Critical Currents 8.Indd
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critical Dag Hammarskjöld and Martin Buber met three times between 1958 and 1961. They conferred about the possibilities of true dialogue in the political and cultural setting of a United Nations confronted by the Cold War and an atmosphere of general mistrust. Hammarskjöld observed ‘Walls of Distrust’ currents between the superpowers’ representatives at the United Nations and in their propaganda-fi lled speeches. Buber described the social atmosphere created Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation by nuclear threat, the Palestinian question and the Cold War as an ‘Age of Occasional Paper Series Mistrust’. Both were in search of a common understanding of the political blockages of the time, while their perspectives on re-structuring society diff ered. What signifi cance does their exchange have for today’s problems? The Cold War has ended, but the atmosphere of mistrust prevails. The crucial questions of the Middle East remain unsolved. Only the concept of what constitutes the enemy has changed: fundamentalist terrorism has replaced the Soviet Union as a challenge for the West, while the West’s answer to all challenges remains war – the opposite of the word, as both Buber and Hammarskjöld affi rmed. True dialogue seems to be as impossible as it was in Buber’s and Hammarskjöld’s times. However, remembering their discussions about the chances of true dialogue is simultaneously an inspiration for the quest for solutions in our times. Can we save Critical Currents is an Occasional Paper Series published by the true dialogue Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation. It is also available online in an Age of Mistrust? at www.dhf.uu.se. The encounter of Printed copies may be obtained from Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation, Dag Hammarskjöld Övre Slottsgatan 2 SE- 753 10 Uppsala, Sweden and Martin Buber email: [email protected] no.8 phone: +46 (0)18-410 10 00 January 2010 critical currents no.8 January 2010 Can we save true dialogue in an Age of Mistrust? The encounter of Dag Hammarskjöld and Martin Buber Lou Marin Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation Uppsala 2010 The Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation pays tribute to the memory of the second Secretary General of the UN by searching for and examining workable alternatives for a socially and economically just, ecologically sustainable, peaceful and secure world. In the spirit of Dag Hammarskjöld’s integrity, his readiness to challenge the Critical Currents is an dominant powers and his passionate plea Occasional Paper Series for the sovereignty of small nations and published by the their right to shape their own destiny, the Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation. Foundation seeks to examine mainstream It is also available online at understanding of development and bring to www.dhf.uu.se. the debate alternative perspectives of often unheard voices. Statements of fact or opinion are those of the authors and By making possible the meeting of minds, do not imply endorsement experiences and perspectives through the by the Foundation. organising of seminars and dialogues, Manuscripts for review the Foundation plays a catalysing role should be sent to in the identifi cation of new issues and [email protected]. the formulation of new concepts, policy proposals, strategies and work plans towards Series editor: Henning Melber solutions. The Foundation seeks to be at the Language editing: Wendy Davies cutting edge of the debates on development, Design & Production: Mattias Lasson security and environment, thereby Printed by X-O Graf Tryckeri AB continuously embarking on new themes ISSN 1654-4250 in close collaboration with a wide and Copyright on the text is with the constantly expanding international network. authors and the Foundation. Contents Preface ...............................................................................................................................4 Introduction .......................................................................................................................7 I » The ‘Walls of Distrust’ within the ‘Age of Mistrust’: The encounter of Dag Hammarskjöld and Martin Buber, phase 1 (1958/59) ...............9 II » Perspectives on dialogue: The encounter of Dag Hammarskjöld and Martin Buber, phase 2 (1961 and after) ............................... 38 III » Outlook: Can we save true dialogue in an Age of Mistrust? Discussion of Hammarskjöld’s and Buber’s alternatives if dialogue fails ....................67 Literature ......................................................................................................................... 78 Preface Dag Hammarskjöld was known for his wide his short speech to this engagement, which interests and contacts, and for his capacity to was such clear evidence of the attraction of interweave nature, art, science and politics thought between the second Secretary-Gen- into a tapestry of varied but complementary eral to the United Nations and Buber: colours and textures, creating a harmonious and integrated whole. For him, philosophy, … perhaps we can think that he found poetry and politics not only had their fi rst something that was essential to himself letter in common; combined, they consti- in the last book that he was engaged in tuted a passion, the fourth in this mutually translating, the powerful work Ich und Du reinforcing collection of ingredients that [I and Thou], in which the Jewish philos- made him such a remarkable international opher Martin Buber sets forth his belief civil servant with an enduring impact. that all real living is meeting. He himself believed that there were invisible bridges Hammarskjöld’s impressive correspon- on which people could meet as human dence, which went far beyond the limits of beings above the confi nes of ideologies, his professional duties as narrowly defi ned, races, and nations.’1 included exchanges with many individuals representing these various spheres of life and The notion of dialogue promoted by Buber thinking. Among the thinkers he engaged was similarly an integral and substantial part with intellectually was Martin Buber. Evi- of Hammarskjöld’s approach to life. In one of dence of this was even found in the debris his postings on his Hammarskjöld blog, biog- from the plane crash near Ndola in then rapher Roger Lipsey draws attention to this: Northern Rhodesia, in which Hammar- ‘His respect for the word was immeasurably skjöld died in the early hours of 18 Septem- great. His recognition of its frequent corrup- ber 1961. A copy of Buber’s Ich und Du was tion in public life was also great.’2 Lipsey also among the scattered items collected from reproduces an exchange from a press confer- the wreckage. During his last fl ight Ham- ence in January 1955, when a journalist en- marskjöld had been using the time to con- quired of Hammarskjöld what he would do tinue the translating of Buber’s work into with all the information from conversations Swedish, which he had recently started: a after he had visited China. Hammarskjöld’s task bordering on the impossible, but very recorded answer was: ‘Well, the risk of mis- much in keeping with the unlimited ambi- takes and false initiatives may be reduced. tions of Hammarskjöld’s intellect. The possibility of saying the right word at the right moment may be increased.’ Accepting on Dag Hammarskjöld’s behalf the posthumously awarded Nobel Peace Prize in 1 http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/ Oslo on 10 December 1961, the Swedish am- laureates/1961/hammarskjold-acceptance.html. bassador to Norway, Rolf Edberg, referred in 2 http://www.dag-hammarskjold.com/2009/07/ dialogue-part-1-right-word-at-right.html. 4 Critical Currents no. 8 Maurice S. Friedman is by far the hitherto terms of communication technology), the most authoritative author dealing with Mar- global divide has not been bridged, and an- tin Buber. He published several monographs tagonisms based on diff erent religions and comprising the most comprehensive work other identity-forming beliefs and convic- on the philosopher (frequently referred to tions persist. More than ever, we are living in the following essay). In 1960 he added a in a world of fear and misunderstanding, in postscript to chapter 23 (on ‘social philoso- which diff erences dominate over common- phy’) to the revised edition of his pioneering alities. In this light, refl ections on the rel- study, Martin Buber: The Life of Dialogue (fi rst evance of dialogue, as testifi ed in the com- published in 1955), in which he shared his munication between Hammarskjöld and observation that Dag Hammarskjöld echoed Buber, are as relevant for politics today as Buber’s call for renewed ‘contact and com- they were half a century ago. munications across geographical and politi- cal boundaries’.3 The ‘age of mistrust’ has not yet come to an end. It continues, despite eff orts such as this As Manuel Fröhlich summarised, ‘Buber’s to bring back into public discourse ideas that analysis of the underlying forces that domi- remain as relevant today as they were at the nate the Cold War scenario, which for him time of the correspondence between Ham- basically was an age of distrust, also infl u- marskjöld and Buber. But this is no excuse enced a number of speeches by Hammar- for not reminding ourselves and others that skjöld who shared Buber’s diagnosis that tools to address most of the issues confront- many of the political and military problems ing us in our search for a better future have were in fact problems of human behaviour, already been thoroughly explored. After trust and communication.’4 all, more dialogue rather than less might not be such a bad idea in our times either. This essence of dialogue remains more rel- evant than ever in times where ‘otherness’ Henning Melber is all too often misconstrued as alien. De- spite today’s much higher degree of mobil- ity (physically as well as mentally, and in 3 http://www.religion-online.org/ showchapter.asp?title=459&C=393. 4 Manuel Fröhlich, ‘“The Unknown Assignation”: Dag Hammarskjöld in the Papers of George Ivan Smith’, in ‘Beyond Diplomacy: Perspectives on Dag Hammarskjöld’, Uppsala: Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation, 2008 (Critical Currents no. 2), p. 16. The publication is accessible for download at www.dhf.uu.se.