Page 2 - ON BUILDING A HUMAN COMMUNITY WITH A SHARED FUTURE

SPEECH AT THE UNESCO HEADQUARTERS

spread. This was the original purpose for the establishment of UNESCO.
An aspiration such as this, a vision such as this, should continue
today to receive our commitment. Not only must we commit to it, we
must use educational, scientific, technological, and cultural activities that
transcend national borders, time, space, and civilizations to see the seeds
of the notion of peace burgeon and grow in the hearts and minds of the
world’s people, and to see this planet, our common home, carpeted in
forest upon forest of peace.
Since its inception in 1945, UNESCO has acted faithfully on its
mandate, working tirelessly to increase understanding and trust between
the world’s peoples and to prompt exchange and learning among
civilizations. China attaches great importance to its cooperation with
UNESCO and stands ready to increase its participation in UNESCO’s
activities. As a gesture of our support and assistance for Africa, we have
decided to increase the number of places on the Great Wall Fellowship
program offered through UNESCO to African and other developing
countries from 25 to 75 per year. We will also work with UNESCO to
continue our Funds-in-Trust projects for support to Africa.

Ladies and Gentlemen,
Friends,
Through exchange, civilizations become more diverse; through
mutual learning, they become richer. This exchange and learning is
an important driving force for human progress and world peace and
development.
In promoting such exchange and learning, we must observe the
right approach and principles. To my mind, the most important points
are these:
First, civilizations come in all shades, and it is precisely this diversity
that gives exchange and learning among us its meaning. Just as sunlight
has many hues, the world too is a place of rich diversity. The civilization
of a country and a people is their collective memory. Throughout history,
humankind has created and developed a diverse array of civilizations.
From the days of primitive hunting to traditional farming, from the
industrial revolution to the information society, they have pieced together a
great cultural tapestry creating a stirring chronicle of human civilization.

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