Last Thursday June 27th was presented at Casa Asia the book Llibertat sense por i altres escrits (Freedom from Fear) , by the Nobel Peace Prize Aung San Suu Kyi. It is the 6th volume of the collection ‘Classics of Peace and Nonviolence’, published by ICIP and Angle Editorial.
The event gathered over thirty people and counted with the participation of Alfons Banda, vice-president of ICIP and Director of the collection, Caterina Garcia, Professor of International Criminal Law and International Relations at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra, and Felix Marti, philosopher and a renowned member of the Catalan peace movement.
Alfons Banda highlighted the ICIP commitment to a progressive fostering of a culture of peace which, though is still not mainstream, will be the substitute of the dominant culture of violence. Banda pointed out the strong commitment of the Catalan society in this sense, bringing to the audience members the memories of the Olympics in 1992; as when the Olympic flame arrived in l’Escala, it was received by one of the sons of Aung San Suu Kyi, who read one of the texts that have been included in the volume that was being presented.
Afterwards, Professor Caterina Garcia contextualized the political situation in Burma, a country which is on a transition process to democracy that started in 2008 with the Buddhist monks Saffron Revolution, and which, with the support of western countries, aims to end the military dictatorship which has subdued the country for decades. Garcia also remarked the importance and the charisma of the Burmese leader Aung San Suu Kyi, which has been criticized on some occasions but which is necessary to legitimate the transition process so that it may come to a successful end.
Philosopher Fèlix Martí explained his recent trip to the region and mentioned the high rates of popularity that the Burmese leader has within the population, even within the Buddhist monks. Martí stressed the radical pacifism of the latter revolts, as well as Suu Kyi’s coherent commitment when she decided to sacrifice her personal and familiar life for the freedom of the several peoples and ethnic groups which shape Burma. Finally, he reintroduced familiar concepts such as ‘democracy’ or ‘fundamental rights’, as these are ideas which also belong to the Buddhist tradition and which Suu Kyi encountered during her trip to India, a very important part of her biography.
The discussion that took place after the presentation counted with the interventions of Rafael Bueno, director of Politics and Society of Casa Asia, and Maria Lluisa Panelas, author of one of the book prologues. Panelas, as an expert on the several translations that have been made of the work of Aung San Suu Kyi, emphasized that the title of the book Llibertat sense por is the best way to translate the original title Freedom from Fear
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28.01.2013
