Political cartoonists have deep-rooted power and significant responsibilities, said a panel of experts at the United Nations headquarters in New York on Monday. "Cartooning for Peace" is the fifth event in the "Unlearning Intolerance" conference series. It was sponsored by the United Nations Department of Public Information in partnership with the Claus M. Halle Institute for Global Learning at Emory University, and brought together political cartoonists from around the globe.

The raw, unmitigated power of cartooning-especially its ability to transcend language barriers and even words altogether-was at the forefront of the debate. Cartoons ''can encourage us to look critically at ourselves, and increase our empathy for the sufferings and frustration of others,'' said Secretary-General Kofi Annan as he opened the discussion. This influence can have great consequences on the world stage, he said. "Short of physical pain, few things can hurt you more directly than a caricature of yourself, of a group you belong to, or-perhaps worst-of a person you deeply respect."

Many panelists agreed, noting that a cartoon's visceral connection with readers meant a great responsibility for them personally as the authors of cartoons. "Images have great power, and it's too easy to go too far," said Michel Kichka, a freelance cartoonist and senior lecturer at Israel's Bezalel Academy. Mr. Kichka, who along with another panelist, Palestine's Baha Boukhari, will be traveling to similar conferences to promote tolerance in the Middle East, said that learning to deal in cultural sensitivity is especially important in his home region. Absent from the panel for reasons beyond their control were two other Middle Eastern cartoonists, Hussein Moustafa of Egypt and Hassan Karimzadeh of Iran.

Panelists were also quick to note that in order to do justice to their role as social critics, striking a balance is essential. Cartooning is one of the last media "where you can be unfair and sarcastic and take shots," said Mike Luckovich, a two-time Pulitzer Prize winning cartoonist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "And I love that", he added. "But you shouldn't incite people just to incite them."

"Editorial cartoonists are not here to make pretty, innocuous pictures," said Ann Telnaes, a freelance cartoonist from the United States. Ranan Lurie, a renowned cartoonist and sponsor of the annual United Nations Correspondents Association Ranan Lurie Political Cartooning Award, said that the "highest caliber" of cartoonists is that which analyzes the world intelligently and independently, instead of taking orders from partisan groups. Ms. Telnae and Mr. Lurie's American colleague, Jeff Danziger, agreed. He said that cartoons must reflect an objective reality, even when that reality is unpleasant.

Political cartoons have been a topic of significant debate since tensions flared over a series of Danish cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed a year ago. Mr. Luckovich and his colleagues warned that often in cartooning "the image can overwhelm the message"-indeed a dangerous risk in today's volatile world.

Carsten Graabaek, a political cartoonist from Denmark, recalled how the Prophet cartoon controversy unfolded, when widespread rioting early this year drew attention to the often overlooked influence of cartoons. He said that a difficult and fundamental rift exists between cultures that believe in free speech and those that do not. While Mr. Graabaek said that bridging this divide may never be possible, he suggested that cartoonists learn to move forward with more caution. "It's a matter of adding another item to the code of conduct of political correctness", he said, adding that negotiating the fine line of cultural sensitivity is essential when dealing in international issues. "We all have to live together in this world", he said.

As cartoonists in some parts of the world grapple with reining in poignant images, those in other regions are just learning to mobilize this powerful art form. In northern Kenya, for example, panelist Godfrey Amon Mwampembwa - also known as "Gado" - teaches refugee artists to use cartoons to achieve their goals. Many countries with oppressive government regimes still regulate who and what can be criticized by the media. Mr. Boukhari, who addressed the conference room in Arabic, said that the number of working cartoonists in an Arab state correlates almost directly to the amount of free speech allowed in that state. Jean Plantu, a veteran cartoonist for France's Le Monde newspaper and the seminar's organizer, agreed. This is one area where United Nations agencies may be able to help, he said.

Other issues touched on by the panel of cartoonists included cartoons as proponents of progressive social issues, like women's rights, and as educational tools. Among the many cartoons displayed at the seminar were several by panelist Cintia Bolio, a syndicated Mexican cartoonist and one of the only female cartoonists in that country. Showing a poignant slide of a battered Mexican wife, she said that cartoons were an ideal medium for sharing "uncomfortable knowledge", such as unjust social conditions and issues of religion and sexuality. Japan's Norio Yamanoi addresses world politics from an educational standpoint, having written a cartoon guide to understanding issues in the Middle East-something he said most Japanese know very little about.

United Nations Under-Secretary-General and the panel's moderator, Shashi Tharoor, in his closing remarks, reiterated the need to be vigilant about the cartoon's great power. Both artist and audience, he said, have a great responsibility to seek peace. While cartoonists must address the world with a culturally sensitive eye, audiences must do the same with their actions. "Violence", he said, "is never a legitimate response."

"War is taught, and peace is lived", said panelist Liza Donnelly, a long-time cartoonist for The New Yorker magazine. By actively questioning war and teaching peace-through cartoons or otherwise-cartoonists can help repair damage that aggression and violence have done over the years. "Cartoons can hurt", she said. "But they can also heal, as well."

"Cartooning for Peace" Participants: From left to right, Jeff Danziger, Godfrey Amon Mwampembwa, Raymond Sommereyns, Mike Luckovich, Carsten Graabaek, Gérard Vandenbroucke, Cintia Bolio, Liza Donnelly, Baha Boukhari, Kofi Annan, Shashi Tharoor, Ann Telnaes, Jean Plantu, Michel Kichka, Jean Pierre Bugada, Norio Yamanoi, Afsane Bassir-Pour, Ranan Lurie, Holli Semetko UN Photo/Evan Schneider

To view webcasts of the entire seminar, please visit:
The Unlearning Intolerance Series Website