The festival of cultures "DiverCity" May 21 Chieregatti Henry spoke with a keynote (unfortunately with little response to the public!) On the theme 'Living in the streets of the change between old and new citizens. "
For those not familiar Chieregatti Don Henry is pastor of Poplar, a town near Marzabotto, one of those priests who reconciles with Christianity (the speaker is a Buddhist for 24 years ...). He graduated in Philosophy and Theology, specializing in psychology, taught for some time at the Department of Education Science University Bologna.
Interculture is one of the areas that have been most busy: as an example I cite the essay along with Andrea Canevaro (The helping relationship. The encounter with the other in the teaching professions, Carocci, 1999) , where Chieregatti speaks of the relationship with the "different" race and racism, the relationship between culture and pluralism.
But his is not a purely theoretical interest: Don Henry is a man who has traveled extensively, which is deeply concerned for other cultures, learning the language at times (in his lecture, often mentions her travels in the East, particularly in Cambodia and Vietnam). Speaking of language, he left from a consideration of a personal nature: for him to learn another language was an event which transformed, made it different and has changed his mind, why foreigners in accepting it would be desirable not to ask for foreign visitors learn Italian, but to cultivate a willingness to learn other things including other languages. Yes, because dialogue and exchange between equals, where both parties speak and listen, otherwise it is monologue. Thus, intercultural dialogue should start from this respect for another culture, avoiding the temptation of assimilation, for which the comparison is possible only if you like: the attempt, then, is to make others like me, demanding the sacrifice of the other culture.
In the dialogue must always remember that everyone can learn from, you need a comparison that goes beyond teaching the presumption that you have only to teach. We know how the positivistic and modern vision of progress, has brought our culture to foster a feeling of complacency and arrogance towards the cultures we have described as "primitive." This presumption has often provided an excuse for colonialism: we have brought "progress" (now more often with the war we want to export "democracy"), raping men, women, territories and cultures.
A striking example of our ethnocentrism, quoted by Don Henry, is the Charter of Human Rights:
"We know well? We know how many are they? Know the content?" the audience responds 'no'. "I ask this because often celebrate it without knowing its contents, uncritically. It is an ideological stance, it does not matter what it says: it must be defended whatever! Did you know that there is another Charter of Human Rights, the economic rights of African peoples, or ignore the Bill of Rights of the Arab peoples, the rights of Muslim peoples ... and I could continue. Because it is written only in our 'universal'? Imagine what would happen if the Islamists had written 'Universal Card' ...
'Universal' means for all, so our statement may sound like an imposition, not respectful of other cultures ... ".
Don Henry, with a hint of irony, then known as the East, in the countries he visited, it is common to speak of the West, calling them "Developers"!
"Progress", "development", "growth" concepts are very close, all children of the same ideology scientist from epistemological point of view (the only true knowledge is scientific in the sense connoted experimental) and capitalist ideology from the standpoint of the economy (the categorical imperative of GDP growth, markets ...).
But "developers," said Don Henry, should listen to what other people think: maybe they could learn something. Chieregatti says in this regard, his experience in Cambodia, in Phnom Penh:
"Cambodia is a country virtually dominated by the French: the airport of Phnom Penh was built by the French and Cambodia pays a rent. Even on schools built by the French pay the rent ... In Cambodia, they were building a new hospital with the French. While the building was being finished, the Cambodians have begun to erect a Another building 100 meters from the hospital. "What building?" He was asked. "The hospital" they replied. "You've forgotten - have continued Cambodian - that when a person is not only the hospital, but the whole family is with him. When should I go undressed should not a stranger, and when we prepare to eat only we know her tastes. " "And you to care for a sick leave uncultivated rice fields?" He was asked. "Sure," - replied the Cambodians - will be the neighbors who farm the rice fields for us. On the other hand when a person dies in the hospital, not should be left to die alone, but there must be a familiar face, "concluded the Cambodians."
We Culture "advanced", so often we leave our loved ones to die in the cold hospital rooms without the medical approaches and accompanied by a humane death, we are sure you do not have something to learn from the Cambodians?
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