- Date
- Tuesday, September 10, 2019 15:00 - 16:30
- Venue
- Multipurpose Hall, Fukuoka International Congress Center（External link）
Developing Asia and the
Coexistence of Cultures:
What the Fukuoka Prize and Past Laureates have Protected,
Nurtured, and Created over the Last 30 years
This symposium of past laureates was held to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Fukuoka Prize. With Their Imperial Highnesses Crown Prince and Crown Princess Akishino in attendance, local citizens packed into the venue to hear the wise words of past laureates. The crowd applauded loudly as the past laureates walked onto the stage, and Developing Asia and the Coexistence of Cultures, the 30th Anniversary Commemorative Symposium of Past Laureates began.
Developing Asia: 1990-2019
The symposium began with Prof. Suehiro Akira (Japan) giving an economist’s point of view on the main theme of “Developing Asia”. He talked about how Asia, and East Asia in particular, achieved the world’s highest level of economic growth for more than 50 years earlier than any other region in the world , how the region successfully reduced poverty, and how this came to be called the “East Asian Miracle.” However, the economic disparity has expanded since the 1990s, and he raised the issue of how we can create a new Asian society with China playing a central role.
Changes brought by social developments
The issue is inequality
According to Thai economist Prof. Pasuk Phongpaichit, the biggest issue we face as society continues to advance is inequality. She says that Thailand ranks first or second in the world for wealth inequality, and she raised the alarm over how the disparity between the rich and the poor has grown as society has become richer.
Advancing culture
Vietnamese fashion designer Ms. Minh Hanh said that social development has caused new issues, such as climate change, natural disasters, and the threat of terrorism. She also stated that cultural advancement needs to catch up with economic development and that their balance should be maintained for the world to continue developing sustainably. She ended her remarks by declaring that the world consists of a diverse array of cultures.
“Forest spirits“and “gods of wind”
Filipino filmmaker and culture observer Mr. Kidlat Tahimik talked about the Ifugao tribe, who lives deep in the mountains in northern Luzon in the Philippines. He said they used to pay respect to the forest spirits and the gods of wind and had been living in harmony with nature for 3,000 years. However after the colonists arrived, the Ifugao’s children started using chainsaws to cut down the forests. He appealed to the audience by saying that humans need to stop and revisit the cultures that have existed since old times.
The role of culture in realizing sustainable societies in Asia
The next topic was the role of culture in achieving sustainable societies in Asia. The panelists engaged in a lively exchange of opinions on the importance of protecting and inheriting culture and the roles that culture can play in achieving sustainable societies in Asia.
Culture that transcends national boundaries
British Dr. Chris Baker, explained that “culture” means “beautiful things.” He said that beautiful music, art, and fashion can easily transcend borders, and that the same applies to the beautiful landscapes of the terraced rice paddies where the Ifugao tribe lives. He pointed out, however, that no matter how beautiful, language does not transcend borders as easily. Based on his experience of translating ancient Thai poetry, he said that humans have always been curious about other cultures and that translation helps to bring humans with different cultures closer together by removing language barriers.
Next, Prof. Pasuk Phongpaichit, Dr. Baker’s translation partner, explained that human curiosity in communicating with different cultures has led to the current global boom in literary translation. She said you can understand how people who live in a certain country or culture think by reading their literature.
Culture is a driving force
Meanwhile, Ms. Minh Hanh explained that culture impacts economics on a deep level and that culture is the essential driving force behind continued social progress. She mentioned that we humans are the biggest benefactors of cultural advancement.
The role that the Fukuoka Prize has played
During the short 90 minutes of the symposium, the audience witnessed the wisdom of the past laureates. The evening ended with comments on the role that the Fukuoka Prize has played. First, Prof. Suehiro said the Fukuoka Prize is a new form of exchange. Next, Dr. Baker said that the Fukuoka Prize is like a lighthouse that shows us which way to proceed, and he expressed his gratitude and appreciation to the people of Fukuoka City for having their foresight to create this unique prize.
After the comments from the laureates, moderator Ms. Doden Aiko closed the 30th Anniversary Commemorative Symposium of Past Laureates by saying, “The story of the Fukuoka Prize will continue to live on every time you, the members of the audience, are exposed to the culture of Asia.”