H.E. Mr. Kofi Annan,
Secretary-General,
The United Nations, N
ew York, NY. 10017
May 17, 1999
Dear Mr. Secretary-General,
Pursuant to the November 24th, 1998 General Assembly resolution 53-22, a panel discussion on “Dialogue among Civilizations, a New Paradigm” was held on May 6th, at Columbia University. The Islamic Republic of Iran sponsored this event in collaboration with the University’s School of International and Public Affairs.
With the advent of the new millennium, such a “Dialogue of Civilizations” is essential in the promotion of healthier relations and in order to avert many ills on our planet.
I would like to bring your attention to the fact that the “Dialogue of Civilizations” was first established in 1976, in Iran, with my support and participation. The Persian name of the organization was “Sazman Gofte-gouye Farhangha,” which literally translates as “Dialogue of Civilizations”. The objective of this organization, headed by Professor Dariush Shaygan, was to establish a fruitful exchange between cultures on a global scale.
We viewed this as an essential conduit for peace and understanding among nations. As a result, the first seminar, known as ” L’Impact Planétaire de la Pensée Occidentale, rend-il possible le Dialogue des Civilisations?” was held in 1978 in Iran with the participation of countries such as France, Japan, and Egypt. An essay was later published in France on the subject.
It gives me pleasure to see that an idea born in Iran in 1976 is now being revived. Hopefully, there will be room for the many Iranian scholars still faithful to their country’s heritage to positively participate and contribute to all future seminars.
Farah Pahlavi
