Paolo Petrocelli uses music as a form of diplomacy and positive force for change. Paolo is founder and president of the Euro Mediterranean Music Academy for Peace, which promotes music education in Europe and the Middle East, and brotherhood among young multi-ethnic musicians. According to him, artists should think beyond their personal career to a higher purpose, for instance by teaching in a different culture, which would put them in diverse contexts to bridge understanding through talent and performance.

What does the Euro Mediterranean Music Academy (EMMA for Peace) do? According to its website: “EMMA for Peace encourages dialogue and the sharing of musical excellence between international musicians of the highest level and students and young people from disadvantaged backgrounds across Europe and the Middle East.  It uses music as a tool for peace in places torn apart by war, bringing the best talent from the world’s concert halls and academies to refugee camps and other deprived areas where music education is otherwise inaccessible.”

In its own words: “Bringing together different peoples, cultures and traditions, EMMA for Peace lets music be the instrument of understanding, awareness and collaboration towards a peaceful future for all.”

For more information visit EMMA for Peace.