Address of Dr. Halit Eren, Director General, IRCICA, at the
Meeting of the Group of Strategic Vision Russia-Islamic World
Makhachkala, Dagestan, Russia, 10-13 November 2018
Excellencies, distinguished participants,
I am honoured as always, to participate in the meeting of the Group of Strategic Vision Russia-Islamic World. I would like to express my thanks to His Excellency Ambassador Venjamin Popov and the Organizing Committee for the hospitality extended in this regard. It is praiseworthy that over the years the Group has promoted a specialized mode of inter-regional cooperation based on the active link between Russia and the OIC. The Group not only offers a platform of mutual acquaintances but also addresses pertinent and timely issues of common global and regional concerns. Exchanges of views on shared concerns not only deepen mutual understanding but also give insights to each region or each country on best practices applicable in their own collective or individual policies, all for a shared goal of building peace and welfare. The themes of the agenda for the present meeting reflect the same pertinence and specialization.
Migration, arts and sports events, trade of science, goods and services, tourism and student mobility and other sectors of cultural and economic interactions are generally self-generative processes within their respective spheres. Due to their self-sustained and inherently reproductive character, these sectors of exchanges can offer favourable environments for international coordination towards common objectives. These sectors of interactions can be cultivated in order to highlight themes and subjects that would promote constructive ideas and essential values, such as tolerance and harmony, prevention of extremism and social discrimination, promotion of diversity and plurality. They can also be used to underscore themes that can help to introduce youth – and people of all ages involved – of different backgrounds to each other. Countries or organizations that have programs in arts and culture, tourism and education, can assign purposes to these events by giving them goal-specific themes and contents. To this effect, an international effort of cultural management policy can be worked on, with focus on youth activities, which is the weightiest component of most of these sectors. A joint reflection can be launched, aiming to select and define themes and contents, that can be assigned to various youth events. A list of subject areas can be drawn for special focus or for use as banners or mottos in organizing art performances or sportive games and implementing research, publication and media programs in cross-cultural context. Themes from history of cultural interactions between different countries or from local, ethnic, artistic or linguistic traditions and features of individual countries can be selected for such joint activities of cultural encounters. A list of themes pertinent for the purpose can be accompanied by suggested guidelines of implementation. Two main lines of aims can guide the selection of those themes. First, reinforcing recognition and practical realization of values such as mutual tolerance and equal treatment that are upheld by all faiths and cultures. Second, introducing peoples of the world to each other by providing information about their cultures, arts and traditions and encouraging scientific curiosity among the youth about peoples of the world other than theirs. This second point is as important as the first one because a culture of diversity requires more than tolerance and inclusion of others. It involves an effort to learn about different identities far and near and interact with them. In other words, it involves a concept of pluralism. Thus a pro-active approach for preventing misconceptions and stereotypes, exclusion or isolation, would promote pluralism. This approach maintains the differences. It encourages the action of learning and teaching about other cultures. I wish to give examples from the experience of IRCICA in this field.
This example is related to the method of underscoring pertinent themes for treatment in educational curricula. Through IRCICA’s research projects we have come to accumulate information on subjects, concepts or terms that are unknown or misperceived, sensitive or ambiguous in peoples’ images of each other. In a project conducted by IRCICA and the Council of Europe through 2009-2012 entitled “Interactions between peoples within and around the Mediterranean and between the Mediterranean and other cultures and regions of the world” our two organizations worked on drawing a list of themes and topics that could help correct wrong biases and fill gaps of information as observed in European secondary school history textbooks. The list was intended to serve as a reference in preparation of supplementary teaching materials for use in history classrooms and of case studies to serve as didactic examples. During the project, information was gathered from sample textbooks in use, about how the different continents and geographic regions of the world are represented in those textbooks, in writing and in picture. Among IRCICA’s thematic contributions to the project, there were a list of sciences and techniques, products and traditions which in the history of civilizations, had originated in the Muslim world. The aim was to fill the gap of information on the contributions to world civilization that had come from this part of the world. This was important, given that such lack or failure of information can potentially give way to inaccurate, uncertain or misunderstood opinions about other peoples. On the other hand, provision and teaching of the correct information would among others, input positive elements into relations between peoples. History of civilizations; history of science; arts and architecture; languages and literature; institutions and social practices established throughout the wide geography of OIC countries and Russian Federation offer numerous elements of culture and memories of shared history that can be highlighted through similar projects. Aims and guidelines of any such project would of course depend on regional specificities.
Another example of cross-cultural management from IRCICA’s experience is the training programs that enhance multicultural skills and techniques of professionals, including technicians and teachers, who are engaged in archeological, architectural or tourism areas. From the 1990s our Centre conducted workshops focusing on the study and preservation of cultural heritage, particularly in multicultural regions. These programs drew more than one thousand professors and students from more than 40 countries. The idea is that experts and students from different backgrounds are organized to work together in the study and preservation of monuments and artifacts of particular cultures and of hybrid, multicultural assets. This exercise teaches and trains the participants about the features of various cultures. It was observed that generally for participants from around the world, basic theoretical knowledge on faiths and cultures other than their own was inadequate. The theme of cultural heritage with all its components is a pertinent one to assign to international events and activities.
Cultural, artistic, touristic and educational cooperation would find fertile grounds of development between Russia and the Muslim countries. Russia encompasses a diversity of faiths and cultures. The Muslim world is estimated at one-fourth of humanity spread over four continents. Each has been a cradle of historical experiences of interactions between the diverse communities they comprise. Russia and the Muslim world maintained multiple relations in all areas. These relations produced a shared history and a shared heritage. Within this framework the Muslim populations of Russia constitute an organic link between the two worlds. Highlighting the cultural heritage of these rich encounters can contribute to deepening understanding between our youth and generally all peoples and also serve as an example for other regions and countries to follow.
The importance of such focused international collaboration as aimed through the Group of Strategic Vision “Russia-Islamic World” cannot be over emphasized, given its capacity to facilitate the coexistence and improve the interactions of different cultures. IRCICA will remain ready as usual to collaborate in this effort. Thank you.
GSV "Russia - Islamic world"