Mexico, Culture for Harmony
The program whose main purpose is to promote culture as a factor of social cohesion. It was formally implemented in 2015 and aligns with other programs in this sector focused on governability, social development, tourism and foreign; with the objective of rebuilding the cohesion and social fabric that has been damaged in certain regions of the country – due to insecurity, exclusion, and violence - through art and culture
It has four core ideas: a) Creative time that tries to expand the artistic and cultural offer, creating places where communities can interact; b) Art in harmony that seeks to integrate children and youth in artistic groups with an educational approach; c) Living cultures that aim at strengthening identity dignity, favor the good practices for safeguarding the Intangible Cultural Heritage, and supporting creators and projects with financial benefit communities; d) Wind Rose is focused on a cultural effort model in high-marginalization urban areas.
This program's coordination and implementation is done via the General Department of Popular Culture (DGCP), with the help of the state institutions of culture, the participation of non-profit organizations that have previously used culture to promote prevention, and through those involved working directly with the people in the communities.
The program works through that reflect the concerns of the population surveys and become cultural actions and projects. In addition, artists, scholars, groups and individuals from civil society involved in cultural actions take part in the program. The have carried out activities for all ages and all types of public.
The program seeks to articulate the public cultural sector, in community projects that address the specific needs of vulnerable groups.
In 2016, a budget of $2.3 million USD (around $38,000,000.00 MXN) was approved.
During the project’s first year, The Performing Arts Group was created in Tenancingo, Tlaxcala. This group works with young people whose personal situation does not allow them to approach to cultural expressions in the country. They receive workshops on different topics like theater, stage production, clown and puppets; with local support.
Other groups that stand out are the Photography Community Groups in San Pablo del Monte (Tlaxcala), Huetamo (Morelia, Michoacán) and Colonia Renacimiento (Acapulco, Guerrero), where children and young participants have presented their work in which they portray the reality they live in.
Only Michoacán plans to support 139 initiatives that will benefit municipalities from the state’s ten regions.