Libya: A Voice for Reconciliation
A poet and a composer are inspired by Libyan history to create a modern peace anthem for their divided country.
Could Libya solve its political problems by revisiting a decades-old agreement that once brought its warring tribal factions together in national reconciliation?
Since the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, the country has been in a constant state of turmoil. Now, poet Ahmed al-Terkawi and composer Hanan al-Ruwaie embark on a creative project together to seek inspiration from Libyan history – specifically the 1946 Harabi Charter – to create a musical work of hope for Libya’s future. But first, they meet writers, historians, today’s tribal elders and descendants of the original charter signatories. This enables them to understand the country’s history and how Emir Idris al-Senussi persuaded warring tribes to set aside their differences and come together in an unusual act of reconciliation.
Both of them gather all they need to write and then perform their powerful anthem calling for peace in their war-torn country.
Published On 1 Apr 20251 Apr 2025