The arts of diplomacy
There are collegiate hipsters, women in brightly coloured West African dresses, craggy elderly gents, broad-shouldered young men in baggy jeans and professorial types. All are dancing to the Senegalese pop music of Youssou N’Dour, and as one section of the audience in the music hall pops up, another breaks loose from the seats. A few audience members are allowed to get on stage with N’Dour, showing off with fluid swooping movements of African dance. “That’s what ‘As-sallam-u aleykum’ means,” says N’Dour. “Not just peace for Muslims, but peace for everyone.”
...“There’s nothing better than a cultural experience to connect people and to channel emotion,” adds BAM’s Hopkins. “When you do that, you can really break down barriers. Cultural diplomacy is the best diplomacy.”
http://www.thenational.ae/article/20090610/ART/706099966/1007/rss
