We just had a transformative and enriching two weeks participating in a seminar on the protection and development of intangible cultural heritage for ASEAN countries, organized by the Central Academy for Culture and Tourism Administration in China. Our class of 32 delegates from five ASEAN member states – Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Philippines, and Thailand – plus Sri Lanka, came together in a unique people-to-people cultural summit, separate from the ongoing ASEAN Summit 2025 in Malaysia. Despite the tensions and conflicts discussed in the official summit, our interactions showcased the power of cultural exchange in building bridges between nations.
While our countries’ leaders talked about border tensions, our Cambodian and Thai classmates were singing, dancing, and laughing together. Our Myanmar classmates highlighted their traditional New Year Ata Thingyan Festival, promoting unity and harmony. Meanwhile, our Chinese hosts remained warm and hospitable, understanding that international relations is complex, especially between governments. These people-to-people interactions created organic cultural understanding that official channels sometimes lack, building genuine relationships that can survive political fluctuations.
Both government diplomacy and grassroots exchanges are important and complementary. The most successful international relationships usually combine strong official ties with robust people-to-people connections. In a world often fractured by political disputes, economic competition, and ideological conflicts, culture emerges as a profound and indispensable force for peace. Culture acts as an invisible bridge, connecting people across differences and building a resilient foundation for peace by fostering empathy, enabling dialogue, and creating a shared sense of humanity. It promotes empathy, dismantles stereotypes, and humanizes the “other,” making it difficult to hate people whose music moves you, whose stories resonate with your own, and whose humor you understand.
Cultural exchanges provide a neutral ground for dialogue where political discourse often fails. Collaborative music festivals, culinary exchanges, and other cultural activities create spaces for interaction that are not defined by negotiation or concession. “Track-two diplomacy” builds person-to-person relationships and networks of trust that can withstand political storms. Culture cultivates a shared sense of identity that transcends national, ethnic, or religious divisions, reminding us that human civilization is one intricate mosaic. By celebrating our shared roots, we recognize that our fates are intertwined.
In an era of resurgent divisions, investing in cultural diplomacy is a strategic imperative for peace. Culture builds the invisible infrastructure of understanding that makes political peace possible and sustainable. It is the silent language of our shared humanity, reminding us that before we are citizens of any nation, we are all contributors to the grand story of humankind. By choosing to listen to that story in all its diverse languages and dialects, we take the most vital step toward building a world with genuine and lasting peace.
