Feature

At an intercultural symposium
Subrata Kumar Das

The word 'intercultural' has been accepted as one of the most important features of the present world. The new world scenario has necessitated emphasising this aspect with newer dimensions in the third millennium. Due to various reasons the world is now experiencing new challenges to remain habitable. Debates and conflicts are resulting in wars in the blink of an eye and thus thrusting thousands and millions of people in danger. Present day educators across the world opine that the origin of these debates and conflicts lie in diversity. The inhabitants of the globe are failing to bear the differences that have made the world beautiful. They believe that the curricula of the elementary and the secondary levels should include such things that help the young people learn to tolerate differences. With this view UNESCO along with DaimlerChrysler has initiated a ground named MONDIALOGO where thousands of students from every corner can throng to exchange dialogues.

Subrata Kumar Das

Mondialogo has created two different platforms: Mondialogo School Contest (MSC) and Mondialogo Engineering Award (MEA). MSC is for the students of secondary level aged 14-18 years, whereas MEA inspires the engineering students. Though both the platforms necessitate performing some practical activities, the aim of all these is developing intercultural dialogue.

Both the competitions end in attractive international symposiums. The First year of MSC 2003-2004 concluded at Barcelona while MSC of 2005-2006 was held at Rome. And it was a great fortune for me to be present at Rome Symposium in the first week of last November.

This round of MSC started in January 2006 and continued for a period of six months. About 35000 students in about 2600 teams from across the world participated. 50 teams were finally selected to attend the symposium. My team 'We Love Bangladesh' from Birshrestha Munsi Abdur Rouf Rifles College of Peelkhana, Dhaka, out of 22 Bangladeshi teams, got the recognition as one of the finalists.

Consequently I myself as the team leader and Lazina Hossain of class 12 of the college as the student representative were invited.

Representatives from Argentina, Australia, Bangladesh, Belarus, Brazil, Bulgaria, China, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, Fiji, Georgia, Germany, India, Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Mexico, Oman, Palestinian, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Turkey, Romania, South Africa, Sudan, United States of America, Uzbekistan, and Yemen attended the Rome Symposium to meet each other in person. Visa problems constrained the teams of Congo, Nigeria and Senegal to be in the gathering. Herewith let me quote the plea of Mondialogo Team that can help us realize the aims and objectives of such activities: “The experiences of the Mondialogo School Contest can become milestones on your students' path to being genuine junior ambassadors, conscious of their cultural, remaining flexible with others, willing to share and to appreciate the cultural backgrounds of others, and being actively involved in intercultural dialogue and exchange. If with your help, we manage to achieve this, then together we will have taken a major step on the road to a more peaceful future.”

Only such intercultural dialogue is able to make the future world habitable with peace and without war by developed tolerance and patience, making aware of multifarious diversities, not thinking that ours is the best, and providing minimum knowledge of Information and Computer Technology (ICT). On 4 November when we reached the Fiumicino Airport, popularly known as the Leonardo de Vinci Airport, it was afternoon. Teams from Turkey and another Italian City were our co-travellers in the same car to Torre Rossa Park Hotel at Via de Torre Rossa. That evening will remain alive in our memory for long as it opened a new horizon to meet people of so many countries in so jovial and intimate a way. The schedule included: sight seeing in Rome on the 5th; a Plenary Debate on the same day in the evening; Culture of Clothing Fashion Show by the representative students and Official Inauguration of the Project Exhibition on the 6th in the morning; Intercultural & Creative Workshop for Students and Teachers in that afternoon. The day ended with the gala evening and announcement of awards. 7th November was the Departure Day.

The day on which The Eternal City Rome was opened before the symposium participants will remain afresh as a mile stone event in life. Starting from Gianicolo Garibaldi we visited The Vatican City and the Basilica de St. Paolo and watched the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, Monument to Vittorio Emmanuele II so on and so forth. Having a look from the top of the city on seven hills, we gradually entered into its history, culture, heritage etcetera. The Vatican City which is basically an independent nation in the capital city of another independent nation Italy is originally the main seat of the Papal head. The entrance of the Vatican invites you to the Church of St. Peter, the great Apostle. History says that during the rein of Emperor Nero St. Peter was crucified and his body was buried nearby. After about some 250 years Constantine built a magnificent basilica on the spot. Later on in the 15th century Pope Nicolas V directed to rebuild it. First of all Rossellino, then Bramante, then Michelangelo were the artists who took the responsibilities to complete it. Even an ordinary person who has visited here is able to evaluate the pre and post visit intellectual maturity. I am whole heartedly indebted to the Mondialogo initiators that they have thrust us among the greatest beauties of the world.

The two-millennium old Colosseum that reminds the political arena of the ancient Rome as well as the fights of the gladiators with animals is another worthy spectacle for any visitor. Colosseum helps us imagine about the architectural development of the then Roman civilization. Our trip also included the Great Church of Saint Paul which is also a great instance of the combination of art and history and Christianity. It is believed that the body of Paul was buried here. My Rome days were intermingled with the remembrance of the poetry of Dante or the settings of many plays by William Shakespeare or the tragedy of Spartacus. Simultaneously those were the days when I befriended with the highest number of people of multifarious cultures in the shortest time. How can I forget the teachers like Kamil Koc of Turkey or Jai Narayan of Fiji who became so friendly at the first introduction? Petra Dhfkova of Czech Republic, Daniela D Stefanova of Bulgaria, Ewa Furman of Poland, Thomas Günter Foerster of Germany , Lidia Borrayo of Mexico, Rosannie M. Sabanal of Japan, Jose Felipe Barrenechea of Argentina have been imprinted permanently on my memory. Friendship with teachers like Mrs. Elena Yuryevna Abakumov and Yelena Nickolayenko of Russian Federation, Ana M. Campos Ticona of Peru, Georgia Hachem of Lebanon, S. Wusterhauss Jaramillo of Mexico, Ellenor Nobleza Sibal of Philippines, Simmi Kher of India,. Nana Chivchiuri of Georgia, N. A. R. de Coradin of Dominican Republic, Charoulla Fantis of Cyprus, Shen Li of China or Patricia Andrea Moglia of Argentina will be treasured with great honour in my life. I do not hesitate to remember what I have learnt from little

Miho, the Japanese student. The sweet student of Poland simply amazed me with her literacy in so many international languages. So many things have enriched my life during those days! Earlier it was something inconceivable that one can be so smart and so skilled at the same time. Amina Hamsari of ASPnet can be cited as a good example of this. Dr. Giovanni Palazzo or Nellei B. LaGarde of DaimlerChrysler was incredibly cooperative along with energetic and enthusiastic Mondialogo caretakers who took care of all of the guests. Rome Symposium provided us opportunities to visit the relics of one of the most ancient cultures of the world. Along with that it created arrangement for a huge multicultural interaction. Interaction with teachers and students of so many countries can bountifully contribute to any person's attitudes, beliefs and thought. I am sure people who attended Rome Symposium returned as better persons than before.

Subrata Kumar Das lectures at Birshrestha Munsi Abdur Rouf Rifles College, Peelkhana, Dhaka.
E-mail: subratakdas@yahoo.com .