Committed to the full implementation of the human rights and fundamental freedoms proclaimed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other universally recognized legal instruments, such as the two International Covenants of 1966 relating respectively to civil and political rights and to economic, social and cultural rights,
Recalling that the Preamble to the Constitution of UNESCO affirms “[...] that the wide diffusion of culture, and the education of humanity for justice and liberty and peace are indispensable to the dignity of man and constitute a sacred duty which all the nations must fulfil in a spirit of mutual assistance and concern”
East, West, North and South: I shall strive to build countless bridges between these parts of the world, all involved in globalization. Indeed, we must be ever on our guard for, while globalization brings freedom and has helped millions of people to break free from poverty and absolute poverty, it also bears the inherent danger of imposing uniformity on our world of diversity.
I was born in Bulgaria, where the mountains, the valleys and the peoples have shaped geographical and human landscapes of a deep richness and great variety. I belong to the post-war generation. It is also the generation that founded UNESCO. I know what it means to live in a multicultural, multi-religious and multi-ethnic community. I know what respect and tolerance are. In the cities of Bulgaria, such as Sofia and Plovdiv, which are among the most multicultural cities of South-East Europe, it is natural to see an Orthodox church, a mosque, a synagogue and a Catholic church side by side, merely a few dozens of metres apart. I have experienced such an open and peaceful climate, such respect among beliefs, from childhood.
For these reasons, I stand against the theory of the clash of civilizations. To my mind, the concept of civilization is embedded in the very principle of human community. The same sap flows through the trunk and the branches of the tree of humanity. Cultures, for their part, are the countless forms of expression that our civilization can take: all cultures flow into the same river, that of human civilization. In the long thread of history, cultures have always mingled, enriched and influenced each other. There are no fault lines between cultures, all ready to trigger shocks and conflicts. An affirmation, to the contrary, is tantamount to imputing ulterior motives to humanity.
I, in full agreement with UNESCO’s position, refute that theory. My vision is quite different, because I believe that we are naturally bound by our status as human beings, that we all have the same dreams of happiness and prosperity and that we know full well that such dreams can come true only if there is peace.
The commitment to peace is built day after day in the minds of people. It is built through exchange and dialogue. I believe deep down that dialogue among cultures is the most appropriate response to the so-called “clash of civilizations”.
We know that such cultural diversity is what makes us rich. It is also our future.
Cultural diversity and dialogue among cultures contribute to the emergence of a new humanism in which the global and local are reconciled and through which we learn anew to build our world.