Cross-cultural Dialogue (12)

Author: Le Daiyun et al. (editors)
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2003-08-01
Features:
Review of the International Symposium on "Retrospection and Prospects of Cross-Cultural Dialogue"
How Intellectuals Deal with "Helplessness"
Is Another World Possible?
Genetically Modified Organisms and New Pandemics
The Right to Imagine: Towards Good or Towards Evil
Not Slaves to Form—On the Paintings of Mr. Zhu Dequn.
This issue focuses on the International Symposium on "Retrospection and Prospects of Cross-Cultural Dialogue."
The collaboration between Peking University, Nanjing University, the European Institute for Intercultural Studies, and the French Fund for Human Progress has now spanned a decade. At the dawn of the new century, we have arrived at an unprecedentedly profound turning point. As stated by the Chairman of the French Fund for Human Progress, Karanam, "In the 21st century, humanity will undergo tremendous changes, affecting every aspect: thinking, learning, social organization, production, consumption, communication, administration, and of course, thinking about and improving humanity's relationship with the ecosystem. We understand that the current economic, scientific, political, and educational models can only lead to war. We also understand that the monopolistic giants ruling the world, nations, and transnational groups have not yet grasped these profound changes."
Karanam believes that we must study the new stage of interdependence, linking rights, freedom, and responsibility rather than simply splitting the whole for the sake of convenience. We must learn to manage a complex world, coordinate various relationships, no longer develop science in isolation, change the way science is conducted by integrating it with society, move beyond nationalism and state supremacy to build an equal global community. He particularly emphasizes: "We must renounce the superiority of Western knowledge and build a society that respects the values of diverse civilizations."
Some may think that achieving such a goal is fundamentally impossible. However, when "impossible" becomes "essential," the journey begins. In fact, the greatest adventures of humanity always start small.