ICOM-Iran’s Melody of Peace Project
People call Earth, “the mother”. Mother is the symbol of birth, kindness and breeding and in her arms is where any person may have the chance to taste “peace” in the first place; therefore, a mothers’ lullaby could be known as “the most expressive melody of peace” which everybody, regardless of any cultural and ethnic diversities, may bear in the mind. That is why “mother’s lullaby” has been chosen as the core concept by the secretariat of the project, as a call for peace to the people of any countries with any cultures and languages.
Music is the only language that needs no translation as spoken to any communities. Conceptual discrepancies of languages do sometimes end in misunderstandings, but music -this ancient heritage of culture- has accompanied our ancestors all over the globe through a very long history, like human genes, and it could be considered as a common language for all nations to communicate and take steps towards peace.
The historical harp of Elam civilization (Narsina), engraved on Kūl Farah epigraphs (Iran), has been titled as “ICOM-Iran’s Melody of Peace”. A re-developed sample of this harp was played and granted as a symbol for peace to the President of ICOM during the 100th anniversary ceremony of the National Museum of Iran.
ICOM’s Melody of Peace Project has been defined with a firm belief in “museums” as the most important centers for developing peace and convergence of human individuals and groups, a key factor in sustainable development and a place for consensus and sympathy among people, which are not only responsible for gathering meaningful objects for exhibitions and presentation but also play an active role in the achievement and development of nation-related knowledge and the introduction of diverse visions about it.
As an administrative tool for the promotion of ICOM’s vision upon the history, museum, human art and the development of collaborative efforts among the artists of ICOM's member countries towards defining the concept of a safer future, the 'secretariat of Melody of Peace project' has been established in Iran.
National Phase
The National Phase of the project is designed in two parts:
Part 1:
In this beginning part of the project, a music album of some Iranian pieces was unveiled and granted to all ICOM members, as a call for peace on behalf of Iranian people and its culture in the 70th ICOM Establishment Anniversary ceremony in Milan, Italy. The ceremony is held every three years in one of the ICOM member state countries.
Part 2:
As the first public feature of the Melody of Peace project, this part is designed to collect samples of Iranian lullabies to be unveiled to the world within an international "Music of Peace” collection. The related notification could be reviewed on the main page of this website.
International Phase
In the International Phase of the project, a music video on some Iranian native, old lullabies will be sent to all interested countries along with an instruction on participation requirements and standards. The participating countries will then send the secretariat their own artists’ piece of music in audio/video format to reflect their nation’s lullabies and their interpretation of the requested concepts. The submitted artworks will be compiled in an album to be presented on the International Day of Peace at UNESCO office in Paris in the presence of international authorities and will be passed to all ICOM member states for publication.
This international collection artwork will be published in all countries, endorsed by a message from ICOM, as a souvenir for posterity and a highlighted mark of a starting artistic movement towards a life full of peace.
