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[30|06|04] The role of Culture and Art in development programmes.
 This table was characterised by the diversity and origin of its participants.The discussions analysed how Art and Culture can contribute to social development. Some of the points of view shared were optimistic, some skeptical, other pessimistic, but all of them were critical. Some were more overwhelming, others more expressive, some strong and sensitive, a cobweb of ideas connected to the purpose of the Forum: to promote debates, exchange ideas and look for solutions without the concern of establishing stagnant models.
The table´s moderator was Angélica de Moraes, journalist and Art critic. She started the session quoting the Mexican sociologist Nestor Canclini, who wrote: “Today every culture is a bordering culture”. She complemented saying that cultures nowadays walk towards an intercultural aegis.
The journalist Âmbar de Oliveira Barros, coordinator of Unesco´s office in São Paulo and founder of the NGO ANDI – News Agency for Children´s Rights, then talked about Unesco´s view on culture, showing the construction and evolution of the institution´s thoughts regarding this theme focusing on the last decades, stressing the institution´s actions and resolutions, rights, accomplishments , rights conquered and advancements achieved recently.: “The kind of culture we want is one which allows us to live in society and help us mend the scraped social fabric. We want cultural policies which gives us the certainty that we can get back home alive after a day´s work”, she added.
The north American professor Gopal Balakrishnan was the next speaker, he made sure to say that he didn´t know anything about Culture or social development. Assuming a skeptical point of view, the political philosopher and porfessor of public political sciences of the University of Chicago, showed his personal view regarding what was being discussed . “Culture is more and more a vague concept, likewise emptier”, he added, highlighting that in such logical culture of our times one considers globalization as being an era of hegemony amd huge cultural diversity at the same time. According to him , we should find the connection between them both.
To him, an evidence of such is the codification of all political and social conflicts, considering here the most violent and complexes ones deriving from cultural origins. He mentioned studies which show that 1/3 of the population have everything while 2/3 have nothing.Even though he had a pessimistic point of view when he said that “There´s no cultural solution for social-political problems”, he showed hope suggesting some different pathways.
“We have to think about this reality which is dificult to change. People are skeptical about cultural policies. We have to know what kind of multi-culturalism we want, because if it is the one created by the market, then we should think about an alternative concept which enables us to criticise such type of dynamics. One cannot think of changes achieved without social-political changes. We have a cultural crisis because people´s imaginations can be easily captured in this process.”, he concluded.
Frightful future?
Oumar Sall,from Senegal frightened the participants and the audience with his strong words and a painful report about the reality of his country. The African art promoter said he was frightened by the loss of identity of the Senegalese youths. “We have been hearing about the role of Culture in development for the last couple of years. We cannot say that Culture has benn abandoned in our country, we have budgets, we have artists, there is a context. But policies on the ohter hand, are based on three main schemes : slavery, expropriation of goods and of people and colonization. The Africans have been mispresented”. He said that in 50 years the youths of his country will get involved in a collective context becoming suicide attackers and terrorists. “If nothing is made to correct these political and hypocritical games we can get to this stage”, he said.
Author, journalist, musical, dance and theatre critic and representative of the International Network for the collection of information, he recalled the fact that Senegal has been a muslin country for many years and that the country´s culture has been extracted from its people and abandoned “The development programmes only see África as struggle against poverty but forgets the african culture. I´m against this. The rich people are not going to fight agaisnt poverty and not even the poor people are. We have been involving ourselves in debates which are none of our business. I live in a muslin context, I say my prayers when I get up, I speak French,. We were thrown into a context which is not ours. We are nomadic people , but if borders are closed where will we go to?”, he said.
He also mentioned a story which placed culture on one side and development on the other , this was about a tribe which didn´t know if they built a library or a well. “This is what is happening in África- actions to teach. But what is more urgent? I donpt know We are patient to learn so that we won´t need any international help anymore ”, he concluded and was warmly applauded .
When asked about his frightful view of Senegal, which is considered one of the most pacific african countries and also the country which most invest on culture he said that Senegal is an exception but an exception in disguise. “We were one of the first countries in África to become muslins, due to that we have adapted our culture. The tribes in my country have their own cultural charachteristics, we have an acceptance for a cultural context but this is disappearing. The reference in twenty years won´t be cultural but religious and on this aspect it becomes worrying ”, he concluded.
Andrés Büllow, from Denmark and President of ISCA – Institute for Sports and Culture showed a more european perspective. He talked about his institution which promotes spots and culture to the planet´s population: “The key to Art is creativiy. And freedom and the search for solutions are keys to creativity”, he said, remembering that we are going through a period of deep social changes and walking towards a society which will be based on knowledge. Due to such changes institution give way to construction, the role of children is bigger -not like before when the adult was the only generator of knowledge and culture, institutions and systtems are replaced by human resources and values; the teacher is no loger the only supplier of knowledge and the student has a more important role and quantity gives way to quality.
He also highlighted the importance of culture, stimulation of creativity, reniewing of learning methods, social engagement, identity and inter-culturalization as well as information and how to use them.. “We need to find new ways for alliances a new approach to deal with the business sector. We need to develop new ideas through culture ”, he added.
The last speaker was Edric Ong, from Saruak island, region of Borneo, Malaysia. Member of the Delphic Council and Executive director of World Eco, he showed a more sensitive aspect of his reality and his country “When we talk about development policies we want to take people away from the jungle and take them to comunities created especially for them, but many times this is done so that their land can be handed to miners and exploring companies ”, he said.
Ong stressed that Men must keep their spirit alive because money and heath cannot help without that. He also mentioned the importance of roots, of culture and arts of different peoples. “We shouldn´t lose our identity and our roots so that we can mantain the integrity of our traditions. The purity and the soul of the traditional ways are being lost with the attempt to move on and reach the so called “ideal!” stage. We should not impose our point of view of what is right on someone else we have to respect the others” he concluded. |
