Webinar Invitation: Decoupling or Bridging Civilizations?

The Belt and Road Institute in Sweden

Invites you to a webinar:

A Call for a Global Civilization Initiative

June 28th, 2023 (9AM- 1PM Central European Time)

 Registration open!

While the United States and EU leaders are calling for decoupling and de-risking from China, China’s President Xi Jinping released a Global Civilization Initiative (GCI) in March 2023 to build bridges among nations and civilizations. The foundation for global economic cooperation and development remains central to the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). This year is the tenth anniversary of the launching of the BRI in 2013 by President Xi. The profound interest and success of the BRI, with over 150 nations joining and cooperating, clearly demonstrates its attractiveness. The quest for an end to poverty and underdevelopment is now an unstoppable historic process which requires a world united not divided.

The GCI, which follows the BRI, the Global Development Initiative (GDI), and Global Security Initiative (GSI) all launched by China, indicates that without cultural and civilizational development, economic development becomes an empty and soulless shell, that could quickly degenerate and decay. Besides, a true dialog of civilization also helps nations to come closer and discover these features that are common in every civilization and emphasize these rather than what takes them apart. Therefore, the BRI, the GDI, the GSI, and the GCI are different branches of the same growing tree.

Are there common or universal values and principles that nations can agree upon to exist and build upon them to bridge the geopolitically induced widening gap between East and West and North and South today? Are there precedents for this type of dialog of civilizations that can be used as reference points? Can GCI and a genuine dialog of civilizations overcome the distorted view that “might makes right” and the powerful must inevitably dominate the rest? The combination of this lust for power together with an inherent belief in the egotistic nature of human beings has for far too long played a major role in spreading conflict and war. Zero-sum game mentality and imperialist policies no longer have a place in humanity’s future; rather respect for the dignity of diverse civilizations is the road to peace and economic development, or what President Xi calls “a community for a shared future for mankind”.

The webinar on June 28th will bring together diplomats, former officials, and experts from China and Europe to answer and discuss these critical questions.

Speakers:
  1. H.E. Mr. Cui Aimin, Ambassador of The People’s Republic of China to Sweden.
  2. H.E. Mr. Dmitry Mironchik, Ambassador of the Republic of Belarus to Sweden.
  3. Erik Solheim, Vice President Green Belt and Road Coalition, Former Executive Director of the UN Environment Program, Norway.
  4. Professor Jessie Qing Li, Executive President, Guangdong Institute of International Strategies (GIIS), China.
  5. Stephen Brawer, Chairman, Belt and Road Institute in Sweden.
  6. Mr. Lev Panin, Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC), Russia.
  7. Professor Li Xing, Professor of Politics and Society at Aalborg University, Denmark.
  8. Professor Faisal Ahmed, Professor of International Business New Delhi, India.
  9. Mattias Lind, Engineer, Researcher of Chinese language and culture, Sweden.
  10. Hussein Askary, Vice-Chairman of the Belt and Road Institute in Sweden.

 

Please join the Belt and Road Institute in Sweden for the coming webinar.  Your participation is most welcome.

The webinar is free of charge, but pre-registration is required:

Register here!

Or send an email to: info@brixsweden.org

 

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