Download - Российский комитет Программы ЮНЕСКО ...

282
Fikret BABAYEV
Head, Cultural Policy Department,
Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Azerbaijan Republic
(Baku, Azerbaijan Republic)
Azerbaijani State Policy
Toward the Development of Intercultural Dialogue
and the Preservation of Cultural Diversity
The dialogue between cultures and civilizations is among the most topical and
popular themes in the world. Many countries arrange roundtables, conferences
and forums on this dialogue. Every such meeting certainly deserves support
and encouragement – at least, because it is in itself a dialogue.
Regrettably, all these events have only token influence on the actual situation.
Any news agency’s information appearing on the TV or online proves that
point. Prejudice, intolerance, ethnic purges, war and genocide reign in this
world. Conflicts and confrontations are snowballing.
However, ever more political, religious and community activists, researchers
and people-in-the-street join discussions on the intercultural dialogue with
every passing year to advance hypotheses, scenarios and initiatives. Thus,
certain scholars are sure that the available contradictions between civilizations
inevitably lead to antagonisms and clashes, the opportunities for a dialogue are
dwindling, and the multicultural community has no future. There is another
opinion – that all nations of the world should emulate the Western model to
prevent confrontation. Doubtless, Western ideas of freedom and democracy,
high living standards and rapid development are praiseworthy. Despite all that,
we see quite well that these patterns cannot be accepted by the entire world –
mainly due to the current amount and distribution of resources, as well as to
geopolitical, historical and cultural factors.
The intercultural dialogue is no longer a problem of cultural studies alone. It
has crossed their limits to penetrate big politics. Globalization is underway.
Some are enthusiastic about it while others consider it a disaster. Be that as
it may, we are all aware of sweeping changes in our life. Probably, each of us
should see that we are not only our countries’ citizens: we are also members
of a family named “humanity”. Globalization has made us all dwellers of a vast
united space in which dialogues between persons, states and nations should
base on ethics.