The Forum on People-to-People and Cultural Exchanges among BRICS Countries was opened on December 2, 2021 in Beijing (COURTESY)

The Forum on People-to-People and Cultural Exchanges among BRICS Countries was held on December 2-3, 2021, in Beijing. It gathered more than 150 guests from Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa to conduct extensive and in-depth online and offline discussions under the theme Strengthening People-to-People and Cultural Exchanges for Sound BRICS Cooperation. The event was part of an initiative to strengthen people-to-people and cultural exchanges, put forward by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the 13th BRICS Summit in September 2021.

The forum was organized by the State Council Information Office and China International Communications Group (CICG). It also witnessed two other outcomes of the initiative: the opening of the Second Documentary Show of BRICS Countries and the signing of Cooperation Agreements between BRICS Institutions of the Global Music Education League.

Effective cooperation

Zhang Jianchun, deputy head of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, delivered a keynote speech at the opening ceremony. Zhang said 2021 marked the 15th anniversary of effective cooperation among BRICS countries, which have developed into a force to be reckoned with on the global stage. According to him, each of the BRICS countries has its unique and charming culture and has promoted communications with an open and inclusive attitude, setting an example in promoting global diversity. “We need to gather forces from all walks of life, create more opportunities and build more platforms for cooperation,”he added.

Du Zhanyuan, President of CICG, said that promoting more dialogues can help strengthen the ties between peoples, build political mutual trust, deepen economic cooperation and boost cultural prosperity. Countries around the world, and especially developing nations, face increasingly complex challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, obstacles hindering economic development, climate change and the gap between the rich and poor. He called upon the BRICS countries to promote justice, fairness and other common values for all humanity and to explore ways to address global challenges.

Jay Pee Louw, Chief of Staff at the Ministry of Sport, Arts and Culture of South Africa, attended the forum via video link. He emphasized the centrality of culture as an important aspect of BRICS partnership and one of the drivers of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. He called for more effective exchanges among BRICS countries in the fields of sports, youth, films, culture, education and tourism.

According to Mohammed Saqib, Secretary General of the India-China Economic and Cultural Council, the BRICS countries have created a meaningful partnership over the past several years. He pointed out that parties concerned should make concerted efforts to put greater emphasis on increasing inclusive cultural and people-to-people exchanges among BRICS countries.

Closer media ties

During the sub-forum Closer Media Ties for Solidarity and Consensus held on December 3, media outlets and experts expressed their hope for closer media cooperation and more cultural exchanges among BRICS countries.

In the face of unprecedented challenges, media outlets play a key role in strengthening effective cooperation among BRICS countries. In this sense, Janaína Camara da Silveira, a journalist from Brazil and founder of Radar China, called BRICS media outlets to work on joint contextualized multimedia stories. “Spreading the news in our own voices is central to promoting understanding. BRICS countries are so diverse, and the public deserves to get the best material they can to make sense of the development of those countries,” she said. According to her, a range of important tools are available to build well contextualized reports, such as web series, podcasts, short documentaries, and multimedia content.

In the era of omni-media, film art with different cultural backgrounds is also a bridge that helps civilizations learn from each other and enhance people-to-people bonds. In this regard, Arun Gupta, Dean of the Faculty of Moving Image at Anant National University in Ahmedabad, India, analyzed three famous Bollywood movies—Mughal-E-Azam, Lagaan and Kal Ho Naa Ho to show the unique storytelling in Bollywood cinema, distinguished from other film industries in the world. Through the case studies, the Indian professor explained the role of singing and dancing in storytelling in Hindi films and, emphasized the importance of cultural diversity in cultural exchanges and media communications.

For his part, Tian Yuhong, Executive Secretary of All-China Journalists Association, proposed strengthening the cooperation among the media from the BRICS countries in joint interviews, exchange of manuscripts, cooperative filmmaking, joint programs on translation and broadcasting of films and television dramas. He suggested focusing on new media technology innovation and market development to jointly enhance the international communication capabilities of the BRICS countries.

Dialogue among the youth

In another sub-forum, Encouraging Dialogue among the Youth to Address Common Challenges, held on December 3, participants agreed that the BRICS countries should give full play to the role of youth as a bridge and bond in people-to-people and cultural exchanges.

Das Bikash Kali, Founder and Director of Xu Fancheng Culture Study Center in India, has devoted himself to promoting cultural and educational cooperation among BRICS youth. His center has initiated a joint cultural video production, where youths of India and China produce short videos on various cultural topics. “It is an educational and non-commercial pilot project to bring youths of India and China in enhancing cultural exchanges,” he noted. He also expressed his wish to have cooperation with other youth cultural study centers within the BRICS nations. For him, it is necessary to encourage youth to engage in inter-cultural and language studies among the BRICS members, which could be key to bringing the countries together and facilitating effective cooperation.

David Kolosov from Russia is the champion of the 2014 “Chinese Bridge” Chinese Proficiency Competition and Beijing’s Tourism Image Ambassador. His experience in China made him firmly believe that culture is dynamic, and so cultural exchange. He noticed that with the continuous deepening of cultural exchanges between China and Russia, a new wave of demands for cultural exchanges has emerged between Chinese and Russian youths.

As what Gao Anming, Vice President and Editor in Chief of CICG, indicated in his speech at the closing ceremony, participants have reached a broad consensus on strengthening cultural exchange and cooperation among the BRICS countries through dialogues and discussions. “In the future, the BRICS countries can maximize the role of the BRICS people-to-people and cultural exchange platforms, to consolidate the social foundation for cooperation in all aspects, and work together to benefit the people of the BRICS countries and the people around the world,” he concluded.

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