New Resource on Culture Launched
The Commonwealth Foundation launched a new interactive resource on culture, the Commonwealth Culture Toolkit, at the People's Space on Thursday November 20 as part of the Commonwealth People's Forum in Kampala, Uganda.
The Commonwealth Culture Toolkit is a CD-Rom designed to encourage the sharing of cultural work between Commonwealth countries and to profile the achievements of those working in culture. It was developed in recognition of the lack of readily available cultural information from many Commonwealth countries and to address the fact that cultural industries are being increasingly seen as playing a part in social and economic development.
Andrew Firmin, Programme Manager for Culture and Diversity at the Commonwealth Foundation commented, "With new international initiatives, such as the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, advocating culture's role in the development process, the time is ripe for this new resource. We are signaling that cultural civil society need to be supported and policy-makers made more aware of what is being done and where the gaps still lie."
The Toolkit offers a series of case studies, issues and perspectives, and also spotlights the cultural scene in a number of Commonwealth countries. Case studies look at a range cultural activities that are happening in the Commonwealth today, focusing particularly on the connection between culture and development. The written material is complemented by music, film clips, images of artwork and photographs.
The Toolkit profiles a number of interesting projects- from an NGO in Bangalore using comics to communicate to children about their rights to an NGO in Tanzania, Rulu Arts Promoters, who use songs, stories, poetry and drama to stimulate collective action to strengthen local government and fight corruption. "The case studies in the toolkit showcase innovative projects that recognise the effectiveness of using cultural initiatives to engage with issues and achieve change. This is important to share with others and we hope to see initiatives adopted in Commonwealth countries" says Firmin.
The Toolkit will also be available online next year and become a permanent, expanding section of the Foundation's website. More material, including new case studies and reports will be continuously added so that it becomes a growing resource for cultural practitioners, civil society and other change agents.
Culture and Diversity is one of three programme areas of the Commonwealth Foundation alongside Sustainable Development and Governance and Democracy. The programme aims to promote inter-cultural understanding, offer varied channels of validation and recognition for cultural talents and to encourage both culturally rooted development and culture-based activities that achieve development goals.
