WORLD CULTURE FORUM AS AN INTERNATIONAL DIALOGUE PLATFORM
Where
Indonesia
When
2016
Who
Ministry of Education and Culture
Key objectives of the measure:
The World Culture Forum (WCF) held in Bali, Indonesia serves as a regular global forum for meaningful dialogues to challenge established thinking and identify solutions for embedding culture in sustainable development. The Forum is based on the need for a more visible and effective integration of culture into the development policies and strategies at all levels, as expressed during the UN General Assembly 2011, in particular, in the post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs). Key objectives of the Forum are:
- to generate an agreed international development agenda for culture with the view to harness diversity, promote peace, and contribute to development;
- to create a permanent space for dialogue and deliberations to challenge established thinking and identify solutions for embedding culture as part of sustainable development;
- to ensure that culture is prioritized in sustainable development policies and planning on a global, national, regional and local level;
- to strategically examine the role of culture in creating and strengthening the people-to-people relationship among countries and to promote cultural diversity, mutual understanding, dialogue and peace; and
- to strengthen collaboration among international and national stakeholders for the increased mainstreaming of culture into development strategies and programmes, and in the context of the United Nations.
Scope of the measure:
International
Nature of the measure:
financial, institutional
Main feature of the measure:
- The World Culture Forum is planned to be organized and hosted by the Government of Indonesia under the patronage of UNESCO every two to three years.
- The Forum’s objectives are aligned with recent global developments which signal a welcome trend toward the systematic integration of culture in development strategies and policies.
- This Forum brings together key stakeholders such as politicians, academicians, government officials, non-government officials, United Nations, development banks, business owners, and civil society.
- The first World Culture Forum was hosted in Bali, Indonesia from 23 to 27 November 2013 bringing together 1,360 delegates and performing artists from across 67 countries, 12 ministers of culture, ambassadors, and national representatives, as well as a number of NGO officials and cultural practitioners.
- A key element of the first World Culture Forum’s programme was six themed symposia that brought together experts to discuss and debate issues around culture for sustainable development, which included:
- Holistic Approaches to Culture in Development;
- Civil Society and Cultural Democracy;
- Creativity and Cultural Economics;
- Culture in Environmental Sustainability;
- Sustainable Urban Development; and
- Inter-Faith Dialogue and Community Building.
- The second World Culture Forum is scheduled to be held in Bali in October 2016 under the theme “Culture for an inclusive sustainable planet”, which will include a special Youth Forum as well as film screenings and festivals that will highlight contemporary expressions of creativity from Indonesia.
Results expected through the implementation of the measure:
- WCF hopes to become an important global platform shaping the global agenda around culture in development;
- Strengthened commitment – as detailed in the “Bali Promise”, a set of ten recommendations - to explicitly integrating the cultural dimension of development in all the Sustainable Development Goals including by:
- supporting the leadership of young people pursuing cultural endeavors;
- championing gender mainstreaming;
- strengthening partnerships between the public and private sectors;
- finding new modalities for the valuing and measuring of culture;
- fostering new participatory models promoting cultural democracy and social inclusion; and
- cultivating creativity and fostering development of cultural industries to alleviate poverty and promote economic and cultural empowerment; as well as
- Elaboration of the “Bali Promise” in Indonesian law to make it obligatory for successive governments to evolve into a measurable set of aims and concrete policies and programmes using an evidenced-based approach.
Financial resources allocated to implement the measure:
State Budget, in the sum of about USD 5,600,000 (approximated currency conversion from Indonesian Rupiah).
Main conclusions of the evaluation of the measure:
Overall, the first WCF in 2013 was considered a great success. Respondents also expressed:
- pleasure with the substance of the forum, including the opening keynote addresses, speakers and moderators, symposia contents, and the Bali Promise;
- pleasure with the supporting programs, including the Culture-based Film Festival, World Ethnic Music Festival, and Subak World Heritage Post WCF Tour; and
- pleasure with the various services and goods provided by the host; and
- strong support for the next WCF.
Indicators used to determine impact:
Number of participants;Number of countries represented;Support from well-recognized individuals and institutions, including UNESCO;Enactment of the Bali Promise; andMedia coverage of the Forum.
Area(s) of Monitoring
Cultural Domain(s)
Multi-domain