Dialogue antidote to clash of civilizations

Monday was the first International Day for Dialogue among Civilizations after the United Nations General Assembly on Friday adopted a resolution to designate June 10 as such. The resolution was proposed by China and 14 other countries.

The urgency for dialogue between different cultures is an evident need, so designating a day for dialogue among civilizations is of great significance for promoting harmony among peoples.

With geopolitical conflicts becoming increasingly severe and rivalry between major countries intensifying, addressing the deficits in global development, security and peace is a pressing concern. The military conflict between Russia and Ukraine shows no sign of even a temporary cease-fire, and neither does the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. Instead, both are intensifying and have the potential to spread.

When there is growing global uncertainty and volatility, dialogue is indispensable if countries with different cultural backgrounds are to understand each other, or at least come to a consensus that there should be enough latitude for tolerance. Conflicts, military conflicts in particular, will only widen division and aggravate differences, and finally give rise to even more problems.

It is natural that countries should have differences, and it is possible for such differences to develop into conflicts. But that should not mean that such differences cannot be shelved or ironed out through dialogues and exchanges. Nor should it mean that cultural differences inevitably lead to conflict.

Rather as the ancient Silk Road highlights, it is exchanges between different cultures that help promote the development of human civilization. Cross-cultural dialogue is the basis for cultural exchanges.

Beijing put forward the Global Civilization Initiative, along with initiatives for global security and development, in 2023. That reflects China’s understanding through experience that security is a prerequisite for development, and development is a guarantee for security. Rather than seeing the differences among different civilizations as the inevitable cause of a clash, it sees them as a means for civilizations to learn from each other for the good of humanity as a whole.

China has long sought to promote dialogue among different cultures, and it has been doing what it can to broker dialogues and negotiations between parties in conflict. It is through China’s brokerage that Iran and Saudi Arabia have realized political reconciliation after many years of confrontation.

The UN’s designation of June 10 as the International Day for Dialogue among Civilizations should serve to increase the world’s awareness of the importance of dialogue in addressing cultural differences and thus promoting world peace.