The meeting of the MERCOSUR Commission on Cultural Diversity finished on 11 September in Paraguay being the first meeting under the Presidency Pro Tempore of Paraguay. The focal points of States parties and other partners, agreed that the main challenge is to find a common understanding on the concept of diversity and form a working system in the region.
This is the fourth meeting of the committee under the Mercosur Cultural, of which Paraguay is president pro tempore until December. It was led by the Director General of Diversity and Cultural Processes of the National Secretariat of Culture (SNC) of Paraguay, Zulma Masi.
Teresita Silvero, Director of National and International Cooperation of the National Secretariat of Culture (CNS) presented the general guidelines of the pro-tempore presidency. She referred also to the work on encouraging coordination and cooperation with other stakeholders, such as the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR).
During the meeting, representatives of each country discussed the concept of cultural diversity and other concepts such as multiculturalism, rights perspectives, culture, networking and development. The conclusions will be included in a document that will be prepared in the coming months and then presented during the pro-tempore presidency of Uruguay the following year.
The meeting was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Education and Culture, the Secretariat of Linguistic Policy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who shared their experiences and future actions in this area. Also, a space was allocated to the directors of the National Council of Culture (CONCULTURA), who represent different areas of diversity, in order for them to provide an overview of the situation from the point of view of the civil society. Also, the Paraguayan delegation informed about public policies relating to indigenous peoples.
Zulma Masi said that diversity is a complex issue and therefore must be worked very carefully at the regional level. "We hope to develop an understanding on the concept to be translated into a work plan with specific axes around the various diversities" she said.