International, local artists discuss peace, human rights, freedom in Cartooning for Peace in Manila

By Jeraldine T. Pascual/Center for Media Freedom & Responsibility

Cartooning, which combines art with humor, captures readers’ and viewers’ attention in a unique way. It fixes an idea in the mind, visualizes the abstract, rendering a message in concrete terms. Often, these messages are provocative, engaging the mind and forcing people to think.

A program spearheaded by the European Union National Institutes for Culture (EUNIC) Philippines, Cartooning for Peace Manila brought six cartoonists from Europe to the Philippines from May 6-8 to “promote a better understanding and mutual respect between people of different cultures and beliefs using cartoons as a universal language.”

The program was developed from the first gathering in October 2006 of twelve cartoonists from different parts of the world at the UN General Headquarters in New York to discuss and uphold the value of promoting peace in light of the rampant intolerance and fundamentalism depicted in media. Following the violent demonstrations against the publication of cartoons depicting the prophet Mohammed by the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten in 2005, cartoonists felt obliged to use their drawings, which transcend the barriers of language, in the advocacy for peace and freedom of expression.

The event at the UN included the founding of the Cartooning for Peace Network by then UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and Jean Plantureux, cartoonist for the French newspaper Le Monde. Known simply by his professional name Plantu, the veteran cartoonist whose work since the 1970s has earned him a wide following in Europe, has dedicated himself to expanding the network, gathering 130 cartoonists from 40 nations and getting their drawings exhibited in different countries of the world.

The visit could not have been more timely, as the media in the Philippines had been carrying news in the aftermath of the Mamasapano incident, an operation which caused the loss of life for 67 Filipinos. The discourse in the media had projected age-old prejudices against the Moros, a minority group in the Philippines, even as Congress had begun to deliberate on the law granting autonomy to the Bangsamoro after years of fighting.

The week they spent in Manila introduced the European cartoonists to five counterparts in the Philippine media. The group visited newsrooms and schools, discussing the issues related to the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL). Bob Katzenelson from Denmark, Thomas Plassman and Miriam Wurster from Germany, Philippe Baumann from Switzerland, and Plantu from France were joined by Steven Pabalinas of The Manila Times, Norman Isaac of Tempo, Roni Santiago of Manila Bulletin, Rene Aranda of The Philippine Star, Manix Abrera of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, and freelance cartoonist Rob Cham.

Shaking hands with Filipino culture

Their visits to the newsrooms resulted in collaborative cartooning. European guests co-produced with their Filipino colleagues cartoons that depicted the quest for peace.

Choosing a local issue, Katzenelson, Vice President of Danish Cartoonists, made a drawing of a jeepney labelled “BBL”, with two engines: one marked “Yes” and the other “No”. Plantu sketched MILF chief negotiator Mohagher Iqbal holding the Philippine flag with doves holding Islamic and Christian symbols above him.

In a conference held at the UP Diliman Faculty Center on May 8, the European cartoonists were asked how they would show their respective countries their image of the Philippines. They were united in their answers.

“With my really small experience of the Philippines now, I think I would draw a happy face with a lot of islands. Something really simple, it’s just the first impression,” Baumann said.

Never unprepared, Plantu immediately showed a cartoon of the Philippine flag, which he described as “beautiful”. Coloring it accordingly, he finished the cartoon with the three stars and a happy face in place of the sun.

For his part, Katzenelson expressed his gratitude for being part of the project.

“We’re so lucky we have visited your country. We got real great insight on what’s going on here and we’ve met some wonderful people here, very open-minded. So thank you very much,” Katzenelson answered.

Women as cartoonists

In a separate interview, Wurster shared her thoughts on female cartoonists in her country in relation to the Philippines. The only woman in the group, she was hopeful that budding female journalists in Germany, and soon around the world, will be alternative voice in presenting political issues.

“It’s hard for them (women) to succeed. I think there’s still the stereotypical image of the male cartoonist. It’s changing, but it’s changing very slowly. I heard in the Philippines there is no female cartoonist so it would be good if there would appear some prototype female cartoonist. It’s important for younger women to see the possibility.”

Supporting human rights

The European cartoonists also discussed freedom of expression in relation to beliefs. Working on a sketch, Plantu said that cartoons should not offend or attack beliefs, but rather present human rights.

“When we draw, we are political cartoonists. We are not religious cartoonists. When a little girl in Pakistan wants to go to school but there is this guy that’s stalking her, it’s not a problem of religion. It’s a problem of human rights for the little girl. And our job is not to offend the belief. It is to make cartoons because the little girl is not alone when she goes to school. Our job is to make cartoons about human rights.”

Baumann said that the liberty in choosing what you draw also depends on the kind of newspaper a cartoonist is working for, saying that what is published in a religious paper is naturally not seen in a satirical paper. Working for the latter grants him the freedom to make cartoons which may, at times, be provocative for readers.

“I don’t really care if I offend someone with the provocation that is, for me, right. If someone did something wrong, I draw a cartoon. For instance, if a politician feels offended by my cartoons, I think there’s something wrong about it.”

Recalling the attack on Charlie Hebdo, Katzenelson objected to the use of violence.

“The audience killing you because of a drawing, that’s unacceptable. That’s not an acceptable way to censor arts as cartoonists or journalists or authors, in any way.”

Dangers of censorship

During the conference, UP College of Arts and Letters Dean Elena Mirano traced the history of artistic engagement in subversion and rebellion in the country. Their art endangered their lives.

“We had people that really attacked the colonial stay using writing, poetry, propaganda, and I think a little also of the visual arts so we would have cartoonists. Art as political commentary is considered rather dangerous by the state,” she said.

Some of the Filipino cartoonists added the role of owners and editors in limiting their freedom. They said that illustrations involving advertisers or sponsors were refused publication, sometimes even used to threaten them with termination.

The European cartoonists, however, said that they have more freedom in drawing. Plassman said that the end of the Second World War paved the way for more liberated art in Germany, although he always chooses to censor himself.

They recognized that the social media opened up a new venue for sharing cartoons, including those that were not given space in newspapers.

The cartoonists also held a master class attended by around 30 Fine Arts students from UP Diliman. Students were given the freedom to create whatever cartoon they desired as the professionals gave cartooning tips and suggested ways to develop ideas through the illustrations. At the end of the class, the “teachers” chose the top five cartoons that stood out for them.

Organized to discuss cultural differences and beliefs in cartooning among international and local artists and journalists, academe, students, and the general public, the Cartooning for Peace Manila project also involved European embassies, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, the Center for Media Freedom & Responsibility, Philippine universities and Manila-based newspapers.