World Expo to help dialogue
By Chang Tianle (China Daily)
26/06/2004
The Shanghai World Expo in 2010 should serve as a stage for civilized dialogue, in addition to being an exhibition of the latest inventions and technology, said the organizer and experts at the Forum 2004 Expo 2010 Shanghai held in Paris on Friday.
Wu Jianmin, president of the Bureau of International Expositions (BIE) said that the world should not follow or adopt a single strong culture, which is by no means democratic. Instead, to allow all cultures to exist and flourish is what the world in the 21st century truly needs.
What World Expo can contribute to this new order is to enable all people, countries and ethnicities to present themselves in the same place, and to seek understanding and co-operation, he said.
Given the current international trend, the Shanghai World Expo in 2010 will carry a significant meaning to the world, he said, adding that it will be a perfect example of cultural diversity and democracy as well.
His view was shared by more than 200 speakers and participants, including BIE delegates, senior officials of various international organizations, and researchers as well as the organizers.
Cultural diversity is the primary condition for cultural dialogue and it is a global challenge, said Paris Deputy Mayor Christophe Girard.
His counterpart, Shanghai Vice-Mayor Zhou Yupeng, who is also taking a key role in the Shanghai Expo preparation, told the forum that the World Expo would create a large stage for all cultures to meet, exchange and integrate.
The one-day forum, with the theme of Cultural Diversity and Cultural Integration in Cities in the 21st Century was organized by BIE and the Shanghai municipal government. It took place in the French capital, home to BIE's headquarters.
The annual forum starting from last year is the first time that a host country has generated ideas from all over the world. Next September, a forum with a focus on sustainable development will take place in Aichi, Japan at the end of Aichi World Expo.
