Invitation to an
International Conference
Dialogue of National Cultures in Global
Processes of Contemporary World
Kazak Academy of Social Sciences
Almaty, Kazakhstan
June 24-25, 2004
This
is to invite you to take part in an international conference
devoted to the cultural foundations of the urgent efforts of
the peoples of Central Asia to define their national
identities and achieve social renewal.
The region is undergoing a massive social and civilizational
upheaval. The old coordinates of the 20th century
which defined Central Asia as the supplier of raw materials
for a strictly controlled empire have been surpassed. A
springtime of new life for the 21st century
now begins to break forth.
On the material level there is
confidence in an abundance not only of rich natural
resources, but of the human capabilities to develop the
technological capabilities to extract these riches and build
the infrastracture of social life. Yet it is difficult to
learn how appropriately to employ these new riches. Too
much, it would seem, is employed in ostentatious homes and
casinos or merely accumulated in bank accounts. Not enough
is put towards enabling social participation by all parts of
the population, towards education and the development of
human resources, and towards raising the prestige of
professional excellence and the promotion of the arts.
Truly to benefit from material
resources depends upon the ability to employ them in terms
of the more fundamental values of human dignity, family
unity, national progress, global cooperation and inter
cultural and religious dialogue. This conference will seek
out ways of transcending selfishness, egoism and
consumerism, and how the peoples of the region might
perceive and value the broader realities and deeper riches
needed to inspire and orient their personal, social and
national life? This is the challenge to unfold and apply in
new ways and for new times the cultures of the many
ethnicities and peoples of the vast steppes of Central Asia.
Unfortunately, modern
rationalisms of left and right have tried to force these
into the artificial and restrictive ideal constructs or
ideologies. Unable to take account of the transcending
richness of human life, these tend to degenerate into
perverted, illusionary systems of ideas which in turn
distort reality to justify and legalize the particular
interests of specific social strata or cliques. Shaping
perceptions according to totalitarian systems that do not
allow other patterns of thought or action, in revenge the
traps even the institutions which promote or impose them.
Present
challenges and opportunities call for special attention to
greater openness to cultural diversity, while consolidating
the life of society cooperatively around cohesive programs,
strategies and paradigms as expressions of these cultures.
Society is neither a simple empirical reality, nor a purely
ideal entity; from the beginning the empirical forces of
natural-human existence are pervaded by a sense of what is
right and due. Nor is society a mere sum or aggregate of
individuals or ethnic groups, but a primary reality whose
sense of what is good has been developed by the experience
of centuries and passed on as its cultural and religious
tradition. This evokes creative social action, for a person
finds dignity not in a vacuum, but as a significant member
of society who contributes to the welfare of all and
therefore is appreciated by others. Whether these
aspirations are actually are achieved or not, without them
human life becomes unidimensional, flat in space and time,
empty and meaningless.
As
cultures set the terms of meaning, express the hopes and
shape the mode of social transformation, hence their
consideration must be central to any project of social
renewal and reconstruction for the peoples of Central Asia.
While inherited from the past, these cultural elements now
are inevitably engaged and shaped by the forces which unify
the way of life in the framework of the broader economic and
civic structures of the global system. Yet globalization can
follow different paths. One is marked by westernization (or
more precisely Americanization) in which one super-power
occupies all positions, becomes increasingly rich and tries
to impose on all its mode of living, its world view and a
mass culture. This is a world without persons or memory,
which are reduced to one commodity among others and
subordinated to the criteria of market exploitation. This
has rightly been the object of protest.o:p>
But
there is another path along which globalization can and must
be oriented. It recognizes that the scientific and technical
achievements must serve the good of all and facilitate the
terrestrial burden of each people and every individual. This
does not homogenize or suppress national uniqueness, but on
the contrary encourages the distinctiveness of the multiple
cultures, recognizing them to be the condition for the
indispensable contribution of each to the whole.
It
is not sufficient, however, to recognize the vital
importance of this second path; great effort is required to
make it happen. It is incumbent then upon scientists,
entrepreneurs, politicians, cultural and religions leaders,
and especially philosophers to come together in search of
social progress in this more adequate sense. For this it is
necessary to work out ways to integrate and implement the
deeply humanizing cultural resources and commitments which
the peoples of Central Asia have inherited from their
traditions with contemporary technical and social forms in
order to shape the new global possibilities in a manner that
is truly humane and humanizing. The genius for this task is
not to be found the mind of one person or in one meeting,
but must be the cumulative result of a broad cooperative
effort able to draw together, nurture and apply the cultural
resources of the entire region.
The
present conference strives to unite representative scholars
of Central Asia, especially philosophers, to bring their
multiple traditions to the table, to open a discussion of
present hopes and challenges, and to develop a structure for
continued work thereupon. The goal is to help to unite the
competencies of the region in an effort to find effective
paths for the progress of this region in the 21st century.
The conference will be held
in Almaty, Kazakhstan, June 24-25, 2004. It is cosponsored
by The Institute of Philosophy and Political Science of The
Kazakh Academy of Science, Almaty and The Council for
Research in Values and Philosophy (RVP). For further
information see www.crvp.org or
write to adm@phil.south-capital.kz and mclean@cua.edu.
