The ARCADE project aims to raise awareness about culture and development in Europe. By promoting the cultural and artistic identity of developing countries in Europe, ARCADE will also highlight that the respect of cultural diversity is a prerequisite for successful and sustainable development projects.

The project’s specific objectives for a two-year timeframe are:

1. To raise awareness about the role of culture in economic and social development;
2. To mobilize public support for cultural projects in the decentralised cooperation strategies of European development actors;
3. To promote cultural and creative industries in developing countries as vectors of sustainable development;
4. To systemise the respect of cultural diversity and sustainability in the elaboration of development and cultural programmes;
5. To encourage more balanced exchanges in cultural goods and services between European and developing countries.

ACTED – Agency for Technical Development and Cooperation
(Agence d’Aide à la Coopération Technique Et au Développement) 
www.acted.org

ACTED is an apolitical and non-confessional international relief agency created in 1993 in Afghanistan. As of today, ACTED is active in 20 countries and implements over 150 projects in 8 activity sectors each year. The three pillars of ACTED’s activity and structure are: emergency relief/development aid (ACTED); Microfinance (OXUS Development Network); Culture (BACTRIA Foundation). The 3 axes of ACTED’s cultural activities are: Past (heritage protection, etc.); Present (support to local cultural life); and Future (socio-economic initiatives: handicrafts and ecotourism).

Culture is thus an essential pillar of ACTED’s integrated approach to development. Cultural actions help guarantee the autonomy and sustainability of ACTED’s projects and the self-empowerment of beneficiary populations. ACTED’s cultural activities are currently concentrated in Tadjikistan, Serbia and Afghanistan, notably the creation of 2 cultural centres in Dushanbe and Kraljevo.

ARCADE is the first project that ACTED will implement in Europe. With this project, ACTED hopes to increase its visibility in Europe and also elaborate an action plan on culture and development.

ENTP - European New Towns Platform
(Plate-forme Européenne des Villes Nouvelles et de périphérie urbaine qui connaissent une forte croissance)
www.newtowns.net

ENTP is the European organisation representing New Towns. Founded in 2001, the organization is now a strong network of 26 members and 8 partners from 10 European countries. Its members are local governments from European New Towns and its partners are research centres.

ENTP acts as a platform to exchange information, share good practices and implement common projects. At the European level, the organisation works as an advocacy body to represent New Towns, promote them and strengthen their role on a regional and transnational level. ENTP has 3 priority themes: urban regeneration; social cohesion; and sustainable development.

The ARCADE project will build on the experience of ENTP’s members in international exchanges and decentralized cooperation programmes to promote the inclusion of a cultural component in this form of international development cooperation.

CIR –  Interdisciplinary Centre for Comparative Research in Social Sciences 
(Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherche Comparative en Sciences Sociales)  
www.iccr-international.org/cir

Founded in 2000, the CIR is a private research institute which aims to encourage interdisciplinarity and international comparisons.  The CIR makes use of several partnerships with French and European research institutes as well as with local authorities.

The CIR’s research areas are focussed around 4 thematic poles: public and political spaces; identities and conflicts; the welfare state and public services; and science and technology research policies. Other CIR activities include organising research seminars and conferences and proposing training sessions or expert counsel to administrations or businesses.

BARCELONA
Seminar on “Culture and Conflict Prevention”
September 5^th 2007, Barcelona

This seminar aims to analyse the role of culture in peace building and to promote and diffuse “best practices” related to culture within conflict prevention strategies.

Considering that there cannot be development if there is no peace, this meeting should tackle issues such as the necessity to use culture and the arts, not only as remedies for patching up war wounds, but also as instruments for avoiding further conflict. What are examples of intercultural projects that encourage dialogue and confidence-building measures among communities, long before the first signs of a conflict become apparent? What are the relevant policies and practices of local authorities, both on their territory and in their international cooperation?

The contributions will be ensured by representatives of local authorities, NGOs and International Organisations, all actors of intercultural dialogue and conflict prevention.

For more information, please contact: arcade@acted.org

Download Agenda

Download Registration form

Download Press release

Download Comunicado de prensa

Evaluation Form

Link to the conference on 'the role of local governments in peace building', September 6-7, Barcelona

ZOETERMEER
Seminar on “Culture, social cohesion and integration challenges”
December 13-14 2007, Zoetermeer, the Netherlands

Seminar Overview
Recent studies confirm that culture and cultural policies constitute an important factor of social cohesion and integration, and an incentive for the future. Whether in cities, rural areas or regions, culture has become an essential component in the quality of life, a source of revenue and a “creativity lever” for new goods and services as well as a tool for social integration.

The 2nd ARCADE Seminar brought together actors of culture and social development from various backgrounds (including representatives of local authorities, NGOs, foundations, universities, international organisations as well as artists and cultural practitioners.) The objective was to exchange the latest ideas and practices on culture as it relates to social cohesion and integration challenges in both rural/urban and developed/developing environments.

45 actors in the field of development and/or culture attended the Zoetermeer Seminar, part of them having also taken part to the Barcelona Seminar. The presence side by side of experienced participants to ACTED’s Seminars and of newcomers enabled the debate to be rooted in the conclusions of the first Seminar, while tackling the issues from renewed standpoints.

This seminar addressed the following topics:

• Arts and culture as social development tools. Culture and cultural policies constitute an important factor of social cohesion and integration, and an incentive for the future. Whether in cities, rural areas or regions, culture has become an essential component in the quality of life, a source of revenue and a “creativity lever” for new goods and services, it can also be an important tool for integration and social cohesion in both urban and rural environments.
• National cohesion – shared values traditions and symbols
• Media role in fostering social cohesion
• Internet and the new social communication medium

The Seminar was dedicated to the presentation of good practices by the organisations in charge of their implementation in developing countries and then in Europe.

Cultural projects fostering integration and social cohesion in developing countries. Good practices of cultural projects for integration and social cohesion in developing countries including:

• culture as a tool for cohesion between rural and urban identities
• mainstreaming cultural diversity in development projects
• acceptance of integration processes through cultural actions
• developing a role for locally led third sector organisations

The following topics and good practices were discussed:

• Impact of a systematic cultural programme on the social cohesion agenda in African local communities”, with the example of Mozambique. The case study focused on the success of Mozart Center, a multidisciplinary house hosting a vocational training program for young street people, and having the objectives: recognize street youth, evaluate their skills, and engage them in global training.
• “Cultural cooperation as a tool for civil society development and social cohesion: evidences from closed regimes”: special attention was paid to cultural practices and initiatives in closed regimes and especially in Uzbekistan and in Burma.

Cultural projects fostering integration and social cohesion in Europe. Good practices of cultural projects for integration and social cohesion in Europe including:

• the integration of minorities through cultural projects
• managing cultural diversity in society
• cities as a locus for civic engagement

The following topics and good practices were discussed:

• “Cities and Artists: developing international cultural projects together?”
• “Zinneke Parade”, a city project - About the Brussels (im)possibility of intercultural action. This presentation showcased the need to focus on the smallest entity for cultural development when the political and social context are complex (in the case of Brussels and of Belgium).
• Embedding culture in local and regional policy, Culture South East’s example in UK tackled the idea that culture should be also embedded in global policies.
• Experiences of European New Towns: Culture and social cohesion in European New Towns, illustrated by a presentation on the Zoetermeer Museum, towards a centre of civic dialogue and of social cohesion.
• “Earth dancers”, promotion of social cohesion and development in Greece.

Two working groups were also organised to discuss a case study on the artistic projects and social cohesion in the North of France, and to reflect on the role of innovative tools as means of social cohesion.

The participants and speakers made the following conclusions and recommendations:

• Emphasize culture as a basis for economic and political process.
• Revise notion of “culture” as only an economic aspect (cinema, theatre), it should go beyond art and tradition.
• Take into account the global environment of a culture, its habits and traditions.
• Research, explore local communities in order to improve the existing policies.
• Promote solidarity (developed and developing countries).
• Culture as a source of unity and diversity.
• Encourage international culture dialogue by promoting tolerance and understanding.
• Act on a local level, explore the neighbourhood, and foster the communication there.
• Try to generate evidence, as they are requested by authorities to prove that culture and sports enrich life.
• Create a balanced territorial development.
• Use icons of history, and new monuments, statues, architecture as symbols and part of a new urban culture.
• Museums should be transformed to a platform for discussions, intercultural dialogue.
• There is a need for culture; we need to define space to express our differences. It is not about consensus, but about diversity.

The Zoetermeer Seminar provided good opportunities for people to network and relate on the topic at stake and their professional projects, thus reinforcing the scope of the core group of key actors in the field of culture and development related to the ARCADE Project formed in Barcelona.

Crafts Exhibition Organized in Parallel to the Seminar
The exhibition aimed at sensitizing the wider public about local production, its impact in terms of poverty alleviation and economic development, and fair trade success stories as a tool to achieve more balance in the global exchange of cultural goods. The exhibition presented innovative ways to include traditional techniques and patterns in handicraft adapted to modern lifestyle and contemporary markets.

For more information on the Seminar, please refer to the Final Report of the Seminar (available by clicking here).

Downloads:
Download the Final Report
Download the programme
Download Press release

Call For Papers

For more information, please contact: arcade(at)acted.org

STALOWA WOLA & KRAKOW
Seminar on “Preservation of Cultural Heritage and Community Building ”
May 28th-30th 2008, Stalowa Wola & Krakow, Poland

ARCADE Seminar - Session in Krakow - May 30th 2008

Seminar Overview
The Seminar brought together actors of culture and social development from various backgrounds (including representatives of local authorities, NGOs, foundations, research centers, universities, international organisations as well as artists and cultural practitioners.) The objective was to exchange the latest ideas and practices on culture and heritage preservation as it relates to community development in both developed/developing environments.

The conference on Preservation of Cultural Heritage and Local Community Development which took place in the cities of Stalowa Wola and Krakow (Poland), from May 28 th to May 30 th, May brought academics, intellectuals, artists, researchers, representatives of local authorities, local students and NGO workers together to discuss the relationship between history, identity and memory in an attempt to build upon different experiences and perspectives in such a way that would encourage a better understanding of the relationship between these issues.

Based on analysis and case studies (cultural projects related to heritage preservation and local community development in Europe and in developing countries), presentations and discussions addressed the following topics:

• Community Development through Cultural Resources
• Tangible and intangible heritage: policies and practices
• Ethnographies of Development: “Good Practices”
• The impact of cultural projects on development
• Usable Pasts: History and Ritual
• Loss and Recovery: Memory, Amnesia, Nostalgia
  

ARCADE Seminar - Session in Stalowa Wola - May 29th 2008

Conclusion

The presentations throughout the conference addressed different issues highlighting which aspects of memory are considered important today. The best way perhaps of documenting the progress that the presentations inspired would be to recall some of the responses and questions that they inspired. Of particular interest through out the presentation was the notion, for example, that collectives and individuals had a right to remember the past, however, the contrary question was posed: Do we also have the right to forget the past? While no conclusive answer was attained from this discussion, the question did present the idea that the right to forget seems to be determined by historical and cultural conditions that create conditions conducive to forgetting, although the general connotation of such efforts were negative. Further, the relationship between heritage and development was problematized by those who felt that culture could not be degraded into a marketing tool only. The ethical question of whether it is right to have a museum just so tourists can provide an economic boost to a locality was discussed extensively. On a similar note, the discussion of heritage pointed out that certain memories and certain traditions are remembered while others are not. How does one choose what is worth being preserved, and taking that point further if a certain narrative hinders development are we then obliged to let it die? The questions that were posed, while not always accompanied with an answer, did however provide insight on the different interpretations that participants had on similar issues. The different opinions that arose, did however highlight the important impact that bringing together different perspectives has on building a greater understanding of the relationship between culture and development.

For more information on the Seminar, please refer to the Final Report of the Seminar (available by clicking here)

Downloads:
Download the Final Report
Download the programme
Download the programme in Polish
Call For Papers
Call for Case Study

Please find an introduction to the notion of heritage (presentation by Gábor Soós, Secretariat of the Hungarian World Heritage Commission)
Communities in a new heritage paradigm (?): The case of/for the UNESCO “Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage” (2003)

Elise Féron, Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Lille, France : "Globalization and Identity: the impact of globalization on identity claims and cultural transformations in Europe" (Keynote Lecture)

Presentation by Annie Tubaji : Sustainability Criteria as a Constraint for the Optimization of the Production Function of Culture

Presentation by Katarzyna Sztop-Rutkowska, Katarzyna Niziołek, Radosław Poczykowski, Białystok, Poland: Can “Their” past become “Our” History? Rediscovering the Jewish past of Podlasie

Elzbieta Okraska, Krakow Institute of Urban Development, Poland: Kazimierz, A District of Krakow and a new image as a result of the activity of local people

With the support of the Municipality of Stalowa Wola

For more information on the Seminar, please contact us at arcade[at]acted.org

Email: arcade@acted.org 

ACTED

33, rue Godot de Mauroy
75009 Paris, France

Tel : +33 1 42 65 33 33
Fax : +33 1 42 65 33 46

ENTP

Rue du Canal 63-65
1000 Brussels, Belgium

Tel: +32 22 17 97 42
Fax: +32 22 17 97 48

CIR

41, rue Amilcar Cipriani
93400 St-Ouen, France

Tel : +33 1 49 21 20 80
Fax : +33 1 40 12 19 38