Second Year of ASEF Cultures & Civilisations Dialogue 2004/2005: 4th to 6th ASEF Talks on the Hill, 7th to 12th Asia-Europe Lecture Tours

About the Asia-Europe Foundation Cultures & Civilisations Dialogue Programme Notions of a "Clash of Civilisations" and a deep cultural divide have entered the lexicon of academic and public discourse. One of the most often cited work is Samuel Huntington's 1993 thesis on how today's battle lines will be made along "the fault lines of civilisations" and no longer those of economics or ideology. A counter-movement is developing towards greater understanding, to stem the so-called "rising tide" of intolerance and distrust. The most important argument arising from this examination of cultures and civilisations is that conflict need not be inevitable. The Asia Europe Foundation (ASEF) strives to be part of this effort. At the 4th Asia Europe Meeting (ASEM) Summit in Copenhagen (2002), the Chairman's statement stressed the need to promote "unity in diversity" among the various cultures represented among the 38 ASEM countries. ASEF was asked to accompany this initiative through its own "Civil Society" architecture in Asia and Europe. In consonance with this enterprise, the philosophy of ASEF's Cultures & Civilisations Dialogue programme emanates from the following as the premise for dialogue: respect for the equal dignity of all civilisations; conviction that cultural diversity is an asset, not a liability; and accountability for the impact of prejudice on present and future generations.