A Cultural Dialogue Exchange Mechanism
Vijay Prashad's TriContinental Instutue collaborates with a Chinese journal
Published 2023-04-01
Introduction
Every now and then one wanders across a publication which is significant. Towards the later half of an article by Vijay Prashad he revealed a collaboration between an organisation he formed the Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research and a leading Chinese journal, Wenhua Zongheng (文化纵横).
The mission is simple. Leading articles from the Chinese journal will be translated into English, Spanish and Portuguese. In the next edition, articles particularly from African academics, will be similarly translated. One presumes these will also be translated into Mandarin. Prashad is creating an exchange of ideas.
This is what an "Editor in Chief" and skilled translators can do.
I group Prashad with others like Hedges and Lawrence, all of whom I revere. Vijay is not only a good writer, his articles are heavily referenced and also contain visual art.
Collaboration
The first issue of this collaboration between TriContinental and Wenhua Zongheng offers a window into geopolitical discussions in China. The three articles are not by journalists or opinion writers but serious academics. The translations are excellent, enabling a reader of English to understand the ideas they present. By "serious academics" I mean Deans of universities.
To quote from the short biographies of the authors of the three articles in the first edition:
Cheng Yawen（程亚文）is dean of the Department of Political Science at the School of International Relations and Public Affairs, Shanghai International Studies University.
Yao Zhongqiu (姚中秋) is a professor at the School of International Studies and dean of the Centre for Historical Political Studies, Renmin University of China.
Yang Ping (杨平) is a leading scholar and editor in China’s contemporary ideological and cultural community.
The primary gift we are offered is this window into these discussions. Another is an understanding that China is not a monopoly, but a society within which serious discussions occur, citing their history and traditions. This first issue of the series gives us insight into the views of these Chinese scholars from China's perspective.
For example, the junction of the Pacific and Indian oceans are referred to as the South Seas. Zheng He's voyages of diplomacy with a huge fleet, about which the English speaking world remains largely unaware, are mentioned.
Hand in Glove
The articles mention recent geopolitical developments like the SCO, BRICS and the conflict in Ukraine. They also take a Chinese historical background referring to the Han, Tang and Qing dynasties. They are suffused with Confucian proverbs and how these relate to advice being offered to the Chinese government as to how to respond to the current geopolitical landscape.
Vijay Prashad was made for this project of cross-cultural communication. He, as an historian, philosopher and journalist, has spent decades visiting countries of the Non-Aligned Movement currently re-branded as the Global South. Prashad is creating a space to mediate discussion and thus his own place in history.
Allocate about 2 hours to read the first edition. The writing is very accessible but not light. Thus, the translators are deserving of praise.
Enjoy.
Addendum
Below is linked the latest episode of Going Underground TV in which Melvin Goodman, a former CIA analyst and now a professor of international relations at John Hopkins University in the USA reveals a very mixed understanding of world politics. Rattansi returns to his roots as a journalist and contests statements by Goodman asking for evidence. My conclusion is that this professor knows little of the current state of international relations. He knows not of that which he speaks.
One could conclude that, as Rattansi asks Goodman "are you still a member of the CIA?" the professor is defending certain narratives. One may also conclude that Rattansi has invited Goodman to create a controversy and therefore raise the ratings of his show. Come to your own conclusions.
Sources
On the Threshold of a New International Order, issue no. 1, TriContinental: Institute for Social Research, 2023-03-28
Wenhua Zongheng, the index to the series, Tricontinental
China & the Developing World, Vijay Prashad, Consortium News, 2023-03-31
Ex-CIA Analyst: Why US Containment of China is Doomed to Fail, Russia-Ukraine War WAS Provoked, Melvin Goodman is interviewed by Afshin Rattansi, Going Underground TV, 2023-03-31
Culture
The Best of Guzheng - Chinese Musical Instruments - Relaxing Music Part 1, uploaded by Kính Hồ Văn, 2017-08-08
Substack and Suppression
Below will be selected articles by Substack previously popular in this newsletter. They omit one in the top four: an article on Putin’s speech at the Valdai Club. Censorship is wonderful. It helps one identify sensitive topics.
I’m proud that many of my previous youtube references are now blacklisted.
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Copyright and Licensing
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