iran. The concept of the museum is to facilitate peace education and develop peaceful environments drawn from the personal experiences of war survivors. The museum encompasses exhibitions about the horrors of chemical and nuclear warfare and is balanced with awareness programmes, bridge-building dialogues, connections with other peace museums and a comprehensive peace education programme catering for younger and older members of society. It offers the space and opportunity for a community of learning within the museum and welcomes fresh ideas and initiatives from visitors and volunteers. The Tehran Peace Museum is unique in its body of volunteers, men and women who have been directly affected by chemical weapons. They are involved in the Veterans Voices of Peace Oral History Project and actively voice the need for creating peaceful societies in today's world. – Name: AbstractInfo Label: Abstractor Group: Ab Data: As Provided – Name: Ref Label: Number of References Group: RefInfo Data: 15 – Name: DateEntry Label: Entry Date Group: Date Data: 2015 – Name: AN Label: Accession Number Group: ID Data: EJ1082820 |
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| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Identifiers: – Type: doi Value: 10.1080/17400201.2015.1092710 Languages: – Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 14 StartPage: 263 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries Type: general – SubjectFull: Museums Type: general – SubjectFull: Peace Type: general – SubjectFull: War Type: general – SubjectFull: Exhibits Type: general – SubjectFull: Violence Type: general – SubjectFull: Social Change Type: general – SubjectFull: Consciousness Raising Type: general – SubjectFull: Community Programs Type: general – SubjectFull: Art Products Type: general – SubjectFull: Workshops Type: general – SubjectFull: Seminars Type: general – SubjectFull: Oral History Type: general – SubjectFull: Publications Type: general – SubjectFull: Iran Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: From Clouds of Chemical Warfare to Blue Skies of Peace: The Tehran Peace Museum, Iran Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Lewis, Elizabeth – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Khateri, Shahriar IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 01 Type: published Y: 2015 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 1740-0201 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 12 – Type: issue Value: 3 Titles: – TitleFull: Journal of Peace Education Type: main |
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