A/76/178 empowered to achieve greater implementation of cultural rights and the entire universal human rights framework, so as to foster not only human survival but also human thriving. VI. Conclusions and recommendations A. Conclusions 74. In April 2021, more than a year into the pandemic, Indian medical students Naveen K. Razak and Janaki Omkumar, a man and a woman from different religious backgrounds, made a video of themselves dancing together to the song “Rasputin” by Euro-Caribbean pop group Boney M, which went viral. For daring to dance across cultures, the two young people received an outpouring of support, as well as tirades and hate speech on social media that may have been motivated by Hindu fundamentalism, even accusing them of “da nce jihad”. One post suggested there was “something fishy” about them dancing, referencing a woman who had joined Da’esh. In response, a student organization announced a dance competition entitled “something is fishy”. 88 In our times, those who value the importance of rights-respecting cultural openness and mixing will have to defend it actively and creatively like this. The reply from Naveen and Janaki to the criticism was: “We will still dance together.” 89 This must be our collective reply. 75. The only way to guarantee the cultural rights of everyone without discrimination is to defend open and multiple understandings of culture and of intercultural relations, spaces and heritage that fully respect cultural rights and other universal human rights for all. It is important to cite the socio -linguist Amelia Tseng, to recognize new hybrid processes, new ways of being, to be in the mixed experience90 and to also commit to doing nothing less than learning to be human together. Such an approach should: (a) Thoughtfully reflect plurality and the diversity of diversities, not only between but within all human collectivities; 91 (b) Consider the question of how we transmit histories of syncretism and cultural mixing that are being lost; (c) Confront the suppression of cultural dissent. Going forward from the pandemic, it is essential to rebuild cultural connections and renew and enhance cultural sharing and mobility, including by addressing pre-pandemic obstacles to them. 76. As has been stated, “One can only come into a dialogue with the past and future, a dialogue which is necessary, if one ceases to invest in a single (and therefore latent totalitarian) identity.” 92 This underscores the urgent need to __________________ 88 89 90 91 92 20/22 See www.newindianexpress.com/cities/kochi/2021/apr/10/dancing-medicos-get-support-onlineand-offline-against-religious-bigotry-on-social-media-2288048.html. See www.archyde.com/we-will-still-dance-together-janaki-and-naveen-react-to-hate-speechagainst-religion/. See www.npr.org/transcripts/578447949. According to Amartya Sen, “The recognition of diversity within different cultures is extremely important in the contemporary world, since we are constantly bombarded by oversimple generalizations about ‘Western civilization,’ ‘Asian values,’ ‘African cultures,’ and so on. These unfounded readings of history and civilization … add to the divisiveness of the wo rld in which we live.” See www.carnegiecouncil.org/publications/archive/morgenthau/254 . Kisten Holst Petersen and Anna Rutherford, “Fossil and Psyche” , in The Post-Colonial Studies Reader, p. 189, B. Ascroft, G. Griffiths and H. Tiffin, eds. (Routledge, London and New York, 2006). 21-10019