On June 15, 2023 Jamila Adeli and Linda Ammann gave a presentation at the University of Vienna.
Under the title “The power of transcultural politics along China’s Belt and Road Initiative: The promise of culture in Sino-African relations” we introduced a decidedly (trans)cultural perspective on the BRI and its reciprocal relations in so-called new silk road regions, a perspective that has been largely neglected so far. In presenting examples of the fields of language and art, we shed light on dis/connecting cultural perceptions and practices in new silk road regions. We suggest concentrating on the narrative as a revealing conceptual and thematic figure of thought to tackle local responses to the BRI in new silk road regions. Narratives position and link events and realities in a strategic, coherent way in order to make sense of new and old phenomena. Against this background, we are particularly interested in narratives of the “Chinese Dream”. Although the “Chinese Dream” as communicated by the Chinese leadership remains relatively vague it can be seen as the ideological background that materializes in the PRC’s infrastructure projects around the world.
The presentation was organized by our Fellow Prof. Adams Bodomo in collaboration with the Afrikakolloquium.
