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CULTURE IS NOTA LUXURYCULTURE IN DEVELOPMENT AND COOPERATION

BroKultur_engl 29.10.2003 12:25 Uhr Seite 1

32

Hands Contents

hand in hand, hands up, hands-off, handknit-

ted, hand over, hand to mouth, both hands,

handwriting, hand full of dust, handing out

food, hand back, hand down, hand on, hand

out, hand over, hand round, handbarrow,

handbook, handbrake, handclasp, handcuff,

handgrenade, handgun, handshake, handi-

work, handiness, hand-loom, hand lotion,

hand luggage, handmade, hand-operated,

handrail, handsaw, handshake, hand-stitched,

hand to hand, hand-picked, handstand, hand-

to-hand fight, hand towel, handball, handbra-

ke, handcart, handgrip, handout, handprint,

handstroke, handlebar, hands down, hand-

bag. (extract PONS)

Photographs: Driss Manchoube, an ethnic

Moroccan living in Bern

© September 2003

Foreword: Culture is not a luxury| 4

1. Culture is the sum of experiences | 6 – 8

Case study Mali | Mozambique | 9

2. Is globalization becoming “glocalization”? | 10 – 12

Case study Romania | Nicaragua | 13

3. Facilitator for society and economy | 14 – 16

Case study Macedonia | Mozambique | 17

4. Culture creates livelihoods | 18 – 20

Case study Vietnam | CIS | 21

5. From cultural event to culture reflex | 22 – 23

6. Enhancing and utilizing cultures for development | 24 – 26

Case study India | Cuba | 27

7. Principles for the cultural approach in development | 28 – 30

Case study Burkina Faso | West Africa | 31

8. Measuring the unquantifiable | 32 – 34

Case study Bangladesh | Uzbekistan | 35

9. Lessons learnt | 36 – 39

10. The North-South dialogue is important to us | 40 – 41

Case study Tajikistan | 42

Literature, contacts, links | 43

Für die fotografische

Illustration dieser

Broschüre zeichnet der

Berner Fotograf marokka-

nischer Abstammung,

Driss Manchoube, verant-

wortlich.


FOREWORD

4

Culture is not a luxury

“Culture matters”: this has become more andmore of a certainty in the development policydebate in recent years. Cultural values, beliefsand viewpoints are key influences on political,economic and social development. Competencein dealing with other cultures has becomemore important than ever in SDC’s daily workas well.

In cooperation with SDC’s partners, cultural as-pects should therefore be given greater priorityin future. In accordance with its mandate, SDCseeks to promote the awareness and develop-ment of culture with the aim of reinforcingdevelopment and transition processes in thecountries of operation.

In this context, SDC’s most important concernis to contribute to the formation and preserva-tion of independent and diverse cultural lands-capes. The cultural context must also becomeintegral to the thinking and actions of its staff,so that a genuine “culture reflex” emerges.

The Department therefore decided last year thatin all priority countries, local culture should besupported by at least 1 percent of the bilateralbudget. The guidelines governing the use of this“culture percent” are the “Principles of SDC’sCultural Policy” of 4 November 2002. (Theyare reproduced in this brochure on pages 24to 26.)

Of course, this decision has not madethe work of SDC’s staff in the field andat its headquarters any easier. (“Artis all very well. But it creates a lot ofwork”, as the Munich comedien KarlValentin once said.) But it will makeSDC’s work more diverse, morecreative and more effective.

The brochure “Culture is not aluxury” is intended to assistSDC’s staff and their partnerorganizations in responding tothese challenges, which will benew to many of them. It pre-sents the principles governingSDC’s cultural policy in a broa-der context. It presents a wholerange of cultural projects – notnecessary as models whichshould be copied, but rather asinspiration. Above all, this bro-chure has one overarching aim:to provide ideas for cultural pro-jects, and to encourage people tointegrate culture more fully, em-bark on cultural projects, and findsynergies with the programmes. •

SDC’s work is always

based on a broad concept

of culture, ranging from

avantgarde dance festivals

to traditional knowledge

and cultural anthropology

– for SDC takes the view

that modern culture should

not be played off against

venerable tradition, and

popular forms should not

be played off against elite

cultural forms of culture.

Sectarianism is quite in-

appropriate in the field

of culture.

The term “culture” is there-

fore used in a broad and

multifaceted sense in this

brochure as well.


DRIVING FORCE AND/OR OBSTACLE TO DEVELOPMENT

6

1. Culture is the sum of experiences

The debate about the role of culture in socialand economic development has greatly intensi-fied in recent years. One reason for this is thewidening gap between expectations, on theone hand, and the outcomes actually achievedthrough the investment of resources in develop-ment and progress, on the other.

A comparison of the economic data on Ghanaand South Korea in the 1960s reveals that atthat time, the two economies were similar, withcomparable levels of per capita gross nationalproduct (GNP) and a similar division of theireconomies among primary products, manufac-turing and services. Both relied heavily on pri-mary product exports and received similarlevels of economic aid. Thirty years on, SouthKorea is the 14th most powerful economy inthe world, with a per capita income equivalentto that of Greece. How can this extraordinarydifference be explained? Although there maybe many reasons, the two countries’ disparatecultures are likely to be major factors. “Thepeople of South Korea value thrift, investment,hard work, education, organization, and disci-pline. Ghanaians have different values. In short,cultures count.” (Samuel P. Huntington)

Cultural debate in the SouthNumerous other arbitrary examples have beenput forward. However, anyone ascribing themmerely to Western economists’ and sociologists’intellectual arrogance is missing the point –even though the South Korea-Ghana comparisoncomes from the book “Culture Matters: HowValues Shape Human Progress” by Samuel P.Huntington, the Harvard University professor.Certainly, the debate about culture’s role as adriving force for and/or an obstacle to develop-ment is being conducted with increasing inten-sity in both Africa and Latin America.

Carlos Alberto Montaner, a Cuban li-ving in exile who is one of the mostwidely-read columnists writing in theSpanish language, calls for a cultu-ral transformation in the LatinAmerican societies, starting withtheir elites: politicians, the milita-ry, the clergy, the business com-munity, intellectuals and left-win-gers. Montaner, the Cuban, speaks thesame language as Cameroon’sDaniel Etounga-Manguelle. Theformer World Bank advisor hasself-critically analyzed the needfor a “Programme d’AjustementCulturel” for Africa and calls forfour peaceful cultural revolutionson the African continent: in edu-cation, politics, the economy andsocial relations. Armies of academics working inthe fields of economics, socio-logy, ethnology, anthropology, etc.have now joined in the debateand, with the publication of newresearch findings, constantly proveone thing above all: that this is acomplex issue.

Learning from historyValues, preferences and tradition haveplayed a key role in development andprogress in the industrialized countries. Theway in which societies have responded tospecific framework conditions – climate, natu-ral resources, competition – has influencedtheir future development and transformed theircultures in a process which is still ongoingtoday. A prerequisite was – and is – that thecultures subjected to such change are able todraw on their strong individual identity. During the development of the industrializedcountries, it proved impossible to avoid mistakes

Societies – nations, ethnic

groups, communities –

define themselves by their

values, preferences and

beliefs. Together, these

collective experiences con-

stitute a society’s “culture”

and give it an identity

both internally and exter-

nally. Culture plays a key

role in defining individual

and community behaviour;

it determines how a society

will develop and advance..


DRIVING FORCE AND/OR OBSTACLE TO DEVELOPMENT CASE STUDY

8 9

Mali Mozambique

and, indeed, conflicts within and between cul-tures. The overexploitation of natural resourcesand the resulting impact on climate, for example,will also result in cultural upheavals in future,notably in the industrialized societies’ attitudeto motorized mobility. The end of the ColdWar is only now beginning to implant itself asa cultural challenge in the awareness of politi-cians, business and society. The lesson to belearned from this is that culture is never static– quite the contrary.

Fifty years of development: a reviewThe need for a cultural debate in the context ofdevelopment cooperation arises from the socialand economic facts which describe the shock-ing reality for much of the world’s populationeven after half a century of foreign aid anddevelopment cooperation. To cite just a fewexamples:

The review of half a century of development issobering, especially in Africa and Latin Ame-rica. The disparities in the development of indi-vidual developing countries and regions whichoften share the same colonial, economic or eco-logical starting conditions are striking, and canno longer be explained solely in terms of theircolonial legacy, economic dependency on trans-national corporations, or the protectionist poli-cies imposed by industrialized countries.

Cultural debate as a challengeThe signs are mounting: it seems certain thatthe impediments to development in individualcountries and regions – including industrializedcountries – cannot be explained solely by eco-nomic, environmental or social parameters.The deliberate isolationism and self-sufficiencyof some societies on the grounds that they mustprotect themselves from Western-style develop-ment as far as possible is a myth.

Nonetheless, it would be inappropriate simplyto inculcate developing countries with the samevalues, preferences and behaviours as thosewhich have developed in the industrializedcountries over centuries. A high-quality watch-making industry cannot evolve simply by provi-ding people with magnifying glasses and pre-cision tools. The sometimes rather simplisticdistinction made between North and South –that the former has the clocks, but the latterhas the time – points to the very different cultu-ral conditions in which development takes place.Identifying these differences and building theminto development projects is the real challengefacing cultural work in the development con-text today.

Whether it is a driving force or an obstacle,culture has a key role to play, and is just as im-portant as good governance, gender equalityor education. This poses a challenge not onlyto the donors’ but also to the recipients’ culture,for as the African adage says, “the hand that re-ceives is forever beneath the hand that gives.”

•

Africans take photographs of AfricaMali’s capital, Bamako, plays an importantrole in the development of African photogra-phy, not least due to the “Rencontres africainesde la photographie” which take place on aregular basis. The Swiss aid agency Helvetashas therefore set up its Centre de formation enphotographie in Bamako.

The Centre runs a number of course modules,each lasting 15 to 20 days. The courses areaimed primarily at African photographers, buttrainees from non-government organizationswho use photography in their projects can alsoparticipate.

The Centre’s photographic lab is an importanttool in the students’ training. It is also availa-ble for use by professional photographers. Itaccepts commissions and supplies prints forexhibitions, books, etc.

The Centre promotes exchange betweenMalian, African and European photographers.It also assists its graduates by supportingpublications and exhibitions.

The Photography Department of the École desarts appliqués in Vevey advises the Centre ontechnical issues.

Link: www.helvetas-mali.org

Escola das Artes VisuaisThe School of Visual Arts (Escola das ArtesVisuais) in Maputo, Mozambique, launched itstraining programmes in arts and crafts in1983. Several years ago, graphic design wasintroduced as a new subject, and the schoolhas now added training in computer technolo-gy – including web design – to its curriculum.The training programme, which lasts for 51/2years, is seen as vocational training for theculture sector. The students are aged between 16 and 20,and 10 per cent of them are women. They arevery ambitious and keen to learn, and havegreat hopes for the future. After completingtheir training, all graduates immediately findwork in industries such as advertising, informa-tion/communications, animation and webdesign. The industry urgently needs more trai-nees and graduates in these areas.

As a value-adding measure, the training pro-gramme helps to achieve one of SDC’s prima-ry goals, namely poverty alleviation, by focus-sing primarily on creating jobs for young peo-ple. With their newly acquired knowledge,these young people are also in a position toraise awareness of issues such as health andthe environment.

Mozambique’s Culture Ministry, IBIS, Danidaand SDC are the project partners and fund theprogramme jointly.

More than half the adult

population in 23 coun-

tries – of which only

Afghanistan, Bangladesh,

Nepal, Pakistan and

Haiti are located outside

Africa – is illiterate.

More than half of all

women in 35 countries –

including the countries

mentioned above, but

also Algeria, Egypt,

Guatemala, India, Laos,

Morocco, Nigeria and

Saudi Arabia – cannot

read or write.

Population growth in the

poorest countries stands

at 2.1 per cent – three

times the rate of high-

income countries.

At the start of the 21st

century, 1.1 billion peo-

ple have no access to

clean drinking water.


CULTURE AND GLOBALIZATION

10

2. Is globalization becoming “glocalization”?North American corporations control 55 percent of the global cultural industries (film, music,TV, radio). European corporations control 25per cent, companies from Japan and the rest ofAsia 15 per cent, and Latin American compa-nies 5 per cent. The African entertainment in-dustry is too small to be included in the statis-tics. It is obvious that such economic dominancemust have an impact on the cultural develop-ment of the underrepresented regions. Globali-zation of the entertainment industry is a given– but is the “Americanization” of culture alreadycomplete?

A study on music consumption in Latin Americashows that Anglo-American music does not do-minate home-grown music at all. Apart fromVenezuela, where international music reachesmore than half of the general public (63%),local styles of music still prevail in the othercountries’ music scenes. In Colombia, it is val-lenato, in Puerto Rico salsa and in Argentina itis tango. In Brazil, too, 65 per cent of the publicprefer local styles of music.

So is there really any “levelling out” of cultures,caused by worldwide distribution of the TV se-ries produced en masse by “Hollywood”? Stu-dies on responses to series which are distributedworldwide, such as Dallas or The Young andthe Restless, in various societies outside theUSA do not confirm the frequent claims that“everyone is becoming the same”. Astonishingly,it seems that the opposite is true. Responses tothe American soaps varied very widely in Al-geria, Israel, Japan and Trinidad. Dependingon ethnicity, they served as a mirror either forprevailing local values – on the family or therole of women – or for friendships in the societyconcerned. Instead of adopting wholesale thevalues and behaviours depicted in Dallas, Al-gerians, for example, felt that these reaffirmedtheir own adherence to traditional values suchas the extended family, which generally views

state bureaucracy as hostile to familysolidarity. In Trinidad, the American origins ofThe Young and the Restless were com-pletely ignored, but the series wasfully integrated into reflections onlocal society. The series’ appealwas based not on an illusion of aperfect world, but on its highligh-ting of major weaknesses andfundamental contradictions wit-hin Trinidad’s culture. The seriesreflects central issues in Trini-dad’s society. Sex, social crisesand chaos – summed up inTrinidad by the word Baccha-nal – are the dominant themesin the storyline.It is highly unlike that the script-writers intended their series tohave such an effect.

Underdeveloped InternetThere appear to be parallels bet-ween the development of the Inter-net now and in future and that ofthe entertainment industry someyears ago. Less than 2 per cent ofpeople in Latin America have Internetaccess, and the figure is even lower inAfrica, compared with 23.3 per cent inthe USA and 6.9 percent in the otherOECD countries. The wealthiest 20 percent of the world’s population account for93.3 per cent of Internet access and ownmore than 70 percent of hosts. Confoundingmany people’s expectations, the Internet has along way to go before it facilitates more demo-cratic access to information exchange at natio-nal and international level. Nonetheless, thetechnology already exists. The task now is toutilize these opportunities in the interests ofdevelopment – at least wherever access isavailable.

The globalization debate

has also had an impact

on culture. It is said that

Western cultures are

dominating the cultures of

the developing countries,

which are defenceless

against this assault. It is

claimed that the Internet

is becoming a digital

“Trojan horse” which

transfers Western values

and patterns of beha-

viours, along with the

products of the Western

entertainment industry,

undiluted into the develo-

ping countries. The reality

is more complex – and

offers opportunities for

“glocalization”.


Romania Nicaragua

CASE STUDY

13

Bringing new life to the arts centresIn Romania, there are still hundreds of artscentres – a legacy of the old regime. In most ofthem, however, arts and culture live a shado-wy existence. There is not enough money topurchase equipment or put on cultural pro-grammes. The local authorities’ “referenti cul-turali”, who are responsible for the arts cen-tres, are left to deal with these problems ontheir own. They are poorly educated and trai-ned, and many of them also lack stimulatingideas for programmes.

This is a pity – for an arts centre can be aninspiration and a hub for community develop-ment at local level. That is the starting point fora programme of cooperation being run by ProHelvetia on behalf of SDC: selected arts cen-tres are encouraged to utilize their opportuni-ties to engage with issues of social change.Training programmes are being run for artscentre managers who show initiative, and theircultural programmes are supported as far aspossible. In this context, networking of these“referenti” is also important for an exchangeof ideas and experience. However, a furtheraim here is also to lay the foundation stone fora genuinely decentralized Romanian culturallobby.

“Barefoot University” on the coastAmong the many new initiatives launched bythe indigenous populations in response todevelopment challenges, Nicaragua’s firstindigenous university has a special status. Itwas established in the 1990s as the Universityof the Autonomous Regions of the CaribbeanCoast of Nicaragua (URACCAN), with the aimof training the human resources required toimplement the 1987 Autonomy Law.

The University of the Autonomous Regions isnow fully recognized by the Nicaraguan state.Since its establishment, the principle that theUniversity’s embeddedness in the communitiesit seeks to serve has been upheld, both in staffrecruitment and in its academic activities. Amajor project is the University’s participatoryresearch in four areas: traditional manage-ment of natural resources, the traditional sys-tem of justice, methods of community healthcare, and rules of social behaviour in ruralregions.

This challenging project was launched in2000 with SDC’s support. “Tradition for tomor-row” encompasses several areas: researchand participatory conversion of information,its academic treatment and its return to theindividuals and villages concerned (publica-tion, exhibition, video, assemblies, etc.).Finally, the findings should also flow into natio-nal politics and judicial norms.

CULTURE AND GLOBALIZATION

The virtual soukOne such opportunity is being uti-lized by non-government organi-zations (NGOs) in a joint pro-ject with the World Bank. Thevirtual souk (www.southbazar.com) enables producers fromTunisia, Lebanon and Mo-rocco to bring their craftsto the international market.The participants not onlyachieve far better pricesbut also enjoy additionalbenefits, such as training,and form networks withothers whom they pre-viously viewed as com-petitors. The success ofthese small-scale entre-preneurs is based not onglobalized products de-signed to meet globalizedtastes, but on unique anddistinctive local products

for which there is a growingdemand from consumers on

the global market who arelooking for unusual products

typical of a specific culture. Bymarketing products with a strong

local culture and identity, globa-lization – which many people view

as a threat – is gradually becomingan opportunity in a process which

may be termed glocalization.

Globalization will therefore not only lead to awider distribution of products and services andmore democratic access to markets. There willalso be more rapid globalization of beliefs,values and behaviours – in all directions.

Isolating the developing countries in order toprotect them from the negative impacts of cul-tural globalization is not possible either techni-cally or politically, and nor is it desirable froma development perspective. Instead, what isneeded is accelerated training in the best useof these information technologies.

Developing and threshold countries should beable to present their views, products and serviceson the digital market on the basis of equality.The local cultures and their digital translationinto information, messages, products and ser-vices are not an obstacle to this process. Onthe contrary, globalization, viewed by many asa threat and driven forward by the networkingof multinational producers and markets, offersan opportunity to strengthen local identity atthe same time.

Glocalization is still in its infancy. However,the Internet is one of the most important toolsfor this process. The Internet can become abridge between cultures. Cultural policy in thedevelopment context can, and should, createthe framework here. •


CULTURE AS SOCIAL CAPITAL

14

3. Facilitator for society and economyIn simple terms, social capital can be definedas a collection of informal values and norms. Itenables members of a group to cooperate andthus pursue common interests – such as the useof natural resources – more effectively thanthrough individual action. The evolution of Eu-rope’s formerly agrarian societies into today’sindustrialized states would have been incon-ceivable without this social capital.Swiss alpine cheese would never have beenproduced if the cattle-owners had not agreed,hundreds of years ago, on the number of ani-mals permitted to stock the alpine meadows,which could only be used for two or threemonths at a time. Today, this type of concept isdescribed as “sustainable development”.

The wealthy societies are facing difficulties inovercoming the damage to the natural environ-ment caused by decades of uncurbed economicgrowth. Air, water and soil belong to everyoneand no one, and are thus subject to uncontrolledexploitation. The task of making good this da-mage has only just begun, in the teeth of fierceresistance from politics and business. It will notonly cost billions, but will also entail radicalchanges in behaviour. A tremendous act of cul-tural will is required to persuade the citizens ofthe wealthy countries to reduce their relianceon motorized mobility in order to protect a glo-bal climate for the benefit of the three-quartersof humanity who live outside their culturalspheres.

Who is the role model – and for whom?Measured against universally applicable wel-fare indicators, the industrialized countries areundoubtedly in a better position than the deve-loping and threshold countries. A glance at thestatistics on child mortality, life expectancy,education, health, per capita income and secu-rity is enough to show that the EU, NorthAmerica and the wealthy Asian countries arewell ahead of the South, East and parts of

Asia. No wonder the industrializedcountries are seen as role models –not only in their own view, but fromthe southern countries’ perspectiveas well.

The logical consequence might ap-pear to be the South’s completeadoption of the North’s economicand social patterns of behaviouras swiftly as possible. This, itmight be argued, would quicklyput an end to poverty, disease,and conflicts. Yet the worldwi-de availability of natural resou-rces and the absorption capa-cities of the ecosystems remindus that this simple logic cannotwork. Just imagine what wouldhappen if China were motorizedto the same extent as the USA,and what impact this wouldhave on climate and oil prices.

The slash-and-burn culture, whichhas been practised in many tropi-cal countries for generations andwhich – along with other factors –has resulted in a dramatic loss of vasttracts of rainforest, will not be stoppedjust because environmentalists and thedrugs industry from the North regard therainforests as an irreplaceable source ofbiodiversity. These human and natural habi-tats can only survive if the local populationsare able to safeguard their communities’ liveli-hoods while abandoning their traditional pat-terns of behaviour. Only then will they beempowered to embark on cultural change.

Norms and networks of

civic engagement – often

also known as “community

spirit” – are not only im-

portant for social cohesion

in a society; they are also

an essential prerequisite

for a country’s democratic

consensus and welfare.

This is referred to as “so-

cial capital”. Yet even to-

day, it seems that social

capital is notable more

for its absence than its

presence. Nonetheless,

social capital is crucially

important for culture in

the development context.


CASE STUDY

17

CULTURE AS SOCIAL CAPITAL

The greater integration of culture into develop-ment will therefore bring nothing but advan-tages for the industrialized and developingcountries alike, offering new solutions to pro-blems. In both cases, however, we will face achallenge on an unprecedented scale.

Social capital formation in the North isessentialFor the industrialized countries, there is nodoubt that the loss of social capital since theSecond World War will create major difficul-ties for the coming generations. The conflictover the pension reforms which have now be-come necessary in many European countriesdemonstrates this very clearly and is underlinedby the growing calls for the renewal of the “so-cial contract”. In the environmental debate, theaim is to maintain individual welfare while re-ducing resource use, which will entail a shift inproduction and consumption patterns.Both the sparing use of financial resources – inthe former case – and of the ecosystems, in thelatter, can be utilized to benefit progress in thedeveloping countries. A prerequisite is that en-ough social capital is formed in time to cushionthe effects of the necessary reforms withoutharsh conflicts and unaffordable costs.

The formula devised by Werner Geissberger, agroundbreaking thinker in the Swiss ecologyand development movement, still holds goodtoday: the more human warmth a society gene-rates, the less artificial energy needs to be intro-duced.

Promoting and protecting social capi-tal in the SouthIn many developing countries, on the otherhand, the task will be to bring social capitalout of the family, tightly defined ethnic groups,or clans into a wider society – such as the state– without losing any own identity in the pro-cess. At the same time, the developing coun-tries must recognize that lessons must be lear-ned from the industrialized countries’ “successstory” without first repeating their mistakes. The social capital which undoubtedly still existsin many developing countries must thereforenot only be protected – for example, throughisolation – but must also be integrated into anever-evolving culture. This will entail the gradualtransition from family- or clan-centric thinkingto an awareness which focusses on the commongood. The result is a greater capacity for conflict mana-gement, cooperation, (self-)critical and creativethought, and, ultimately, more social capital. •

Nashe Maalo: combating prejudicewith children’s TV Macedonia is a multiethnic state. Yet theMacedonian, Albanian, Turkish and Romacommunities live alongside each other ratherthan with each other. The outcomes of thissegregation are mistrust and fear.

Macedonia’s media have done little to changethis situation. One exception is the TV seriesNashe Maalo (“Our Neighbourhood”), whichhas attained cult status among 7- to 12-year-olds. 75 per cent of children report watchingthe programme and the overwhelming majori-ty rate it as good or excellent.

The central figure in the series is “Karmen”, apersonification of the building in which manyof the young characters – who represent diffe-rent ethnicities – live. Karmen uses her specialpowers to transport the children magically intosomeone else’s reality. In this way, the childrengain an understanding of and insight into eachother’s lives. An academic study has shownthat after viewing, many children provided lessprejudiced descriptions when presented withimages of people from other ethnic groups.

SDC has cofunded the series since early 1999as it contributes to a more peaceful and stableMacedonia.

Link to Common Ground Productions, whichproduces Nashe Maalo: www.cgponline.org

Milohro Dance GroupEquality and democracy are the key principlesguiding the work of Milohro, a group of youngprofessional dancers in Maputo. The membersof the group elect a new management everythree years, ensuring as they do so that bothsexes have equal rights. Whenever a newgeneration of dancers joins the group, a cas-ting session is held, followed by three monthsof training, three months of dance and perfor-mances, and finally an assessment by thegroup as a whole.

The dancers have secure incomes from theirperformances in large hotels and are thus ableto demonstrate to society but also to otherartists that it is entirely possible to earning aliving from artistic endeavour. However, thegroup’s main interest is in using dance as ameans to convey important messages andinformation. When the group toured the coun-try with the show “Water: A Drop of Life”, vil-lagers and local figures were included in theperformances, which explored problems of sig-nificance to the local communities and incor-porated central concepts from the local lang-uage into the show.

The group is sensitive to the importance of cul-ture for development and all its members areequally keen to learn for themselves while tea-ching others. They have now established a net-work with 15 other dance groups around thecountry and launched a programme of coope-ration.

Macedonia Mozambique


CULTURE AS AN ECONOMIC FACTOR

18

4. Culture creates livelihoods

In its cultural achievements, a society presentsitself to the outside world. Creativity expresses,challenges, reaffirms, develops and redefinesthe inner life of a society. But creativity also hasan intrinsic economic value; indeed, it creates avalue chain of its own.

The American music industry generates 40 billiondollars annually through phonograms, videos,TV and the Internet. Around 90 per cent of theindustry are dominated by four transnationalcorporations.

The USA’s audiovisual industry accounts for 6per cent of GNP; in France, it is estimated atmore than 3 per cent of GNP.

However, the culture industries are becomingincreasingly important for developing and thres-hold countries as well. Brazil ranks 6th in theglobal music market and generates 800 milliondollars annually through sales of music recor-dings and videos (1998).

In Colombia, the culture industries’ share of GNPis estimated to be 4 per cent – far higher thanthe traditional hotel and restaurant industry andColombia’s main agricultural product, coffee(2.75 per cent).

Within just 10 years, Bangalore (India) has esta-blished itself as an international centre for soft-ware development and services, generating 4billion dollars in export revenue for India annu-ally (2000). With a pool of highly skilled staffand start-up capital supplied by multinationalcompanies, Bangalore has successfully develo-ped an enterprise culture which has led to theformation of many new businesses.

While many cultural projects have urban rootsand a city-dwelling target audience, the vastmajority of people in developing countries stilllive in rural regions. When supporting the cul-

ture industries in developing countries,a key task is to help achieve a balan-ce between the needs of the urbanand the rural populations. This canbest be achieved through targetedtraining and development program-mes which take account of the con-ditions of life in both rural andurban regions and are underpin-ned by follow-up programmes(especially for creative projects)in the countryside. In some cir-cumstances, appropriate formsof tourism may be one way ofpromoting the interests of therural population.

Education: the startingpoint Many developing and thres-hold countries have major butlargely untapped potential todevelop their own value chainsin the cultural field. Very often,however, this potential is not ex-ploited due to a lack of craft andtechnical skills and marketing ex-pertise. What is required are ap-propriate training and developmentprogrammes based on an integratedstrategy for culture and the recognitionthat people are the key resource in deve-loping a culture-based value chain.

Investment – for example, in arts and craftsschools, arts management training or arts-based social work – may thus be the first stepin cultural work in the development context.While such investment does not generate anydirect profit, it is an essential element of sustain-able development.

Creativity contributes to

the formation of social

capital, especially when

broader sections of a

society, not just an elite,

are involved. The ensuing

personal relations and

networks strengthen cohe-

sion and foster self-confi-

dence among participants.

However, creativity can

also give rise to new eco-

nomic sectors – yielding

sustainable profits.


CASE STUDY

21

Hanoi Art goes New MediaIn November 2002, the “point de vue” videocompany in Basel organized an interculturalproject, entitled «Hanoi Art goes NewMedia», in the Centre for Contemporary Artsin Hanoi. At a two-week workshop, 15 youngVietnamese artists were introduced to workingwith the medium of video through theoreticaland practical work and the learning-by-doingapproach.

At the workshop, the artists worked intensivelyin small groups to produce a number of videofeatures. These were then shown over the cour-se of a week at the Center for ContemporaryArts. There was a great deal of interest fromvisitors, and responses were very positive.

The workshop and studio had a significantimpact within a short period of time. They rai-sed the artists’ awareness of the opportunitiesafforded by the new media and enabled themto produce independent and innovative work.

This project, which was supported by SDC,also contributed to the diversity of theVietnamese cultural landscape, thus promotingSDC’s indirect objective of fostering a pluralis-tic society.

Theatre against traffickingIn Switzerland, the growing trade in youngwomen from the former Eastern bloc is makingheadlines. In the countries of origin, on theother hand, trafficking is still a taboo subjectfor many people.

SDC’s Humanitarian Aid Department, in con-junction with local non-government organiza-tions, is therefore using a tried and trustedmethod of raising awareness, namely theatre.In 2001, the theatre group established at theColiseum Arts Centre toured all of Moldovawith its show “The Seventh Pub”.

The drama, which focusses on trafficking, isbased on true life stories. In summer 2003, theplay was performed in several cities in Ukraineand Belarus. The dates for the performanceswere deliberately chosen for the universityholidays, as the aim was to reach out to themajor risk group, i.e. young women, duringthe main recruiting period. The performanceswere supplemented by publications and exhi-bitions in the three countries.

CULTURE AS AN ECONOMIC FACTOR

Vietnam CIS

Culture in the development context thus entailsnot only art exhibitions or meetings of artists –although these should certainly be part of astrategy for culture and can contribute towealth creation. It also involves the long-termdevelopment of creative capacities, whichshould then have a positive impact on indige-nous culture. Generating added value on thebasis of local culture and benefiting the grea-test possible number of participants is the mosteffective response to globalization – supposedor actual – and a uniform lifestyle. •

The rise of BangaloreThanks to a cultural conflict in the neighbou-ring state of Tamil Nadu in the 19th century,Bangalore has become one of the world’s lea-ding software development centres.Following the adoption of an anti-Brahmanpolicy, many Tamils were also expelled,taking their prodigious talents for feats ofmemory and mathematical combinatorics toBangalore. In 1907, the Indian Institute ofScience was founded, and in 1934,Chandrasekhar Venkata Raman, a Tamil, wasappointed its director. It was C.V. Raman, noless, who became the first Indian scholar edu-cated entirely in India to receive the NobelPrize for Physics in 1930. As a result, afterIndia gained its independence in 1947, theIndian Space Research Organisation and anaerospace and electronics industry wereestablished in Bangalore. The IT boom in the1990s was thus the belated but logical outco-me of specific cultural achievements in aheterogeneous society.


SDC’S UNDERSTANDING OF CULTURE

22

5. From cultural event to culture reflexCulture is viewed by SDC not only as a valueper se but also as a development tool which isas important as other values. It aims to reinforcethe awareness and development of culture inthe processes of development and transition inthe countries of operation. Wherever possibleand viable, through its cultural policy, SDCalso promotes participation and stakeholdingby poorer groups in the cultural, social andpolitical process.

Although cultural aspects have always playeda role in development cooperation, integratedcultural policy in the cross-cutting sense descri-bed here poses a new challenge to many ofSDC’s staff. So that the cultural context beco-mes integral to their thinking and actions anda genuine “culture reflex” emerges, SDC raisesawareness of intercultural aspects in internatio-nal cooperation.

SDC’s understanding of cultureCulture is understood as a system of processes,norms, rules and values which, as an expressiveand symbolic aspect of social behaviour, encom-passes the whole of society. Culture is neverstatic, but is always a dynamic process. Diffe-rent cultures are also very rarely “pure”: inpractice, almost every society in the South andNorth is multicultural.

Globalization leads to a levelling out of culture(“McDonaldization”) but also to heightened dif-ferentiation between local cultures at the sametime. In development cooperation, post-conflictsituations and transition countries, the task maynot be to combat trends towards homogeneity;instead, it may be more effective to focus ondifferentiation.

SDC therefore intends to work with abroad concept of culture which com-prises, alongside culture in the nar-row sense, other symbolic forms ofknowledge and behaviour as well,such as popular and traditionalart, crafts, traditional knowledge,oral tradition, etc.

Implementation in the countries of operationSo that energies are not wasted,cultural policy must focus on afew specific lines of actionwhen implementing projects inthe countries of operation. Thechoice depends, not least, onthe opportunities available andthe conditions in place at locallevel.

A dialectical relationship betweenchange and preservation, bet-ween opening and isolation, bet-ween modernity and tradition isof key importance in SDC’s coun-tries of operation. Traditions canonly survive if they continue to deve-lop, and if they open up to new in-fluences; otherwise, they stagnate orbecome folklore. Conversely, a form ofmodernity which ignores or denies itshistorical roots generally has no socialrelevance.

SDC’s cultural policy is conscious of thisdialectical relationship and supports projectsand programmes which aim to identify newsyntheses of modernity and tradition. •

SDC plans to integrate

culture as a development

factor more fully into its

programmes and projects

in future. The aim is to

achieve a new synthesis

between tradition and

modernity in order to utilize

the creative skills of

people in the countries of

operation and thus streng-

then and promote their

own capacities (empower-

ment). In this context, SDC

is less concerned with

launching as many new

and innovative “cultural

projects” as possible than

with discovering culture

as “value-added” in exis-

ting programmes and

projects and promoting it

in appropriate cases.


PRINCIPLES OF SDC CULTURAL POLICY

24

6. Enhancing and utilizing cultures for development Cultural development: enhancing independent cultures

«We support diversity in the local culture(s).»The aim is to promote the formation and pre-servation of independent and diversified cultu-ral landscapes. SDC thus contributes to thebuilding of pluralist and participatory socie-ties.

«We focus in particular on cultural minorities.» Cultural identity is a human right. Knowledge,appreciation and use of one’s own culture fosterempowerment. SDC therefore gives targetedand preferential support to the expression ofcultural minorities.

«We focus on the role of women as creatorsand transmitters of culture.» In many societies,women are the most important vectors of culture.SDC helps to give a voice to this cultural spe-cificity.

«We use the Internet as a hub.» Globalizationleads to a standardization of local cultures, yetprovides new opportunities for greater culturaldiversity at the same time. SDC helps its part-ners to seize these opportunities. It aims to faci-litate access to the Internet and other new ITtools. Partners should be able to utilize thesenew sources for themselves and also feed intheir own cultural diversity.

Culture for development: culture as a tool

«We search for synergies to our pro-grammes.» SDC primarily supportscultural campaigns which can con-tribute to development and transi-tion processes. It gives preferenceto projects and programmes whichcontribute to the formation andpreservation of independent anddiversified cultural landscapes.Wherever possible and useful,SDC also fosters participationand partnership by the poorersegments of society in cultural,social and political processes(empowerment).

«We increasingly use culture inour programmes as an aware-ness-raising tool.» Street theatreis just one example of how a cul-tural instrument can be used toaddress socially significant andoften taboo subjects and open themup to public debate. This also createsgood opportunities for local actorsto perform in front of an audienceand earn a living.

«We work to promote vibrant local culturalscenes.» Only a dynamic cultural life andappropriate platforms (cultural encounters,festivals, etc.) facilitate the emergence of thehuman and creative resources required for cul-ture to be utilized as an awareness-raising tool.

«We use culture to generate income.» Culturein general – and particularly arts and crafts,for example – can be major sources of localincome, regardless of whether they are aimedat tourists or the export markets.

SDC cultural policy aims

to strengthen independent

cultures while ensuring

that they remain open to

new developments.

Special priority is given to

cultural minorities and to

the role of women, who

are often the most impor-

tant vectors of culture. The

Internet should be used as

a hub in a targeted way,

firstly as a source of inspi-

ration and secondly in

order to open up new plat-

forms – and new markets

– to the indigenous cultures.

The detailed principles of

SDC cultural policy are as

follows:


PROJECT CASE STUDY

27

PRINCIPLES OF SDC CULTURAL POLICY

India Cuba

Target group: youth

«Youth is our primary target group.» SDChelps to create cultural opportunities foryoung people so that they come intocontact with contemporary culture butalso learn to treasure their own tradi-tional culture.

Implementation; responsibili-ties

«In our countries of operation, weallocate at least one per cent ofthe total budget to promoting localculture.» As far as possible, thesefunds are managed at local level,generally by the Cooperation Of-fice. The Cooperation Offices playan active role in backing localinitiatives, drawing on the adviceof local experts in this context.

«The diversity of local cultures andcultural domains requires a corres-ponding diversity in approaches and

measures.» Africa is not the Cauca-sus, and a travelling theatre is not an

arts centre. The SDC adapts its pro-grammes to the specific local realities.

«We prefer to invest in software, and onlyin exceptional cases in hardware.» SDC’s

limited funds are primarily utilized to developknowledge, institutions and networks. Financingis only provided for infrastructure projects whenabsolutely necessary.

«We work at both micro and macro level.»SDC supports measures which improve the frame-work conditions for cultural expression: free-dom of speech, access to culture, and accessto information.

Coordination; backstopping

«We strive for effective coordination at alllevels.» SDC tries to avoid any overlap in itscountries of operation. Coordination meetingswith other national and international actorstake place on an ongoing basis.

«We organize effective backstopping for bothour headquarters and work in the field.» SDCis committed to these cultural policy principlesand also underlines the importance of culturefor sustainability in the development process.SDC’s development work will focus to an evengreater extent on the interdependencies bet-ween culture and development work in the eco-nomic, social and environmental fields. In thiscontext, pro-active and systematic analysisand the provision of ongoing feedback aim toensure a prompt response to project develop-ments and thus their adaptation to changingconditions. •

Keeping tradition aliveScience meets Dharma: Western science meetsBuddhist wisdom – an unusual cultural project.It is based on an initiative by the Dalai Lama,the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism. TheDalai Lama has recognized that his people’sspiritual culture can only thrive and develop ifTibetan monks are able to engage withWestern thinking and especially with modernscience. Without this liberalization, a key ele-ment of Tibetan culture would progressivelystagnate.

In order to prevent this from occurring, theDalai Lama requested the Tibet Institute inRikon (Zurich canton) to introduce a program-me of science teaching for monks in theTibetan monasteries in southern India. Thanks,not least, to a contribution from SDC, the TibetInstitute is now in the process of implementingthis initiative. Volunteers from Interteam teachTibetan monks as part of this pilot scheme,which also creates new opportunities for inter-cultural learning.

A film school with a continental profileThe independent Escuela Internacional de Cine yTV (EICTV) in Cuba is well known throughout theworld and broadcasts all over Latin America.However, it faces major financial difficulties.Students specializing in screenwriting, directing,producing, camera techniques, sound design, edi-ting, and documentary film-making have to workwith obsolete material which urgently needs to beupdated, while the availability of new digital tech-nologies is limited. The situation is especially criti-cal in the fields of sound technology and visualdesign.

The SDC is therefore providing targeted supportto EICTV in three areas:

• Sound equipment: funding new purchases,

especially for digital sound editing and sound

recording during filming, and for repairs to

and replacement of existing equipment.

• Grants for students on the two-year founda-

tion course who come from SDC’s priority

countries in Latin America and, in future, in

Africa.

• Exchange with Swiss filmmakers who run

workshops lasting one to three weeks at the

EICTV.


GUIDING QUESTIONS FOR SDC CULTURAL POLICY

28

7. Principles for the cultural approach in developmentFor the planning and successful integration ofcultural policy into development, a holistic ap-proach is essential. It is important to under-stand how and why the target groups functionand how they think and live. In routine projectwork, this essentially non-controversial integra-ted approach poses a new challenge. However, the private and public agencies res-ponsible for development projects and program-mes were, and are, not adequately preparedfor a holistic view. Most decision-making pro-cesses, networks, strategies and mandate cul-tures have to be prepared for cultural policy ina targeted way.

The time factorIntegrated cultural policy requires an appro-priate time frame for planning and implemen-tation. Normally, the time limits and decision-making processes for development projects donot match the ideas and behaviours of the localpopulations. Development projects often turn thelocal communities into onlookers in what am-ounts to a Formula 1 race, to which they them-selves have travelled by ox-cart. The transitionfrom past to future forces the communities toadopt a different rhythm in their family, villageor even in government. Is the project designgeared towards these different concepts oftime? Also at head office level? As a rule, thisrequires longer planning times than before.

Development means participationParticipation and stakeholding have been triedand tested principles in planning and imple-menting SDC’s development projects for deca-des. Empowerment can only be achieved withthe consent and endorsement of the populationconcerned. Pro-active participation from plan-ning to evaluation and at all levels of decisionmaking is a key prerequisite for integrated cul-tural policy in particular. However, because anintegrated approach must work within beliefsand value systems which are only indirectly

perceptible, interruptions, diversionsand power struggles cannot be ruledout. A local dignitary whose authorityemanates solely from ethnic traditionmay, in some circumstances, be farmore crucial to the project’s successthan representatives of the peoplewho are elected democraticallybut only by the local “elite”. Arethe actors who will be the ge-nuine long-term decision makerstaking part in the stakeholderdialogue, or is there a relianceon the nominal appointeesbecause they will help the pro-ject to achieve the desired out-come in the short term?

On the basis of specificrealityThe participation of the popula-tion or target groups concernedonly makes sense if the project isbased on actual and existing lifesituations which have been identi-fied by the stakeholders and is notbased on an set of indicators whichhas been imposed from outside. Thebeliefs, value systems and behavioursof the communities concerned must berecognized in the project. Culturally sus-tainable projects emerge when the parti-cipation mechanisms – and the projectitself – are defined and implemented by thepopulation concerned. In this area, SDC hasacquired many years of experience whichenable it to apply tried and tested models ofparticipation successfully in a socio-culturalcontext. The guiding question is this: are the partici-pants also stakeholders, and are their inevitableconcerns about the necessary changes in be-haviour being addressed, either on the basisof confidence or through persuasion?

Adopting an integrated

approach to culture in

development requires

appropriate criteria for

project development and

evaluation. The problem is

that quantitative elements

are either limited or non-

existent. However, a set

of guiding questions – or,

indeed, principles – for

project development will

improve the prospects of

success and be useful for

evaluation purposes.


CASE STUDY

31

“I’m not paying!”Since its establishment in 1975, the Théâtre dela Fraternité in Ouagadougou has run its“théâtre-débats”: a theatre forum which focus-ses specifically on social intervention. The the-atre group, led by Jean-Pierre Guingané, seeksto engage in discussion with its public. It pre-sents problems for debate and confronts theaudience with new ideas and values.

This can only succeed if the author and actorsadapt to the milieu in which the performanceis taking place. In other words, they start withthe issues, concerns and needs of the audien-ce. In this context, the play’s entertainmentvalue is a key factor.

Most of the plays performed by the theatregroup feature “Joe l’artiste”. Joe is a crazy butengaging free spirit. He does not hesitate tospeak his mind and never shies away fromeven the most heated discussion with thepublic.

The Théatre de la Fraternité also undertakescommissioned productions, such as “I’m notpaying!” which was commissioned by SDC.The play addresses the lack of insight into thefact that people who want to benefit from soci-al services must also pay taxes.

“I’m not paying!” addresses this problem usingthe example of the large market in Ouahi-gouya, which was built with SDC funds. Thecooperative responsible for the market initia-ted the play in order to give the stallholders abetter understanding of the “traders’ fees”,which they see as a bitter pill.

Children’s TV is not child’s playWell-made films for children are unfortunately ararity on African channels. Many of them alsoshow a world which has little relevance to Africanchildren. Children in Africa lead very differentlives from children in Tokyo, Los Angeles orZurich-Leutschenbach.

By contrast, the six films in the “Contes à rebours”series, which were completed in 2003, giveAfrican children from 8 to 12 years the opportu-nity to explore their own reality and cultural roots.

This is the first time that authors and producersfrom several West African countries have co-pro-duced a series. This was made possible through aproduction grant from SDC, and especiallythrough a longer-term training programme forWest African screenwriters and producers whichwas managed by the Swiss Foundation forContinuous Training in Cinematic andAudiovisual Art (FOCAL), also with support fromSDC.

Experience with this training programme, which isoriented to specific film projects, prompted SDCto work with FOCAL on similar training program-mes in southern Africa (“Breaking the Walls”) andsouthern Caucasus (“Avanti”).

Burkina Faso West Africa

GUIDING QUESTIONS FOR SDC CULTURAL POLICY

Combating povertyPeople who have to battle against poverty andfor sheer survival every day have little time andenergy left for beliefs, values and behaviouralchanges. This feeling is often transferred toproject workers as well, because poverty isultimately very stressful for everyone involvedand barely allows a “glance over the fence”.The purpose of cultural policy in such marginalsituations will be to restore people’s dignity, orboost their own resources so that they canregain their dignity, e.g. through literacy skills,hygiene, or a regular earned income, no matterhow modest. The survival of creative skills, tra-ditional but forgotten craft skills, songs andmusic can all help to open the door to a life ofdignity. The question which arises is whetherthe antipoverty programmes and projects aregeared towards this horizon and offer scope –i.e. time, staff and money – to reach it.

Cultural policy: combating over-hastyassumptionsProjects’ lack of success is sometimes explainedin terms of the local “culture”, which, it is clai-med, is opposed to a social or medical institu-tion, agricultural process or model of partici-pation. Analyses then often reveal impatienceon the part of managers, arrogance on the partof better-educated technicians, or simply a lackof imagination about the value systems under-

lying the objections or opposition to the pro-ject. Cultural work in a genuine sense has nottaken place. Cultural policy helps to identifythe real questions before premature answersare given to unasked questions. •

Cultural reflex

Culture does not exist for its own sake, and

nor is it an additional “discipline” in deve-

lopment work. Culture adds value to projects

and programmes provided that timely consi-

deration is given to the potential capacities

of local cultures, i.e. during project planning

and development. Which customs, traditions,

proverbs or taboos appear to be “killers” at

first, yet at second glance could actually

serve as a vehicle for new methods, techno-

logies or behaviours? Can the weight of the

existing cultures be used to benefit develop-

ment and progress, in line with the judo prin-

ciple? It is important to give greater priority

to these considerations in development work

so that a real cultural reflex can emerge.


INDICATORS FOR CULTURAL POLICY

32

8. Measuring the unquantifiable

In the context of an integrated cultural policy,staff in the field increasingly become facilita-tors, progressively relinquishing their role asactors. They will no longer simply function asrepresentatives of the development agenciesor the organizations which control them, butwill act as ambassadors and mediators for thecommunities involved in the project activities.The fieldworkers actually become mediatorsbetween two often very different patterns ofthinking and sets of perceptions. They are thusengaged in an ongoing communication process,and in this context, must be able to “read” theexisting and different socio-cultural situationsand evaluate the balance between values,thought and behavioural processes. To this end,a reliable system of indicators is required.

Quantitative and qualitative indicatorsIf culture is seen as the sum of a society’s va-lues, preferences and behaviours – in line withthe World Culture Report – it becomes apparentthat most elements of this culture are not, or arebarely, quantifiable. Nonetheless, there are fourfundamental categories, or “clusters”, of exis-ting or potential cultural indicators which drawtogether quantitative and qualitative factors(see box page 34).

At the same time, the indicator cluster describedby Colin Mercer in “Towards Cultural Citizen-ship: Tools for Cultural Policy and Development”forms a cultural frame of reference for the assess-ment of cultural policy in the development con-text.

On the basis of the cultural frame of referenceand the indicator cluster, the next step is todevise and apply operational tools to assessand implement development projects in the cul-tural context.

Culture mappingThe cultural environment is becomingincreasingly important when weig-hing up the pros and cons of deve-lopment investment. A kind of “cultu-ral audit” is required: a processwhich permits both a quantitativeand a qualitative evaluation of agiven community and enablesstrengths and weaknesses, oppor-tunities and risks to be assessedmore efficiently and promptlyfor the planned project. Thekey word is culture mapping.This tool allows values and pre-ferences, the “objectively” av-ailable cultural resources, thecultural obstacles to de-velopment, and finally, the de-velopment potential of culturalresources to be assessed simul-taneously. Culture mapping isboth an analytical and a strate-gic planning tool. •

An integrated cultural

policy changes the culture

of development work as

well. The cultural approach

means that projects are

regarded less as a means

of achieving specific pre-

determined goals than as

a way of including the

local populations in an on-

going dialogue about their

own expectations.

Projects become a way of

identifying and meeting

own needs, problems and

priorities. As a result, the

image of the – foreign –

project officers also chan-

ges.


CASE STUDY

35

INDICATORS FOR CULTURAL POLICY

34

Images for change: Drik PictureLibrary in Dhaka, BangladeshDrik (Sanskrit for “vision”) was founded in1990 by the photographer and doctorShahidul Alam and a small group of photogra-phers. The group shared a common vision: tofeed “other pictures” into the internationalmedia, away from disaster reporting andtowards photos which reflect a more humanand realistic view of life.

Since then, Drik has become a dynamic inter-national centre for socially committed photo-graphy and also human rights campaigns. Drikhas launched the nation’s first webzine“Meghbarta”, established a photogallery,photostudio and laboratory, and is activelyinvolved in training – not only for young photo-journalists but also for children from underpri-vileged groups, for example.

All the revenue from the worldwide sales of“Tales of Globalization”, a book of photo-graphs published with the support of SDC,goes to Drik.

Links: www.drik.net; www.meghbarta.org

1 Cultural Heritage, Cultural Industry, Film &Audio Visual, Fine Arts & Crafts, Language &Literature, Performing Arts.

“Borders”Competitions have always been very popularin Uzbekistan. The special feature of this com-petition was its unusual and challenging themeof “Borders”: borders between countries,nations, generations, the past and the future,good and evil, life and death, conscious andsubconscious, tradition and innovation …

The project’s main goals were: To enable young people in urban and ruralregions to engage in free artistic creativity,protected from the restraints imposed by thestate. To break away from entrenched structures andexplore reality in an artistically authentic way. To discover hidden talents.To promote cross-cultural dialogue with neigh-bour countries.The participants were students aged between14 and 25 years from 14 art schools acrossthe country. The long duration of the competi-tion (5 months) and the thorough induction intothe theme proved particularly valuable. Ateam of local artists and art historians visitedall the schools and discussed the new conceptand methodology directly with the students. The resulting quality and diversity of the workssubmitted are impressive. Uzbekistan’sAcademy of Arts has made one of its foremostexhibition spaces in Tashkent available free ofcharge to display the many paintings, graphicworks, sculptures and installations. Packed securely in cases, the exhibition willalso travel around selected provinces some dis-tance away from the capital and visit majorcities beyond the border with Tajikistan andKyrgyzstan.This competition is part of the SDC’s culturalprogramme which aims to support platformsfostering cultural, political, social, ethical andaesthetic awareness among young peopleduring times of transition.

Vitality, diversity and participation in

the community

This measures the health and sustainability of

the culture industries as well as the way in

which the exchange and diversity of cultural

resources and experiences contribute to qua-

lity of life.

Indicators in this area should assess the fol-

lowing elements:

• Economic strength and dynamism of the

cultural sector.

• Diversity of cultural production and con-

sumption.

• Sustainability of cultural ecology, including

the links and flow of resources between the

commercial, public and non-profit sectors.

• Extent to which these factors contribute to

general quality of life and participation in

the community.

• Are there any political frameworks, mecha-

nisms and measures in place which facilitate

development in these areas?

Access, participation and use

This measures the opportunities for, and resi-

stance to, cultural engagement by users, con-

sumers and participants.

Indicators in these areas should assess the

following elements:

• Access to creative activity, up to and inclu-

ding use.

• The demography of use and users, non-

usage and non-users of cultural resources.

• The purposes for which cultural resources

are used.




Lifestyle and identity

This measures the extent to which cultural re-

sources and capital are used to define a spe-

cific lifestyle and identity.


following elements:

• Extent, diversity and duration of use and

non-usage of cultural resources for lifestyle

and identity goals.

• Recognition and assessment of existing

subcultures operating within or beyond the

normal rules, such as ethnic, gender, regional/

local and age-related forms of subculture.

• Imbalances between demography, geogra-

phy or income, etc. which prohibit balanced

access.




Culture, ethics and governance

This measures the extent to which cultural

resources and capital contribute to changes

in individual and collective behaviour.


following elements:

• Assessment of the role of culture and cul-

tural resources in personal and community

development.

• Contribution of culture and cultural resour-

ces to community cohesion and to social inte-

gration/exclusion.

• Contribution of culture and cultural resour-

ces to an understanding of diversity and di-

versities.




UzbekistanBangladesh


Changing attitudes and behaviour

Should we trust the local experts oncultural matters? Isn’t this approachtoo risky? Do they know anythingabout project planning, projectmanagement and project imple-mentation? Won’t they use themoney which has been entrus-ted to them for the wrong pur-poses? These are the questionswhich the international donorsoften ask themselves, even ifthey do not voice them openly.Yet there are many exampleswhich prove that the oppositeis true.

Culture is a very new field ininternational development coo-peration. It was always regar-ded as a pure luxury, but in rea-lity, it is an essential element oflife and plays a major role in de-velopment. Even today, however,donor institutions and, indeed, theembassies in the southern countriesprovide relatively small sums ofmoney for culture as an independentarea. Generally speaking, projects areselected for funding on an ad hocbasis, depending on who knows whomand where the various offices are located.As a result, most of the funding flows to thecapitals or other major cities. Could this changeif local representatives were also involved inthe process?

LESSONS LEARNT

36

Platforms: unique – sustainable

There is no conflict between a “one-off” eventand sustainability. There is emotional sustaina-bility, based on memory and internalization.However, for a one-off cultural event to have alasting effect, specific conditions must be inplace.

Individual events must be embedded in plat-forms as part of a long-term cultural programmewhose strategies and objectives are devisedopenly and democratically without any sub-stantive, formal or ideological “guard rails”imposed from outside, and with no “hiddenagenda”.

For example, a one-off national music festivalin Tajikistan, which took place at the right mo-ment, did much to revitalize the lost culturalscene, revive people’s sense of belonging andcohesion, and promote peaceful coexistenceand celebration between the various popula-tion groups. This was entirely in line with theoverarching objective which had been defined“to reveal and promote the country’s culturaldiversity – as a contribution to developing anational consciousness”. The festival was thusa platform, offering a unique opportunity toembed messages deeply in the memory of alarge number of people through a single event.

Individual cultural events can generate anongoing discourse if they enable uncompromi-sing creative artists to reach out to the public.Such debates contribute to free expression andfoster a liberal attitude, also towards minori-ties and outsiders.

A nationwide competition for young Uzbekpainters, sculptors and conceptual artists onthe sensitive topic of borders requires indepen-dent and creative thought from the partici-pants. In this project, the process precedes theoutcome, giving a wide range of young peo-ple impetus for independent personal growth.

The competition is thus a platform for the tar-geted promotion of cultural, political, socialand aesthetic awareness, in this case in res-ponse to a genuine and threatening bordersituation. It is also a platform for the discoveryof hidden talents and regional specificities,and perhaps for visions of bridges overcomingborders …

The City of Artists Arts Centre in Kyrgyzstan,established through cooperation between theNational Artists’ Association in Kyrgyzstan andSDC’s Cooperation Office, has set itself the taskof informing artists and culture stakeholdersabout current regional and international artisticendeavour and creating a platform for a publicdiscourse on art and culture.

Platforms are also hubs, relays, networks, refu-ges … if they have a sound conceptual basis,they have a lasting effect: comparing, linking,networking, provoking, teaching, opening doors,creating respect, awakening joy and passion,creating trust and, not least, developing anattractive corporate identity. They are a keyelement of the cultural programmes – wheneverthe focus is on respect for others, sensuousnessand cultural awareness. •

9. Lessons learnt


LESSONS LEARNT

39

LESSONS LEARNT

With this in mind, the idea of launching aculture fund in Tanzania was born, in orderto coordinate the small amounts of moneyreceived from various international sour-ces, pool them with the funds availablelocally, and thus create better opportuni-ties for the culture industries in Tanzaniato develop and grow. A further aimwas to include local people with closelinks to the arts scene in the adminis-tration and management of the fund,since they are far better informedthan the external experts about theconditions and needs of the localscene in their country. While thecommitment and cooperation remai-ned unchanged, the aim was totransfer the ownership of these initi-atives to the people of Tanzania.

Mfuko wa Utamaduni Tanza-nia (Mfuko)The Tanzania Culture Trust Fund waslaunched in April 1999, the culmina-tion of a process which began with aseries of workshops in 1997, when

actors and local culture stakeholdersreviewed Tanzania’s cultural practice

and defined the needs and priorities ofeach culture subsector as a basis for a

national cultural policy. In 1998, the cultu-ral policy was endorsed by the Tanzanian

Parliament, thus laying the foundations forthe Mfuko Trust. As an independent entity,Mfuko is presided over by a Board of Trusteescomprising ten enthusiastic, knowledgeableand highly committed members (five womenand five men), who represent the various cultu-re subsectors as well as local donors, civilsociety, the Tanzanian Government, and theinternational donors. Nine members of theBoard of Trustees are Tanzanian citizens, andonly the representative of the internationaldonors is not from Tanzania. A secretariat is

responsible for the day-to-day administrationof the Trust.

The most important activities are financing cul-tural projects as well as selecting the winnersof the Zeze Cultural Awards for individualswho have made an outstanding contribution toTanzania’s cultural life. The Board grants fun-ding once a year, after the various culture stake-holders have made their selection of deservingprojects and advised the Board accordingly.One of the objectives is to reach the entirecountry with this activity. During the first year,only 20 out of a total of 175 funding applica-tions were received from outside the capitalDar es Salaam. By 2003, this situation hadchanged to such an extent that 235 applica-tions came from the individual provinces and199 from Dar es Salaam. During the periodfrom 1999 to 2003, the Mfuko Trust received1,474 applications for funding, with 231 finallybeing selected and approved. 27 winners werechosen to receive the Zeze Cultural Awards.

The Mfuko Trust is successful in a variety ofareas due to its pro-active and future-orientedapproach. It establishes and maintains con-tacts with influential Tanzanians, it raises pub-lic awareness of the value of culture, and itencourages the media to focus more stronglyon the cultural sector. Newspapers, radio andtelevision stations now report on culturalevents and carry interviews with artists to anextent which would have been inconceivablein the past. •

Wanted: arts managers and networkers

SDC’s cultural activities focus, in many coun-tries, on events. Priority is given to supportingmusic, dance or film festivals. Of course, adynamic culture scene needs this type of plat-form. However, for a country’s long-term cultu-ral diversity, professional arts managers andastute networkers are perhaps even more im-portant.

Many artists are poor managers. This maylead to amateurish management of arts organi-zations, poorly planned activities, inadequatefund-raising, unrealistic budgets and thereforemajor losses – all of which can have a seriousimpact on, or even lead to the failure of cultu-ral activities.

This problem certainly does not only affect thedeveloping countries. In Europe, too, the callfor good arts managers is becoming louder.As a result, more training programmes havebeen established, such as postgraduate studies.

In most southern and eastern countries, theseopportunities are unlikely to be available forthe foreseeable future. It is therefore even moreimportant to help develop the necessary artsmanagement expertise through targeted supportmeasures.

This is by no means an easy task: the startingconditions may vary considerably – a theatregroup has different requirements from a craftcooperative, and an arts gallery operates in adifferent way from a mobile rural cinema.Providing support only makes sense if it takesaccount of these different needs. There are nopatent recipes for this – but there are creativead hoc solutions.

Social creativity is required in networking too.Many artists in the southern and eastern coun-tries feel isolated. Some of them, however, ma-nage to network with colleagues but also withevents organizers. This is often just a matter ofchance. SDC can help put local, regional andinternational networking on a more viable foo-ting.

Many artists, hearing the word “networking”,immediately think of their international career– and a visit to New York, Paris, Berlin orMadrid. However, SDC, with its commitment tocultural self-awareness and local cultural diver-sity, must have a different priority: local andregional networking.

What is required are regional training, discus-sion and presentation platforms. Alongside per-sonal exchange, some of these needs can bemet through new information and communica-tion technologies (ICTs). Many artists, but alsoan increasing number of cultural minorities,are extremely adept at using these new ameni-ties to break out of their isolation and feedtheir interests into the global information society.

For SDC, this opens up a broad range of op-portunities to provide organizations with future-oriented support at limited cost. •


SDC CULTURAL POLICY IN SWITZERLAND

40

10. The North-South dialogue is important to usThe aim of SDC cultural policy in Switzerlandis to achieve a better understanding and greatersolidarity with the southern and eastern coun-tries through emotional and personal contact.SDC thus contributes to a better awareness of“others” in public opinion while supportingcreative artists from the south. This also links inwith the presentation of SDC’s developmentwork in the public arena.

Funding programmes for film production and distribution Each year, SDC directly funds the productionof five or six documentary films which contri-bute to awareness-raising in the developmentcontext. As well as the requirement that thefilms submitted must show artistic merit, a bin-ding commitment that the film will be shown ona TV channel is essential if the project is to beawarded funding. SDC’s support also indirectlybenefits feature-film production in the southerncountries and – since 1997 – the eastern coun-tries via the Swiss Montecinemaverita Founda-tion. The majority of films co-funded to date bythe SDC via the Foundation have played togreat acclaim at major film festivals.

To ensure that these “world films” are accessibleto the public, SDC provides substantial assis-tance to trigon film for its distribution activities.Partnerships have also been established withfilm festivals, which have now developed intogenuine platforms for film promotion in thesouthern and eastern countries. They include,for example, the North-South Media Festival inGeneva, Fribourg International Film Festival,Festival Visions du Réel (the International Docu-mentary Film Festival) in Nyon, and CinemAfricain Zurich. The One World Film Service (Film-dienst für Eine Welt), which focusses especiallyon distribution to schools, can also rely onSDC’s support.

Promoting cultureThe joint culture organization Cultureand Development (K & E) plays a keyrole in promoting creative artists fromsouthern countries who are currentlyresident in Switzerland. Culture andDevelopment organizes exhibitions,promotes information exchangeand runs a website (www.coordi-narte.ch). On behalf of SDC,Culture and Development alsoadministers the fund for southernculture, which promotes exhibi-tions, tours and productions inSwitzerland. The Afro-Pfingsten festival inWinterthur and the Paléo Festi-val, Nyon – both of which arenational events – have been com-mitted to promoting southern cul-tures for many years and haveestablished a partnership withSDC. The same applies to themusic festivals Estival Lugano andStanser Musiktage, as well as tothe Ethnomusical Workshops inGeneva and the Berne Festival ofBlack African Theatre. •

As part of its communi-

cation mission and based

on the concepts under-

pinning UNESCO’s World

Decade for Cultural Deve-

lopment, SDC has suppor-

ted cultural activities in

Switzerland for more than

ten years. Its main focus

is on intercultural encounter

and the presentation of

forms of cultural expression

from the developing and

transition countries.


LITERATURE, CONTACTS, LINKS

43

CASE STUDY

42

The Yak HouseIn 1999, ACTED introduced a rural develop-ment programme in the Murghab region in theeast of Tajikistan. Focussing on local crafts-manship and participation, the project was anintegrated approach rooted in the regionaldynamic of this vast, mountainous and isolatedregion inhabited by some 15,000 people.

Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, theMurghab population had to revert to a yak-based economy as a means to counter theeffects of the socio-economical crisis. This wascoupled with a revival of the local culture. Atthat point, it seemed clear that local crafts-manship would be an efficient yet innovativeway to relaunch the local economy while incre-asing the population’s awareness of this dyna-mic.

Moreover, common cultural activities substanti-ally improved the project’s image and openedmany doors to this closed society.

The Yak House, a craft cooperative, is thebackbone of the development programme.ACTED provides around 350 women withwool and dye. These materials are turned intohome-produced goods which the women thensell in the Yak House.

The structure is well adapted to local lifestylesand allows for a great degree of flexibility, aseach woman offers the amount of time mostsuitable to her particular situation. At the sametime, the Yak House has become a genuinespace for women’s socialization.

The promotion of local resourcesThus the economical dimension of this income-generating programme is enhanced by a senseof cultural ownership.

Another initiative in the programme is to pro-mote commercial exchanges on a regional andsubregional basis between the city of Murghaband the neighbouring valleys.

Hence the programme enhances interactionbetween populations from socio-economicallydiverse backgrounds and encourages the pro-motion of all represented identities: Tajik,Pamiris and Kyrghyz.

As well as promoting cultural identities in theirdiversity, enhancing the value of local resour-ces, and contributing to the opening of theeconomy, the programme has succeeded increating a platform for exchange in one of theremotest regions of the world: the high plate-aus of Pamir.

Tajikistan

Literature

The following publications, among others,were used as sources for this brochure:

“Tanz der Kulturen”, BreidenbachJoana/Zukrigl Ina, RoRoRo-Taschenbuch,ISBN 3-499-60838-3

“Towards Cultural Citizenship: Tools forCultural Policy and Development”, ColinMercer, The Bank of Sweden TercentenaryFoundation, Sida & Gidlunds förlag.

“Culture Matters: How Values Shape HumanProgress”, Lawrence E. Harrison, Samuel P.Huntington (eds), available in paperback inBasic Books. ISBN 0 465 03176 5.

“Recognising Culture”, François Matarasso(ed.), Comedia, Department of CanadianHeritage and UNESCO with support from theWorld Bank. ISBN 1 873 667 03 5.

“Use or Ornament? The Social Impact ofParticipation in the Arts”, François Matarasso,Comedia, ISBN 1 873 667 57 4.

“Die Stadt der Zugezogenen”, BernardImhasly, Neue Zürcher Zeitung NZZ,Zeitbilder Supplement, No. 135, 2003.

Other useful sources:

Baecker, Dirk: Wozu Kultur? Berlin, Kadmos2001. A series of short essays from the per-spective of a sociologist and systems theorist.

Contacts

Cultural work [email protected] dialogue in Switzerland:[email protected](Audiovisual activities, exhibitions) benedikt.gü[email protected](Stage arts)

Links

www.deza.admin.ch www.trigonfilms.org

Published by:

Swiss Agency for Development

and Cooperation (SDC)

Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs

(DFAE)

Orders:

SDC Distribution Centre

Tel. 031 322 44 12

Fax 031 324 13 48

www.deza.admin.ch

(Services/Publications)

[email protected]

Concept:

Toni Linder, Social Development

Section

Text and production:

Büro Stefan Frey, Neuchâtel

Editorial collaboration:

Sophie Delessert, Franz Frei,

Diego Gradis, Anita Theorell

Design:

Michèle Petter Sakthivel, Bern

Cover and chapter pictures:

Driss Manchoube, Bern

Picture page 41: still picture from

the film «Yi Yi»

Case study pictures:

p. 9 Centre de formation en

photographie, Bamako

Mozambik;

p.13 Toni Linder;

p.17 cpg productions; Hans Schilt

p. 21 point de vue;

p. 27 Tibet Institute,

Andreas Litmanowitsch;

p. 31 Contes à rebours;

p. 35 Alexander Zlatkin

Printing:

Graf-Lehmann AG, Bern

© September 2003


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