ISTANBUL - Former U.N. Secretary General and President of the World Commission on Culture and Development Javier Peres de Cuellar said that the humanity faced with new and big threats in the recent years, adding that new ways of cooperation has to be found to cope with these new threats.
''We must live to learn in a new way,'' told Cuellar in the opening of the Third Round Table meeting of UNESCO Culture Ministers.
Expressing pleasure over the holding of the meeting in Turkey, which is a country that has rich cultural assets, Cuellar said that the importance of cultural diversity increases every day.
''We must get away from old claims, and we must find new ideas,'' said Cuellar, adding that the issue of ''the Intangible Cultural Heritage'' will be taken up in the meeting.
Cuellar said that the end of many languages in the world caused lessening of the communication among the people, adding that the UNESCO Universal Declaration of Cultural Diversity brings new responsibilities to the states in this regard. Cuellar said that certain architectural techniques which are used in Peru, his country for thousands of years helps in building of cheaper and quake-resistant buildings, noting that this is one of the best examples proving that the cultural heritage can serve the humanity today.
Referring to the words of UNESCO Director General Koichiro Matsuura who told Le Monde newspaper that ''we will find new ways for national and international solidarity,'' Cuellar said that ''how does culture affect our way of thinking, creativity, behaviors? Unfortunately we could not learn to work together and to respect each other. We live in extraordinary days and we need extraordinary solutions. We need radical changes and good visions. We must learn ourselves well and we must perceive others well. If this is the case, we can make cooperation.''