Nishan forum promotes inter-civilization exchanges, mutual learning

BEIJING, Sept. 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report from chinadaily.com.cn:

By promoting universal human values and enhancing equal exchanges among different civilizations, countries today have the ability to create a more improved global society and address worldwide issues, officials and scholars emphasized at the ninth Nishan Forum on World Civilizations.

The forum, held from Sept 26 to 28 in Qufu, East China's Shandong province, the hometown of ancient Chinese sage Confucius, attracted 330 foreign guests including ambassadors from various countries, representatives from international organizations, friendly provinces and cities, as well as over 1,000 Chinese and foreign experts and scholars, to discuss the integration and mutual learning of civilizations, and to seek solutions to global challenges.

Vice-Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress Shohrat Zakir announced the opening of the forum. Addressing the event, he emphasized that equal communication and mutual learning among different civilizations would provide a strong spiritual guidance for humanity to solve problems of the times and achieve common development.

He highlighted the importance of respecting the diversity of human civilizations, promoting inclusiveness, and advocating common values of humanity to build a community with a shared future for mankind.

In a written message to the forum, Liu Yandong, president of International Confucian Association, underlined the need to harness the power of civilizations, and uphold the principles of solidarity, inclusiveness and mutual learning.

She called for promoting the excellent cultural heritage of all ethnic groups throughout the country, nurturing the vigor of global dialogue and cooperation, injecting new impetus into the process of human modernization and the construction of a global community with a shared future.

"It is because of the 'common values for mankind' that we gather here. Although we come from different countries and have different cultural backgrounds, we all have one thing in common, which is our love for China and Chinese culture," Ehsan Doostmohammadi said at the Nishan World Forum on Youth, one of the sub-forums.

Doostmohammadi, from Iran, developed a strong interest in Chinese medicine after witnessing the effectiveness of acupuncture on a friend's injured hand.

He moved to Shanghai in 2009 at age 23 and went to Shandong two years later to study at Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

His understanding of Chinese culture deepened in Shandong, the hometown of philosophers Confucius and Mencius, as he stated: "The province has a profound cultural heritage which provides rich content for the world to learn." Now, he aims to contribute to the cross-cultural exchange among civilizations.

Since its establishment in 2010, the Nishan forum has consistently emphasized the dialogue between diverse global cultures. Through its successful sessions, it has emerged as a crucial platform to foster the preservation and growth of traditional Chinese culture, promote universal human values, and enhance international exchange and collaboration in areas of human studies.

The previous editions focused on dialogue, exchange, and diversity. Experts and scholars from various cultural backgrounds had intense discussions and agreed that respect, equality, and mutual appreciation are essential for peaceful coexistence and mutual development among different civilizations.

Shandong province, by virtue of being the birthplace and family home of Confucius, has made great strides in expanding the international influence of Chinese civilizations and stimulating the vitality of cultural innovation and creativity so as to build a new center for cultural exchange and mutual learning.

The Nishan forum has expanded from being focused on academic fields to discussions on culture, education, history, and then to fields such as international politics, economy, ecology, media, art and traditional Chinese medicine.

SOURCE chinadaily.com.cn