*The Eighth Nishan Forum on World Civilizations, which took place from Monday to Wednesday in Qufu, the birthplace of Confucius (551 B.C.-479 B.C.), east China's Shandong Province, provided a platform for a dialogue among different civilizations.
*Themed "Diversity of human civilizations and common values of mankind," the forum saw over 600 participants join online and offline to share views on the thoughts of the ancient Chinese sage, thus shedding light upon possible solutions to the most pressing challenges of the times.
*Participants agreed that the diversity of civilizations is the source of human progress. Civilizations keep flourishing through exchanges and mutual learning. In a world where countries are increasingly interdependent and share weal and woe, respecting diversity is key to cooperation and obtaining win-win outcomes.
JINAN, Sept. 29 -- When the world is living through profound changes and a pandemic both unseen in a century, accompanied by geopolitical tensions, there is a common call for a dialogue among different civilizations to seek a better future for humanity.
The Eighth Nishan Forum on World Civilizations, which took place from Monday to Wednesday in Qufu, the birthplace of Confucius (551 B.C.-479 B.C.), east China's Shandong Province, provided a platform for such a dialogue.
Themed "Diversity of human civilizations and common values of mankind," the forum saw over 600 participants join online and offline to share views on the thoughts of the ancient Chinese sage, thus shedding light upon possible solutions to the most pressing challenges of the times.
Aerial photo taken on Sept. 27, 2022 shows the site of 2022 China (Qufu) International Confucius Cultural Festival and the Eighth Nishan Forum on World Civilizations in Qufu, the birthplace of Confucius, in east China's Shandong Province. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng)
As recorded in The Analects of Confucius, "Youzi said, 'Make harmony a top priority in the application of rites. That was a key feature of governance by sovereign rulers in the ancient past. Always act upon the rule of harmony, no matter whether the issue at hand is minor or major.'"
For thousands of years, the traditional ethos of harmony has played an active role in the continuity and inheritance of the Chinese civilization, rooting the proverb "harmony is the most precious" in the minds of Chinese people for countless generations.
During his remarks at the opening ceremony of the eighth Nishan Forum, Wu Weihua, vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, said that the Confucian thoughts of harmony, including exchanges and dialogue, inclusiveness, and mutual learning, have provided enlightenment for exchanges and cooperation among different nationalities and civilizations.
Wu noted these thoughts also pointed to the fundamental ways to handle relations among countries, peoples, and civilizations.
Peace and development should come first, and humanity's shared values should be promoted to build a community with a shared future for all, he added.
