By Cynthia Chung Sun Tzu’s The Art of War is one of the most influential books written on military strategy and philosophy. This is not confined to just Asians but Europeans and Americans alike have attempted to study The Art of War hoping its wisdom would be revealed to them. However, it is clear with…
Category: Dialogue of Cultures
Remembering Rabindranath Tagore: A Life Dedicated to the Universal
Originally published on the Poetry Foundation. On his 70th birthday, in an address delivered at the university he founded in 1918, Rabindranath Tagore said: “I have, it is true, engaged myself in a series of activities. But the innermost me is not to be found in any of these. At the end of the journey…
Islam & the Renaissance: A Shared Heritage
As part of the RTF Lecture Series “The Renaissance Principle Across the Ages“, Asad Wasti discusses the Islamic Renaissance. What are the roots of Islam and how has this cultural/religious movement shaped universal history? What is it in Islam that defined the greatest up-shifts of wisdom, tolerance and learning while at other times led to…
Unifying Spirit between East and West: Giuseppe Castiglione (1688-1766), Jesuit painter in the Forbidden City.
By Matthew Ehret “In pursuing the Belt and Road Initiative, we should ensure that when it comes to different civilizations, exchange will replace estrangement, mutual learning will replace clashes, and coexistence will replace a sense of superiority. This will boost mutual understanding, mutual respect and mutual trust among different countries” -Xi Jinping, Belt and Road…
Today’s Multi Polar Potential and the Missed Chance of 1867
By Matthew Ehret In a recent paper entitled ‘Tomorrow’s Arctic: Theatre of War or Cooperation?’ I introduced readers to the US-Russian grand design which shaped not only the sale of Alaska in October 1867 to the USA for $7.2 million, but also Russia’s involvement in the American Civil War as Czar Alexander II arranged the deployment of…
Paul Robeson: His Life as an Unfinished Symphony
Many know of the name Paul Robeson as a great baritone singer and actor of the early 20th century… but few know of Paul Robeson as the cultural warrior, renaissance man and world citizen who created the foundations for the civil rights movement, played a leading role in the international anti-colonial freedom struggle, or anti-fascist…
Open System Pathways for a Multi-Polar Future
By Matthew Ehret During the course of President Putin’s June 24 opening speech during the Moscow Parade celebrating the 75th anniversary of WWII, the following call to action was made: “We understand how important it is to strengthen friendship and trust between nations, and are open to dialogue and cooperation on the most pressing issues on the international…
V.I. Vernadsky and the American System in Russia
As the dust settled on the American Civil war in 1865, Russia took pride in the fact that this Eurasian nation turned the tide in favor of Lincoln’s cause of preserving the union and abolishing the institution of slavery. Czar Alexander II was also known as “The Great Liberator” for liberating the serfs in 1861…
Russia and the USA’s Common Missions: A Cause for Hope amidst our Troubled Times
By Matthew Ehret After taking an assessment of American foreign policy failures over the past four decades, it is easy to understand why one might become depressed or disenchanted with the prospects of cooperation and peace amongst these two historic allies. However, as Martin Luther King Jr said, it is “Only in the darkness that…
Symposium: Cultural Optimism, Art and the New Silk Road
On Sunday April 28, 2019, a symposium hosted by the Rising Tide Foundation was held in Montreal, Canada dealing with the unified growth of cultural optimism, beautiful art and economic development as it is being manifested today with the New Silk Road in Asia, Africa and beyond. Presentations were given by a pianist, a dancer,…
