BATTAMBANG: This week Battambang is hosting the S’Art Urban Art Fest which brings together local and international artists and creatives to showcase their talents and passions. Included in the program are panel discussions, workshops and demonstrations. On June 14, a panel discussion on the theme “Understanding Shared Cultural Heritage beyond Modern Understanding” took place. Representatives from UNESCO and the Ministry of Culture discussed the integral role art and culture plays in promoting peace among neighboring countries, who often share foundations for their traditions and expressions.
UNESCO’s Culture Program Officer for Cambodia, Dr. Nagaoka Masanori, spoke about specific shared culture between Cambodia and its Asian neighbors and expanded upon things like Bokator, the krama (traditional scarf) and ginger chicken-all of which are shared in some way with other countries. Learning about each other’s culture and finding common ground is key to building international relationships and maintaining peace, he noted.
Dr. Linina Phuttitarn, a UNESCO specialist in Bangkok, noted, “Culture is, for many people, a pathway to better lives.” She specified that culture does not need to be recognized by an institution to be valid, but rather it is in all of us. It exists in people’s daily practices, beliefs and traditions.
Dr. Masanori praised Cambodia’s Culture Ministry for promoting Bokator to become inscribed in UNESCO’s World Heritage List and even noted its shared origins with that of Sumo wrestling in his home country of Japan. Both forms of martial arts, he said, have their origins as performance offerings to the gods. Once that shared origin is acknowledged, people can learn from the details in the difference between their expressions.
“Once we have Kun l’Bokator here, neighboring countries also say, ‘Ah I have this marital arts’ in Thailand, in Laos, in Vietnam and to show what they have. Once they show, this will promote discussion, dialogue, to chat. Once we talk, maybe we can be friends. Promoting peace, right? That’s what we are aiming to do,” he said.
The panel acknowledged recent high tensions on social media about people from different countries arguing over cultural heritage. Comments sections on any post about Muay Thai or Bokator are filled with memes and arguments, often disrespectful, about which martial art is more valid. Wednesday’s discussion showed a different perspective that unites rather than divides is possible. “In the end, the big picture is that we’re all similar and we all share the same thing, but the problem comes when we break it down into smaller levels or into smaller parts,” said Dr. Linina Phuttitarn “There will be a problem if I cannot accept this difference.”
