Neemrana literature conference
Neemrana was host to an Africa Asia literary conference at the end of February 2005. 40 writers from 24 countries deliberated on “legacy, identity and assertion”, the theme of I.C.C.R.’s three day continents of creation conference. Some of the writers were Sefi Atta, a Nigerian writer of Muslim and Christian Yoruba parentage. Vaasanti, writing about Kambala-nayakar women trapped in their kitchen painting their dreams on their walls. Meira Chand from Singapore and Sri Lankan writer Jean Arsanayagam from a Burgher background.
Nawal El Saadawi, feminist novelist from Egypt, stood up at the podium and said this whole conference was another exercise in aping the west. She questioned the premise of the conference and the topics selected. People of the third world are comfortable with the idea of speaking multiple languages and co-existing with many traditions. For the common person in African and Asia identity is not a burden.
Our cultures celebrate society rather than the individual. Concepts like identity crisis, crisis of civilizations are bequeathed to us by the west, and we are gullible enough to swallow the jargon and waste time debating them, instead of looking at the real issues that confront us.
The main issues were poverty, unemployment, war and the World Bank. She further said, “I don’t care what language you speak, I care what you say”. Issues like what religion or national identity you are, she felt was not very informative. People’s economic identity was the most significant component of their identity. The role that intellectuals should play according to her is to re-examine the so-called first world philosophies. Not to do that, is a lack of confidence within themselves and their cultures.
Nawal El Saadawi, feminist novelist from Egypt, stood up at the podium and said this whole conference was another exercise in aping the west. She questioned the premise of the conference and the topics selected. People of the third world are comfortable with the idea of speaking multiple languages and co-existing with many traditions. For the common person in African and Asia identity is not a burden.
Our cultures celebrate society rather than the individual. Concepts like identity crisis, crisis of civilizations are bequeathed to us by the west, and we are gullible enough to swallow the jargon and waste time debating them, instead of looking at the real issues that confront us.
The main issues were poverty, unemployment, war and the World Bank. She further said, “I don’t care what language you speak, I care what you say”. Issues like what religion or national identity you are, she felt was not very informative. People’s economic identity was the most significant component of their identity. The role that intellectuals should play according to her is to re-examine the so-called first world philosophies. Not to do that, is a lack of confidence within themselves and their cultures.
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