The Ecuadorian Government will take up this year a project to support a culture of peace in the border with Colombia, as part of the integral security policy in the area, were the words of Erika Sylva, Minister of Culture.

The Minister informed that interventions will take place in three provinces placed on the border with Colombia: Esmeraldas (Costa), Carchi (Andes) and Sucumbíos (Amazonia).

This project’s objective is to activate social cohesion processes “that should fight existing processes of social disintegration in the area”, explained the Minister during a press conference.

She affirmed that activities having to do with culture understood not only as art, but also as heritage and cultural rights will be carried out in order to articulate “the Government’s cultural policy and integral security policy”.

“It is not only through repression –she said–, through security without development and culture how cohesion will be promoted and peace will be kept in the frontier” with Colombia, sensible mainly due to the effects of violence in the Colombian territory.

Sylva highlighted that Ecuador is interested in developing a “live frontier based on a culture of peace”.

In the area workshops will be developed, film screenings, music festival and other artistic activities will be promoted; projects around cultural identities, mainly for youngsters will be supported and local talent around heritage and memory will be promoted, among others.

The Ministry has earmarked over 500,000 dollars for the project that will be developed throughout this year.

As part of this project, it is also planned a binational book fair that will be carried out with Colombia’s Ministry of Culture.

Sylva announced that she would give a boost to the project “Reporters for peace” that invites youngsters to develop communal articles, reports or interviews on activities carried out by the inhabitants of this area. Journalistic works will also be done with indigenous communities and in the fields of heritage and memory local histories told by local inhabitants will be projected through videos.

“Everything is related to culture of peace”, highlighted the Minister when she mentioned that the effort will be boosted by the fact that in the border not only will be working the Ministry of Culture, but also the ministries of Security, Education, Sports and Economic and Social Inclusion, among others.

To start developing this project, that will benefit 50.000 people, Sylvia will travel today to Esmeraldas and next week to Carchi and Sucumbíos.

http://feeds.univision.com/feeds/article/2012-03-27/ecuador-suma-la-cultura-a