Workshop on the capacity of cultural actors in the strategy for poverty reduction (PRSP)

Ministère de la Culture et de la Francophonie,
12 November 2009, Senegal

On the 10, 11, 12 novembre 2009 at the Hotel Ngor Diarama a workshop on the role of cultural actors in poverty reduction took place. The opening remarks by Sahit SARR Samb, Director of Cabient Minister of Culture and Francophonie are provided:

The initiative aims to promote the sharing of knowledge and expertise between administration officials and cultural professionals of Senegal. It is especially relevant and ambitious in view of important issues related to development of culture in society today.

Indeed we find that these critical periods of development of world culture is for Africa in general and Senegal in particular a major challenge. With the phenomenon of globalization, our society like all communities is strongly affected by phenomena that have an eminent cultural foundation.

Since the cultural actors and agents are required to have a culture of anticipation to design, plan and implement coherent action that would guarantee the preservation of our cultural identities and intercultural dialogue. Such an approach must also take into account the urgency and the need to foster the emergence of a real areas of culture. To do this, the Senegalese government, through its cultural policy initiated important actions among these are includeed among others: 

 - accession to the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions of UNESCO 
 - the entrance of the Ministry of Culture in CDSMT 
 - the adoption of the Law on Copyright and Neighboring Rights 
 - preparation of laws on the status of artists and cultural professionals and sponsorship 
 - the cultural development of the territory by the construction and equipment of cultural infrastructure such as major cultural projects of the President of the Republic (Monument of the African Renaissance, the National Grand Theater ...)

You see, our main concern is to establish in our country a culture of development. The culture must now include questions relating to the economy. This approach takes us away from a simplistic conception of the development of culture and arts promotion.

The mission to which we are striving daily leads naturally to questions about the level and the benefit of our people. The organization of this seminar / workshop is a proposed as a response in relation to such questioning. We need a staff capable of understanding the logic and legitimacy of the intervention

Let me conclude by expressing our gratitude to our partners, namely the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Ministry for the Family who have accompanied and supported in organizing this meeting.

For the participants, I would simply recall that through teamwork and a strong desire to learn and share together we will succeed in meeting the exciting challenges of the cultural sector.

I have great hope on the results of your work which I am sure we will modernize and streamline our methods of administration and management.

Wishing you every success in your work, I declare on behalf of the Minister of Culture and Francophonie opened the seminar / workshop for capacity building of officers of the culture.

Translated from the original notice in French.

http://www.culture.gouv.sn/article.php3?id_article=468