The North Adriatic Sea Port Authority hosted the international forum “Marco Polo, prophet of small peaces” promoted by the Transcultura Association

The international forum “Marco Polo, prophet of small peaces” – promoted by “Transcultura”, founded by Umberto Eco and currently chaired by Alain Le Pichon (French anthropologist, co-founder of the association) – was held today at the headquarters of the Port Authority.
The Venetian port was chosen as a partner for this event, considering the value that it has assigned to international relations from antiquity to the present day. In the year marking the 700th anniversary of Marco Polo’s death, it was remembered that he had become part of the Great Khan’s diplomatic corps after years of relations with the Far East: therefore, it’s a clear example of how representatives of the Venetian merchant world considered cultural exchanges, diplomacy, and peaceful relations fundamental for the economic development of countries.
The meeting – promoted and moderated by Adriana Manaresi, representative of Transcultura for Italy and the “-STAN” area countries – saw the presence of representatives of multiple nationalities, including, in addition to Italy, France, China, and Egypt. The event was structured into several moments addressing the themes of peace, of the role of culture in the current geopolitical context, of the opportunities offered by alternative “weapons” such as diplomacy, artificial intelligence, medicine, focusing both on the past on the future.
The debate emphasized various aspects, starting from the notion of “small peace” in the world of the Paralympics, of artificial intelligence, and of the economy, with an emphasis on geopolitics and history. The concept of peace in general was discussed using the method developed and successfully tested by Transcultura.
The President of Transcultura Le Pichon, followed by vice president Huang Ping, once again emphasized how the concept of “small peaces”, introduced by Umberto Eco, is more relevant than ever in an international context of increasingly widespread and intense conflicts, where everyone is assigned a role in promoting peaceful relations in their own area of action.
Present, among others, were Alessandro Santi, President of Federagenti, and Elio Dazzo, vice president of Confcommercio Venezia, who shared their views on the role of peaceful relations in maritime trade and the business world.
An intervention by Ahmed Youssef, of the Institute of Egypt, also recalled how the roots of the Suez Canal are found in the Serenissima Republic where, in 1504, the Council of Ten proposed to the Egyptian Sultan to cut the isthmus of Suez to connect the Mediterranean with India by sea.
Antonella Scardino, Secretary General of the Port Authority, intervened with a report focused on peace as an essential condition for maritime trade, starting from a premise on Venice’s past and then focusing on the present and future perspectives. The Venetian Republic had in fact given itself the epithet of “Serenissima” (most serene) precisely to highlight its commitment to political stability and cultural and social exchanges, despite the many challenges and rivalries with other European powerful countries. Venice – which together with Spain can be considered the birthplace of modern diplomacy – has established an unprecedented diplomatic network over the centuries to ensure the maintenance of its commercial positions. Today, the importance of international relations and cultural dialogue is evident and must be enhanced – if not guaranteed – to ensure common well-being. In this context, the Port Authority is committed to continuing the values and policies of the “Serenissima” Republic, pursuing the main objectives of the UN’s 2030 Agenda, with a specific focus on SDG No. 17 dedicated to these themes, having dedicated one of the five guidelines of its Triennial Operational Plan 2022-2024 to partnerships for sustainable development, articulated at all levels, from domestic, to global, to the Upper Adriatic., in order to contribute with its “small peaces” to a broader mosaic of peaceful relations.