（1990 年，杜杜·迪安参观位于中国的宝鸡市周原博物馆。 © Photo: Sun Ifou）
1988年，联合国教科文组织启动了"丝绸之路的全面研究：对话之路"项目，将其作为"世界文化发展十年"的组成部分。自那时起，欧亚大陆各民族的共同遗产——“丝绸之路”，便受到了世界的关注。联合国教科文组织文化间对话处前处长杜杜·迪安（Doudou Diene）说，从此，“路”不再局限于一个基本的概念，而是成为人们思考不同族群之间文化交流互动的概念框架。
阿涅丝·巴尔东
Agnès Bardon
《信使》杂志主编，担任采访
联合国教科文组织文化间对话处前处长
联合国教科文组织“丝绸之路”项目的设想从何而来？
20世纪50年代，“丝绸之路”项目设想首次由日本教科文组织全国委员会在1957年的一次东西方关系会议上（印度，新德里）发表。大约30年后，设想终于成为一项可操作的方案。
20世纪70年代初，联合国教科文组织开始重点关注文化间对话，并围绕这个问题从人类学、社会学和历史角度开展了研究。这种学术上的钻研是必要的，但还需要找到一种方法，将文化间对话的概念转化为更加具体的叙事，使其能够适用于现实世界。
接下来发生的事情可以说是巧合。有两位同事——日后成为“丝绸之路”组执行秘书的服部英二（Eiji Hattori）和政府间海洋学委员会负责人马里奥·鲁伊沃（Mario Ruivo）——在前往亚洲出差的途中读到了一篇关于“丝绸之路”的文章。他们认为“丝绸之路”可以作为处理文化间对话问题的一种方式。他们与我谈了这些想法，于是，我们开始着手制定项目。
“丝绸之路”的名称由来已久。德国地理学家费迪南·冯·李希霍芬（Ferdinand von Richthofen）男爵在19世纪首创了这个说法，用来指代亚欧之间的贸易通商路线。在中国与世界其他各国的贸易中，丝绸是最具象征意义、最珍贵、最神秘的商品。相传黄帝之妻嫘祖有一天坐在树下喝茶，一只蚕茧从树上掉进了她的茶杯，嫘祖取出蚕茧时，发现它竟是由一根丝线缠绕而成的。
在数百年里，中国一直开展丝绸贸易，同时小心翼翼地保守着制造丝绸的秘密。因此，丝绸的历史同时也是丝绸作为商品贯穿欧亚大陆的传播史（欧亚大陆是指从韩国直至葡萄牙的地域范围）。但“丝绸之路”远不只是一条贸易路线，它还记录着沿线族群的迁徙史和不同族群之间的交流史，有多种宗教也是通过这条路线传播的。因此，我们认为丝绸之路可以从地理和历史角度将文化间性的概念落到实处，并且结出最丰硕的成果。
1991 年，联合国教科文组织“海上丝绸之路”综合考察团到访印度尼西亚爪哇，当地举行了欢迎仪式。 © 联合国教科文组织 / Toby Molenaar
规模如此之大的项目是怎么制定的？
要让项目切实可行，必须得到科学界的赞同和支持。为此，我们咨询了历史学家、地理学家和人类学家，他们都认为这是个有意义的课题，而且我们的方法有理有据。咨询工作结束之后，我们启动了名为“丝绸之路的全面研究：对话之路”的项目。当时大家都认为我们疯了。
我们的工作主要有两点指导思想。从一开始，我们就认为项目的记录工作必须采用跨学科方式，在结合自然科学与人文科学的同时兼顾戏剧、艺术和舞蹈等文化表现形式。在我们的设想中，这个项目并不是仅仅在总部召开一系列学术会议，而是需要参与者亲身走进历史的发生地。有鉴于此，我们计划在陆地和海上开展大规模考察活动。
不过，这也意味着相关国家的政府需要向我们开放边界。我们希望考察工作享有充分的行动自由，因此挑战愈发严峻。此外，我们的研究有时还会涉及遗产、历史教学、相邻族群之间的关系等敏感领域。
为了让项目具备无可争议的合法性，我们组建了国际多学科科学委员会，这是说服各国同意合作的决定性一步。经过多轮会谈之后，各国终于认可了我们的计划。由于丝绸之路以中国西部的长安（现在的西安）为起点，因此，中国的支持至关重要。此外，日本和韩国的支持也不可或缺。
丝绸之路起始段，天山廊道路网 © Ko Hon Chiu Vincent
丝绸之路考察队的资金从何而来？
筹集到必要的资金确实是一项了不起的成绩。20世纪80年代后期，联合国教科文组织遭遇了严重的财政危机，无力资助如此规模的项目。因此，我们不得不另寻资金。首先，我们与考察队途经各国的主管当局作出安排，由相关国家负责考察队的食宿。
我们还得到了若干主要国际媒体的资助，主要是日本和韩国媒体。我们自始至终都希望媒体能够成为考察工作的一部分，以便宣传我们的工作，提高公众认识。每一支考察队都会和经过筛选的几家媒体机构一路同行，这些机构则需支付25000美元的费用。在某些特殊情况下，我们得到了阿曼等国的支持。阿曼卡布斯（Qaboos）苏丹陛下允许我们使用他的私人游艇“和平号”，从而能够开展海上考察。由此可见，在考察队成功出发的背后是繁复的安排和多方提供的资金。
该项目如何在当地开展？
第一次陆路考察的时间是1990年7 月20日至8月3日，沿古代路线从中国西部的西安到喀什。考察队由来自19个国家的国际专家、“丝绸之路”项目咨询委员会成员和媒体代表组成。
1990年10月，从威尼斯（意大利）到大阪（日本）的海上考察队启程，全程共154天，包括海上行程54天。同年，中亚草原之路考察队从土库曼斯坦出发，途经乌兹别克斯坦、塔吉克斯坦和吉尔吉斯斯坦，最后到达哈萨克斯坦。次年开展的是蒙古游牧之路考察。这一系列考察工作的最后一站，是1995年完成的尼泊尔佛教之路考察。
回首往事，这次壮举让你有了哪些收获？
我们的想法是要让相关国家掌握考察工作的主导权。有鉴于此，我们在途经各国举办了多次研讨会，产生了丰富的文献档案资料，包括文本、照片和视频，至今仍可使用。
我们最后还建立了相关机构，继续开展研究。首先是位于撒马尔罕（乌兹别克斯坦）的国际中亚研究所（IICAS），这个机构目前仍在运转；此外还有位于蒙古乌兰巴托的国际游牧文明研究所（ISNC）。
“丝绸之路”项目让我们能够重新思考，自己对于文化间性以及对话有品牌着怎样的认识。该项目从科学角度辅助证明了所有身份特性都是经过长时间逐渐构建而成的，是不同族群之间交流互动的结果。
从更广泛的意义上说，“路”的概念如今已经成为人们思考不同族群之间交流互动的概念框架。正是沿用这个设计思路，联合国教科文组织在1994年启动了“奴隶之路”项目*（贝宁维达），后来又推出了“安达卢斯之路”，旨在探索多元身份的逐步构建过程，以及从中世纪西班牙继承而来的共同遗产。
(*注：2022年，“奴隶之路”项目更名为“被奴役人民之路：抵抗、自由和遗产”。)
输
《Silken Times | 丝绸时代的故事：从更广阔的历史视角来理解当今态势》（点击阅读）
—联合国教科文组织信使Ideas栏目，2023年4月
—联合国教科文组织信使Latest栏目，2023年4月
《丝绸之路｜文化交流与和平》（点击阅读）
— 联合国教科文组织《信使》，2004年1月—3月
Launched by UNESCO in 1988 as part of the World Decade for Cultural Development, the Silk Roads, Roads of Dialogue programme has helped to highlight the shared heritage of the peoples of the Eurasian continent. The concept of “the road” has since become a conceptual framework for thinking about cultural exchanges and interactions between populations, explains Doudou Diène, former director of UNESCO's Division of Intercultural Dialogue.
Interviewed by
Agnès Bardon
UNESCO
Doudou Diène
former director of UNESCO's
Division of Intercultural Dialogue
How did the idea for the UNESCO Silk Roads project come about?
The idea was first raised in the 1950s by the Japanese National Commission for UNESCO at a conference on East-West relations held in 1957 in New Delhi, India. But it took another thirty or so years before it became an operational programme.
From the early 1970s onwards, intercultural dialogue became an important concern of UNESCO. The Organization approached the issue academically, through anthropological, sociological and historical research. This scholarly approach was necessary, but it was also important to find a way of translating this notion into more concrete terms, to fit it into the real world.
What happened next was something of a coincidence. It so happened that two colleagues on a mission to Asia – Eiji Hattori, who was to become the Executive Secretary of the Silk Roads Unit, and Mario Ruivo, who headed the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission – came across an article on the Silk Roads during their trip. They thought that it could be a means to address the question of intercultural dialogue. They shared their idea with me and we started working on the project.
The name Silk Road was not new. It was coined in the 19th century by a German geographer,Baron Ferdinand von Richthofen,to designate the trade routes between Asia and Europe. Silk was the most emblematic, precious and mysterious product in the trade between China and the rest of the world.Legend has it that the Empress Leizu was having tea under a tree one day when a cocoon fell into her cup.When she removed it, she realised that it was made of a single thread.
For centuries,China traded in silk, jealously guarding the secret of its manufacture. The history of silk is therefore also the story of the spread of a product throughout Eurasia, a geographical area that stretches from Korea to Portugal.But it is much more than a trade route. It is also the story of the movement of populations and exchanges between these different populations, and it is through this route that religions were also spread. This is why this route seemed to us to be the most productive means,both geographically and historically, to translate the concept of interculturality.
How was such a large-scale program developed?
For our project to be viable,it had to have scientific endorsement. We therefore consulted historians,geographers and anthropologists,who considered that the problem was relevant and that our approach was well founded. Following these consultations,we launched our project,which we called Silk Roads,Roads of Dialogue. People thought we were crazy.
Two main ideas guided our thinking. From the outset,it seemed to us that the work of documenting this project had to be interdisciplinary and integrate the natural sciences and the humanities, as well as cultural expressions such as theatre,the arts and dance.We also wanted the programme to be more than just a series of scholarly meetings held at headquarters.We had to go into the field,where history happened.With this in mind,we envisaged launching major expeditions,both overland and at sea.
But this meant that the governments of the countries concerned had to open their borders to us.This was an even greater challenge because we wanted our expeditions to have complete freedom of movement Also,our study sometimes dealt with sensitive areas that touched on heritage,the teaching of history and the relations that the populations had with their neighbours.
To give our project a solid legitimacy,we created an international multidisciplinary scientific committee. This was a decisive step in convincing the countries. After many meetings, they finally agreed. China's commitment was decisive from this point of view because it was from Chang'an, the current Xi'an, in the west of the country, that the Silk Roads started. The support of Japan and the Republic of Korea were also important.
What were the sources of funding for the Silk Roads expeditions?
Getting the necessary funding together was a real achievement. In the late 1980s, UNESCO was in a serious financial crisis and was not in a position to finance a project like this.So,we had to look for the money elsewhere.As a start,we arranged for the authorities in each country the expedition was passing through to take care of food and accommodation for the team.
We also obtained funding from several major international media, notably from Japan and Korea.From the start,we wanted the media to be an integral part of the expeditions,in order to give visibility to our work and to raise public awareness. For each expedition, several media outlets were selected and, fora fee of US$25,000,they were allowed to come on board.We also benefited from the occasional support of certain countries such as Oman.Thanks to Sultan Qaboos,who put his personal boat, the Fulk al-Salamah,at our disposal,we were able to launch a maritime expedition.It was therefore a complex arrangement, with a variety of funding,that made the expedition possible.
How did the programme unfold on the ground?
The first overland expedition left from 20 July to 3 August 1990, tracing the historic route from Xian to Kashgar in the west of China. The team consisted of international experts,members of the Silk Roads Project Advisory Committee and media representatives. In total, 19 countries were represented.
This was followed by the maritime expedition between Venice (ltaly) and Osaka (Japan) which left in October of the same year and spent 54 days of the 154-day journey at sea.In the same year, the Steppe Route in Central Asia ran from Turkmenistan to Kazakhstan via Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. Then it was the Nomads’ Route in Mongolia the following year. This cycle of expeditions ended in 1995 with the Buddhist Route in Nepal.
Looking back, what lessons have you learned from this adventure?
The idea was for the countries to take ownership of the discoveries. With this in mind, we organised a large number of seminars in the countries we crossed. These gave rise to a rich documentary archive – comprising texts, photos and videos – that can still be used today. Finally, we set up structures to perpetuate the study. The first was the International Institute for Central Asian Studies (IICAS) in Samarkand (Uzbekistan), which still exists, and the International Institute for the Study of Nomadic Civilizations (IISNC) in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
The Silk Roads project has enabled us to rethink our ideas on interculturality and dialogue. It has helped to demonstrate scientifically that all identities are constructed over time and that all are the result of interactions between peoples. More broadly, the Roads concept has become a conceptual framework for thinking about exchanges and reciprocal interactions between populations. It is this matrix that was used to design The Slave Route* launched by UNESCO in 1994 in Ouidah, Benin, and the Routes of Al-Andalous aimed at exploring the progressive construction of a plural identity and a common heritage inherited from medieval Spain.
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