A two-day intercultural meeting, presided by the Franco-Mauritian novelist and Nobel Prize winner for Literature in 2008, Mr Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clézio, kicked off, yesterday morning, in the presence of the Vice-President of the Republic of Mauritius, Mr Marie Cyril Eddy Boissezon, at the Uniciti International Education Hub, at Pierrefonds.
The Director-General of Open University of Mauritius, Dr Kaviraj Sukon, the Managing Director of Uniciti Education Hub, Mr Dhanjay Jhurry, and other personalities were also present.
These intercultural meetings will constitute an opportunity for students and practitioners to undertake meaningful deliberations on a wide spectrum of cultural as well as non-cultural aspects with 12 internationally renowned scholars from the United States of America, France, China and the Reunion Island. They include identities, cultural exchanges, philosophies, languages, literatures, religions, music, concerts, communication and intercultural education.
In his address, Dr Sukon dwelt upon the two major racial tensions in the Mauritian history namely, the 1968 and 1999 riots. He also recalled the subsequent acts of desecration and graffiti in places of worship. On this score, he remarked that today, the Mauritian society is being increasingly characterised by racial harmony and peaceful coexistence. This intercultural dialogue is crucial to ponder upon how other conflict-stricken countries can follow suit, he affirmed.
For his part, Mr Jhurry spoke of the Francophonie Week 2024 starting from 16 to 24 March. This week, he stipulated, represents an occasion to celebrate the French language while focusing on the construction of identities and cultural exchanges.
Mr Le Clézio delved into the overarching purpose of literature, which is, according to him, to know and recognise each other. This, he indicated, can be facilitated through the cross-fertilisation of ideas. Moreover, he pointed out to the significance of La Littérature engagée, attributing to the art.
