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The introduction speech by Ahmet Say at the
conference of the European Festivals
Association. This year’s theme of the
conference was “Festivals in the globalizing
world”.
Antalya, 24-27 April 2008
Dear guests and associates,
It is a pleasure to meet you here in
Antalya. As far as Turkish intellectuals are
considered, festivals are not only a series
of outstanding activities, but also exhibit
the creation of diverse formations from the
total of artists representing the power of
art.
Before continuing any further, I
would like to explain a technical detail
about the speech I am going to make. Despite
my reluctance, I will have to read the text
to maintain the synchronization of the
simultaneous translation in four languages
with the flow of my speech.
Being a music historian, I was
requested a few weeks ago by the general
directorate of the State Opera and Balet,
members of the organization commitee, to
elaborate on an original aspect of Anatolia.
I was planning to indulge in the
philosophical and artistic aspects that gave
rise to the movement of humanistic culture
in Anatolia in the 13th century. Any detail
among the most exciting features of the
“Anatolian Humanism”, which was highly
advanced in terms of defending human values
and which had already flourished 200 years
before the advent of Renaissance in Europe,
would certainly provide our European
associates with unexpected clues on
creativity, because today’s intellects
knowing how to benefit from the traces of
the once well-established cultures of
history could easily transcend the slightest
sparkle from earlier ages with a modern
understanding.
Dear associates, as EFA has brought
the theme “the globalizing world” to the
forefront of this conference, the parallel
I would try to draw between my initial
preparation on “ 13th century Anatolian
Humanism” and the issue to be discussed here
would be rather obscure. So, now in this
speech, I would like to briefly reflect the
predisposition of Turkish intellects towards
the concept of globalization.
During your stay in Antalya, I assume
you will be visiting many historical sites,
which will enable you to see unbelievably
impressive works from antique civilizations
of Anatolia and of medieval times, the
unique examples of cultural heritage of
humanity. Other than amphitheatres, even a
single piece of stone could sound from a few
thousand years earlier as a reminiscent of
the theatres, odeons once stood on these
lands, where with every step you will take
you’ll notice that it is not only this very
region, but the entire Anatolia that is no
more different than an open-air museum.
On these lands lived Homer circa 8th
century BC, a blind lyre player and the
composer of immortal legends, the Iliad and
Odyssey. Before him prevailed the earliest
pioneers of philosophy namely Thales,
Heracleitos and Democritos. Thales had
already calculated that there would be an
eclipse on 28th May in 585 BC. Heracleitos
had said “universe is a duration in a
continuous flow; you can not wash twice in a
river as it runs and changes and likewise
everything in universe is in an everlasting
evolution”. According to Democritos, “being”
was made up of smallest particles which he
called “atom” in the sense that they “could
not be divided”.
Considering these examples, we would
like to think of “globalization” as the
total of multi-dimensional cultural aspects
devised by man. We might not share similar
viewpoints, but at least developing new
controversial issues should be considered
the gains of this conference. Democritos
said “I would rather find a proof than be
the Persian king”.
We are familiar with the title,
“festivals in a globalizing world”, because
of its frequent use, but we think that they
are mere words randomly put together without
much forethought. We all know that the word
“globalization” is an ambiguous, blurred
concept that can be channelled in any
desired direction.
A European who can remain unconcerned
within the pressures of daily routine might
not need to ponder over such words. On the
other hand, it is apparent that European
culture, the leader of progressive ideas and
systems in the name of humanity never gives
way to what is ordinary or commonplace in
thought and creativity. Thus, we think that
such blurred words are incompatible with
words like festival that convey a creative
atmosphere in which distinguished artistic
activities are performed.
To some, “globalization” stands for
the standardization of all values related to
“man” and promoting this to the whole world
will eventually end up with the ordinary
values becoming widespread. To some others,
“global” feature is a fact achieved by
international participation like in “olympic
games”. And to others, it is a slogan
symbolising the big fish swallowing the
small fish.
We think such definitions are
inappropriate:
The idea of “imposing standardized
human values to the whole world” can not be
brought to life. Such an attempt is just
like forcing people to consume a certain
type of canned food. As is widely known,
every community, every nation and every
ethnic group has, throughout history,
produced, improved and passed on from one
generation to the next their cultural values
that determine their identities. Time is
irreversible and it is impossible to go back
and to guide the developments of the past.
Competitions like olympic games,
which require the participation of
internationals on a large scale cannot be
considered as “globalization”; there is
differentiation, as each nation there
competes to raise its own flag.
“Globalization” cannot be considered
as the slogan representing “the big fish
swallowing the small fish” either, since
the fact that the haves devour the have-nots
is an age-old issue; it has always been the
fact throughout history. At this point, what
matters for the “big” or the “small” is
being able to say what a contemporary
Turkish poet, Orhan Veli, once said “we are
not fish!”
It would be wise to remember what
history has proved: The attemps of all
master-of-war commanders planning to have
sovereignty over the world have ended in
frustration:
Alexander the Great, who intended to
capture the “already known world” of this
time, fell ill and passed away at the age of
33 when he fell victim to desperation like
his soldiers tired of lengthy states of war.
Romans not only turned the Mediterranean
into an imperial lake, but pushed their
borders to include the entire Middle East
and the majority of the European land as
well; however, there came the time when they
were totally swept away from history.
Napoleon, who waged war against almost all
countries in Europe, laid siege to Moscow,
but his greed ended in complete failure and
110.000 French soldiers died.
A striking example demonstrating the
possible impact of globalization is
undoubtfully the impressive scene in Charlie
Chaplin’s movie, The Great Dictator: The
dictator intends to play with the rather-big
balloon, clearly representing the world with
the distinct colours of the continents and
oceans. He starts the game throwing the ball
into the air. He heads it, hits it with the
shoulder or with the arms and throws it up
with his knee to keep it in the air. But, it
all of a sudden bursts. He, then, lifts up
the balloon which now has turned into a
useless and torn piece of rubber and
examines it in dismay. What starts as a
comedy turns into an agony.
Dear guests, as the intellects of
this country, we can draw the bottom line
for “globalization and festivals” as follows:
If the European culture, dating back to
antiquity and setting a good example for us
in many aspects, refers to the concept of
globalization in 21st century as the
standardization of human values, it is
hardly possible for the festivals
originating from this concept to contribute
to cultural creativity. Then, allow me to
raise a question: Why are we discussing
festivals?
Thank you.
Ahmet Say
25 April 2008 |
