There are a ton of organizations on campus that are seriously underrated and underrepresented, and The University of Massachusetts Boston’s William Joiner Institute is one of them. Joiner, founded in 1982, works from its office on the 10th floor of the library to investigate and change the way people think about and talk about war and conflict. The group, made up of a team of professors, military veterans, and other professionals, hosts various events and programs both on and off campus to start critical conversations.
On the weekend of Sept. 23 to Sept. 25, Joiner hosted a three-day long series of staged play readings and panels called “Community Dialogues on War and Reconciliation.” Although each night featured a reading of the same play, “Reconciliation,” written by Charles Dumas and directed by Cheryl Singleton, different speakers got a chance to discuss the significance of addressing the consequences of war.
“Reconciliation” by African-American playwright Dumas focuses on real-life situations stemming from the war in Iraq, which began in 2003. The play includes the experiences of very different characters, including a female US marine, an Iraqi woman and her brother, and a US diplomatic couple. Dumas notes in the pre-show pamphlet that “this is not a play about war; it is about people attempting to reconcile differences during a critical time.” 
True to his word, Dumas’s play centers on Sgt. Joan Lynn apprehension about being celebrated as a war hero after she shoots down several Iraqi people on command. With tensions running high between Iraqi citizens and the US army, the plot also surprisingly takes care to address the conflicts between different Muslim denominations—Sunnis and Shias. As the truth unfolds surrounding the death of two Iraqi siblings’ parents—the brother driven to violent rage—Dumas investigates what it meant to be a Muslim victim in Iraq and the morality of US foreign policy.
Although some of the characters are far too caricatured, such as the loud and brazen all-American Senator Dale Douglas yapping about “army grub” and what it means for America to “do what it has to do,” and some character relationships, such as that between diplomat James Jones and his wife Yvonne, need to be fleshed out to really capture the conflict that disagreements about right and wrong in war can cause between people, the play ultimately does what it has set out to do: start conversations. 
During the Sunday panel, for example, Dumas and fellow panelist Cliff Odle, a professor at UMass Boston and a playwright, actor, and director, had plenty to say about their experiences as African-American men creating art about real people and real problems. 
“I’ve always known that it was important to have certain stories told, particularly stories dealing with African-Americans. It’s important to control the narrative and those stories often aren’t told,” Odle said.
The two playwrights agreed on the importance of different peoples being able to tell their own stories through the arts, and the importance of addressing uncomfortable topics.
Dumas also emphasized the need for representation for minority groups, who should be able to see artists and performers who look like them on movie screens and in plays. In these ways—representation, a space for dialogue, and control of narratives—the arts are a key to making sense of the violent racial and religious tensions of our time. 
For more information on future events hosted by the William Joiner Institute as well as the organization’s current projects and goals, visit https://www.umb.edu/joinerinstitute.