"And you know the law of cultures - that two civilizations cannot get to know and understand each other well."
("King of Kings", R. Kapuściński)
Is it possible to have a constructive dialogue between two civilisations?
Maria Fellner - 04.01.2020 @ 09:09
Pull out a friendly hand!
by Jakub Stanek, VIII LO Kraków/Polen
Ryszard Kapuściński, called Herodotus of the 21st century, in his reportage ”King of Kings", written at the end of the 19th century, wrote the sentence: ,,And you know the law of culture - that two civilizations cannot know and understand each other well". And in reality the violent introduction of European civilisation by Haile Selassie in Ethiopia proved to be a complete failure. At the end of the 70s in the 20th century, such a situation was perhaps really unimaginable that two separate cultures found a common language. However, the author did not foresee how quickly the world would change. Within 40 years, this sentence has taken on a completely different meaning. The answer to the question of whether a dialogue between the two cultures is possible is quite different today than it was a few decades ago. And why is that?
As globalisation progresses, the mixing of cultures has become an inevitable and widespread phenomenon. When we walk through the streets of our cities, we can hear many foreign languages, see many skin colors and symbols of other cultures or beliefs. And it's getting more and more normal. We'll get used to it. No one is surprised by this anymore. And what is most important: We should not regard such people as strangers, but accept them as new, ordinary members of our society. Today, many people from different cultures or religions marry, regardless of their origin and faith. There are many more similar situations in which different cultures come together. Especially when a danger threatens a certain civilization, they can tighten mutual relations for a common cause, although there may have been competition or conflict before. In difficult moments people do not look at their faith, their culture, their beliefs or their skin colour. The goal is more important. Globalisation therefore offers many opportunities for the dialogue between representatives of different civilisations, and this is the path modern man should follow. Although it is still not always possible at the political level, because not everyone is still able to ”skip"; cultural differences and think about the whole of humanity, and not just about their financial desires and will to power.
The dialogue between civilizations is something we should not be afraid of at all. Together people can do a lot in different areas. You just have to open yourself to the other person and want his well-being as much as your own. Although it is not always easy, one must try to follow the path of dialogue in order to avoid unnecessary and unfavourable conflicts.
So let us not consider a Muslim, a Jew, a Black man or an Asian as a foreigner. Let us accept that he is here and shake his hand kindly. Let us remember that good things always come back to us.
Drawing: Jakub S.
Jakub Stanek - 10.03.2020 @ 20:15
Dear Jakub,
More than ever, intercultural dialog has to face an acid test, due to the recent corona outbreak. In times like these, we really need to stick together and look after each other, regardless of someone's wealth, roots or beliefs. Nowadays there's no time or tolerance for racism or fear of people that are slightly different to ourselves. Even though there can be some disagreements, when it comes to cultural differences, with the right amount of cooperativeness on both sides, nothing will be standing in the way of a peaceful cohabitation, or even something bigger than that.
Yours, Leandra