# 181: Cynthia Cohen - Acting together on the World Stage

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/art-is-change-strategies-skills-for-activist-artists-cultural-organizers-917696/181-cynthia-cohen-acting-together-on-the-world-stage
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/art-is-change-strategies-skills-for-activist-artists-cultural-organizers-917696/181-cynthia-cohen-acting-together-on-the-world-stage.md
Podcast: [ART IS CHANGE: Strategies & Skills for Activist Artists & Cultural Organizers](https://stenobird.com/podcast/art-is-change-strategies-skills-for-activist-artists-cultural-organizers-917696)
Published: 2026-06-10T12:15:00+00:00
Episode link: https://change-the-story-chan.captivate.fm/episode/181-cynthia-cohen-acting-together-on-the-world-stage
Audio file: https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/95786ef1-4327-463b-99c0-9c35d5a2056c.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/art-is-change-strategies-skills-for-activist-artists-cultural-organizers-917696/episodes/181-cynthia-cohen-acting-together-on-the-world-stage
Duration seconds: 2866

## Resource

How do artists help communities survive violence, heal trauma, and imagine a future beyond conflict? In this episode of Art Is Change , Bill Cleveland speaks with activist, educator, filmmaker, writer, and peacebuilding scholar Cynthia Cohen about a lifetime spent exploring the relationship between creativity, storytelling, conflict, and democratic life. Drawing on experiences ranging from Jewish-Palestinian dialogue projects in Boston to peacebuilding initiatives in Peru, Sri Lanka, Serbia, Northern Ireland, and beyond, Cynthia reflects on the role artists play in helping communities navigate violence, hold competing truths, and create the conditions for healing and transformation. In this episode you’ll discover: • Why listening may be the most important creative and civic skill of all — and how deep listening can help people move beyond fear, polarization, and inherited narratives. • How artists and cultural workers contribute to peacebuilding — by creating spaces where difficult stories can be shared, contradictions can be held, and communities can imagine alternatives to violence. • Why arts and culture matter in the struggle against authoritarianism — and how creativity, empathy, and conflict transformation can strengthen democratic life during times of upheaval. PEOPLE How do artists help communities survive violence, heal trauma, and imagine a future beyond conflict? In this episode of Art Is Change , Bill Cleveland speaks with activist, educator, filmmaker, writer, and peacebuilding scholar Cynthia Cohen about a lifetime spent exploring the relationship between creativity, storytelling, conflict, and democratic life. Drawing on experiences ranging from Jewish-Palestinian dialogue projects in Boston to peacebuilding initiatives in Peru, Sri Lanka, Serbia, North…

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