CONFLUENCE NOT CONFLICT OF CIVILISATIONS
WILL DETERMINE THE FUTURE
OF MANKIND : PM
INAUGURAL
ADDRESS BY PM
The Prime Minister
Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee has said that broadening, deepening
and sustaining of the dialogue process can show the way to create
a future without wars and violence and to achieve sustainable
development. This will also impart much-needed cultural dimension
to development. Inaugurating the Conference on ‘Dialogue Among
Civilisations:Quest for New Perspectives’ here today, the Prime
Minister said that future of mankind is not going to be determined
by a conflict among civilisations but humanity’s future will witness
a concert or a confluence of civilisation. Shri Vajpayee emphsised
that we also need "the Culture of Dialogue" at a national
level so that contentious issues can be resolved amicably through
talks. Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi, Human Resource Development Minister
of India, Mr. Koichiro Matsuura, Director-General, UNESCO and
delegates from various countries were present.
Following is the full text of
the inaugural address of the Prime Minister:
"I deem it
a great privilege to be invited to inaugurate the two-day New
Delhi Conference on Dialogue Among Civilizations. At the outset
I must congratulate our Human Resource Development Minister for
taking this very timely and much needed initiative. I must also
congratulate Director-General, UNESCO, who has provided full support
during all the stages of planning and organising this Dialogue.
I extend a warm welcome to all our friends from abroad who have
come to participate in this Conference.
In recent years the
concept of Dialogue Among Civilizations has caught the imagination
of the political, intellectual and cultural elite around the world.
The concept itself is not entirely a novel one. After all, the
best minds in world history have always championed the idea of
dialogue and cooperation among peoples from different cultural
and civilizational backgrounds. The rishis and saints of India,
in ancient as well as modern times, dreamt of a world where all
faiths, cultural influences, languages, and intellectual streams
are given an honoured place and integrated to form a symphony
of universalism. For example, the Vedas taught us to accept and
assimilate all that is positive and life-promoting from around
the world.
Aa no bhadrah
ritavo yantu vishwatah
May noble thoughts
come to us from all sides. According to me, two factors have worked
to provide a new context to the concept of Dialogue Among Civilizations.
Some years ago, a famous writer put forward a thesis about the
coming "Clash of Civilizations". The thesis was, of
course, flawed and baseless. Its main fault was that it failed
to recognize that civilizations do not – rather, cannot – clash.
To be civilized is to abjure clashes and conflicts, and to try
to resolve all disputes and contentious issues through dialogue.
Civilizations are anchored in a common set of values and ideals,
which we all share in our common yearning for human solidarity
and in our common aspiration for peace, justice, truth and fellowship.
Thus, all civilizations have a civilizing influence on human beings.
That is a part of the very definition of a civilization.
Here we should not
confuse between civilization and history. Human history is a tale
of clashes and conflicts, as well as of peace and progress. This
is true about all countries and all continents. In contrast, when
we talk of civilizations, we are essentially talking of the self-humanizing
endeavour of different societies, carried on from generation to
generation, through the means of spiritual systems, cultures,
art, philosophy, science, agriculture, industry and the daily
social activity of ordinary people.
Nevertheless, we
should thank the worthy writer who predicted the coming "Clash
of Civilizations". The provocative title of his book served
to catalyse a worldwide debate that vehemently argued to the contrary.
The future of mankind is not going to be determined by a Conflict
Among Civilizations; rather, as some people have beautifully put
it, humanity’s future will witness a Concert or a Confluence of
Civilizations.
Of course, this will
not happen automatically. All of us, and all our coming generations,
will have to strive and struggle for it. I believe that the New
Delhi Dialogue Among Civilizations, and similar Dialogues that
have preceded it, are a part of this earnest striving to build
a Better World.
Friends,
there is yet another factor that has propelled us into this Dialogue.
As we crossed into a new century and a new millennium three years
ago, all of us realized that the world we now live in, and the
world that the coming generations will inherit, are fundamentally
different from the times past. Trade and technology have broken
old barriers between countries and cultures. The world has become
a Global Village. Some would like to call it a Global Marketplace.
More and more countries are witnessing an unprecedented activity
on the economic front.
Yet, the present
situation presents two paradoxes. One is the continuing wide gap
between the unmet basic needs of the world’s poor and the
more-than-adequately-met wants of the world’s rich. The
other is the equally troubling imbalance between the current excessive
focus on Man as the Consumer of material goods and services, and
the colossal neglect of the Integral Man who wishes to become
a Complete Human Being.
With all the material
progress that we have achieved, we acutely realize that there
is something precious -- the human element -- lacking in this
progress. We feel that, with all the technological advancement,
we are still less than what we can be, less than
what human beings have been created for. We are dreaming of
the ideal society, a cooperative collective in which all production
is geared for meeting all his human needs – of the body, mind
and soul. A society in which man can experience peace within himself
and witness peace in the world, both of which are today eluding
him.
Therefore, troubled
by the destruction of the environment and the erosion of traditions,
and numbed by the daily news of violence around the world, the
Modern Man is searching for answers. After the horrible wars of
the last century, the continuing ethnic clashes in some parts
of the world, and the emergence in recent times of terrorism that
misuses the name of religion, he is not swayed by claims like
-- "My country right or wrong", "My people the
greatest in history, " and "My faith the only faith".
And his search for
answers is taking him to study the essence of his own faith, culture
and civilization, and the faiths, cultures and civilizations of
his fellow human beings in a world that he sees is becoming increasingly
inter-dependent. It is this intensified search for solutions and
solace that is behind this new phenomenon called the Dialogue
Among Civilizations.
This is a very hopeful
sign. The Dialogue Among Civilizations is a broad enough theme
to embrace all the major issues and challenges before mankind
today. We need answers on how to create a future without wars
and violence; how to achieve sustainable development, so that
industrialization does not become a curse to the environment;
how to impart a much-needed cultural dimension to development;
how to preserve the unique cultural identity and artistic wealth
of nations, especially of small communities, who are genuinely
concerned about the onrush of uniformity in the name of globalisation;
and how to advance the cause of human rights, economic justice,
gender justice, and a compassionate and caring social order. It
has become equally important to know how our system of education
and the mass media can promote positive values in society, especially
among children.
I believe that we
can get the answers to these questions by broadening, deepening
and sustaining the Dialogue process. The deeper and broader the
dialogue, the greater is the understanding among civilizations
and nations. The greater the understanding, the stronger is the
cooperation and goodwill among nations. And the stronger is the
cooperation and goodwill among nations, the lesser is the need
to spend huge resources on arms and military strategies.
Here I must emphasise
that we also need "The Culture of Dialogue" at a national
level, so that contentious issues can be resolved amicably through
talks. Dialogue is an essential part of democracy. Democracy both
requires and mandates dialogue. The more a nation can harmonise
differences at home, the greater will be its ability to contribute
to a dialogue at the international level.
Distinguished guests
and delegates, India’s longstanding experience and ancient tradition
of fostering dialogue among communities, cultures and civilizations
is well recognised. For centuries, India has nurtured a multiplicity
of spiritual and cultural traditions. Yet, within this diversity,
India has also woven a silken bond of unity. This is principally
because India has protected people’s freedom of thought and faith,
while at the same time encouraging an unbroken tradition of inter-faith
dialogue and cooperation.
The meeting points
of ancient Trade Routes may lie in other parts of the world, but
India has always been a meeting point of Faith Routes. Besides
all the faiths that originated here, India welcomed the Jews,
Syrian Christians, the Catholics, Zoroastrians, Muslims and people
belonging to other religions. We are proud of India’s age-old
adherence to the ideal of Sarva Pantha Samabvhava – which
means, respect for all faiths. I suggest that this principle of
secularism, which is enshrined in India’s Constitution, should
be accepted by all countries. Tolerance should become a global
ideal. This would go a long way in promoting understanding, cooperation
and peace among peoples belonging to different faiths and cultures.
It is a fitting tribute
to India’s longstanding tradition of tolerance that the Zoroastrians,
a prominent minority community, are holding an exhibition to herald
the celebrations of the 3000th Year of Zoroastrianism,
to coincide with this Conference. They comprise less than 0.01%
of our country’s population. Yet, they have made a major contribution
to many walks of our national life. The world needs to recognize
the greatness of the Zoroastrian faith and culture, and help in
its protection and resurgence. The Government of India has lent
full support in organising this exhibition, which will be taken
to the other parts of the country.
We are very happy
that Ministers from around 50 countries and high level official
delegations, as well as a galaxy of eminent scholars, scientists
and experts have gathered here to take part in the deliberations
of this Conference. The New Delhi Declaration, which is to be
adopted at the concluding session of the Conference tomorrow,
will be an important addition to the ongoing dialogue process.
The learnings from
the series of Dialogues Among Civilizations, which have been held
so far under the aegis of the UN and other institutions, should
be fed into the foreign and domestic policies of member countries.
National parliaments and governments should be advised on how
to incorporate these learnings in their legislations and policy-making.
Hence, I look forward to receiving your valuable ideas, suggestions
and recommendations that will act as a roadmap for future efforts
at the international and national levels on issues that will figure
in your deliberations.
As inheritors of
a proud and priceless civilizational legacy ourselves, we in India
are prepared to lend our full support to this noble undertaking
of Dialogue Among Civilizations. We are prepared to discharge
our responsibility in demonstrating its beneficial impact among
and within countries, cultures and religions. We are prepared
to continue to play our part in promoting tolerance and respect
for diversities, within the wider goal of the unity of humankind,
as an essential component of sustainable human advancement in
the new century.
With these words,
I have great pleasure in inaugurating this Conference and wishing
it all success."
