Rabat, 13 November 2014

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The Future We Want Includes Culture!Challenges for the Post- 2015 Development Agenda

They have said… (signatories of the culture2015goal.net Declaration)

Il faut que la culture soit le socle, sinon ce serait que de la déroute. Nous ne serons que des consommateurs, rien ne pourrait se faire en Afrique

Alanda KOUBIDINA, Association culturelle Kadam-Kadam, Togo

Mieux connaître sa culture, c'est enrichir la culture universelleLassani KABORE, Association Afrique Yerelon, Burkina Faso

Nous ne pouvons aujourd'hui continuer a faire des plans de developpement de nos pays africains sans pour autant mettre la Culture au coeur des differents strategies er axes de developpement innoves a cet effet. C' est pourquoi il urge que tous les Acteurs du monde Culturel ensemble avec leurs gouvernements respectifs repensent le mecanisme du developpement reel de leur Pays en mettant sur pied une politique Culturelle concrete , adequate er respectant les realites socioculturelles de leurs pays respectifs afin d' ouvrir les voies pour le Developpement et faire Vivre er revivre l' Espoir dans le coeur de tous les peuples africains notamment celui a la base.

Christel Gbaguidi, Arts Vagabonds Rezo Afrik, Bénin

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It is essential to encourage and support African communities to be proud of all aspects of their local and tribal African culture - the heritage of the ancestors and their indigenous roots. Sustainable Development Goals - respect their traditions and nature, go back to organic planting and reaping, to bring peace and prosperity to each village and country - they are able to lead the rest of Africa.

Amanda St George, Leseding Township Golf Club, South Africa

Culture is a key factor to sustainable development and unless nations factor it into their development agenda they will not be able to move forward as one people neither will they fully benefit from their enormous God given resources and talents. Further more development is about people who are the real wealth. Culture is also as prerequisite for peace diverse world and also the basis for international relations. Culture must be considered this time as a pillar for sustainable development and all nations need to develop and implement strategies in tapping culture as a major factor for social, political, and economic well being of their people.

Emily NJERU, Department of Culture, Kenya

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They have said… (signatories of the culture2015goal.net Declaration)

www.Culture2015goal.net

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Rio + 20 (June 2012), Hangzhou Congress (May 2013), Bali Forum (Nov. 2013), Florence Conference (Oct. 2014)

3 resolutions adopted by UN General Assembly – most recent December 2013

Two special thematic debates: June 2013 and May 2014

Concerted action by civil society

We recommend, therefore, that a specific Goal focused on culture be included as part of the post-2015 UN development agenda, to be based on heritage, diversity, creativity and the transmission of knowledge and including clear targets and indicators that relate culture to all dimensions of sustainable development.

The Hangzhou Declaration, Placing Culture at the Heart of Sustainable Development Policies

17 May 2013

www.Culture2015goal.net

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8 international networks

7 languages – English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, Chinese, Russian

2000 signatories

800 organizations

120 countries

Possibly the first campaign of its kind for culture

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www.Culture2015goal.net

Why

Nothing in the Millennium Development Goals (2000-2015)

 

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Why

2016-2030: 17 Sustainable Development Goals, 169 targets

Goal 4. Education

4.7 by 2030 (…) promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship, and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development.

 Goal 8. Economy and employment

8.9 by 2030 devise and implement policies to promote sustainable tourism which creates jobs, promotes local culture and products

Goal 11. Cities

11.4 strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage.

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Official development aid

MDG Achievement Fund (Spain) 900 million US$of which 95 million US$ on culture18 projects3-4 year durationMeasure contribution of culture to development

2005 UNESCO Convention International Fund for Cultural Diversity7,4 million US$71 projets in three years43 developing countries100 000 US$ max over 2 years

Japan Biodiversity Fund - 2 billion US$ (2010)

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ChallengesEnvironmental groups have succeeded in positioning their issue on top of list•Tangible threats•Concepts and methodologies universally accepted•Measurable evidences•Targets and performance indicators

For the cultural movement, risks and benefits are intangible•Social inclusion through participation and intercultural dialogue•Personal and collective wellbeing•Post-conflict resolution•Personal identity influenced by virtual communities•Spiritual wellness of traditional cultures

However, environmental and cultural lobbies share a common cause:•Diversity has an indicator of the planet’s and humanity’s health condition•Diversity as a fundamental democratic principle

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What can I do

Culture and sustainable development

To be convinced ourselves and to act accordingly:

• Act responsibly for the next generations• With enduring positive effects (and limited negative impacts)• Well beyond the moment such actions were taken

A desire for social change manifests itself by the selection of artists and audiences

We need a « sustainable development » framework for the other dimensions

Project Governance, succession, funding, competenciesEnvironment Sets, food and beverages, fauna and flora, sanitation facilities, trafficNeighboroud Merchants, restaurants, hotels, citizens, noisePopulations Social peace, interethnic/generational, vocations, audience

development, schoolsNational cultures Pride, continuity, emblematic / tourism, sponsors, access, price

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What can I doAdvocacy to see the role of culture as driver and enabler recognized

Driver = economic development, competencies, knowledge

Enabler = human approach to development

Changes in attitude leading to actions:

-Objectives

-Targets

-Indicators

Demonstrate that we master the engineering of cultural projects

Culture competing for US$ with infrastructure, water, maternal health, education, etc. Why trust us?

Address others (economists, businesspersons, citizens) in their words

During the UN negotiations on the post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals, cultural diversity was set aside by the two-chairs as « non-measurable » even though they considered it to be a « powerful concept »

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What can I do• Human rights

• Universal concept, although subject to interpretation

• No need to refer to Universal Declaration of Human Rights

• Citizens recognize violations and defend their rights

• Media play a role of surveillance

• Same for biodiversity and environment

• Stories, images, injustices, success stories of culture and sustainable development?

• Challenge of the 21e century, of globalisation: « living together in peace »

• The governance of the diversity of cultural expressions / symbolic / identities

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HOW TO BRING OTHERS TO BE

AS CONCERNED AS WE ARE?

The campaign Culture2015goal.net: A critical assessment

Dear friends,

The final draft of the Sustainable Development Goals now shows us what will go to the UN GA as the proposal (17 goals and their many associated targets).

Unfortunately, because of how the SDG consultations have been shaped over the last two years, much smaller even than the hope of a goal on culture, there are only a handful of scattered references in the full text.

The strong sectors of development that have been working towards marking their territories in the SDG consultations have been at it for more than two years, and are large and well-funded networks. The culture section did not have preparation over a comparable period, nor found the strong linkages to push forward its views and cases.

But there are other factors that have produced such a result for culture. First, the gigantic sums of money envisaged as needed for economic growth ('sustainable') and infrastructure creation (also 'sustainabled'). Goals that have to do with these sums have found the biggest representation in the final SDGs proposal. Under these circumstances, culture stood very little chance, and this would have been the sorry outcome even had the preparations been done for as long as other sectors did theirs.

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Second, my work in the areas of agriculture and food, and in climate change and rural development has taken me closer to seeing the realities of the consultation process. I am on the whole disappointed by the result, which has propagated strongly the idea of 'indicators' that are presumed to be based on needs and evidence, and thus supported by science and technical competence of some kind. This may or may not be useful on the ground, but what the UN now has with this group of goals is a market-derived idea of 'development' heavily reliant on the application of finance and technology for their success, and those come with burdensome conditions.

The question now is: what happens to culture (tangible, intangible, man and biosphere)? In a way, our very small visibility in the final proposals may be a good thing. It will ensure that our programmes which have the best chance of success are those that are as local as possible  - that is, the anti-thesis of the 'global' view that pervades the SDGs. It will also mean finding ways to facilitate working at the sub-national level, which was largely untouched by the MDGs idea and which the SDGs will not improve upon (without a substantial re-think, which I do not see coming before some sort of 'review' of the SDGs).

I think that if we consider the outcome in a certain way, this is an opportunity for any group concerned with culture and sustainable development - to help frame what SDG means, in different ways and according to the needs and contexts uncovered by the Unesco culture section's fieldwork in various domains over the last decade. It's not the result we would have liked, but there may be unlooked for freedoms still to be found.

Rahul Goswami, Trainer for UNESCO's 2003 Intangible Cultural Heritage Convention

Goa, India15

The campaign Culture2015goal.net: A critical assessment

PREAMBLE

• Refine our common narrative

• Develop concepts and a methodology

• Measurable outcomes (quantitative and qualitative)

• Targets and performance indicators

• While being cognizant of risks

• And « managing expectations »

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Development that takes culture into account

Culture that contributes to develop

ASEF (Asia-Europe Foundation)

RENCYResources

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36 examples of best practicesAsia-Europe4 themes: creative talents, creative entrepreuneurs, creative cities and development, creative cities and quality of life

MDG Achievement Fund

RENCYResources

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« Even though cultural aspects are not explicitly referred to within the MDGs, the last decade has witnessed an increasing recognition of the links between culture and human development. »

Organization of American States

RENCYResources

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1. Productive Identities (Argentina)2. The “mARTadero” Project an Incubator for the Arts (Bolivia)3. Cultura Viva: Art, Education and Citizenship (Brazil)4. Wapikoni Mobile (Canada)5. CARIFIESTA (Caribbean Festival of Arts) (CARICOM, Caribbean Community)6. Papel amate (Bark papper), a cultural legacy (Chile)7. Medellín: the Transformation of a City (Colombia)8. Artistic-cultural workshop with tradition-bearers (Costa Rica)9. Training to improve the competitiveness of artistic handicrafts (Ecuador)10. Documenting Endangered Languages (United States)11. Studio C (Guatemala)12. Regional Development in the Copán Valley (Honduras)13. Flora Workshop (Mexico)14. Building the Caribbean Atlas Online (Dominican Republic)15. Arts and Culture for Youth Development Program (Saint Lucia)16. Culture Factories (Uruguay)17. National System of Youth and Children’s Orchestras18. Cultural Information Systems

UNESCO

RENCYRessources

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UNESCO and UNDP

RENCYResources

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ASEF, German Commission for UNESCO and U40 Network

RENCYResources

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Secretariat 1210 Sherbrooke Street Est, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H2L 1L9P (514) 277-2666 • F (514) 277-9994 • www.ficdc.org

The International Federation of Coalitions for Cultural Diversity brings together forty-three national coalitions on five continents. It is recognized by the UNESCO as an official partner with consultative status and serves on the NGO-UNESCO Liaison Committee.

This presentation is available to members of the IFCCD and organizations or individuals interested in presenting the position of civil society on the implementation of the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions .

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cvallerand@cdc-ccd.org