There was one passage in this reading that grabbed my attention. Daniel Barenboim stated that; "I believe that in cultural matters - with literature and, even better, with music, because it doesn't have to do with explicit ideas - if we foster this kind of a contact, it can only help people feel nearer to each other, and this is all." I like the core idea that this comment presents and what it says about the capabilities of cultural exchange. It would be absurd to expect cultural exchanges to magically erase conflicts that have long existed between communities across the world; that said, I do agree with Barenboim's view that cultural exchange can sometimes lessen the intensity of conflicts. This concept reminds me of a book that I read entitled Cultural Exchange & The Cold War: Raising The Iron Curtain, where author Yale Richmond wrote about the various experiences of both U.S. and Soviet citizens who visited each other's countries throughout the cold war. After finishing the book and seeing how some Soviet leaders who had been responsible for reform in their country had in fact taken part in cultural exchanges with the United States I was convinced that these exchanges did play a small but not unimportant role in cooling U.S.-Soviet relations and the eventual end of the cold war.
I would disagree with two points that Barenboim made. The first would be the notion that only the exchange of literature and music are beneficial in developing cultural understanding. I believe that the same sort of cultural understanding can develop from an exchange of many cultural aspects, such as all art forms, students, artists, and intellectuals. Another point of critique that I have for Barenboim's comment is the idea that the exchange of literature and music doesn't have to do with the exchange of ideas. This is absolutely not true. Music can certainly be used to portray emotions, ideas and beliefs; it is just done in a very abstract way. This is also the case with Literature; a society's literature says a great deal about its values and can teach outsiders about its unique culture.
I like what you said about lessening the intensity of conflicts. If we were to somehow blunt the harsh feelings of the two sides then I believe resolution talks would go much smoother. If feels like many people are ready to write off the mushy side of conflict resolution but in my opinion, it is the first step. Feelings of mutual respect and understanding are vital throughout the peace process, and without them, we cannot hope to find an answer.
ReplyDeleteI have learned a lot about the Cold War too and I think it is really interesting that this article reminded you of the cultural exchanges between the US and the USSR. I hadn't thought of that, but once you brought it up, I began to compare and contrast the two and it led to a lot of interesting points. For instance, I think that an Israeli-Palestinian cultural exchange might actually be easier than a American-Soviet exchange since the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is over land and the Cold War was about two diametrically opposed ideologies. Also, you mention that the US-USSR cultural exchanges may have played a role in cooling tensions between the two, which I think is a valid assessment, but I would disagree that the exchange led to the end of the Cold War. The Cold War ended as a result of the collapse of the Soviet system. Gorbachev began to implement reforms in an attempt to save the system, but in the end, the reforms destabilized the economy and led to financial ruin. The only way that the Soviet Union was able to limp on was due to the top-down government control of all aspects of life, and once the Gorbachev tried to loosen the government's grip, the entire system came crashing down. So, in that sense, I don't think that the exchanges could be credited with helping end the Cold War. Similarly, I don't think that cultural exchanges between Israelis and Palestinians will end the conflict, but it can cool tensions between them.
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