CULTURAL DIVERSITY AT A TURNING POINT
For immediate release
Zagreb,
October 9, 2003 Cultural activists from ever corner of the globe
will meet in Opatija, Croatia to celebrate the phenomenal growth of the
movement that works to counter the corrosive effects of globalization on
culture.
Ludwig Laher, Austrian writer and vice president of
the European Council of Artists 2000 - 2003, noted that the proposal for a
legally binding Convention on Cultural Diversity, which has burst onto the
international scene, was first discussed only three years ago. It is remarkable for a civil society organization
of artists and cultural producers to achieve such a tremendous influence on the
world stage.
Mr. Laher will deliver the opening address at the
Fourth Annual Meeting of the International Network for Cultural Diversity,
13-15 October 2003, Advancing Cultural Diversity Globally: The role of
civil society movements. More
than 125 delegates from every corner of the globe will chart the next stages in
the campaign to promote cultural diversity.
Garry Neil, INCD Coordinator says that the movement
represents the interests and concerns not only of the Western audiovisual
industry, but of the full spectrum of cultural expression in the North and
South, in developing countries and in the countries in transition. Its success
will depend on the willingness of the parties
concerned to accept the interdependences between the concept of cultural
diversity and the future structure of cultural trade.
Concurrently with the INCD Conference, across the
continent at UNESCO, governments are voting on a proposal to accept the task of
negotiating and implementing a Convention on Cultural Diversity. This treaty is designed to provide a legal
basis for the protection of policies that promote cultural diversity, promote
more balanced exchanges between cultures and encourage the development of
creative voices and cultural capacity everywhere. When culture is ruled by trade agreements, the ability of
countries to produce their own cultural products and share them with the world
is stifled.
The Conference follows the disastrous World Trade
Organization meeting in Cancun at the beginning of September. The failure showed that developing countries
and non-governmental organizations, working together to oppose the juggernaut
of thoughtless trade liberalization, can build a more equitable system. In Croatia, we will look at how culture fits
within this wider movement.
On 17 October, a delegation from the Conference will
present a final declaration to the Ministerial meeting of the International
Network on Cultural Policy, which brings together ministers of culture from 58
countries.
For the complete
INCD conference program, go to: www.incd.net/events/2003conference.html
To arrange
interviews or for more information:
Nina Pesut Kevin
Desjardins
INCD 4th Annual Conference Canadian
Conference of the Arts
Cell: +385-91-761-6784 +
1 613 238 3561 ext 11
Office: +385-51-743-333 kevin.desjardins@ccarts.ca