As efforts are being made to improve the governance of cultural policies in developing countries through UNESCO programs and other intergovernmental agencies such as the International Organization of La Francophonie (running four-year pilot projects on capacity-building for cultural governance in Senegal, Burkina Faso, Gabon and Niger), cultural practitioners and activists are asking some very basic questions. What conditions need to be met for participatory governance to be equitable and trustworthy? Why volunteer to set-up and run a trade association or sit on a peer jury when I have a hard time making a decent living out of my own practice? How much time will I be required to devote to this? How can I be sure that my efforts will not be vain?
The question of participatory governance is also of high relevance to the implementation of the Convention in developed countries. Are policies and programs in compliance with the Convention’s principles and, most importantly, are they being applied in a way that genuinely protects and promotes the diversity of cultural expressions? Program delivery through appropriate governance is as important, if not more, than the policies and guidelines it is meant to serve.
It is for these very reasons that a survey of current practices in the governance of public funding institutions of arts and culture was undertaken; the results of which could serve as a practical guide.
To read the guide, please click here.