The 1st “International Forum on Mutual Learning among Civilizations” concluded successfully today (17 December) in Macao. The closing ceremony was attended by the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao SAR Government, O Lam; the Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao SAR, Huang Liuquan, etc. Through the Forum, representatives from government departments across various regions, representatives of international organizations, renowned experts and scholars from Egypt, Indonesia, Tunisia, Argentina, Portugal, Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom and Canada engaged in in-depth discussions and intellectual exchanges on the key topic of mutual learning among civilizations. At the closing ceremony, the “Mutual Learning Among Civilizations and Inheritance through Innovation: The Macao Initiative” (hereinafter referred to as the “Macao Initiative”) was officially released.
The “Macao Initiative”, based on Macao’s positioning featuring “Chinese culture serves as the mainstay and diverse cultures coexist”, advocates using Macao as a link, cultural heritage as a testament, and dialogue as a bridge to promote mutual appreciation, harmonious and coexistence, and win-win cooperation among different civilizations. Its core ideas include: 1) upholding a global perspective to promote dialogue among civilizations and experience sharing; 2) championing openness and inclusiveness to deepen mutual learning and people-to-people exchange; 3) cherishing cultural heritage and integrating traditional wisdom with modern development; 4) focusing on intergenerational transmission to support youth development and digital innovation; 5) jointly building a platform for dialogue among civilizations and advancing the Global Civilization Initiative (GCI).
The President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Leong Wai Man, said in her speech in the closing ceremony that the Chinese civilization has always valued the principles of “harmony in diversity” and “harmony among all nations,” offering a valuable frame of reference for cross-cultural understanding. It is particularly meaningful that this forum was held in Macao. This year marks the twentieth anniversary of the inclusion of the “Historic Centre of Macao” in the World Heritage List. This city, blending Chinese and Portuguese cultural imprints, provides us with a vivid example of mutual learning among civilizations. Leveraging the advantages of “One Country, Two Systems,” Macao is striving to build an important bridgehead for China’s high-level opening to the world and a vital window for the exchange and mutual learning among Chinese and Western civilizations. The fruitful outcome of the Forum will contribute its efforts to the dialogue between Chinese civilization and the world’s diverse civilizations.
