Intro
The Significance of Cultural Diversity in a World of Turmoil
(Preamble of the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expression)
Join us in exploring the relevance of the 2005 UNESCO Convention for our contemporary world.
The Convention acknowledges that cultural diversity is a defining characteristic of humanity and that it creates a rich and varied world, which increases the range of choices and nurtures human capacities and values.
It focuses on the creation of the conditions for cultures to flourish and to freely interact and on the importance of the link between culture and development for all countries, particularly for developing countries.
In this light, the Robert Bosch Academy in cooperation with the German Commission for UNESCO invited thinkers, activists and representatives of key civil society organizations from around the globe to come together for a workshop in Berlin to evaluate and reinvigorate the contemporary meaning and relevance of the 2005 UNESCO Convention to give answers to this changing world.
Mike van Graan, Richard von Weizsäcker Fellow at the Robert Bosch Academy and a member of UNESCO’s Expert Facility on the 2005 Convention, assisted in devising the program along with another member of the Expert Facility and representative of the German Commission for UNESCO, Christine M. Merkel
Today's challenges
What are major challenges for the world today? Mike van Graan, Richard von Weizsäcker Fellow, Robert Bosch Academy
Phloeun Prim, Executive Director, Cambodian Living Arts (Cambodia)
Keith Nurse, Senior Fellow, Sir Arthur Lewis Institute for Social and Economic Studies (Trinidad and Tobago)
Role of arts and culture
What role can the art and culture sector take to help tackle these challenges?Mike van Graan, Richard von Weizsäcker Fellow, Robert Bosch Academy
In my country, specifically, it is fundamental that the sector works as a counter-narrative, in the sense that it should help provoke people to critically think and debate the main agenda, which is, most of the time, implemented by dominant sectors of the society and of those who are in power."
Fernando Resende, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Media and Cultural Studies, Universidade Federal Fluminense (Brazil)
Ayoko Mensah, Bozar Africa Desk, Advisor, Centre for Fine Arts (Togo and France)
Abdullah AlKafri, Executive Manager, Ettijahat- Independent CultureChallenges (Syria)
Obstacles for arts and culture
What are obstacles within the arts and culture sector?Mike van Graan, Richard von Weizsäcker Fellow, Robert Bosch Academy
We have to be aware that the share of culture in the national budgets is shrinking, private sector investments are decreasing and a scarcity of resources destined to be used for culture is becoming a general trend."
Serhan Ada, Board Member and Head of the Committee on Cultural Diversity, Turkish National Commission for UNESCO (Turkey)
Further, the lack of public support and dwindling donor support to the arts and culture sector lead to a few commercial creative products dominating the arts and cultural space."
Ayeta Wangusa, Executive Director, Culture and Development East Africa (CDEA) (Tanzania)
I guess this is a key issue for us all. From my point of view, part of the insight I get comes from this point: the need to fight, in all possible ways, is more urgent than ever."
Fernando Resende, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Media and Cultural Studies, Universidade Federal Fluminense (Brazil)
Strategies of arts and culture
What strategies can the arts and culture sector develop? Mike van Graan, Richard von Weizsäcker Fellow, Robert Bosch Academy
Ayeta Wangusa, Executive Director, Culture and Development East Africa (CDEA) (Tanzania)
Abdullah AlKafri, Executive Manager, Ettijahat- Independent CultureChallenges (Syria)
"Those of us, who value cultural diversity must redouble our efforts at institutional capacity building and implement creative and entrepreneurial ways of promoting diversity."
Keith Nurse, Senior Fellow, Sir Arthur Lewis Institute for Social and Economic Studies (Trinidad and Tobago)
Results
Christine M. Merkel, Head of Division for Culture, Communication, Memory of the World, German Commission for UNESCO, on the results of the workshop:
The results have been fed already into UNESCO’s civil society forum on the 2005-Convention as well as into the Conference of Parties of June 2017 which adopted a landmark strategic framework on public cultural and media policies in response to digital inequality challenges. With the bold decisions on the EU level of 23 May and 5th July 2017, to further reinforce the strategic partnership with UNESCO on the basis of the 2005-Convention and the Agenda 2030, the workshop results will have direct impact on designing the new EU strategy for international cultural relations."
Mike van Graan on the workshop and its results
Find out more about the workshop and the Convention:
Report of the workshop and its results (including a background document, a summary of challenges, proposals for action, agreed priorities, a mechanism to take these further and a list of the attendees of the workshop) (PDF)
2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions (PDF)
Credits
About the Robert Bosch Academy
The Academy on Tour is part of a comprehensive community program for all Richard von Weizsäcker Fellows. By engaging with the Fellows, German experts and decision makers gain new perspectives on major social and political issues; in turn, Fellows expand their networks and enrich their expertise with insights in German and European policy debates and decision-making processes.
www.robertboschacademy.com
@BoschAcademy
www.bosch-stiftung.com
We thank the German Commission for UNESCO for co-organizing and co-financing the workshop