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Summary of the lecture by former Director General of UNESCO, Dr. Federico Mayor entitled; “Intercultural dialogue”, delivered at the World Center for the Studies and Researches of the Green Book
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"Escape to Hell"
Summary of the
lecture by former Director General of UNESCO, Dr. Federico Mayor
entitled; “Intercultural dialogue”, delivered at the World Center
for the Studies and Researches of the Green
Book
Tripoli, Great
Jamahiriya on 17 August 2002
In line with
cultural activities of the World Centre for the Studies and
Researches on the Green Book, known as; "Lecture of the month", the
Centre invited UNESCO's former Director General, Federico Mayor, to
present this month's (August) lecture. Indeed, Dr. Federico Mayor
was at the Centre and presented his lecture entitled:
"Intercultural dialogue".
After thanking
the Centre for availing him the opportunity to talk about dialogue
and culture of peace. He began his lecture by hailing the African
Union, by saying; " Since, there is a European Union, there must be
an African Union, it is rather far more easier to conduct dialogue
between two representatives, than enormous
representatives".
Then he
emphasized that there was no thing called impossible citing many
event in our contemporary history including South Africa saying:
"Way back in 1988, we said it was impossible to solve the problem
of apartheid. However, due to intervention of some able men,
including one called Nelson Mandela who was kept in the notorious
Robin Island prison for 27 years. This man after he left the
prison, instead of harboring hatred and desire for vengeance, he
extended his hands for dialogue, making South Africa in the
vanguard of dialogue"
Dr Mayor also
cited excerpts from the Leader's Speech when he welcomed dialogue
with the EU and any other organizations but without preconditions.
Dr. Mayor also saluted all those people ready to serve African
development, stressing that he loved the African continent because
as a Director General of UNESCO he learned a lot from this
continent, and that Africa has a lot to offer. In this respect he
said there were 30,000 people with a Ph.D. degree in sub-Sahara
Africa alone.
In the context
of learning from Africa, Dr. Mayor cited the story of his encounter
with an African headmistress of a school 30 kilometers from
Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso, where he was talking about education
reform, he cited the African lady who was in her forties as telling
him; " I like what you said, however, UN organizations come to
deliver lessons, but do not listen to our advise. I am teaching
here for so many years and you want to teach us". Dr Mayor
confessed that he was embarrassed by this lady's
statement.
Dr. Mayor
revealed that immediately after his return from his African visit,
he summoned UNESCO's staff for a meeting. The focus of the meeting
was to listen to others, he said. He went on; "This was the advice
of the African lady, by using dialogue, and talk education can be
furthered". He maintained; " We must listen and conduct a dialogue,
it is in this context that I am here". As a biochemist, sometimes I
explain to my students that life has no colour or shape, this
proves true for dialogue".
Dr. Mayor
emphasized; "Each individual is able to be creative and that this
world is multicultural, and multi-civilization world and that there
is a common denominator between such cultures and
civilizations.
As an example
for closing the chapter of the past, and the necessity for a
dialogue, Dr.Mayor cited the harmony between France and Germany
despite the Second World War hostility and cruelty.
Dr. Mayor then
referred to the San Francisco meeting, after the Second World War,
which was convened under the motto: "How to avert our children the
catastrophe of war". However, Dr. Mayor expressed regrets over what
to follow by saying, "Unfortunately, the UN which ought to have
mandate and more resources, retreated from its responsibility,
leaving room for other countries to control the whole globe. Now
the world is undergoing difficult circumstances".
Dr. Mayor
expressed optimism that the world one-day oversteps lack of harmony
among people, irrespective of their race, religion, and colour.etc.
Hoping that post -September 11 was only a reaction, not
more.
Dr.Mayor
emphasized the need to practice equality among human beings
irrespective of any differences by saying; "All people, children,
all human beings in general should have the same treatment,
unfortunately, this is not the case today"
He stated; "
The world today embraces six billion people. It is incumbent upon
us to cooperate in promoting dialogue among all cultures,
religions, and ideologies".
Dr. Mayor
refuted some concepts such as those advocated by some people; he
referred in particular to Samuel Huntington, who emphasized the
notion of Islam-Christianity clash. Dr. Mayor revealed that he read
the Quran, and stressed that all scriptures advocate peace and
love.
Dr Mayor said
in 1994 he called for a meeting in Barcelona parliament, in which
12 religious denominations and groups were present including,
Catholic, and Protestant Christians, Muslim individuals, as well as
Confucians and others. Dr. Mayor said I posed one question that
was; " Do your religions condone violence? " The answer he said was
unanimous " No". They said religion was based on love.
Dr Mayor urged
the need for intercultural and inter-religious dialogue, based on
respect. He said he was from Catalonia, which has a mosaic of
cultures. He said; "Some people think that the best way to protect
culture was through isolation, this is a big mistake. We must
remember that even the solid Berlin wall had fallen". He
emphasized: "When we promote inter-culture relations,
relationships, friendships and solidarity are strengthened.
Humanity does not prosper with economic and political developments
alone, but with culture and education".
Dr Mayor
broadly defined dialogue as talking and listening to others. It is
in this context that once he said he wrote a book about talk and
peace.
Talking about
the achievement of the elapsed century he said;" we must take count
of the dead, discoveries and breakthroughs made such as discovery
of antibiotics, communication revolution," But he wondered did we
achieve much on the humanist side? Regrettably he said there was
not much that we can offer to our children in this
respect.
Emphasizing the
urgency for deploying dialogue as our way of life, he said we must
defend our ideologies using dialogue.
Dr. Mayor
deplored North-South disparity describing such state of affairs as
horrifying.
In our pursuit
of dialogue and culture of peace he said in 1991, I asked Jacques
Delors to chair an educational committee. Delors’ committee offered
us two educational pillars, the attitude to learn how to be, and
avoid the unity of culture. They said we must learn how to live
together. To give and take and progress steadily.
He emphasized:
"We must share everything, we are not generous even with culture.
Therefore, disparity increases. We must learn how to share things
and conduct a dialogue in a normal way"
Dr Mayor said;
"Three years ago I made a big net of nets, to address those who do
not listen, whether they are countries, or Unions such as EU, USA
and one day the African Union"
He wondered;
how there will be a dialogue among big institutions? We must share
and enjoy the technology networks available today. In this way with
300,000 voices we have the ability to make our voices
heard"
He reiterated;
" Some people say how can we influence,” He cited the example of
the ants and the elephant, he said; once 1000 ants are united,
their voice will be listened to by the elephant". He emphasized to
be free one must learn and listen and conduct a dialogue. We can
draw lessons from the past but we must look forward to the
future.
After the
lecturer concluded his lecture, the door was opened for
interventions and questions. In his intervention, Dr. Rajeb
Abudabus stated; "We thank Dr. Mayor who is from a multi-cultural
country. We are here to conduct a dialogue. A dialogue I believe
will be much effective once it is among intellectuals and not among
officials. Because, during dialogue of officials there is always
interests at stake. Cultural dialogue is best with out political
intervention. Culture means freedom and launching oneself. It is
the noblest thing. It is the thing that gives a human being his
humanist aspect. War has never been over cultures but over
interests. How can we have a culture of dialogue, in a world the
market imposes one culture? One point to be emphasized is that
Islam does not legitimize the use of violence on others in order to
coerce others to embrace Islam but legitimizes to ward off
aggression. Christians and Jews lived under Muslim rule in peace
and respect".
In their
interventions, the audience posed the following
questions:
Sharing and
dialogue are beautiful values, what does Dr. Mayor’s view about
Western viewpoint on this respect?
In the light of
culture of the market, what shape that culture should
take?
How can we make
a dialogue with those with no culture, as demonstrated in Hiroshima
and Vietnam?
How can we make
a dialogue with those with no culture? The USA ordered their
proxies to wage a war on Libya, when it failed they resorted to
1986 aggression on Libya?
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Now there is a monologue and not a dialogue. We must exit monologue
and involve ourselves in a dialogue. Ethics, globality.
Spirituality, are fundamental to dialogue.
How can we look
for dialogue, while the Palestinian people are crashed with tanks?
Now Iraq is subjected to destruction. How Europe is silent about
all this?
We must focus
on methodology and school syllabus. We must not forget the past,
but settle it and then look forward into the future?
How can we
reconcile between the powerful, the rich and those with no means of
subsistence?
Answering the
questions, Dr. Federico Mayor said; “ We were speaking about things
that seemed impossible. Fifteen years ago, we used to say it was
impossible to change the USSR but eventually it happened, so was
apartheid and El Salvador. The situation in Guatemala seemed
impossible but now it is ended. Why? Because we find the way.
Hannibal said; “We must look if we do not find we will create. The
unexpected is our hope.
I believe we
can find solutions to problems we think impossible to find
solutions to. We must build a dialogue even if that is against the
stream. The saying which says if you want peace you should be
prepared for war” is wrong. We must change now. Peace means
equality, it means many things that we must build. Culture is
behaviour and conduct. Globalization is poverty,
There must be a
cultural dialogue. Violence always breeds violence and counter
violence.
We must not
only give the past to our children, but give them the future”
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