The First Cultural Policy National Congress concludes with significant support for decentralization.
Cecilia Bákula, Director of the National Culture Institute (INC), announced, at the closure of the First Peruvian Cultural Policy National Congress, the INC’s intention to carry out two significant macro-regional congresses on culture in 2009.
She stated that Arequipa has already offered to host the next national event and that the regional events could be carried out in the central and northern regions of the country.
She also promised that the INC would bring about a new edition of Perú’s Culture Directory, where all individuals and organizations involved with culture.
Present at the closing ceremony were the Director of the Support Unit of the Cultural and Scientific Relations Direction of AECID, Luis Cueto Álvarez de Sotomayor; the Technical Director of the INC-AECID Project, Jordi Pardo; the Director of the Spanish Cultural Center, Ricardo Ramón, as well as the coordinators and members of the working groups and cultural personalities from the country’s regions.
Dr. Bákula also informed that this Congress, in which a national intercultural dialogue between creators, administrators and researchers took place and where prominent artists and cultural administrators took part, produced a document, which will be submitted to the Executive.
In turn, Cueto Álvarez announced that the Spanish International Cooperation Agency for Development (AECID) would support various regional training seminars for the creation of cultural administrators. On the same direction, three pilot experiences to generate cultural promoters will be set into motion in Trujillo, Ayacucho and Iquitos.
Cueto also reminded that part of AECID’s support would be directed to restructuring and restoring Paracas’ Museums, affected by the earthquake that occurred on August 15, 2007.
He highlighted that this Congress has been able to articulate the cultural sector, to bring together different actors and to create proposals within a frame of high levels of participation and consensus.
He also offered the working groups to constitute them in a body that will guide the proposals and will make projects with Spanish subsidy. “Now is the moment for cultural administrators”, stated Cueto who reaffirmed his support to this process “for as long as it may be needed”.
For further information on the conclusions of the working groups please visit: http://inc.perucultural.org.pe/prensa.asp?code=509.