In April 2005 the Minister of Culture Tarja Saarela initiated a project with the purpose of exploring the ethical dimensions of cultural policy, starting with cultural rights, and of outlining directions and tools for ethical evaluation of cultural policy. Dr Hannele Koivunen, Special Government Advisor, was appointed to review existing knowledge about cultural policy ethics and the concepts involved, and to put forward proposals for ways to accommodate the ethical dimension in cultural administration. Ms Leena Marsio, M.A., collected the basic material, organised a Fair Culture seminar, kept in contact with international operators working in related fields. The publication Fair Culture? is the product of this joint effort.
The project was carried out in two phases:
- A Fair Culture Seminar on 8 February 2006 at the House of the Estates, Helsinki
- The publication Fair Culture? on the ethical dimension of cultural policy and cultural rights,
published during the second half of 2006.
The Fair Culture? report seeks to analyse the ethical focuses in cultural policy discourse and to open and make visible ethical choices made in cultural policy. On the basis of the report we intend to outline cultural policy ethics.
http://www.minedu.fi/OPM/Julkaisut/2007/fair_culture.html?lang=en