From the city of Qufu, the birthplace of Confucius, came a strong call for respect between civilisations, cooperation and cultural dialogue - all in the name of modernisation that does not destroy but unites.
The 11th Nishan Forum on World Civilizations brought together representatives from more than 70 countries to debate how ancient wisdom can shape the modern world. This year's theme was "Beauty in Diversity: Cultivating Understanding Among Civilizations for Global Modernization."
Maldivian Vice President Hussain Mohamed Latheef praised China's Global Civilization Initiative and stressed that respect for differences is key in times of global crises. The influence of Confucian values - such as humanity (ren), justice (yi) and trust (xin) - resonated again not only in academic circles but also in concrete examples of cooperation between China and Africa.
According to Professor Roger T. Ames, humanity should replace individualism with a conscious sense of global unity, in which Confucius' teachings may offer surprisingly timely answers.
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