Title: Putting culture first. Commonwealth perspectives on culture and development.

Author(s): Commonwealth Foundation

Organisation(s): Commonwealth Foundation

Categories: Arts, culture and society, Arts, culture and the economy

Objectives: To explore the key ways in which culture is linked to development in Commonwealth countries; to examine the role of the Commonwealth in this process.

Key Findings: Recognition of and support for the potential for niche markets to be developed based on the creative industries is particularly important for the many small states of the Commonwealth. Culture can be used as a tool in development interventions, for instance to help communicate key health or government messages, to break down taboos and to reach audiences that might otherwise be inaccessible. At the same time, nurturing a genuine respect and understanding for other cultures and world views can be critical to transferring power into the hands of people through participatory development. Support for a creative environment, in which cultural expression flourishes and in which people can hear voices from their own cultures, can contribute to social cohesiveness, as well as helping individuals negotiate with confidence amongst the multiple aspects of their identity. Cultural expression can help foster respect and understanding between individuals and groups with different identities, and help resolve conflict. Cultural civil society and creators can act as a positive force to help societies resolve crises and come to terms with historical experiences. In periods of repression, cultural practitioners and creators can be agents for social change and justice.

Methods: Extensive consultation, involving face to face interviews with over 100 government and civil society representatives; national and regional consultations with different sectors in Barbados, New Zealand, South Africa and Trinidad and Tobago; consultations with the Commonwealth Foundation's Civil Society Advisory Committee, Commonwealth diplomats in the UK, practitioners working in the field of HIV and AIDS and at the Congress of the International Federation of Musicians; Distribution of questionnaires on culture and development among senior representatives of government, cultural CSOs, development CSOs and academia, resulting in 201 reactions; case studies, carried out to explore some of the illustrative connections outlined between culture and development in greater depth.