All nations have one stem – O. Suleimenov’s lecture in Columbia University
After the flight of Yuri Gagarin into outer space he wrote poem "Earth - Bow to a Man!" with which he was in many countries of the world. 48 years later The Harriman Institute at the Columbia University under the aegis of the Kazakh Embassy in the USA has invited the poet to give a lecture in this academic center.
A group headed by Professor Rafis Abazov has translated into English and issued the collection of poems to the arrival of Olzhas Suleimenov. The works written under the impression of the meeting with the West world many years ago entered this first collection issued in the United States.
Olzhas Suleimenov told his attendees about his investigations he devoted many years to and his plans to the future.
The UN General Assembly has announced 2010 as the International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures. As is known, this step was initiated by Kazakhstan. Two conferences are expected to take place within the Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures. The first one dedicated to the topic "Al-Farabi and the European Renaissance" will take place in Paris.
In 1977 O. Suleimenov wrote an article about Al-Farabi where he pointed out that the Renaissance in Europe started in XI century after the publication of Plato and Aristotle in Latin.
The work of O. Suleimenov in 1977 did not receive wide recognition and resonance. The poet believes that the upcoming conference will demonstrate the interaction between west and east cultures that is extremely relevant this period of time. The west textbooks should have information that due to the translations from Arabian language and due to Arabian genius Al-Farabi great Greek culture was preserved.
"May be this will help to change view on the history of Islam. And remember that during the times of Al-Farabi Arabian numbers entered the civilization and such sciences as Algebra, Chemistry appeared", - Olzhas Suleimenov said.
The second conference will be held at the Columbia University. It will continue the forum held in UNESCO two years ago and will be devoted to the great resettlements of people several thousand years ago.
O. Suleimenov hopes that the investigations will bring expected results worth of spotlight. "Gradually we will know about ourselves in past and that all we have one stem: all the nations and all the people as a whole. In this case I agree with Bible - we are from Adam and Eva", - the poet said.
