The ethical responsibility of political cartooning.

THE FIFTH AND MOST RECENT CONFERENCE of the "Unlearning Intolerance" seminar series convened on 16 October 2006 at UN Headquarters in New York. Organized by the United Nations Department of Public Information in partnership with Emory University's Claus M. Halle Institute for Global Learning, the seminar entitled "Cartooning for Peace: The Responsibility of Political Cartoonist?" brought together 12 cartoonists from around the world, stimulating a lively discussion on the responsibility, if any, of the artist when satirizing the political landscape.

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The panelists brought insight into the universal issues of gender inequality, racial harmony and the opposition to war. Much of the debate centred on the global impact of editorial cartooning on current events and how the visceral, yet subtle, power of this medium can affect genuine change from both Governments and civil society. The event also marked the opening of the "Cartooning for Peace" exhibit, which ran at the UN Visitors Lobby from 4 to 24 October, depicting over 40 cartoons by 18 well known international cartoonists. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, in his opening remarks, said that "cartoons are one of the most important elements in the press" and summarized the importance of the journalistic medium. "They have a special role in forming public opinion-because an image generally has a stronger, more direct impact on the brain than a sentence does, and because many more people will look at a cartoon than read an article."

The panel discussions were divided into two groups: one addressed the topic "Should the Cartoonist Educate?" and the other debated on "Should Responsibilities Abridge Rights?" In light of the depictions of Islam's Prophet Muhammad in a Danish newspaper more than a year ago and the ensuing violent controversy that affected nations throughout the world, the seminar sought to affirm the role of the cartoonist in promoting peace and reconciliation. The panelists highlighted the issues that each of them face at a local level, as well as the cross-cultural and universal responsibilities within the field. They affirmed that within each cartoonist there must lie a moral conscience, and that each must take into account how his or her work will affect the global community.

The first panel was comprised of Carsten Graabaek of Denmark, Godfrey Amon Mwampembwa of Kenya, Cintia Bolio-Marquez of Mexico and Jeff Danziger, Liza Donnelly and Mike Luckovich of the United States. Tanzanian-born and Kenyan-based cartoonist Godfrey Amon Mwampembwa, known to his audience as "Gado", raised the complexities of political cartooning particular to East Africa. He noted that in an area of the world where freedom of speech has been historically stifled, "cartoonists have been at the forefront of the freedom of expression struggle [in Africa]". He added: "This has been, in my opinion, a tool to educate the public about their rights and their civil liberties, to express themselves without fear or looking behind their shoulders." Gado argued that the critical and at times acerbic nature of political cartooning lends society a hand in promoting free speech and lively debate. "By seeing cartoonists who strongly criticize ... the public has borrowed a cue from the artist and [can] speak freely." He vociferously affirmed the notion of the cartoonist as an educator. He has worked closely with artists in refugee camps, teaching them how to use the medium of political cartooning to get their unique message across to the wider public. Much of the work he showcased centred on the problems of African society and the inability of international organizations and foreign Governments to alleviate the poverty of much of the populace.

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Carsten Graabaek, who accepted "with some trepidation" the responsibility of representing Danish cartoonists at the seminar, was more cautious regarding the question of whether cartoonists had the responsibility of educating the public. Coming from the country at the centre of the cartooning controversy, he argued that there is an inherently deep-seated division between the spiritual and the material worlds. He stated that cartooning is about what is happening on earth, adding that "freedom of speech is a worldly affair, a secular affair; whereas the prophet and respect for the prophet and the ban of painting his likeness is a spiritual matter". Thus, Mr. Graabaek argued that the cartoonist "should be aware of the fine balance between lampooning ... and offending the inner feelings of people". This internal code of conduct, he said, would neither "infringe on the freedom of expression" nor would it risk insulting Muslims or followers of any faith for that matter.

The afternoon discussion allowed for another diverse panel to talk about the rights and responsibilities of political cartoonists. Jean Plantu of France, Michel Kichka of Israel, Norio Yamanoi of Japan, Baha Boukhari of Palestine and Ranan Lurie and Ann Telnacs of the United States all offered honest and uncompromising commentary on contemporary society and their responsibilities as journalists and artists. When asked whether the lack of representation of women in the political landscape was mirrored in the industry of political cartooning, Ms. Telnaes said that "there are very, very few women in editorial cartooning" and that this lack of balance definitely affects the content of what the public sees in its editorial cartoons. She recounted how in 1996 she created several cartoons on the treatment of women by the Taliban in Afghanistan, and yet no newspapers decided to run them. Only after the 9/11 (2001) attacks did the editorial cartooning establishment take note of the barbaric treatment of Afghan women. "It's important to have women doing editorial cartooning, as well as minorities, to bring certain issues to the forefront", Ms. Telnaes stated.

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Jean Plantu, the celebrated French cartoonist for Le Monde and chief organizer of the event, took the audience through the creative process of a political cartooning, providing commentary on how to satirize the establishment intelligently with humour, without causing offense. Cartoons critical of Israeli foreign policy, he noted, often maliciously caricature Israeli soldiers as incarnations of Nazi soldiers. He said that this trope, often used in the Islamic world, was an example of political cartooning that went too far, breaching the wall of ethicality as it offended some deeply felt convictions. Inasmuch as Danish cartoonists went too far last year depicting Muhammad, cartoonists who invoke the Holocaust in criticizing the Israeli Government action, Mr. Plantu stated, similarly misuse their power and ethical responsibility. A cartoonist must at all times take into account the social boundaries of what can be lampooned for each culture and what is sanctified. In this manner, he affirmed Mr. Graabaek's notion that the cartoonist must refrain from drawing depictions that have a violently negative connotation to some people.

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Yet, while Mr. Graabaek simply stated that the political cartoonist must never depict an image that can lead to a violent reaction, Mr. Plantu showed how the form of cartooning itself can overcome the controversial nature of its content. In one particular cartoon, he wrote the line "Je ne dois pas dessiner Mohamet" ("I should not draw Muhammad") hundreds of times, only to unfold a sketch, through the intersection of the meandering lines, of a bearded man with a head covering. The artist's hand, a recurring symbol of Mr. Plantu's work, is seen holding a pencil that turns into a minaret at the top; from there, a caricatural Muslim man scrutinizes the sketch with a telescope. This playful self-referential cartoon, aimed not at depicting Muhammad but at the process of engaging contentious subjects as a political cartoonist, underscored the ethical responsibility every artist must face in depicting cultural and religious symbols. Instead of shirking away from controversial topics, Mr. Plantu pointed out, the political cartoonist can exercise both freedom of expression and ethical awareness with a certain amount of tact and humour. As Mike Luckovich noted, "I don't think you should incite people just to incite them ... [as] the image can overwhelm the message".

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The cartoonists also affirmed the power of their work to bridge cultural divides and lessen miscommunication between different societies. Michel Kichka and Baha Boukhari, whose respective works oftentimes criticize the policies of each other's Governments, nevertheless do so in a consistently constructive and respectful manner. "The cartoonist's creation depends on the place he works from", Mr. Kichka said. "But above all, his pencil is guided by his conscience and moral values. The key word is humanity. A word that can be easily understood from people of all religions." Mr. Kichka and his Palestinian colleague have spoken together at several conferences, promoting shared values of peaceful coexistence, and are proud to call each other friends.

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UN Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information Shashi Tharoor in his closing remarks summarized the worldwide impact of political cartooning, stating that "one consequence of globalization and the modern revolution in information technology is that what is said in one part of the globe is almost instantly audible in every other. The same surely applies to what is drawn ... the responsibility of the cartoonist is greater than ever before." A cartoonist, whose primary print audience is in a small city in Western Europe, must realize that his work may have an immediate impact on people thousands of miles away, who may have very different social mores. Nevertheless, the cartoonist must not become paralyzed with the prospect of heightened responsibilities and a broader audience. The medium stands at the forefront of a new horizon of opportunities to promote understanding between cultures. As Mr. Tharoor noted, with a sense of respect for other cultures and an awareness of one's responsibilities, the cartoonist can serve as a powerful force in promoting peace and harmony. He concluded: "Cartoonists, like the most effective teachers, entertain as they inform.... The best cartoonists provoke thoughts and even emotion, they don't provoke violence."

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