Arts & International Affairs: Volume 2, Number 2 | Page 156

most artists feel useless as their ingenuity is no longer desirable.
Yet, some Syrian artists have broken this alienation by finding a different
audience even if they have had to flee their country. For example, members
from the National Syrian Orchestra have fled across Europe to deliver
messages they had previously communicated when there was a Syrian
audience.
The conflict in Syria is a thumbnail of the global cultural conflict, in which
political and economic interests drive international relations. Unfortunately,
some ideological camps tend to use culture and art as conflict tools as well.
As a result, conflicts can be a theatre of contestation between dominant
national cultures and local identities.
No nation or culture can isolate itself from others in a globalized world.
The balance between promoting cultural openness and strengthening local
identities is crucial to understand that differences are complementary to
each other, not cause for conflict.
The question remains: Can we use the technologies of globalism to invest
in building shared values and principles across nations so that cultures can
complement each other and offer a better future for humanity?
Reference
Callahan, Jack, et. al. The Henry M. Jackson School of International
Studies. (����) Syrian Women and Children: Identifying Gaps and Goals for
Reconstruction. University of Washington. < https://digital.lib.washington.edu/
researchworks/handle/1773/38697>
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