The UNESCO Convention on Cultural Diversity
Contents:
History -UNESCO Convention on Cultural Diversity
"Globalization and Diversity: UNESCO and Cultural Policy Making" Conference January 10-11, 2005, Smithsonian Institution-Summaries and Related Links:
Cultural Trade, Cultural Development and Cultural Democracy: US, UNESCO and INCD
Can Culture be considered Cultural Goods and Services?
Trade liberalization, cultural diversity and representation: The role of market forces
The UNESCO Convention and Indigenous Cultural Representation
Diversity of Cultural Traditions and Expressions within Nations: Existing Structures and Future Possibilities
Latest Updates
The UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Diversity of Cultural Contents and Artistic Expressions
History:
The UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Diversity of Cultural Contents and Artistic Expressions addresses the rise of globalization, the protection and encouragement of diverse cultural and community artistic expressions, and, ultimately, addresses and rejects the theory of the inevitable clash of cultures and civilizations.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has, since 1989, advocated the maintenance of intangible cultural heritage as a means by which to encourage sustainable development and peaceful, inter-cultural dialogue. Since the 1998 UNESCO Conference on Culture for Development in Stockholm, Sweden, UNESCO has acknowledged the need to address cultural policy issues in conjunction with sustainable social and economic development and information technology issues. The subsequent formation of the International Network on Cultural Policy (INCP) in 1998, a global network of Cultural Ministers from around the world, and the ensuing formation of the International Network for Cultural Diversity (INCD) in Santorini, Greece, September 2000, an organization of cultural institutions, activists and intellectuals, both reveal a growing concern amongst certain nation states and civil society members on the meaning and consequences on the rising effects of globalization through market expansion and privatization, and the maintenance of diverse cultural knowledge and artistic expressions.
The tragedy of September 11 prompted UNESCO Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity (2001), a document that equates cultural rights with human rights, simultaneously acknowledging the interrelationship between media pluralism, democratic access and use of digital technology, intellectual property and the ability of community, grassroots cultural groups to maintain their cultural expressions. This multifaceted approach to cultural diversity forms part of a 'new ethic' adopted by UNESCO that aims to promote a more culturally, socially and economically democratic world that sets against fundamentalism and cultural inequity. The ensuing drafting of the upcoming UNESCO convention, an instrument that will be legally binding, has thus garnered much debate and attention from intellectual property organizations, governments, and also civil society groups who (like CFCH) aim to encourage the fostering of diverse cultural and community expressions. As demonstrated in the recent conference held at the Smithsonian from January 10-11 2005, that discussed globalization, diversity and the draft of the UNESCO convention, the debate has circulated around ideas of definitions of culture and cultural goods and services, market expansion, copyright and intellectual property, indigenous and minority community expression and representation. This convention, by directly raising issues of community, cultural voice, roles and agency of nation-states, and existing market and media structures presents probably the most recent, pertinent and challenging document to date that aims to assist and further instigate growing world-wide initiatives to protect cultural diversity and community advocacy.
The next UNESCO Intergovernmental Meeting of Experts on the Preliminary Draft Convention on the Protection of the Diversity of Cultural Contents and Artistic Expressions will be held from May 25 until June 4, 2005.
The January conference held at the Smithsonian Institution presented a pertinent discussion between key US civil society members and organizations on the drafting of the UNESCO convention. The US discussion currently lags in comparison to similar discussions in Africa, Latin America, select parts of Asia and Western Europe.
Below are links to summaries of the conference presentations plus related links:
Key Documents:
UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Diversity of Cultural Contents and Artistic Expressions (Draft) Read here.
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"Globalization and Diversity" Conference, held at The Smithsonian Institution -Summaries and Related Links:
Final Conference Agenda "Globalization and Diversity, UNESCO and Cultural Policy-Making: Imperatives for US Arts and Culture Practitioners and Organizations" January 10-11, 2005, Smithsonian Institution. Read here.
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Cultural Trade, Cultural Development and Cultural Democracy: US, UNESCO and INCD:
These two panelists present background perspectives on the fomration and drafting of the UNESCO Convention on Cultural Diversity.
Richard Arndt details the history of the return of the United States Commission to UNESCO from the perspective of the lobby group American's for UNESCO, and discusses the role of the U.S. in the formation of the UNESCO Convention on Cultural Diversity. Read here.
To send comments to the U.S. Commission to UNESCO, email: dcunesco@state.gov.
Garry Neil from the International Network for Cultural Diversity (INCD) details the history and formation of this civil society organization, discussions on cultural policy development, and the role of the INCD in instigating the formation of the UNESCO Convention. Read here.
International Network For Cultural Diversity (INCD)
INCD draft: UNESCO Convention on Cultural Diversity. Read here.
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Can Culture be considered Cultural Goods and Services?
This section opens up discussion on the definition of cultural goods and services.
Bonnie Richardson from the Motion Picture Association (MPA) discusses the relationship between free trade rules and cultural diversity. Read here.
Theodore Bikel from the Associated Actors and Artists of America presents an artist's view. His presentation explores the contemporary role of artists in society and the current conditions influencing artistic creation. Read here.
Ted Magder from the Department of Culture and Communication, New York University, discusses the economic categorization of cultural products, advocating the balance of government control and regulated markets. Read here.
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Trade liberalization, cultural diversity and representation: The role of market forces
VIDEO of presentations made by:
Tyler Cowen, Professor of Communications at George Mason University and U.S. member of UNESCO's Expert Panel Debates.
Benjamin Barber, Professor of Communications at the University of Illinois.
Tyler Cowen and Benjamin Barber present two different perspectives on the role of market liberalization and cultural diversity and representation.
Tyler Cowen advocates working within a liberal market paradigm, using UNESCO as a 'marketing tool' for cultural representation and has a positive trade-enhancing vision towards culture.
Benjamin Barber critiques the structure of neo-liberal market expansion, pointing out the inherent structural inequities that maintain this system and do not allow equal representation of cultural groups, communities, and increasingly, nation-states.
View Video footage here.
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The UNESCO Convention and Indigenous Cultural Representation:
Robert Albro, Rockefeller Humanities Fellow, CFCH, Suzan Shown Harjo, Cheyenne and Hodulgee Muscogee, President of the Morning Star Institute, and Keith Harper, Cherokee, Attorney at the Native American Rights Fund, all examine key issues surrounding Indigenous cultural representation and self-determination, problems surrounding the inclusion of Indigenous issues in UNESCO and government discourse, and the need to advocate for recognition of collective, communal and community cultural rights in the trade and ownership of culture and cultural goods and services.
Robert Albro. Read here.
Suzan Shown Harjo. Read here.
Keith Harper. Read here.
Related links:
Native American Rights Fund
UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
Center for World Indigenous Studies
Alaska Native Knowledge Network
World Intellectual Property Organization
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Diversity of Cultural Traditions and Expressions within Nations: Existing Structures and Future Possibilities
David Bollier, Co-founder and Public Knowledge and Editor of Onthecommons.org, advocates the need for a "new narrative and analysis" for talking about the intrinsic value of cultural diversity. Nation-states, copyright law and commercial interests generally assess the value of culture in economic terms, but such a discourse fails to recognize the role of non-market factors --social community, shared artistic traditions, cultural institutions-- in generating culture. Bollier therefore advocates a new language of "the commons" as a way to fortify the collectively owned resources that are responsible for cultural diversity.
Abstract of remarks. Read here.
Full article. Read here.
Related links:
Onthecommons.org
Mediatrademonitor.org
CRIS: Communication Rights in the Information Society
Free Press -Free Press is a nonpartisan organization working to involve the public in media policymaking and to craft policies for more democratic media
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Latest Updates:
Diversity of Cultural Expressions -provides information on the latest UNESCO deliberations:
"The second session of the meeting of governmental experts on UNESCO's preliminary draft convention on protecting the diversity of cultural contents and artistic expressions:" Professor Ivan Bernier turns the spotlight on this topic in our May 2005 Cultural Diversity Update. We know that during the recent session of the Executive Board, the Director-General of UNESCO submitted the 'consolidated text' of this preliminary draft convention for the information of members, indicating to them that it would serve as a basis for their work, enabling them to proceed with their upcoming deliberations. The analysis of Professor Ivan Bernier is currently available in French on the above website. English and Spanish translations will be added shortly.
Comments by the INCD:
The International Network for Cultural Diversity (INCD) has made recommendations on aspects of the UNESCO Convention on Cultural Diversity (CCD) that discuss the relationship of the CCD to other instruments. Read here.
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