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IX Forum of Ministers of Culture and Officials in Charge of Cultural Policies in Latin America and the Caribbean.
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| Report of the Raporteur |
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FIRST SESSION
Morning of the 29th of May
The IX Forum of Ministers and Officials Responsible for the Cultural Policies of Latin America and the Caribbean was inaugurated on the 29th of May, 1997 in the city of Cartagena of Indies.
The welcoming speech was made by the Director of COLCULTURA, Mrs. Isadora de Norden. In this opening act Mrs. Mia Amor Mottley, Minister of Youth and Culture of Barbados addressed the audience.
Immediately after, the board of directors was constituted, and it was integrated by Colombia in the Presidency; Barbados, Nicaragua, Brazil, Belize and Costa Rica as Vice Presidents. Dominica and Chile are in charge of elaborating the report.
Mr. Francisco Vazquez, Head of Foreign Affairs of the Colombian Institute of Culture, presented the report of the Pro-Tempore Secretariat, which refers to the follow-up on the projects and agreements adopted by the Forum of Minister of Culture in its VIII Meeting, held in Managua, Nicaragua, in 1996. It mainly referred to the group of administrative and logistics problems faced by the Forum after eight meetings, emphasizing the need to create the body having adequate managing capacities, and that the adopted mechanism should present a proper structure which does not interfere with the sovereignty of the group of associated countries and, that it should be an effective tool to comply with the instructions and tasks that are part of the successive plans of action.
On the other hand, it points out that this year Colombia has innovated in the program of the Forum, by incorporating a previous dialogue between specialists on Cultural Heritage. In this manner, it is intended to enrich the debate of the body and speed up its meetings.
Likewise, it informs that, under the mandate of the VIII Meeting, two previous meetings of the Pro-Tempore Secretariat were held. One in Bogotá, Colombia, and the other in Havana, Cuba. At the same time it informs of a meeting of SICLAC which was held parallel to the meeting of the Pro-Tempore Secretariat of Bogotá, and the realization of the Technical Workshop in Mexico.
Finally, the report of the Pro-Tempore Secretariat suggests to take up again the practice of creating a Plan of Action that measures the fulfillment of the objectives and agreements of the Forum.
This was followed by a presentation on the subject Cultural Heritage as a Common Project, by the director of Postgraduate Courses on the History and Theory of Arts of the Faculty of Architecture of the National University of Colombia, Mr. Alberto Saldarriaga. Mr. Saldarriaga reveals the wide extent of the concept of Heritage which includes not only the Archeological Heritage and built Property, but also the diverse artistic manifestations, ways of living and social relations, values and customs. He pointed out that it is possible and necessary to elaborate and implement a policy of integration based on our heritage which is rich and diverse but which has common roots.
Mr. Ramón Paolini from Venezuela, expert in Forts, spoke about the subject The Fortified Caribbean-Imperial Frontier in Modern Times. In his presentation he tackled the large and complex history of the colonization of the Caribbean countries, presenting the forts as material witnesses of a common period of the area. He asked this Forum to request from UNESCO to declare the group of forts of the Caribbean Heritage of Humanity.
After this, Mrs. Lourdes Arizpe, Assistant Director-General for Culture of UNESCO addressed the Assembly. Her presentation aimed at showing the most important aspects of the Report of the World Commission on Culture and Development. In her speech she pointed out the pioneering nature of the Commission, which was integrated by well known intellectuals, artists and professionals of the different fields of social science. Based on the report she tackled the conceptual work done regarding the place culture has in development, expressing as one of the main conclusions of the Commission, that any strategy of development is imminently cultural.
Regarding Cultural Heritage, she states the need to adopt a wider definition of heritage. A definition that does not only include landed and personal properties, but also what constitutes the tangible heritage. In a period of globalization, the different manifestations of language are of a particular importance to UNESCO. Here the principal elements are translated into elaborating policies that aim at protecting the languages that are threatened.
She also refers to the role of museums and institutions in charge of protecting and conserving goods of a heritage value, in the sense of redefining them a open spaces for the community and which, at the same time form in all its extent the diversity of our communities, eliminating all sorts of discriminations against women, young people ethnical groups, etc.
Finally, she informed of the international agenda proposed by the Commission. This agenda established the realization of a World Summit on Culture and Development, an International Plan for Gender Equity, the revealing of the importance of cultural rights, and institutional reforms of the United Nations so that civil societies are also represented in its main bodies, through their organizations.
Afterwards, the Minister of Culture of Costa Rica, Mr. Arnoldo Mora shared his reflections on the importance of public policies in the field of culture as part of the strategies of our countries to properly face the process of globalization and internationalization of communications and information. He refers to the cultural origin of a series of war conflicts in the world during the last decades and the role of culture in a strategy to reach peace. In this sense, he urges the states to understand that cultural resources constitute an essential investment and not an expense.
End of the first session.
SECOND SESSION
Afternoon of the 29th of May
The session is initiated with a brief participation of the representative of Ecuador, who expresses that the Minister of this field was not able to attend this Meeting due to urgent last minute commitments in his country. He expressed his wishes of success for this meeting and the full disposal of collaboration of his government.
This is followed by the speech by Mr. Eusebio Leal, Historian of the City of Havana, Cuba who presented the subject Community Integration and Social Work. Mr. Leal, in an extensive and clarifying presentation, refers to the process of restoration of the Historical Center of the City of Havana, stating the characteristics of such process, in which the residents of the area have been particularly involved since its start. In his presentation, Mr. Leal pointed out the meaning that Heritage has again in the sense of associating it with the daily and necessary activities of the communities that live in such places and buildings: The valuing of heritage goods for the community and with the community. He describes how the restoration project has had to solve a group of social needs of the residing community, and the organization of the economic resources for the project. In this sense, he expressed the importance of the cultural dimension of tourism. Tourism, which is an unavoidable reality, has to respond to designs that insure the respect for heritage goods. Based on this concept, a project such as the one carried out is feasible.
A document, prepared by the specialists of cultural heritage who met prior to this Meeting, is read. Such document proposes a group of recommendations to the Ministers and Officials Responsible for Cultural Policies in Latin America and the Caribbean. Such proposals refer to Cultural Heritage Inventory, Historical Centers, Cultural Tourism, Forts of the Caribbean and Education in Favor of Heritage.
After a series of presentations by the participants, it is decided to approve the modified text of such document, which is attached to the present report. It is resolved to create the following four working groups: Inventory, with headquarters in Mexico and which is integrated by Honduras, El Salvador, Haiti, Cuba, Jamaica, Colombia, Venezuela, Mexico, Ecuador, Brazil and Paraguay; Cultural Tourism, with headquarters in Guatemala and which is integrated by Belize, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Dominica, Trinidad & Tobago, Venezuela, Uruguay, Argentina and Barbados; Education, with headquarters in Colombia and which is integrated by Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Dominica, Panama, Colombia, Bolivia, Chile and Paraguay; and as last, the group Underwater Heritage was created, with headquarters in Dominican Republic, and which is integrated by Mexico, Panama, Dominican Republic, Honduras Haiti, Trinidad & Tobago, Ecuador, Cuba, Uruguay and Argentina.
This is followed by the presentation by the Director of COCULTURA, Mrs. Isadora de Norden, of the Report on the Technical Coordination of SICLAC executed by Venezuela. This report informs of the work carried out by Venezuela as from 1996 until this Forum and it is completed with the reading by Mr. Francisco Vásquez, Executive Secretary of the Pro-Tempore Secretariat, of the specific report prepared by the same organization.
In his participation, Mr. Vásquez presents to the Assembly the executive summary on the evaluation carried out by an expert hired by UNESCO in accordance to the resolutions adopted in the VII Meeting of the Forum, held in Trinidad & Tobago, in November 1994. He also comments briefly on the work done by Venezuela regarding the strategic projection of SICLAC and he, finally, expresses the need to structure a horizontal directorship of the project, integrated by the countries that have been in charge of the Technical Coordination of the Project. Such countries are Mexico, Cuba and Venezuela and it was requested from Chile to also integrate such coordination.
End of the Second Session
FIRST SESSION
Morning of the 30th of May
Mrs. Isadora de Norden, President of the Board, presented the corresponding agenda and initiated the session with the subject Cultural Integration through Language.
Mr. Sydney Bartley, representative of Jamaica, red the respective report giving details on the group of actions carried out in relation to this program. He especially pointed out the Resolution No.1 of the VII Forum of Ministers of Culture and Officials Responsible for Cultural Policies, in which it was resolved to implement this program. At the same time, he stated its permanent objectives: to design strategies that strengthen the teaching and learning of our languages by the population of the region and to strengthen the interaction between the institutions and organizations involved in the programs designed to overcome language barriers.
On the other hand, he mentioned the actions carried out by Venezuela regarding the Lectures on Linguistic Integration, aimed at familiarizing the English speaking officials with the use of functional Spanish, the efforts made by Chile regarding the courses carried out annually in Jamaica for Spanish teachers and which covers all CARICOM countries, the workshops conducted by the University of the West Indies of Jamaica, the course carried out by CLADEC with the sponsoring of OEA in Venezuela, the strengthening of the offer of Venezuela through its fourteen Venezuelan Institutes of Culture and Cooperation in all the countries of CARICOM, the initiative of Colombia expressed through bilateral agreements such as the Jamaica-Colombia Bilateral Commission of Neighboring Countries, which has enabled the realization of programs of cooperation related to the teaching of Spanish and English.
This was followed by the request made by the President of the board to take up again the subject of SICLAC, with the objective of establishing common criteria embracing the strategic definition of the project.
After numerous participations, it is resolved to accept the Barbados proposal to hold a meeting in July 1997, with the purpose of discussing the technical, administrative and financial problems of SICLAC. The meeting is open to all countries members of the Forum who show their interest in participating.
Barbados commits to report the results of this meeting four weeks after its realization, attaching a proposal that includes the creation of an Executive Secretariat for SICLAC. The members of the Forum will have to answer to this proposal within two weeks after its receipt. Finally, Colombia offers to have the headquarters of such Executive Secretariat.
This is followed by the presentation to the Pro-Tempore Secretariat of the report related to Administrative and Operative Link of ORCALC (Regional UNESCO Office for Culture in Latin America and the Caribbean). Mr. Francisco Vásquez red the report prepared by the Pro-Tempore Secretariat, pointing out the characterization on the Technical Secretariat made in such proposal, as well as the mechanisms that are necessary to solve administrative and financial aspects that are of the concern of ORCALC. The report ends by pointing out that it is convenient for the Pro-Tempore Secretariat to work with ORCALC in the finalization of the logistics, administrative and financial tasks for the effective functioning of the Technical Secretariat.
The presentations related to this subject are focused on the need to determine the tasks of the Technical Secretariat, stress the importance of having as one of its main functions the management of recourses and define exactly its financial support.
SECOND SESSION
Afternoon of the 30th of May
SPECIAL PARTICIPATIONS
The President of the Board, Mrs. Isadora de Norden, introduces Mrs. Sara Meneses, Director of the Office of Cultural Affairs of OEA.
Mrs. Meneses greeted the Assembly on behalf of the General Secretary of the Organization of American States, Dr. César Gaviria. She read the document The Actions of the American States (OEA) in the Field of Cultural Heritage. She emphasized the general philosophical approach of the Office of Cultural Affairs. Such approach is reflected in the protection and promotion of cultural heritage and respect for cultural and linguistic identity, and in the possibility of hemispheric dialogue on the crucial subjects stated by the countries. She also mentioned that the cultural actions of OEA will be guided by the Inter-American Program for Culture (PIC), to be adopted by the States and which is currently being elaborated and revised.
She also pointed out the importance OEA gives to cultural heritage in the Inter-American system, stressing the role of cultural expressions as symbols of national identity and their meaning and influence in the economical and social progress of nations. At the same time, Mrs. Meneses revises the objectives of OEA in relation with the formulation of specific policies for culture.
Finally she mentions the cultural policy of OEA related to the actions of the Office of Cultural Affairs, which directs its work towards the development of activities in various fields, such as: protection and promotion of cultural heritage; oral and cultural tradition and linguistic expression; cultural tourism; environment; electronic information and strategies for the recruitment of external resources.
The President of the Board introduces Mrs. Carmen Bravo, Director of CERLALC, Regional Center of the Book of Latin America and the Caribbean. Mrs. Bravo spoke about the policies of CERLALC for the region, describing the different programs that are developed to promote books and reading.
The description points out the work done in relation with the compared Latin American statistics, in which the difference between production and sales is shown so as to encourage the States and the editorial industries to elaborate policies.
In the general results, it is expressed that Latin America has turned into a big editorial market, proofing that the interests of the Governments to invest in education has had a great influence in production and sales. Also, it pointed out that the countries that have systematically invested in the promotion of reading among children and young people have had a representative growth not only in their editorial sector, but also in the market as a whole.
The President of the Board introduces Mr. Pedro Henríquez, Executive Secretary of the Andrés Bello Agreement.
Mr. Henríquez speaks about the guiding principles of the Andrés Bello Agreement as a subregional body in the area of culture. He points out the validity of an integrating thought which has culture as its center point.
He briefly comments on the main programs that are being executed, among which the following are stressed: the creation of the Andrés Bello Youth Orchestra, as a first step in the creation of the Latin American Youth Orchestra; the realization of a competition on social appropriation of the Cultural and Natural Heritage; the Andrés Bello Lectures which are carried out in Venezuela and Colombia; the Fund for Research on Social Sciences and the realization in Chile of a Meeting of Intellectuals related to the subject Renovated Thought on Integration.
THE HANDING OF THE PRESIDENCY OF THE FORUM TO BARBADOS
With the presence of His Excellency the President of the Republic of Colombia, Mr. Ernesto Samper, Mrs. Isadora de Norden, General Director of the Colombian Institute of Culture, hands over the Presidency of the Forum to Mrs. Mia Amor Mottley, Minister of Education for Culture and Youth of Barbados.
Mrs. Mottley thanks Mrs. de Norden and addresses the Assembly, pointing out that for the X Forum to be held in Barbados during 1996, it is considered vital to count with the participation of artists of the region, so as to enable a meeting between the authorities responsible for the cultural policies of the region and creators as well as intellectuals.
The General Director of COLCULTURA then announces the speech of His Excellency the President of the Republic of Colombia who addresses the Ministers of Culture and Officials Responsible for the Cultural Policies of Latin America and the Caribbean. |
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