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Founding Principles
- Expression throught arts and culture is a fundamental part of human society.
- Cultural diversity strengthens us all and must be maintained and promoted as an important part os sustainable development.
- The fruits of artistic creation are more than conventional goods and services, each is unique and all are an integral part of human societies.
- Cultures should have the opportunity to interact with each other, enriching artistic expression and expanding choices.
- Market forces alone cannot ensure the creation and sustainability of cultural diversity at the national and international levels.
- States an citizens have a right and a responsibility to implement policies and programs that support diverse artistic and cultural activities and to protect these from unwanted interventions from outside political or economic forces.
- Recognition and preservation of the
cultures of indigenous peoples and traditional cultures requires
special attention.
We Believe:
Current trade agreements do affect the arts and cultural expression. We need to redress the imbalance between concerns for cultural diversity and economic imperatives and promote the full social, human and economic development aspects of a commitment to cultural diversity. Therefore:
- Governments must not enter into any agreement that constrains local cultures and the policies that support them.
- A new international agreement should be
created, which can provide a permanent legal foundation for
cultural diversity.
For information on joining the network please click here.
Steering Committee
The Network is governed by a steering committee comprised of the following members:
| Alexander Cacavas | General Secretary, Scriptwriters Guild of
Greece, Athens |
| Lucianna Castellina | Valencia Forum, Brussels/Rome |
| Peter Curman | President, Swedish Joint Committee on
Literary and Artistic Professional (KLYS),
Stockholm |
| James C. Early | Director, Cultural Heritage Policy,
Smithsonian Institute, Centre for Folklife and Cultural
policy, Washington, D.C. |
| Mireille Gagné | Director, Canadian Music Centre, Quebec,
Montéal |
| Richard Letts | Executive Director, Music Council of
Australis |
| Nitis Jacon | Executive Director, La Red Network for
Cultural Promoters of Latin America and the Caribbean,
Londrina, Brazil |
| Japan Mthembu | General Secretary, Performing Arts Worker
Equity (PAWE), Johnnesburg |
| Yolanda Schweri | General Secretary, SuisseCulture,
Zurich |
| Megan Williams | Director, Canadian Conference of the Arts,
Ottawa |
As a priority, the Steering Committee is charges with the responsibility to find appropriate representatives from Latin America, Asia and elsewhere. The Steering Committee will investigate issues of governance and develop an appropriate democratic electoral system.
Mandate
The Network will work parallel to the culture ministers orgaized in the International Network for Cultural Policy.
The Network will next meet in Lucerne, Switzerland the 21-23 of September 2001, then in South Africa in 2002.
Network members will intervene in appropriate forums, link with citizens movements in other sectors, and work to ensure our principles are relected in the new cultural agreement.
The Network Secretariat is presently house at the Canadian Conference of the Arts.
For information on joining the network please click here.
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