Creating friendship and development through development cooperation
These are exciting times for Norway-Uganda/East-Africa cooperation. The UMOJA Cultural Flying Carpet (CFC) Festival is ongoing – consisting of a range of events with participation from Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Norway. UMOJA CFC embodies a number of elements on the importance of cultural cooperation.
Cultural cooperation as an integral part of development cooperation – how is culture emphasised?
For many years, Norway has included culture in its development cooperation agenda, illustrating the importance of culture as a development tool to the Nordic countries.
The overriding objective of our cultural cooperation is to strengthen the cultural sector in the South and thus strengthen civil society and help it become a change agent and driving force in our efforts to create a more transparent and democratic society. Subsidiary objectives include: a free and varied cultural sector, strengthened cultural infrastructure, North–South and South–South cooperation between cultural actors, increased respect for human rights in general and freedom of expression in particular.
In 2005, the Norwegian Government launched its Strategy for Norway’s Culture and Sports Co-operation with Countries in the South 2005-2014. At its launch, the strategy was internationally seen as a piece of pioneer work.
An underlying message of the strategy is that despite the fact that efforts in the field of culture are extensive and multiple, they should never be random. In order to avoid randomness the strategy underlines that the work we do in the area of culture should be goal oriented, professional, long term and have local ownership.
Cultural cooperation – its dimensions and elements. Why this emphasis on culture and cultural cooperation?
There are in particular seven dimensions of culture and cultural cooperation that are worth highlighting as main reasons for why Norway puts emphasis on this:
First, cultural cooperation is one of the most equality oriented forms of cooperation that exist. “Development assistance” is more and more often replaced by “development cooperation”, and “partners” is frequently used instead of “donors and recipients”. This move was spearheaded by the cultural sector, which early started moving beyond traditional development assistance with a clear donor and recipient. This makes perfect sense as cultural collaboration takes as its starting point something that the “recipients” have, and not something that they are lacking!
Secondly, culture is tightly connected with identity. Identity expressed through culture is a necessity for all human development. It creates the fundamental building blocks in our personality and in the ties that link us to communities and nation. Culture is embedded in both the Universal Declaration on Human Rights (art. 27) and in the International Convention on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (art. 1 and 15).
Thirdly, culture plays a natural part in a development policy that is serious about human rights. A free and strong cultural sector will promote other rights and values such as freedom of expression, diversity and debate about needs in society. While culture is essential for the freedom of expression, equally important is the link between freedom of expression and democratisation.
Fourth, culture can contribute to other development goals. This is now being emphasised in documents concerning the Millennium Development Goals. In particular, culture may promote economic growth. In 2010, UNCTAD published a report about creative business areas such as cultural heritage, music, arts, architecture and marketing. The report shows that these are among the most dynamic fields globally. The encounter between creativity, technology, culture and economy embodies a great potential in creating work places and increasing exports, at the same time as it contributes to social inclusion, diversity and development.
Fifth, cultural collaboration is not about big money and investments but rather about “soft ware” – ideas, experience, imagination, dreams and about human creative power. The dialogue, the human being and the time factor are essential elements of the efforts. Cultural cooperation is good development cooperation because of its emphasis on multicultural dialogue. Such dialogue is a prerequisite for successful cooperation in other fields.
Sixth, culture is politics. There are few things that are as powerful as culture. Culture ensures unity during crisis, influences identity, debate and dialogue. It is important for nation building and for peace and reconciliation. In some cases it inspires change, in others stability. Further, it can open doors, and close them. Culture is hard and soft politics at the same time!
Finally, culture is even more – it has its very own value! Culture should sometimes be allowed to be only culture.
UMOJA Cultural Flying Carpet (CFC)
UMOJA CFC is a product of the Norwegian Council of Cultural Schools and is created upon the vision of promoting peace and development through international cultural networking. Currently eight partner countries (South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Uganda and Norway) and a number of cultural institutions are involved. In each country a national ensemble, counting around 15 young artists between the age of 17 and 27, was established earlier this year, through auditions. The national ensembles of the East African countries and Norway have now come together in Kampala to develop and promote skills, to gain cultural understanding and respect, to stimulate cross-over work and create artistically interesting results. On Friday 30 September at 7:30 pm, the 80 artists will perform together in the brand new International UMOJA Show at the Ndere Centre.
Norway has been financially supporting UMOJA CFC since 2003. It is a programme that largely embodies the different dimensions discussed above. The main focus is “creating together”. Intercultural communication and learning from each other both as individuals and institutions is promoted. It illustrates in practice what cooperation on equal terms is. The wish of the UMOJA team as well as the Norwegian development authorities is that it may even have long-term effects by contributing to peace and development.
UMOJA CFC is however also just culture in its own virtue, and it is a lot of fun!
Thorbjørn Gaustadsæther
Norwegian Ambassador