[oberlist] EG* source: Independent Culture for Democracy Conference - recommendations

[ober at emdash.org]

Independent Culture for Democracy Conference
Cairo, 15-17 December 2012

http://mawred.org/recommendations

Recommendations

In interaction with the rush of change and ongoing transformations here
and now in the Arab world, amidst a climate in which established truths
and prescribed answers are being questioned in all domains of life, and in
order to confront the major issues and pressing challenges that face the
independent cultural sector, the Independent Culture for Democracy
Conference was held in Cairo, bringing together more than 100 cultural
programmers, artists, performers, media professionals, intellectuals and
other cultural stakeholders.

The purpose of the conference was to redefine what independence means to
this sector, to identify its aspirations and its available resources and
potential, and to revise its strategies and its current and prospective
roles with respect to the social and political changes that are now
unfolding.

The conference derives particular significance from the realities of the
present moment and the essential questions the conference attempts to
address and ventures to find answers for. Foremost among these questions
is that of freedom of expression which is of central bearing to the
policies of both the official and independent cultural sectors as it
concerns all areas of social activity (the arts, education, culture,
economics, social relations, etc.) and involves all components of society
in all their diversity in age, gender, ethnicity and creed.

Firstly: The independent cultural sector's participation in leading
political and social change:

The conference participants recommend that the independent cultural sector
should:

Work unflaggingly, through its active organisations and through the
individual efforts of its innovators and intellectuals, to fulfil its
responsibility to meet the needs of Arab societies at this exceptional
moment of change. In so doing, it must cast aside all hesitation and
doubts with regard to the efficacy of and need for its role.
Undertake a review of its programmes and human and material resources with
an eye channeling them toward supporting all initiatives that link
artistic and cultural practice with the hastening pace of political and
social movement while, simultaneously, adhering to the aesthetic and
creative requirements of artistic and cultural work.
Exercise pressure on the official cultural establishment so as to persuade
it to work with the independent cultural sector in the framework of a
partnership among peers, to empower this sector with the tools necessary
to enable it to perform its responsibilities, and to abolish all
bureaucratic obstacles throughout the Arab region so that this sector can
respond to the demands of this critical moment.
Work with the governmental sector and legislative assemblies to arrive at
serious proposals for amending existing legal and legislative structures,
especially as pertains to the laws regulating NGOs and artistic
syndicates, so as to achieve the broadest and most open legal and
regulatory structure capable of performing its function effectively.
Coordinate and interact with all social and rights advocacy activities and
movements espoused by civil society organisations, and participate in and
through them so as to better be able to perform the role of the
independent cultural sector and promote its programmes for social change.
Strive to reinforce and protect the gains the independent cultural sector
has achieved following the revolutions (among which is greater freedom to
organise activities in open-air public spaces, such as the El Fann Midan
festival in Egypt) and to forestall attempts to marginalise or circumvent
this sector.
Secondly, cultural policies:

The conference participants agreed that the current phase of political and
social change in the Arab region demands a radical revision of the
cultural policies pursued by the official establishments in Arab
countries. These policies continue to perpetuate those of former regimes
which aimed to harness culture to the service of the political authority,
to monopolize all processes for the production and distribution of
culture, to concentrate them in the major urban centres for the service of
a limited segment of society, and to deprive most independent
organisations and artists who do not work in governmental institutions the
opportunities for financial, artistic and media support. Accordingly, the
participants recommend the following:

In those countries that are undergoing radical political change, a
transitional mechanism for the governmental cultural sector should be
devised, with the participation of independent cultural organisations, so
as to ensure that cultural services are not interrupted, that they
continue to be delivered to the largest number of people, and that they
meet the needs of the phases of social and political change.
Simultaneously, another mechanism should be devised for the purpose of
designing cultural policy in the long run.
In all Arab countries, the independent cultural sector should promote
proposals for new cultural policies based on the democratisation and
decentralisation of culture, the equitable distribution of cultural
services, and support for the freedom of creativity. The policies should
also emphasise the importance of cultural diversity and the need for
plurality in the forms and sources of cultural expression. It should be
stressed that new cultural policies must derive their legitimacy from
being the product of a broadly based and open dialogue among all
non-governmental and governmental stakeholders concerned with culture.
Cultural Resource (Al Mawred Al Thaqafy) should disseminate and promote
the “National Cultural Policies Group” model and work to enhance the role
of youth in it. The model has already been put into effect in some Arab
countries, and the groups that have been founded accordingly must be
supported so as to enable them to lead national dialogues on cultural
policies.
The Arab Cultural Policies Group should undertake studies and research
into the most common forms for structuring the cultural sector around the
world, inclusive of national councils for the arts and quasi-governmental
institutions. The Arab Cultural Policies Group should solicit the
necessary experts needed to perform this study within three months. The
results of this study should be made available to all concerned with the
design of cultural policies in the Arab region.
Thirdly, funding:

Funding is one of the continuing challenges involved in strengthening the
role and performance of the independent cultural sector in Arab countries
and safeguarding its autonomy. In tandem with the phase of political and
social transformation that this region is undergoing, the independent
cultural sector has been regaining its ability to lobby for a democratic
distribution of public moneys. Accordingly, the conference participants
recommend the following practical steps:

A campaign to press the demand for the designation of a “minimal
threshold” of no less than 1 per cent of the national budget in each
country to be allocated to culture. The demand should include the
stipulation that a publicly declared percentage of this allocation must be
earmarked for the support of independent cultural initiatives and that
this percentage should be determined through dialogue and consensus with
the independent cultural sector in each country.
The creation of domestic funding pools, generated by the contributions of
local capital, for the support of independent initiatives by organisations
and individuals. This step should be combined with the creation of
strategic partnerships with private sector organisations and a campaign to
promote the principle of “the social responsibility of the private sector”
so as to recruit this sector into the support for culture.
Exploring new funding sources such as waqf (religious endowment) payments,
banking interest payments, tax revenues and national lottery revenues to
support the independent cultural sector. It is understood that a
favourable cultural climate needs to be generated in order to support such
an approach.
Efforts to diversify the domestic and foreign sources of support for
initiatives or projects undertaken by the independent cultural sector and,
simultaneously, to ensure that a part of the funding is derived from
contributions in kind and in volunteer services.
The rehabilitation of the principle of commercial sponsorship as an
additional source of funding on the grounds that this is a necessary and
complementary mechanism to the principle of partnership with the private
sector.
Fourthly, administration, governance and skills

The conference participants recommend:

Calling upon Arab independent cultural organisations to focus on the
principles of freedom of creativity and the dignity of the artist and
cultural operator.
Supporting independent cultural organisations in their efforts to develop
their entities and render them as responsive as possible to the current
moment of social and political change through effective management; the
implementation of the principles of good governance, transparency and
accountability; and the renovation of their organisational, intellectual
and cognitive territory.
Promoting the notions of contractual relations and partnership as
mechanisms for shaping the relationship with the political establishment,
the private sector and other civil society organisations.
Formulating a policy for training and capacity building in the Arab
independent cultural sector so as to develop and enhance the
professionalism of its human resources.
Fifthly, networking and cooperation:

The conference participants recommend:

Creating a mechanism for cooperation, networking, the exchange of
expertise, the provision of artistic and material support among cultural
organisations, artists and cultural workers in the independent cultural
sector at the local and regional levels, whether via cyberspace, periodic
newsletters or other such channels.
Reaching an agreement on a mechanism through which independent cultural
organisations, creative artists and others can express solidarity with and
actively support victims of repression, censorship, confiscation,
violations of the freedom of expression and other such abuses that
threaten the arts and creativity in the region, with a particular focus on
small and emergent independent organisations and individual cultural
operators among the youth generation. Such mechanisms could include the
formation of cultural rights advocacy forces and coalitions to defend and
mobilise pressure on behalf of victims of rights abuses, and to denounce
all violations of the rights of artists, cultural innovators and
independent cultural organisations, with an emphasis on using alternative
media for this purpose.
Exploring the horizons for cooperation and dialogue with the official
establishments in all the sectors that affect and could play a part in
cultural work.
Building on models and examples of cooperation with civil society
organisations operating in other sectors such as education, development,
human rights, and the media, with the aim of incorporating a cultural
component into the programmes and services of these organisations.
Exerting further efforts to acquire knowledge of the ideas of religious
forces and movements with the aim of creating partnerships and building
coalitions within the various ideological sectors.
General recommendations:

That the conference forms, at the end of its proceedings, a steering
committee tasked with following through on the implementation of these
recommendations and drawing up an executive agenda in accordance with the
priorities of cultural action at the current phase. The committee will be
formed on the basis of the following criteria:

It will consist of 16 members.
Each country shall be represented by at least one and at most three members.
It will consist of an equal number of men and women.
The membership must reflect a diversity in the fields of cultural work and
artistic specialisation.
A third of the members shall be at least 40 years old.



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