The Significance of History and Culture on Global Human Rights Governance
Stephen Brawer*
The dramatic and profound changes that are emerging worldwide can be most definitely, connected to the Rise of a “New China.” This is expressed clearly in the Xi Jinping’s Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. The importance of studying and understanding these ideas, not only for the people of the People’s Republic of China, but perhaps, even more importantly, for the rest of the world, will be ignored at a great price for humanity.
As Chairman of the Belt and Road Institute in Sweden, it has been my goal to promote and educate not only Swedes, but all Europeans to the great advantages that the Belt and Road Initiative has for global development and cooperation. We celebrate this year 2023, the 10th Anniversary since China’s President Xi Jinping launched the Initiative in 2013. In addition, to being a honour to represent the importance of the BRI to my fellow Swedes, and Europeans, it gives me great personal happiness to advance this cause “for a community for a shared future for mankind” I am convinced it is the pathway to peace as well as true Human Rights in the proper sense of development and the elimination of global poverty. Yet, I am not from China. I cannot even claim to be a sinologist. My own background and history come from the other side of the planet.
As a philosophical thinker and educator, I am nonetheless, deeply connected to the importance of BRI. How is this possible? Through Culture and History. As my friend, China’s Ambassador to Sweden Cui Aimin expressed it “through culture we are more united rather than divided.”
Of course, this is dependent upon certain common fundamental principles of human society and culture that unites us. These are, first, the basic natural goodness of men and women. Secondly, the harmonious nature of humanity in relation to the universe, and the unique quality of creative or innovative thinking which separates human beings from the lower animals or beasts.
Shakespeare expressed this most beautifully. “Man (Men and Women) are the Crown of Creation.” When we live and understand one another in light of these ideas, we communicate, we cooperate, we discover and find friendship and trust. We build bridges between cultures, as President Xi Jinping’s recent Global Civilization Initiative reflects this.
Naturally, differences do exist, but they do not divide us, rather in the best sense, they teach us to learn from each other.
Unfortunately, the present ongoing effort to demonize China, coming from the USA, the UK, and the G-7, is based on a combination of fear and virtual total ignorance of both Modern China and the great history of an over five-thousand-year-old civilization. I fully respect the sovereign choice of political system of the People’s Republic of China, yet I see the BRI emerging out of this very long and very profound history of China. Western political leaders, presently lack any insight into this very long and great history. They are also trapped in the philosophical basement of a western philosophical Hobbesian world view, that sees men and women as fundamentally evil and egotistical. Therefore, they operate on the idea of the “law of the jungle.” They consider brute power to be the solution to problems and they cannot trust anyone. This certainly lacks any substance for protecting or defending Human Rights.
From my view, there is a bridge that is both a true basis for optimism as well as cross cultural understanding that can unite both East and West in the right spirit. It is a period of history from 1646 to 1716. It is the time of the philosopher and scientist Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz. Leibniz’s thinking and life works addressed this spirit of optimism reaching from Europe to China and from Europe to the English Colonies that were to become the future United States of America. Read two quotes.
This is a part of living history that is just as much relevant for the present challenges as it was at the time that Leibniz lived. At some point soon, I would be happy to elaborate on this history and its philosophical premises. One crucial idea is the idea of the common good for all people. I believe this is the pathway to improved relations and what Leibniz called a “Commerce of Light.” This is where Human Rights and the BRI can merge to give the world “a community for a shared future for mankind.”
