Dear Olu,
I assume that when you refer in your posting to an international
"intercultural" forum you mean this one. Indeed, I have the impression
that your discourse has to do with all kinds of things, however not with
the forum itself. In the call for participation (whose topics and
questions you must have been aware of for you did write a statement
based on them) the word "intercultural" - a word you often quote
critically - does not occur. And for good reason because in many ways I
share your views on it.
In addition, "Caucasians" are not, in fact, "methodically excluded". As
the forum's subtitle already declares, it should deal with how the
Internet can be used for cultural exchange between Africa, Asia/Pacific,
Latin America and, of course, Europe and North America, that is, for the
exchange with each other which naturally concerns all sides to the same
extent. The continents and regions listed first are only emphasized
because it appears to me that there are deficits along this direction.
As to your comments on the House of World Cultures, you are simply
poorly informed. I recommend a visit to the institution's website. There
you can find a larger series of events, called "Rethinking Europe",
running from March until December 1998, that focus on critical
reflections on the situation in Europe.
I think the forum's topic - the usage of the Internet for cultural
exchange - offers enough material for discussion. It would be good to
concentrate on that. In dealings with one another, we should remain
objective and collegial. On behalf of those who cannot express
themselves in their mother tongue, I would like to ask the
English-speaking participants to refrain from using slang or
scene-jargon.
Gerhard Haupt