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East meets WestAn open letter |
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You may be interested in a project I have in mind. ‘The Japan Architect’ has called for an ideas competition for an architectural project that could be anything and anywhere, the underlying theme is ‘East Meets West’; the idea being that cultural integration must follow economic integration between East and West, North and South, and between all the many subdivisions that characterize our contemporary world. Within this idea I have decided to propose a (provisional title) ‘Research Centre for World Cultural Exchange’. It would be a centre of studies for cultural differences on a wide range of subjects, such as language, women, children, military, social attitudes, history, geography, economy, education, the law, environment and others. I believe that many people who have closely followed the recent events in Eastern Europe, especially those unfolding in the Yugoslav Federation and the U.S.S.R., are acutely aware that economic development and good health cannot flourish in a world riddled with conflicts which more often than not have their sources in cultural clashings, and the use of cultural, ideological and historical weapons for economic dominance. Cultural, intellectual and artistic development cannot flourish either in a world where the economic foundation is faltering. I am aware that as a project it sounds very ambitious, even Utopian, perhaps it is, but I strongly believe that it is worth pursuing to a kind of conclusion. This institution should be attached to the United Nations; its functions should also include an advisory role to the U.N., individual governments and other institutions. It should be a worldwide network with branches in different countries and institutions, universities and others, more than being a single institution. It would also link individual existing centres which are at present engaged in a similar work. Modern information and communication techniques would make this possible. This project has grown from the frustration generated by the Gulf war, which I strongly believe it was not necessary. Apart of the horrendous qualities attributed to President Saddam Hussein and his regime, or the particular issues concerning the war, a major contributory factor seems to have been the incomprehension of language between Eastern and Iraqi leaders. This lack of understanding resulting from the particular usage of language by leaders belonging to different cultures. Words were understood at a face level, but not at a deeper and hidden level. The other concern which has generated this project is the belief that the acceleration of the economic and ‘cultural’ integration of Europe, the formation of the U.S.A.-Mexico-Canada trading block, the possible integration of Latin-American in a trading block, with the resulting formation of ‘macro-nationalisms’, are producing the scenario for a possible future conflict of a similar nature to the Gulf War. This process has to be reversed. The physical site for the actual architectural project would be in Kuwait, perhaps on that road leading from Kuwait City to Basra, where the retreating Iraqi troops were bombed, perhaps one of the clearest cases of this misunderstanding. The architectural project itself would have a symbolic structure and a series of research and lecturing facilities. I am open to comments, criticism and suggestions. Pablo Luis González This letter was sent in 1992 to several MPs, such as Ted Heath (Con), Tony Benn (Lab), Sir Ian Gilmour (Con), Neil Kinnock (then the Leader of the Opposition), Paddy Ashdown (Lib), and others. The precise nature of their responses cannot be revealed, but I would say only that, surprisingly, the warmest reaction was from Ted Heath. Hull: 19 November 2003 Comment »
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