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OAS Secretary General Makes Call to "Democratize Culture" at Opening of Ministerial Meeting

The Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), José Miguel Insulza, said today at the inauguration of the Fifth Inter-American Meeting of Ministers of Culture and Highest Appropriate Authorities that the countries and governments of the region must "continue to develop cultural policies in tune with the times, democratize culture, make of it a daily experience and a form of dignified life, care for its many expressions, respecting its originality and diversity, supporting its many creators and making the most of its role in the development and construction of freer, more just and more democratic societies."

The hemispheric gathering is being held today and tomorrow at OAS headquarters in Washington, DC, in the framework of the celebrations of 2011 as the Inter-American Year of Culture, and with the objective of establishing strategies that promote culture as the common denominator for the integral development of peoples in the region. The inaugural session also featured the participation of Ambassador Jacinth Henry-Martin, Permanent Representative of St. Kitts and Nevis to the Organization and Chair of the Permanent Executive Committee of the Inter-American Council for Integral Development (CEPCIDI), which has for its objective to make decisions and carry out recommendations for the planning, implementation and evaluation of projects and activities that support the member countries in their integral development and the elimination of poverty.

In this context, the head of the OAS recalled that "the transformative power of culture is increasingly acquiring more relevance in the world, and its transversal nature contributes to reaching higher levels of development and socioeconomic wellbeing in the Member States of the OAS." Nevertheless, he continued, though the countries "are ever more aware of their cultural wealth and its role in economic, social and democratic development," at the same time, "most of them lack public policies that are consistent with that judgment."

There are still "many challenges to face regarding the full recognition of the contributions of culture to integral development, the resolution of conflicts, the prevention of violence and poverty reduction," he recalled. That is why, he said, "it is necessary to further visualize" the role of culture "as promoter of citizen participation, diversity and tolerance, as a source of jobs and income generation," as well as "to insist that the cultural dimension be incorporated into the development agendas of governments, and to build bridges of dialogue with other sectors such as planning, finance, education, tourism, and labor, among others."

Secretary General Insulza also highlighted "the intrinsic value of culture as provider of identity and reference in integrating ourselves into society and giving meaning to our lives." "Besides being an element for economic, social and human development, and besides being a binding and motivating element for the building and strengthening of peaceful lives, culture always has at its heart, and in its broadest and most restricted sense, the human self, thus giving meaning to our lives," he said.

The subject of culture has been present at the OAS since its foundation, with the Columbus Library and Archive, created during the First Inter-American Conference of the American States in 1889-1890. Furthermore, the foundational Charter of the Organization states that "the spiritual unity of the Continent is based on respect for the cultural values of the American countries and requires their close cooperation for the high purposes of civilization." "This commitment with culture continued in agreements signed throughout the Organization's history, strengthened by, among other actions, the creation of the Museum of the Americas, where artists from around the continent have exhibited and will continue to do so," the Secretary General recalled.

For her part, Ambassador Henry-Martin recalled that "culture is one of the eight areas for action in the CIDI strategic plan and one of the sectors in which the ministerial process and the inter-American committee shape both policy dialogue and effective technical cooperation." "With the support of the OAS General Secretariat," continued the Caribbean representative, the countries of the region "have stepped up their efforts to exchange experiences, promote cooperation, and implement effective programs to address problems and concerns" on these issues. That is why "the Americas constitute a culturally rich and remarkably diverse hemisphere in which culture can be a source of identity, social cohesion and economic growth," she said.

The CEPCIDI Chair, who has served as her country's Minister of Culture, said that to her "culture represents a global potentially remedial tool that fits latently in too many cases at our disposal." She added that, "It can be quiet although it ought not to be, so often our policy makers don't hear it very well. It is a constant, and so often we become so accustomed to its palliative radiance and its willingness to heal that we overlook the consistency of its promise until there is danger to it and to us as States, as sub-regions, as a Hemisphere."

Ambassador Henry-Martin concluded that "particularly in the challenging reality of today's world, culture represents perhaps one of the best tools for bridging the divide between the core pillars of the OAS: democracy, human rights, development and security."

The ministerial meeting will constitute a forum to address the progress and outcomes of 2011 as the Inter-American Year of Culture and the role culture plays in promoting prosperous communities and peaceful coexistence, as well as economic empowerment and social inclusion, and citizen participation for the strengthening of democracies. Furthermore, other topics of debate will be the achievements and challenges of the Inter-American Committee on Culture 2008-2011 and the outlines for 2013, as well as perspectives on the ministerial process and the Sixth Summit of the Americas. It includes ten plenary sessions moderated by the different authorities on culture of the Member States on the subjects of the meeting.

The objective of the Inter-American Year of Culture is to highlight the diversity of culture in the Americas and promote its key role in the economic, social, and human development of the countries of the continent. The activities within its framework include multilateral projects among the Member States of the Organization, such as a music festival in The Bahamas, the poetry competition Gabriela Mistral in Chile, and a folk festival organized by Colombia in Washington, DC.

For more information on the Ministerial Meeting, click here.

The meeting's draft agenda is available here.

A gallery of photos of the event is available here.

For more information, please visit the OAS Website at www.oas.org.

Reference: E-948/11