Cosmopolitanism

Publish date 27-06-2021

by Sandro Calvani

Cosmopolitanism is making great strides in Asian cities. Clubs to promote and facilitate the plurality of cultures exist in over a thousand cities around the world, the Internations network alone has over 420. Starting from 2000, Asian capitals and cities saw every cosmopolitan network grow impetuously, such as language schools and international schools. In Bangkok the twelve international schools that existed in 2000 became 86 in 2020, in Singapore there are 110 and in Hong Kong 70; in Nairobi the international schools that were four in 2000 became 41 in 2020. They are indicators of very lively multi-cultural communities that continue to grow rapidly and to be increasingly accepted and well-liked by the dominant cultures. Around them grow hundreds of interests and experiments of cultural crossings of all kinds, from architecture to music, from cooking to textiles, from agriculture to new materials for art. The young people who grow up in those environments have now flattened the borders in their hearts and regenerate or reinterpret many professions in a universalist way. For this reason, every professional in the world has its own network of international inclusiveness and brotherhood: from the best known doctors without borders and reporters without borders, to lawyers without borders, architects and artists without borders, psychologists without borders, agronomists without borders and dozens of others.

They are all organizations of global professional brotherhood, non-profit and with one principle in common: "A few gossip - those few are good in any language - and prompt, competent, problem-solving action more need". For multi-local cosmopolitans like me who are more interested in culture and good practices that improve the quality of life, rather than the theories of maximum systems, there is only the embarrassment of choice among the networks of writers without borders. , the humanists without borders or, with the same commitment and seriousness typical of the Genoese, also the Genoese pesto without borders proposed by the worldwide network of refugee chefs Tables Without Borders.
A good example comes from the city of Kochi (Kerala, India), proud of its cosmopolitan history par excellence. Over the past six centuries, successive waves of migrants have arrived in the city that has become their home. Kochi boasts thriving communities of Hindus from all parts of India, Buddhists, Muslims and Christians living together in harmony. For more than two thousand years, a large community of Jews also lived happily in Kochi, before moving to Israel. Although each of these groups has been subjected to assimilation tendencies, no community has been forced to abandon their cultural and religious beliefs and customs. Each adapted to local conditions, developing new multicultural practices. Kochi is now an integrated multicultural community, joyfully expressing its cosmopolitan differences.


Sandro Calvani
NP March 2021

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