China Daily SmartEdition

Academics focus on civilization

Discussion highlights respect for diversity and importance of dialogue, Yang Yang reports.

Contact the writer at yangyangs@chinadaily.com.cn

On March 15, President Xi Jinping, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, proposed the Global Civilization Initiative, calling for respect for the diversity of civilizations.

In a response to the Global Civilization Initiative, the third event of the World Sinology Lecture, a highend academic dialogue and exchange mechanism co-organized by the Chinese Association for International Understanding and Beijing Language and Culture University, invited Sinologists and scholars from more than 40 countries to explore the theme of this lecture: “The communication and mutual learning among civilizations in promoting human progress — modern significance of ancient civilizations”.

On March 17, nearly 300 people took part in the discussion, in person or online.

Liu Li, president of BLCU, said in a speech, that the Global Civilization Initiative calls for respect for the diversity of civilizations, holds to the principles of equality, mutual learning, dialogue and inclusiveness among civilizations, revealing the prospect of the development of human civilization, as well as the current realistic need.

“The diversity of civilizations decides the diversity of development paths. In the process of inheriting and interpreting ancient civilizations and in equal communication and dialogues, different countries find the wisdom and paths rooted deep in their cultures and traditions. Chinese modernization is a sound example,” he said.

“The World Sinology Lecture invited Sinologists from different cultures that are studying mutual learning between Chinese and other civilizations to share their opinions, which will exert a far-reaching influence on the related studies and students,” he said.

Gafar Karar Ahmed, professor from the China-Arab Research Center on Reform and Development with Shanghai International Studies University, said in a speech that Arabic and Chinese civilizations are the representatives of ancient civilizations. Peaceful cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual benefit have always been the main themes of China-Arab relationship. The two civilizations will continue to work closely to build a community with shared future under the Global Civilization Initiative, and to write a new chapter for China-Arab cultural exchanges, he said.

American Sinologist Roger Thomas Ames talked about the Confucian culture and the meaning of continuation of civilization. For him, Confucianism is a pragmatic naturalism, which is of great importance to individual development, family harmony and social stability, and is of great value to dealing with pressing problems today.

He said that world economy and political order have changed tremendously, followed by the reconstruction of global culture. The rise of China is displaying the value and practicability of Confucianism. Confucianism will offer a way for different civilizations to coexist harmoniously and lay a foundation for innovative ideas to shape global civilization order, he said via video.

The diversity of civilizations decides the diversity of development paths.”

German Sinologist Dennis Schilling analyzed the concept of moral values from the perspective of Chinese philosophy, saying that “harmony in diversity” is a concept of moral value that not only can help to sustain the well-being of a society, but also can facilitate the construction of a community with shared future for mankind. The Global Civilization Initiative contains this classic philosophical idea of “harmony in diversity”, he said.

Countries need to build a mechanism to further harmony, so that cultural exchanges, trade and communication can be normalized to deepen mutual understanding, and to continuously create opportunities to cooperate with each other to promote peace and development in the world, he said.

Benoit Vermander, a professor from the department of religion, School of Philosophy, Fudan University, said that in communication, cultures will substitute each other and to a certain degree share emotions and memories with each other. This kind of mutual substitutions and sharing will translate, create, and convey meaning and significance. When culture flows and circulates, it will be reconstructed by interpretations of other cultures, worldviews and religions, he said.

All civilizations and worldviews gain the drive to develop from continuous reconstruction. Their definitions will never be taken for granted, but will be discovered and challenged in communication and interpretation. In this interactive dialogue, remaining localized will be a solution to our common challenges, he said.

Egyptian Sinologist Hassan Ragab said the Global Civilization Initiative, proposed by Xi, advocates common values for humans. Peace, development, equality, justice, democracy and freedom are the common pursuits of all human beings, he said, adding that he hoped China and Egypt can continue to deepen cooperation to provide more stability and drive for the global peaceful development.

Ragnar Baldursson, a scholar of Chinese philosophy and former diplomat at the Icelandic embassy in Beijing, cited the Chinese classic The Book of Rites that “when the great way prevails, all things under heaven are shared equally and justly”, saying that ancient Chinese in the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC) had called for the way to promote development with peace, and the inclusive attitude to pursue the ideal of a harmonious world. The new global value of a community with shared future for mankind originated from the profound Chinese traditional thought and culture, he said.

Zhang Xiping, chief editor of International Sinology journal, concluded that through the lecture, Sinologists from different countries shared their ideas about modern significance of ancient civilizations, contributing their wisdom and strength to mutual learning and benefit between civilizations and construction of a community with shared future for mankind.

Liu Li, president of Beijing Language and Culture University

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2023-03-28T07:00:00.0000000Z

2023-03-28T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://chinadaily.pressreader.com/article/282029036483207

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