Art and Culture: The Bridges of Tomorrow's World - Mr. Norman Issa

"Science and art belong to the whole world, and the barriers of nationality vanish before them," Goethe asserted more than 200 years ago. And in a modern interpretation for our times -- in which politics, state-craft, and religion fail to create a common language -- perhaps it is art, music, literature, cinema, and sports that can create an international language, a bridge among peoples, cultures, religions and nations.
This said, can art, culture and sport hope to fulfill these roles amid seismic technological shifts, extreme episodes of international terror, and roiling economic crises? Can song bridge the differences between Israel and Iran? Can comedy ease the tension between Jews and Arabs in Israel? Can design and architecture create a language of common interchange? And can sports create lasting bonds between contentious nations?"Science and art belong to the whole world, and the barriers of nationality vanish before them," Goethe asserted more than 200 years ago. And in a modern interpretation for our times -- in which politics, state-craft, and religion fail to create a common language -- perhaps it is art, design and creative technology, music and performance, literature, cinema, and television -- and even museums -- that can create international languages of their own, becoming bridges among peoples, cultures, religions, and nations. This said, can disciplines like these hope to fulfill these roles amid seismic technological shifts, extreme episodes of international terror, and roiling economic crises? Can song bridge the differences between Israel and Iran? Can comedy ease the tension between Jews and Arabs in Israel? Can design and architecture create a language of common interchange? And can sports create lasting bonds between contentious nations?