News & Media

April 25 & 26, 2013
International Colloquium on Globalized Modernity and Cultural Identity in Arab Emigrant Writings

On Thursday April 25, 2013, the Faculty of Letters at the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK) organized an international colloquium entitled “Globalized Modernity and Cultural Identity in Arab Emigrant Writings”.

Following the Lebanese National Anthem, the Head of the English Department, Dr. Rosie Ghannage, gave a welcome speech in which she stated “I hope that this event will introduce us to some emigrant Lebanese writers who have characterized our social and political thought and bridged cultural differences, whilst still preserving their original identity.”

Later, the Dean of the Faculty of Letters, Rev. Fr. Dr. Karam Rizk, confirmed that “…genuine literature never dies because its death is close to a collective suicide, since the mission of literature is to overcome hardships and difficulties no matter how harsh they are, and create new horizons, despite any despair and crisis.” He added, “Literature poses dangerous issues and questions related to the destiny of humankind at any time…Modernity is innovation and creation…it is a free gift that we grow and develop within the spirit of our neighboring environment.” Then, in his speech, Fr. Dr. Rizk explored the puzzling definitions of identity, immigration and globalization. He concluded: “Our ambition is the absolute, and, if we want to love solely in this globalized world, we will be the saddest of people because human beings were not created only for this world. We aspire to the Absolute, God, the God of goodness, righteousness and beauty. If literature does not aim towards this Absolute, it will become devalued…”

The inauguration session was brought to an end with the singer Rafqa Fares, student at the Faculty of Music, performing in concert. Afterwards the colloquium sessions followed.
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