Cultural region called Nowruz
By Mandana Tishehyar
Board Chairman of Iranian Peace Studies Scientific Association
Hans Morgenthau, an American professor of international relations, in his 1948 book Politics Among Nations, wrote, “To paraphrase a statement of Palmerston: While the holder of the balance has no permanent friends, it has no permanent enemies either; it has only the permanent interest of maintaining the balance of power itself.” In the aftermath of World War II, when extensive destruction occurred in various countries worldwide, Morgenthau’s words held much appeal and laid the foundation for the establishment of realism in international relations.
However, the world witnessed many ups and downs, and international relations expanded in various dimensions, giving rise to new patterns of friendship and enmity. The realist approach, which was among the most important scientific theories during the Cold War era, could not fully explain the emerging events and trends in relations between states and nations. The formation of the European Union and other regional entities indicated the emergence of new elements in international relations. Even the definition of “interests” changed, and, as Alexander Wendt proposed as part of his constructivist theory in the late 1990s, identity-based and cultural affinities were considered the basis for the formation of interests.
As a result, with the end of the Cold War era, instead of witnessing the formation of a unipolar world and globalization of economy, politics, culture, and society, ties between political units with similar identities in various regions increased. Relations at the regional level shaped new patterns of international interactions. Note that identity ties, which had been designated as the building block of common interests, itself stemmed from cultural affinities. In fact, identity can be regarded as a construct of the cultural characteristics of individuals and societies.
Thus, today’s world is a “regionalized” world where the bond between culturally similar communities serves as the main basis for cooperation between nations and states. Innovative technologies have provided a suitable platform for advancing such new patterns. Key elements such as borders have become much less prominent in inter-state politics, and even traditional interpretations of the concept of sovereignty have found a different form in this astonishing new world. The concept of region, too, has undergone a transformation. A region is no longer something that could be delineated on geographical definitions alone; rather, in today’s world, it refers to a collection of societies that, based on common cultural and identity elements and within the framework of economic, political, scientific, and other relations, have come together to cooperate for the realization of common interests. Therefore, it can be seen that a region can also be a novel construct of redefining common elements that tie societies together.
In recent years, countries such as Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, India, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan have endeavored to register the Nowruz tradition as an intangible cultural heritage with UNESCO. Since 2010, through resolution A/RES/64/253 in the United Nations General Assembly, March 21, or the first day of the month of Farvardin in the solar calendar, has been designated as the International Day of Nowruz. This is while the list of countries celebrating Nowruz is much longer than the current list and includes countries from Albania in Eastern Europe to China and Mongolia in East Asia.
It can be clearly observed that the countries within the Nowruz cultural region enjoy significant diversity. Geographically, these countries encompass regions in West Asia, the Caucasus, Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and South Asia. From a religious perspective, followers of various religions, from Christianity and Zoroastrianism to Judaism and various Islamic sects, celebrate Nowruz. From a national standpoint, the Nowruz cultural region includes numerous ancient ethnicities that have coexisted in this cultural domain since ancient times, shaping the Nowruz culture alongside each other. Finally, linguistic diversity is another characteristic of the Nowruz cultural region. The speakers of these languages have not only fostered deep linguistic connections among their communities, facilitating a more empathetic understanding of shared cultural and identity-related concepts, but have also contributed to the vibrant cultural mosaic of this region through the preservation and utilization of various dialects and languages.
In this way, it can be seen that the Nowruz culture, by relying on norms such as compassion, tolerance, and mutual respect and by promoting values such as friendship and kindness towards one another, has been able to serve as a unifying force among many civilized societies in today’s world. The universality of Nowruz’s cultural values has also empowered it to play an identity-building role in peripheral areas and contribute to the formation of a cultural region. Moreover, it can strengthen humanistic perspectives based on traditions and ancient rituals in today’s world.
The Nowruz culture, as a shared heritage of the nations within the Nowruz civilization, requires formulation within the framework of modern international relations theories, especially regionalism theories. Then, based on common strategies, it should shape a broad social movement that secures the economic, political, and security interests of governments and nations. Shaping the discourse of the “Nowruz Cultural Region” requires more than just cooperation among political leaders; it necessitates collaboration and support from intellectuals and academics of the countries in this region to present fresh definitions of national interests, national security, governance, borders, homeland, land, identity, friend, and foe within the framework of common cultural values.