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UNESCO World Report

Investing in Cultural Diversityand InterculturalDialogue

Executivesummary

UNESCO World Report

Investing in CulturalDiversity andInterculturalDialogue

Introduction 1

PART I – Cultural Diversity: What is at Stake? 5

Chapter 1: CULTURAL DIVERSITYCultural diversity in a globalizing world 6National, religious, cultural and multiple identities 7 Regional and international initiatives 8

Chapter 2: INTERCULTURAL DIALOGUECultural interactions 9Cultural stereotypes and intolerance 9The challenges of dialogue in a multicultural world 9Empowerment 10

PART II – Key Vectors of Cultural Diversity 11

Chapter 3: LANGUAGESLanguage dynamics today 12Languages and identities 13The challenges of language assessment and revitalization 13Multilingualism, translation and intercultural dialogue 14

Chapter 4: EDUCATIONThe relevance of educational methods and contents 15Learning societies and the right to education 16Participatory learning and intercultural competencies 17

Chapter 5: COMMUNICATION AND CULTURAL CONTENTS

Globalization and new media trends 18Impacts of communication and cultural products 19Policies fostering cultural diversity 20

Chapter 6: CREATIVITY AND THE MARKETPLACEArtistic creation and the creative economy 20Crafts and international tourism 21Cultural diversity and the business world 22

PART III – Renewing International Strategies related to Development and Peace 23

Chapter 7: CULTURAL DIVERSITY: A KEY DIMENSION OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

The cultural approach to development 24Perceptions of poverty and poverty eradication 25Cultural diversity and environmental sustainability 26

Chapter 8: CULTURAL DIVERSITY, HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE

Cultural diversity and universally recognized human rights 27Cultural diversity: A parameter of social cohesion 28The challenge of cultural diversity for democratic

governance 29

Conclusion 31Recommendations 34

Executivesummary

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Photography

Cover (main): © James Hardy/ZenShui/Corbis Inside cover-1: © Mihai-Bogdan Lazar 1: © Sven Torfinn / Panos 2-3: © Jacob Silberberg / Panos 2a: © T. Fernández 2b: © F. Brugman / UNESCO 3: © Jack Stein / Photo Edit4a: © Jocelyn Carlin / Panos 4b: © Rick Lord 5: © Robert Churchill 6a: © Instituto Nacional de Cultura /

Dante Villafuerte 6b: © Commission nationale Centrafricaine

et Ministere de la jeunesse et dessports, arts et culture

6c: © Karim Hesham 7a: © Gerd Ludwig / Panos 7b: © Renato S. Rastrollo / NCCA -ICH /

UNESCO7c: © Penny Tweedie 8a: © Jochem Wijnands / Alamy 8b: © Alfredo D'Amato / Panos 9a: © Markus Winkel 9b: © Linda Wang 9c: © Luiz Santoz / UNESCO 9d: © Hasim Syah 10: © Mila Santova

11: © Jacob Silberberg / Panos 12a: © Ahmed Ben Ismaïl 12b: © Kyrgyz National Commission for

UNESCO 13a: © Chris Stowers / Panos 13b: © iStockphoto 13c: © Nando Machado 14a: © PjrFoto / studio / Alamy14b: © Gary Calton / Panos 15a: © Katy Anis/UNESCO 15b: © Justin Mott/UNESCO 16: © R. Taurines/UNESCO 17a: © Manoocher/UNESCO/Webistan 17b: © Jean Cliclac 17c: © Joseph Fisco 18a: © E.J. Baumeister Jr / Alamy 18b: © Danny Yanai / Alamy19a: © Ugurhan Betin Brkovic 19b: © G.M.B. Akash / Panos 20: © Jeff Ulrich 21a: © Laurent Renault 21b: © J.Ségur / UNESCO 21c: © Susan van Etten / Photo Edit 22a: © iStockphoto 22b: © Fréderic Sampson 22c: © Matjaz Boncina 22d: © Dieter Telemans / Panos

23: © Klaus Claudia Dewald 24: © QiangBa DanZhen 25a: © iStockphoto 25b: © Alfredo D'Amato / Panos 25c: © Yannis Kontos / Polaris / Panos 26a: © Christine Gonsalves 26b: © Randy Plett 27: © Mikkel Ostergaard / Panos 28: © Mlenny 29a: © John Woodworth 29b: © iStockphoto 29c: © iStockphoto 30: © Alex Ramsay / Alamy 31: © Brasil2 32a: © Pontuse 32b: © Alan Tobey 33: © Marc Sosaar 34: © Diego Féliz 36: © Nigel Pavitt / Alamy

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IntroductionCultural diversity has emerged as a key concern at the turn of a new century. Yet the meanings attached tothis catch-all term are as varied as they are shifting. Some see cultural diversity as inherently positive, insofaras it points to a sharing of the wealth embodied in each of the world’s cultures and, accordingly, to the linksuniting us all in processes of exchange and dialogue. For others, cultural differences are what cause us to losesight of our common humanity and are therefore at the root of numerous conflicts. This second diagnosis istoday all the more plausible since globalization has increased the points of interaction and friction betweencultures, giving rise to identity-linked tensions, withdrawals and claims, particularly of a religious nature,which can become potential sources of dispute. The essential challenge, therefore, would be to propose acoherent vision of cultural diversity and thereby to clarify how, far from being a threat, it can becomebeneficial to the action of the international community. This is the essential purpose of the present report.

A UNESCO World ReportIn line with UNESCO’s conviction of the inherent value and necessity of the ‘fruitful diversity of the world’s cultures’, asinscribed in its Constitution (1945), the objectives of the World Report on Cultural Diversity are:

● to analyze cultural diversity in all its aspects by attempting to show the complexity of the processes at work while atthe same time identifying a main thread among the wide range of possible interpretations;

● to show the importance of cultural diversity in different areas (languages, education, communication and creativity),which, their intrinsic functions apart, may be seen as essential for the safeguarding and promotion of culturaldiversity; and

● to persuade decision-makers and the various stakeholders of the importance of investing in cultural diversity as anessential dimension of intercultural dialogue, since it can renew our approaches to sustainable development, ensurethe effective exercise of universally recognized human rights and freedoms, and strengthen social cohesion anddemocratic governance.

J A monk in Osaka, Japan

I The front of a small shopin Naivasha, Kenya


The World Report aims to take account of the newperspectives opened up by reflection on the challengesof cultural diversity and thereby to map out newapproaches to monitoring and shaping the changes thatare taking place. Thus, the World Report does not seek toprovide ready-made solutions to the problems liable toconfront decision-makers. Rather, it aims to underline thecomplexity of these problems, which cannot be solvedby political will alone but usually call for betterunderstanding of the underlying phenomena andgreater international cooperation, particularly throughthe exchange of good practices and the adoption ofcommon guidelines.

The World Report does not claim to offer a globalinventory of cultural diversity, established on the basis ofavailable indicators in the manner of UNESCO’s Educationfor All (EFA) Global Monitoring Reports. While the WorldReport does include a Statistical Annex made up of 19tables spanning the cultural domains, as well as achapter devoted to methodological considerations,compiled in close cooperation with the UNESCOInstitute for Statistics (UIS) in Montreal, the developmentof indicators in the field of cultural diversity is only justbeginning. For the purposes of such an inventory, itwould have been necessary to carry out, with theagreement of UNESCO’s Member States, a truly globalenquiry into cultural diversity – a task that would haverequired far greater resources than those allocated to thepresent report, but that could one day be undertaken bya World Observatory on Cultural Diversity, whosecreation this report recommends.

UNESCO hopes in this way to play a part in the recentrenewal of thinking on cultural diversity, in keeping withits work in the 1950s and the conclusions of Our CreativeDiversity, the report of the World Commission on Cultureand Development (1996). In the text entitled Race andHistory written in 1952 for UNESCO, the Frenchanthropologist Claude Lévi-Strauss argued that theprotection of cultural diversity should not be confined topreservation of the status quo: it is ‘diversity itself whichmust be saved, not the outward and visible form inwhich each period has clothed that diversity’. Protectingcultural diversity in this view means ensuring thatdiversity continues to exist, not that a given state ofdiversity should perpetuate itself indefinitely. Thispresupposes the capacity to accept and sustain culturalchange, while not regarding it as an edict of fate. The

report of the World Commission on Culture andDevelopment had argued along similar lines that culturaldiversity is not simply an asset to be preserved but aresource to be promoted, with particular regard to itspotential benefits, including in areas relatively distantfrom culture in the narrow sense. The present reportseeks to build upon the earlier report’s main conclusions.

In recent years, the arguments UNESCO has developed inits thinking on cultural diversity have been taken up by asignificant number of programmes and agencies in theUnited Nations and Bretton Woods institutions. TheWorld Bank, for example, has on several occasionsfollowed UNESCO’s lead in the context of the WorldDecade on Culture and Development (1988–1997) in itsenquiries into the links between culture anddevelopment. The United Nations DevelopmentProgramme (UNDP) and the United Nations EnvironmentProgramme (UNEP) have likewise published importantreports. Subsequently, the Report of the High-levelGroup for the Alliance of Civilizations has givenunprecedented prominence to initiatives promotingdialogue between peoples, cultures and civilizations. Thepresent report is also intended to contribute to thethinking and studies of UNESCO’s partner programmesand agencies, particularly with regard to development.

2 . I N V E S T I N G I N C U L T U R A L D I V E R S I T Y A N D I N T E R C U L T U R A L D I A L O G U E

LL A billboard advertisinga mobile telephoneoperator in Nigeria

L A Berber festival in theSahara Desert of SouthernMorocco

J Zápara woman weaving,Ecuador / Peru

I South Pacific man


What is cultural diversity?Cultural diversity is above all a fact: there exists a widerange of distinct cultures, which can be readilydistinguished on the basis of ethnographic observation,even if the contours delimiting a particular culture provemore difficult to establish than might at first sightappear. Awareness of this diversity has today becomemuch more widespread, being facilitated by globalizedcommunications and increased cultural contacts. Whilethis greater awareness in no way guarantees thepreservation of cultural diversity, it has given the topicgreater visibility.

Cultural diversity has moreover become a major socialconcern, linked to the growing diversity of social codeswithin and between societies. Confronted by thisdiversity of practices and outlooks, States sometimes findthemselves at a loss to know how to respond, often as amatter of urgency, or how to take account of culturaldiversity in the common interest. To contribute to thedevising of specific responses, this report seeks to provide a framework for renewed understanding of thechallenges inherent in cultural diversity, by identifyingsome of the theoretical and political difficulties that itinevitably entails.

A first difficulty has to do with the specifically culturalnature of this form of diversity. Many societies haverecourse to various proxies, particularly ethnic orlinguistic characterizations, to take account of theircultural heterogeneity. The first challenge will thereforebe to examine the different policies pursued withoutlosing sight of our topic, which is cultural diversity andnot the proxies to which it is sometimes reduced. Onesolution would be to adopt the broadest possibledefinition of culture, along the lines of the consensusembodied in UNESCO’s 1982 Mexico City Declaration onCultural Policies, which defined culture as the ‘wholecomplex of distinctive spiritual, material, intellectual andemotional features that characterize a society or socialgroup’ including ‘not only the arts and letters, but alsomodes of life, the fundamental rights of the humanbeing, value systems, traditions and beliefs’. This has themerit of neither adopting an excessively restrictivedefinition of culture nor focusing on a particular aspect(e.g. religion) in order to define a culture.

I N T R O D U C T I O N . 3

Cultural diversity isnot simply an assetto be preserved buta resource to bepromoted...including in areasrelatively distantfrom culture in thenarrow sense


Another difficulty concerns the identification of theconstituents of cultural diversity. In this connection, theterms ‘culture’, ‘civilization’ and ‘peoples’ have differentconnotations depending on context, for examplescientific or political. Whereas ‘cultures’ refers to entitiesthat tend to be defined in relation to one another, theterm ‘civilization’ refers to cultures that affirm their valuesor worldviews as universal and adopt an expansionistapproach towards those that do not (or do not yet) sharethem. It is therefore a very real challenge to attempt topersuade the different centres of civilization to coexistpeacefully. As conceived by UNESCO – a conceptionremote from those ideological constructions that predicta ‘clash of civilizations’ – ‘civilization’ is to be understoodas work in progress, as the accommodation of each ofthe world’s cultures, on the basis of equality, in anongoing universal project.

A third difficulty concerns the relationship of cultures tochange. For it took almost seven decades of the 20th

century before cultures started to be understood asshifting entities. Previously, there was a tendency to viewthem as essentially fixed, their content being ‘transmitted’between generations through a variety of channels, suchas education or initiatory practices of various kinds. Today,culture is increasingly understood as a process wherebysocieties evolve along pathways that are specific to them.The concept of difference aptly captures this particular

dynamic, whereby culture changes while remaining thesame. What is needed, then, is to define policies that give apositive slant to these ‘cultural differences’ so that groupsand individuals that come into contact, rather than with -drawing into closed identities, discover in this ‘difference’an incentive for continuing to evolve and change.

These considerations argue in favour of a new approachto cultural diversity – one that takes account of itsdynamic nature and the challenges of identity associatedwith the permanence of cultural change. This necessarilyentails substantial changes to UNESCO’s role in thiscontext. For whereas the Organization’s longstandingconcern has been with the conservation andsafeguarding of endangered cultural sites, practices andexpressions, it must now also learn to sustain culturalchange in order to help individuals and groups tomanage diversity more effectively. For this ultimately isthe major challenge: managing diversity.

4

What is needed is anew approach tocultural diversitywhich takesaccount of itsdynamic natureand the challengesof identityassociated withcultural change

I A billboard on Suva'smain street, Fiji

L A man playing a trumpetin the old French Quarter ofNew Orleans, US

I Women practising atraditional dance inShanghai, China


PART I:

Cultural Diversity:What is at Stake? In the context of globalization and

increasing migration and

urbanization, the interrelated

challenges of preserving cultural

identity and promoting intercultural

dialogue assume a new prominence

and urgency. The World Report

begins by considering the impact of

accelerating globalization processes

on the different facets of cultural

diversity, highlighting the way in

which strong homogenizing forces

are matched by persistent

diversifying trends. The report goes

on to examine the essential role of

intercultural dialogue in bridging

cultural differences, while nurturing

the diversity of cultural expressions

through processes of mutual

interaction, support and

empowerment.


Chapter 1: Cultural diversity

Cultural diversity in a globalizing worldWhile cultural erosion has become an issue of globalconcern in light of the perceived impact oftechnologically mediated Western paradigms, theassociation of globalization with standardization andcultural homogenization is often overstated. Trade andcultural transfer invariably involve processes ofadaptation and, in an increasingly complex andinteractive international environment, do not usuallytake place unilaterally. Moreover, cultural roots rundeep and in many cases lie beyond the reach ofexogenous influences. In this sense, globalization isbest seen as a multidimensional and multidirectionalprocess involving accelerated and increased flows ofvirtually everything – capital, commodities,information, ideas, beliefs, people – along constantlyevolving axes.

Generally speaking, the globalization of internationalexchanges is leading to the integration of a diversity ofmulticultural exchanges in almost all national contexts,paralleling and nurturing the trend towards multiplecultural affiliations and a ‘complexification’ of culturalidentities. This is not to ignore, however, the negativeimpacts of globalizing forces on the diversity of culturalpractices.

One of the main effects of globalization is to attenuatethe link between a cultural phenomenon and itsgeographic location by transporting distant events,influences and experiences into our immediate vicinity.In some cases, such attenuation is experienced as asource of opportunity; in others, as a loss of certainty andidentity. A parallel phenomenon is the growth ininternational migration, which is leading in some casesto novel cultural expressions, demonstrating thatdiversity is ever in the making. The growth in the numberof international tourists is another phenomenon withpotentially significant impacts on cultural diversity. Whilesuch tourism is to some extent self-contained and itsconsequences ambiguous for local populations, itsoutcome in terms of greater knowledge andunderstanding of differing cultural environments andpractices would seem self-evidently positive.

Our increasing intercultural contacts are also giving riseto new forms of cultural diversity and linguistic practices,particularly due to advances in digital technology. Thus,rather than attempting to preserve diversity in all itsforms, the focus should be on devising new strategiesthat take account of such changes while enablingvulnerable populations to ‘manage’ cultural change moreeffectively. Every living tradition is subject to continualself-reinvention. Cultural diversity, like cultural identity, isabout innovation, creativity and receptiveness to newinfluences.

6 . P A R T I C U L T U R A L D I V E R S I T Y : W H A T I S A T S T A K E ?

L Weavers on TaquileIsland, Lake Titicaca, Peru

I The polyphonic singingand dancing of the AkaPygmies of central Africa

J Group of tourists in frontof the Giza sphinx in Egypt


National, religious, cultural and multiple identitiesThe question of identities – national, cultural, religious,ethnic, linguistic, gender-based or consumer-based – isassuming renewed importance for individuals andgroups who see globalization and cultural change as athreat to their beliefs and ways of life. The growingtensions over identity, which are often the result of aculturalization of political claims, are in contradiction witha more general trend towards the emergence of dynamicand multifaceted identities. Political activism related toreligious identity can serve as a powerful marker ofcultural identity and difference. In this context, there is arisk of religious conviction being instrumentalized for thefurtherance of political and related agendas, with thepotential for precipitating intra-religious conflict as well asdissensions within democratic societies.

There has been a tendency to equate cultural diversitywith the diversity of national cultures. Yet nationalidentity is to some extent a construction, grounded in asometimes reconstructed past and providing a focus forour sense of commonality. Cultural identity is a morefluid, self-transforming process, to be seen less in termsof a past inheritance than of a future project. In aglobalizing world, cultural identities often derive frommultiple sources; the increasing plasticity of culturalidentities reflects the growing complexity of theglobalized flows of people, goods and information.

In a multicultural context, some people will choose toadopt a particular form of identity, others to live in a dualmode, and still others to create for themselves hybrididentities. Many contemporary novelists have beendrawn to the theme of migrants confronted by a newcultural environment and faced with the challenge offashioning new cultural identities. Generally speaking,the blurring of boundaries in the context of globalizationhas favoured the emergence of a nomadic spirit, whichcan be seen as the new horizon of contemporarycultural experimentation.

C U L T U R A L D I V E R S I T Y . 7

There is a generaltrend towardsdynamic andmultifacetedidentities in thecontext ofglobalization,which is favouringthe emergence of anomadic spirit

Chapter 1: Cultural diversity

L The Hudhud chanting ofthe Ifugao in the Philippines

l An elderly woman inSurgut, Russia

L Aboriginal elder usesmobile phone, centralAustralia


Regional and international initiativesIn a world marked increasingly by the intermingling ofcultures, efforts to safeguard the manifestations ofcultural diversity assume particular importance fornational governments as well as for the internationalcommunity. In domains as varied as tangible heritage,intangible heritage, cultural expressions, culturalexchanges and the illicit traffic in cultural goods, theagreements and standard-setting activities at regionaland international levels have sought to protect andpromote some of the key tokens of cultural diversity andmarkers of cultural identity. UNESCO, in keeping with itsmandate within the UN, has played a leading role in theformulation, promotion and implementation of many ofthese normative and other instruments.

The development that leads from the 1954 HagueConvention for the Protection of Cultural Property in theEvent of Armed Conflict, through the 1970 Convention onthe Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import,Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property, the1972 Convention Concerning the Protection of the WorldCultural and Natural Heritage, and the 2001 Convention onthe Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage to the

2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the IntangibleCultural Heritage reflects a progressive extension of theconcept of cultural heritage, increasingly understood toinclude not only the material expressions of the world’sdiverse cultures but also their intangible manifestations,including oral traditions, performing arts and traditionalknow-how. In parallel, there has been a shift of emphasisfrom an implicit ranking of World Heritage sites (deemed‘of outstanding universal value’) to a concern forhighlighting exemplars of the intangible heritage thatprovide its repositories with a sense of identity andcontinuity. The development reflects a dual movement:one leads to the recognition of a ‘common heritage’ thatthe international community has a duty to safeguard asthe expression of a common human inheritance; theother leads to the recognition of the specificities ofcultures, which, though they may be fluctuating andtransitory in nature, must be valued and recognized intheir own right.

A new era has begun in the exploration of the conceptof cultural diversity with the adoption in 2001 of theUniversal Declaration on Cultural Diversity and in 2005 ofthe complementary Convention on the Protection andPromotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions. Inaddressing the exchanges between the cultures thatconstitute our universal heritage, the 2005 Conventionaims to preserve the specificities of cultures whilepromoting their development on a global scale throughinteraction and commercialization.

Indeed, culture has two meanings, which are differentyet wholly complementary. Firstly, culture is the creativediversity embodied in particular ‘cultures’, with theirunique traditions and tangible and intangibleexpressions. Secondly, culture (in the singular) refers tothe creative impulse at the heart of that diversity of‘cultures’. These two meanings of culture – one self-referential, the other self-transcending – are inextricablylinked and provide the key to the fruitful interaction of allpeoples in the context of globalization.

8 . P A R T I C U L T U R A L D I V E R S I T Y : W H A T I S A T S T A K E ?

Culture refers both to the creative diversity embodied in particular‘cultures’ and to the creative impulse at the heart of that diversity of ‘cultures’

J African immigrantsqueue at the port ofLampedusa before beingtransferred to Sicily, Italy

L A beggar passing a streetadvertisement in Athens,Greece


Chapter 2: Intercultural dialogue

In a culturally diverse world, it is necessary to developnew approaches to intercultural dialogue, beyond thelimitations of the ‘dialogue among civilizations’paradigm. The prerequisites include consideration ofthe ways in which cultures relate to one another,awareness of cultural commonalities and shared goals,and identification of the challenges to be met inreconciling cultural differences.

Cultural interactionsCultures are not self-enclosed or static entities. One ofthe fundamental obstacles to intercultural dialogue isour habit of conceiving cultures as fixed, as if faultlines separated them. One of the main objections toSamuel Huntington’s thesis of a ‘clash of civilizations’ isthat it presupposes singular rather than multipleaffiliations between human communities and fails totake account of cultural interdependency andinteraction. To describe as fault lines the differencesbetween cultures is to overlook the porosity ofcultural boundaries and the creative potential of theindividuals they encompass. Cultures, like individuals,exist in relationship to one another.

The intermingling of cultures throughout history hasfound expression in a variety of cultural forms andpractices, from cultural borrowings and exchanges(the Silk Roads) to cultural impositions through war,conquest and colonialism. Yet even in the extremecircumstance of slavery, exchanges take placewhereby certain discreet processes of reverseenculturation come to be assimilated by thedominating culture. Recognition of the universality ofhuman rights has made it possible today – in theory atleast – to think in terms of genuine exchanges on thebasis of equality between all the world’s cultures.

Globalization processes are giving rise to more systematiccultural encounters, borrowings and exchanges. Thesenew transcultural links are potentially powerful facilitatorsof intercultural dialogue. Rethinking our culturalcategories, recognizing the multiple sources of ouridentities, helps to shift the focus away from ‘differences’towards our shared ability to evolve through interaction.Awareness of history and understanding of cultural codesare crucial to overcoming cultural stereotypes on thepath to intercultural dialogue.

Cultural stereotypes and intoleranceCultural stereotypes, while serving to demarcate onegroup from the alien ‘other’, carry with them the risk thatdialogue may stop short at difference and that differencemay engender intolerance. Cultures belonging todifferent civilizational traditions are particularly prone tomutual stereotyping.

Intercultural tensions are often bound up with conflicts ofmemory, competing interpretations of past events, andconflicts of values – particularly religious values. Where ithas not been excluded by the will to power anddomination, dialogue remains the key to unlocking thesedeep-rooted antagonisms and to pre-empting their oftenviolent political expressions. The cultural challenge thatfaces each multicultural society is to reconcile therecognition of, protection of and respect for culturalparticularities with the affirmation and promotion ofuniversally shared values emerging from the interplay ofthese cultural specificities. In seeking to meet thischallenge, the tensions between different identities canbecome the driving force for a renewal of national unitybased on understanding social cohesion as theintegration of the diversity of its cultural components.

The challenges of dialogue in a multicultural worldIntercultural dialogue is largely dependent onintercultural competencies, defined as the complex ofabilities needed to interact appropriately with those whoare different from oneself. These abilities are essentiallycommunicative in nature, but they also involvereconfiguring our perspectives and understandings ofthe world; for it is not so much cultures as people –individuals and groups, with their complexities andmultiple allegiances – who are engaged in the process ofdialogue.

I N T E R C U L T U R A L D I A L O G U E . 9

Chapter 2: Intercultural dialogue

L A caravan of camels atMingsha Shan inDunhuang, China

K The Samba de Roda ofRecôncavo of Bahia, Brazil

J The Mostar Bridge wasrebuilt after the war inBosnia

L Muslims praying inJakarta, Indonesia


Rather than knowledge of others, what determines thesuccess of intercultural dialogue is the basic ability tolisten, cognitive flexibility, empathy, humility andhospitality. Accordingly, numerous initiatives aimed atfostering dialogue and empathy between young peoplefrom different cultures are being initiated, from schoolprojects to educational and exchange programmesinvolving participatory cultural, artistic and sportsactivities. The arts and creativity in particular testify to thedepths and plasticity of intercultural relations and theforms of mutual enrichment they embody. They alsohelp to combat closed identities and promote culturalpluralism. Similarly, multicultural practices and eventssuch as ‘global city’ networking, carnivals and culturalfestivals can help to transcend barriers throughexperiences of urban communion and entertainment.

Divergent memories have been the source of manyconflicts throughout history. Although interculturaldialogue cannot hope to settle on its own all the conflictsin the political, economic and social spheres, a keyelement in its success is the building of a shared memory-base through the acknowledgement of faults and opendebate on competing memories. The framing of acommon historical narrative can be crucial in conflictprevention and post-conflict strategies, in assuaging ‘a past that is still present’. South Africa’s Truth andReconciliation Commissions and national reconciliationprocesses in Rwanda are recent examples of the politicalapplication of such a healing strategy. The showcasing of‘places of memory’ – such as the Robben Island Prison inSouth Africa, the Mostar Bridge in Bosnia and the Buddhasof Bamyan in Afghanistan – likewise demonstrates that

what distinguishes us can also serve to unite us, incontemplation of testimonies to our common humanity.

Empowerment The promotion of intercultural dialogue convergessignificantly with the ‘multiple identities’ approach.Dialogue should be seen not as involving a loss of self butas dependent upon knowing oneself and being able toshift between different frames of reference. It requires theempowerment of all participants through capacity-building and projects that permit interaction without aloss of personal or collective identity. This also involvesrecognizing the ethnocentric ways in which mainstreamcultures have often proceeded and making room forsystems of thought that recognize both ‘exoteric’ and‘esoteric’ forms of knowledge. A noteworthy example inthis regard is community mapping, which has been verysuccessful in helping to empower indigenous populationsto regain internationally their rights to ancestral lands andresources and self-determined development.

A major obstacle to the accommodation of new voicesin the sphere of intercultural dialogue is the pervasivesubordination of women to male-dominatedinterpretations of cultural and religious tradition. In manysocial contexts, women have a distinctive role to play inthe promotion of cultural diversity, since they are oftenthe ‘value carriers’ in the transmission of language, ethicalcodes, value systems, religious beliefs and behaviouralpatterns. Gender inequality is multidimensional andinteracts with racial, social, economic and other forms ofinequality in insidious ways.

The key to successful intercultural and interfaith dialoguelies in the acknowledgement of the equal dignity of theparticipants. This presupposes recognition of – andrespect for – diverse forms of knowledge and their modesof expression, the customs and traditions of participants,and efforts to establish a culture-neutral context fordialogue that enables communities to express themselvesfreely. This is especially true of interfaith dialogue.Interfaith dialogue is a crucial dimension of internationalunderstanding and thus of conflict resolution. Beyondinstitutional exchanges between authoritative orrepresentative figures, interfaith dialogue aimed atreconciling different viewpoints should seek to integrateexchanges of all kinds, including through informal localand community networks, and to involve new partners,especially indigenous populations, women and youth.

1 0 . P A R T I C U L T U R A L D I V E R S I T Y : W H A T I S A T S T A K E ?

Interculturaldialogue requiresthe empowermentof all participantsthrough capacity-building andprojects that fosterinteraction withouta loss of personal orcollective identity

L Preparing for thetraditional polyphony,dances and rituals, theShoplouk region, Bulgaria

I A man in Niamey, Niger


PART II:

Key Vectors ofCultural Diversity While virtually all human activities have

an impact on cultural diversity, its

prospects are increasingly bound up

with the future of languages, education,

communication and cultural content,

and creativity and the marketplace.

These four fields are explored in four

chapters with a view to identifying

trends and factors that impact on the

state of cultural diversity and refining

our political agendas in keeping with the

complex realities of today’s world.


Chapter 3: Languages

Languages mediate our experiences, our intellectualand cultural environments, our modes of encounterwith human groups, our value systems, social codes andsense of belonging, both collectively and personally.From the perspective of cultural diversity, linguisticdiversity reflects the creative adaptation of humangroups to their changing physical and socialenvironments. In this sense, languages are not just ameans of communication but represent the very fabricof cultural expressions, the carriers of identity, valuesand worldviews.

Language dynamics todayLinguists believe that a large percentage of theworld’s languages is likely to disappear in the courseof this century. Half of the languages in existencetoday – estimated at between 6,000 and 8,000 – arespoken by less than 10,000 people, and one suchlanguage is said to disappear every two weeks. Whilethe growth of vehicular languages (English inparticular) associated with globalization processes ishaving major impacts on languages worldwide,languages shift in response to myriad political, social,economic and cultural conditions, and the effects ofglobalization on linguistic diversity are far from simple

and often contradictory. In many instances, transfer awayfrom minority languages is not towards English buttowards other rival languages and regional dialects,suggesting that the widespread use of English may belimited to specific purposes, such as transactions andfunctional communication. Globalization has alsoencouraged more plural and hybrid approaches toEnglish, revealing the highly complex ways in whichlanguage, identity and relationships interact and howspeakers adapt inherited forms of language to newcultural contexts and for new purposes.

Through migration, colonial expansion, refugeedisplacement or professional mobility, many languagecommunities are now dispersed across the world. Asconnections between language and place becomeincreasingly multiple, communication patterns arebecoming highly variegated, characterized by code-switching, multilingualism, different receptive andproductive competencies in different languages ordialects, and are marked by mixtures of full, partial andspecialized proficiencies. In this way, continuouslyexpanding networks – based on mobile phones, broadband Internet and other information andcommunication technologies (ICTs) – are creating newforms of human association of unprecedented scale andflexibility, spanning cities, nations and cultures. These arein turn forging new linguistic forms and practices linkedto new cultural identities that are broadening, andredefining, existing boundaries across public/privatedomains and social, cultural and educational contexts.

1 2 . P A R T I I K E Y V E C T O R S O F C U L T U R A L D I V E R S I T Y

I Epic storyteller,Kyrgyzstan

L Storyteller speaking to acrowd in Jemaa el-FnaSquare in Marrakesh,Morocco


Languages and identitiesDespite the complexity of the contemporary world, mostlanguages remain ‘narrow-niched’ and are largelyculture-specific. Like species, languages adapt to specificecological settings, and like cultural artefacts, they havehistoricity. Languages have an important boundary-marking function between different social groups; andwhen a language is lost, it is far more difficult to recoverthan other identity markers. Dominant languagesexercise a power of attraction over the speakers ofminority languages. Young people in particular tend tovest their identity in the majority languages ofcommunication. Over successive generations, this hasbeen reflected in the loss of many vernacular languages,along with the cultural diversity they embodied.Moreover, traditional languages are linked to thecorresponding ecosystem, so that their loss furtherimpacts on environmental and ecological diversity.

From this perspective, there is a vital need for measuresto protect and promote languages of local relevance, allthe while supporting the learning of vehicular languages,which offer access to global communication andexchange of information.

The challenges of language assessment and revitalization Many consider language vitality to be a benchmark forcultural diversity because virtually every major aspect ofhuman culture – from kinship classification to religion –is dependent on language for its transmission. Yetlanguage is not equivalent to culture. There arenumerous instances where the same language is spokenby groups with otherwise radically different culturalpractices and worldviews.

Traditional approaches to documenting and assessinglanguage shifts have been mainly centred on linguisticsand have tended to neglect socio-economic realities andpolitical contexts. However, language loss is a late onsetform of cultural attrition, indicating an already advancedprocess of cultural decline. The variety of circumstancessurrounding language health and its prospects forrevitalization in the case of erosion depend upon thespecific socio-cultural, economic, political and historicalconfigurations that apply uniquely to each language,and thus tend to defy generalization and broad analysis.While many of today’s approaches to minority languagerevitalization and preservation recognize and integratethese factors, the process remains profoundly political.

Indeed, the active preservation of an eroded languagecan be perceived to compete with the culture and theinstrumental value of the language that has replaced it.

The causes of language endangerment may be external(globalization, political pressure, economic advantage,etc.) or internal (reflecting a community’s negativeattitude towards the language) or, in most cases, are acombination of the two. The prestige of the mainstreamlanguage and its predominance in public life can lead acommunity to devalue its own language. Languagerevitalization thus depends first and foremost on acommunity’s reassertion of its cultural identity. New ICTscan have a positive impact on such revitalization efforts,most successfully where the media participate in theoverall effort.

The preservation of small languages is in the interest ofmajority and minority communities alike. Whilemeasures to protect minority languages are implicit inmany existing instruments, the question of languagerights remains contentious. UNESCO’s Executive Board iscurrently debating the feasibility of a new standard-setting instrument on languages, as well as whether itshould focus on the safeguarding of linguistic rights ingeneral or on those of certain vulnerable groups.

L A N G U A G E S . 1 3

Chapter 3: Languages

Languages are notjust a means ofcommunication butrepresent the veryfabric of culturalexpressions, thecarriers of identity,values andworldviews

J A translation and typingservice in Hyderabad, India


Multilingualism, translation and intercultural dialogueMultilingualism (i.e. the ability to use several languages)fulfils the dual function of facilitating communicationbetween individuals of different cultures andcontributing to the survival of endangered languages.Translation for its part serves as a necessary bridge overthe many linguistic divides that multilingualism is notable or available to span. Both are necessarycomponents of a pluralistic society.

Multilingualism in schools is now practised in manycountries, where national educational objectives havemade social cohesion one of the priorities of publicinvestment in education. Language policies that supportmultilingualism, language learning and endangeredlanguages are indispensable to the long-termsustainability of cultural diversity.

Major imbalances in translation flows worldwide reflectglobal asymmetries in the representation of cultures,peoples and languages. Data compiled by the IndexTranslationum show that 55 percent of all booktranslation is from English, as compared with 6.5 percentinto English. The hierarchy between majority andminority languages determines translation flows;translations from and into indigenous languages hardlyexist. While literary translation has declined, technicaltranslation – with English as the predominant sourcelanguage – in the major industrialized countries isincreasing. Automatic translation systems, which are alsoon the rise, still largely serve the major source or targetlanguages. Given the important role of translation in the

promotion of cultural diversity, a case can be made forthe development of a translation policy on a global scale.

Generally speaking, language policy and planning areonly just coming to terms with the social transformationsof the last decades of the 20th century. To ensure thecontinued viability of the world’s languages, we mustfind ways both to safeguard linguistic diversity byprotecting and revitalizing languages and to promotemultilingualism and translation by developing policies atthe national level that foster the functional use of alllanguages in society. These two objectives areintertwined since the promotion of multilingualism thatincludes mother-tongue education also constitutes ameans of safeguarding indigenous and endangeredlanguages. On the international level, this translates intoa two-pronged approach: 1) to preserve global linguisticdiversity as a prerequisite for cultural diversity and 2) topromote multilingualism and translation (including inadministration, education, the media and cyberspace) inorder to foster intercultural dialogue.


There is a need toboth preserveglobal linguisticdiversity as aprerequisite forcultural diversityand to promotemultilingualismand translation inorder to fosterinterculturaldialogue

L J.K. Rowling's Harry Potterbooks in Italian, German,Spanish, Catalan and Czechtranslations

L A sign outside a school inDar Es Salaam, Tanzania


Chapter 4: Education

Education is frequently discussed in terms of knowledgetransmission and the development of often standardizedconceptions of behavioural and social skills. Yet educationis also about value transmission – both within andbetween generations and across cultures. Policies in thefield of education have a major impact on the flourishingor decline of cultural diversity, and must seek to promoteeducation through and for diversity. This guarantees theright to education by acknowledging the diversity oflearners’ needs – especially those of minority, indigenousand nomadic groups – and by integrating acorresponding diversity of methods and contents. Inincreasingly complex multicultural societies, educationmust enable us to acquire the intercultural competenciesthat will permit us to live together with – and not despite– our cultural differences. The four principles of qualityeducation defined by the report of the WorldCommission on Education for the 21st Century – ‘learningto be’, ‘learning to know’, ‘learning to do’ and ‘learning tolive together’ – can be successfully implemented only ifcultural diversity is situated at their core.

The relevance of educational methods and contentsA curriculum shaped by the standardization of learningprocesses and contents – a ‘one size fits all’ approach –does not serve the needs of all learners, nor does itrespond to the context of their lives. This is becomingincreasingly obvious to a growing number of countrieswhich are seeking alternative pathways withineducational systems. However, information about thekinds of education people are receiving worldwide andhow these differ across (and sometimes within) countrieshas yet to be systematically compiled and evaluated.

In the name of quality education, which has to be bothappropriate (i.e. culturally acceptable) and flexible (i.e.adapted to changing societies), curriculum developmentmust aim to increase educational relevance by adjustinglearning processes, educational content, teacher trainingand school management to the circumstances oflearners. This entails the development of multiculturaland multilingual curricula, based on multipleperspectives and voices and drawing on the historiesand cultures of all groups in society. Such an approach,which is sensitive to the diversity of learners, should alsoprovide for special measures to reach vulnerable andmarginalized groups and to improve school and

E D U C A T I O N . 1 5


In increasinglycomplexmulticulturalsocieties, educationmust enable us toacquire theinterculturalcompetencies thatwill permit us to livetogether with – andnot despite – ourcultural differences

LL An open-air school inthe South Omo, Ethiopia

L In the corridor of aprimary school in Hanoi,Viet Nam


educational environments, particularly for girls. Theultimate goal is one of empowerment with respect tothe promotion of human rights, the enhancement ofdemocratic citizenship and the furtherance ofsustainable development. Developing culturally sensitiveeducation calls not only for subject specialists but forteachers who are knowledgeable and sensitive tocultural differences. The desire to promote relevantteaching methods for the whole range of educationalpublics has led to an unprecedented diversification ofeducational media and methods – not least in theprivate sector, sometimes in partnership with NGOs.

The benefits of mother-tongue-based multilingualapproaches at all levels of formal and non-formaleducation can be illustrated by a number of developingcountries in primary education. Bilingual educationalprogrammes are relevant in most learning contexts andcan be instrumental in improving the quality ofeducation and expanding educational opportunities formarginalized and under-served groups, includingimmigrant populations. While most countries may still befar from attaining the objectives of teaching national,local/regional and international languages in their official


The failure to takeaccount of non-mainstream formsof learning risksfurthermarginalizing thosepopulations thateducation shouldseek to empower

J A young indigenous girlin a classroom in HighOrenoque, Venezuela

curricula (as highlighted by an analysis of timetables onlanguage education), this objective is crucial both for thepreservation of linguistic diversity and for intellectualfunctioning.

Learning societies and the right to educationAdvancement of the right to education, as reaffirmed in the principles of Education for All (EFA), and theprotection and promotion of cultural diversity makepluralism a central educational requirement, contrary to the tendency of educational systems to be a source of standardization. The failure to take account of non-mainstream forms of learning (e.g. indigenousknowledge of resource management), combined with the constraints of the job market, risks furthermarginalizing those populations that education shouldseek to empower.

Despite growing recognition of the importance ofknowledge diversity (including local and indigenousknowledge), the belief in value-free theories andconceptualizations unrelated to the social settings inwhich they arose is still widespread. Insofar as mainstreameducational discourse considers science to be universal,


‘traditional’ or other forms of knowledge tend to bereductively compartmentalized. Yet the strategies thatpromote recognition of traditional and even tacit formsof knowledge can open avenues for the preservation ofvulnerable societies while broadening the scope of‘mainstream’ knowledge.

The international community is increasingly recognizingthat traditional and pragmatic ways of learning can be asefficient as Western didactic approaches. Storytellers, forexample, contribute to the vitality of oral cultures, whileliteracy strategies may involve an unintended devaluationof those cultures. Among other benefits, informal andindigenous education may contribute to more partici -patory forms of learning, which are not so muchanalytical as adaptive. Education has much to gain fromsuch pluralistic approaches to learning, which remind usthat the right to education goes hand-in-hand with theright of parents to ‘choose the kind of education thatshall be given to their children’ (UDHR, Art. 26).

Participatory learning and intercultural competenciesIn multicultural societies, one of the major challengesfacing lifelong education involves our capacities forlearning to live together. Thus, multicultural educationhas to be complemented by intercultural education.Arts and humanities education, multimedia activities,museums and travel help to develop the criticalcapacities indispensable to combating unilateralviewpoints, adapting to culturally diverse socialenvironments and responding to the challenges ofintercultural dialogue. Sensitizing people to culturaldiversity is more a matter of approaches, methods andattitudes than of the assimilation of content. Beforetolerance can become a skill, it must be practised.

The founding principles of UNESCO rest on theconviction that education is fundamental to addressingthe ignorance and mistrust that are the source of human conflict. Since prejudice is based on, amongother things, what we do not know or false precon -ceptions, facilitating cultural openness is key to fosteringintercultural dialogue and forestalling a ‘clash of ignorances’.The humanities and social sciences encourage learners tobecome aware of their own biases and to re-examinetheir assumptions. The inclusion of world religions andfaiths in curricula can help to dissipate many of themisunderstandings that can make living togetherproblematic. The arts are a strong and universal tool for

promoting mutual understanding and peace, andpractising the arts is a powerful way of socializing withothers. The teaching of arts helps to reconnect scientificand emotional processes with intuition – a keycomponent for the cultivation of attitudes favouringintercultural openness. Arts education can also help toaddress ethnocentrism, cultural bias, stereotyping,prejudice, discrimination and racism.

Thus the development of intercultural competenciesshould not be limited to the classroom but must extendto the ‘university of life’. Inclusiveness must be fostered inboth the classroom and the school environment ingeneral, as well as through the involvement of parentsand local communities.

E D U C A T I O N . 1 7


L A pupil at Ferdeusi schoolin Kabul, Afghanistan


Chapter 5: Communication and cultural contentsAs the world comes to resemble a ‘global village’, thelandscape encompassing the press, books, radio,television, cinema, the Internet and a wide range ofdigital devices is playing a major role in bothheightening the visibility of cultural diversity andshaping our tastes, values and worldviews. The extentto which these expressions translate the reality,complexity and dynamics of cultural diversity is worthconsidering, however; for while the new mediaundoubtedly facilitate our access to cultural diversity,opening up greater opportunities for interculturaldialogue and diversification of voices, theasymmetries implicit in the digital divide continue torestrict the possibilities for genuine cultural exchange.Moreover, the sheer number and variety of choicesand the cultural challenges they embody can promptvarious forms of cultural isolationism.

Globalization and new media trends In 2006 the media and cultural industries generatedmore than 7 percent of global GDP and were worthabout US$1.3 trillion, or nearly twice that year’s total

international tourism receipts (estimated at US$680billion). In the 1990s in OECD countries, the cultural andcreative economy grew at an annual rate twice that ofservice industries and four times that of manufacturing.Recent years have seen a concentration of power in thehands of a few large transnational multimediacorporations and a handful of global media players. Interms of printed and recorded media, the export marketis dominated by the OECD countries. Similar trendsregarding the origin of content production areobservable in the radio, television and film sectors. In thecase of cinema, the general trend is that of nationalproductions struggling to compete with the blockbusterfilms produced by large movie conglomerates(Bollywood and the nationally supported French filmindustry being notable exceptions). The vast majority ofdeveloping countries is still not in a position to harnesstheir creative capacities for development in this sector.Africa’s share in the global trade of creative products, forexample, remains marginal (at less than 1 percent ofworld exports), despite its abundance of creative talent.

Yet the global media landscape is changing, as somedeveloping countries begin to emerge as both exportersof cultural and media equipment and content producers,


I Television satellite dishoutside a yurt in Mongolia


contributing to so-called ‘counter-flows’. Developingcountries’ exports of cultural and media equipmentincreased rapidly between 1996 and 2005 as a result ofstrategies to increase global competitiveness and anexpanding demand for communication equipment. Thistrend facilitated the emergence of local markets formedia contents, though those markets remain fairlylocalized due to technological limitations anddistribution difficulties. Furthermore, the development inmedia exports from newly industrialized societies, therise of new regional media hubs, the global significanceof the Latin American audiovisual sector (telenovelas) andthe rise of pan-regional/international news networks arevisible signs of a ‘globalization from below’, which iscreating new opportunities for alternative voices(minority, indigenous, diasporic communities or special-interest groups) to be heard.

In these ways the production of communication andcultural content, as well as their dissemination andconsumption patterns, are undergoing significantchanges, which are characterized by connectivity,interactivity and convergence. New practices andcontents are appearing – linked to the development ofsome of the newer cultural, informational andcommunication products accessible via the Internet,mobile phones or similar tools – which are enabling theemergence of small production structures that targetmicro-markets and new models of (user-generated)content creation and delivery. As access to the Internetincreases, the World Wide Web is demonstrating thepotential to provide significant support to those seekingto redress not only the imbalances in political andeconomic power between the local and the global butalso the divides between diverse groups in society.

Impacts of communication and cultural productsThese new opportunities for interactive exchangesbetween participants from different culturalbackgrounds come with their own set of challengeshowever, related to audience fragmentation andstereotypes, which need to be addressed throughappropriate information and media literacy initiatives.

An increased supply of media content does not necessarilyresult in a greater diversity of consumption. Confronted byan overabundance of choice, some consumers prefer toconfine themselves to a small number of familiar titles orthemes rather than explore something unknown or

C O M M U N I C A T I O N A N D C U L T U R A L C O N T E N T S . 1 9

Chapter 5: Com

munication and

cultural contents

An increased supplyof media contentcan lead to a ‘falsediversity’, maskingthe fact that somepeople arecommunicatingonly with those whoshare the samecultural references

L The roofs of a city inNorth Africa

I A young girl talks with aGerman journalist about lifeworking in a garmentfactory in Bangladesh

different. A significant intergenerational gap is opening upas new practices of consumption of digital content lead tonew forms of social networking and challenge thetraditional actors of cultural prescription, such as schooland the family. Audiences are increasingly made up of ‘fans’or ‘sects’ whose ‘members’ have little contact with oneanother and tend to reject other modes of thinking. Thiscan lead to a ‘false diversity’, masking the fact that somepeople are interested in communicating only with thosewho share the same cultural references.

Moreover, the limited range of representations in thelarger media and communication networks tends topromote the creation of stereotypes through what isoften called the process of ‘othering’, whereby the mediatend to fix, reduce or simplify according to the dictates ofstandardized programmes and formats. Among themultiple strategies designed to eliminate stereotypes,media and information literacy initiatives can helpaudiences to become more critical when consumingmedia and also help to combat unilateral perspectives.Media literacy is an important aspect of media access anda crucial dimension of non-formal education; it isimperative that it be promoted among civil society andmedia professionals as part of the effort to further mutualunderstanding and facilitate intercultural dialogue.


Policies fostering cultural diversityPolicies aiming to foster cultural diversity in communi -cation and cultural content contribute to the flourishingof pluralism and the free flow of ideas. Cultural diversitymust therefore lie at the core of quality media. Largesegments of the population, such as marginalizedgroups and ethnic minorities, are often absent from themedia, in part because of their lack of access to editorial,managerial or gate-keeping positions within mediaoutlets. Fostering internal diversity in the newsroom, anda diversity of cultural backgrounds and gender withinmedia structures, are fundamental to ensuring diversityof content.

To this end, the potential of new media practices anduser-generated content should also be harnessed.Innovative journalism practices are emerging, forexample, through mobile-device-based video-reporting.Hybrid reporting across cultural and national boundaries– through co-production and pool-production schemesor through national, regional and international networksof media professionals – are being tested andencouraged. The Internet offers the potential to supportcommunicational democracy through a range ofprogressive cultural initiatives that bypass mainstreaminformation sources: identity-building within diasporiccommunities; support structures defending the interestsof minority cultures; online communities, activist groupsand people with shared cultural interests.

Three challenges must be met if communication andcultural content is to contribute to cultural diversity:those represented by the requirements of innovativecontent, expanded access and balanced representation.The production of innovative content ensures theintegration of cultural diversity into the media and thecultural industries, together with a strong emphasis onlocal content. Access involves among other thingscoherent measures to reduce the digital divide,accessibility of production and distribution to innovativecontent, and encouragement of new information andcommunication strategies by ensuring that opposingviewpoints are represented in discussions on all subjects.Cultural diversity likewise dictates a balancedrepresentation of the different communities livingtogether in a particular country, in accordance with theprinciples of the freedom of expression and the free flowof ideas.

Chapter 6: Creativity and themarketplaceThis chapter considers the interrelations betweencultural diversity and a broad spectrum of activitiesextending from cultural creation through thecommercialization of cultural expressions to the broaderimpacts of culture on business and the marketplace.Underlying the phenomenon of globalization, thecreative impulse at the root of cultural diversity is key tothe analysis of the present situation of the world’scultures. Indeed, cultural diversity can only be preservedif its roots are constantly nourished by innovativeresponses to a rapidly evolving environment. In thissense, artistic creation and all forms of innovationspanning the spectrum of human activity may be seenas primary imaginative sources of cultural diversity.Creativity is thus fundamental to cultural diversity, whichis itself conducive to creativity.

Artistic creation and creative economyIt is important to avoid an ethnocentric conception ofcreativity. Rather, creativity should be understood toencompass all the material productions by which humanbeings give meaning to their existence. The boundariesof ‘art’ vary considerably from one culture to another,reflecting divergences of outlook as well as the materialsand techniques available to the societies concerned. Thesecond half of the 20th century has been marked by aradical diversification of tastes, venues and markets inthe art world and the growth in artistic exchangeworldwide. From the perspective of contemporary artpractices, the world is moving towards forms ofoutwardness and is no longer structured in terms of thecentre/periphery relation. This broadening of artisticoutlooks and expressions has contributed to forms ofcross-fertilization reflected in all forms of artistic creation.While cultural policy should be receptive to these cross-cultural influences, it should also recognize that suchglobalizing trends are not without their danger tocultural diversity. The borrowings or hybrid forms towhich globalization gives rise can turn out to be littlemore than stereotypes, just as international markets forindigenous ‘exotic’ art can function as venues rewardingartistic conformism.

The diversification and interpenetration of artistictraditions is reflected in the performing arts insubstantive international exchanges in the spheres of


Artistic creation andall forms ofinnovationspanning thespectrum of humanactivity may be seenas primary sourcesof cultural diversity

L Russian matrioshka dolls


theatre and dance and in a broadening in the appeal,sources and practice of Western classical music. In thefield of popular music, diversity is everywhere apparentin its myriad, multicultural and often overlapping genresand venues. The risk of this artistic melting pot lies in thecommodification of cultural expressions and thesubstitution of a ‘world culture’ concept for the diversityof cultural expressions. Globalization and technologyhave altered the stakes for the creative artist by posingwith unprecedented force the perennial question of howto balance pure artistic creativity with hard economicrealities. The financial rewards available within aglobalized trading environment have tended to favoureconomic considerations, which has importantimplications for cultural diversity. In popular music, theasymmetry of cultural flows encourages local artists toexploit their creative talents in an increasingly globalmarket, accentuating acculturation processes worldwide.Similar tendencies are apparent in the visual and plasticarts, where the top five exporting countries are allWestern (with the exception of China) and where theWestern-controlled market favours artists from the West.The exchange and circulation of artists also needs to beencouraged and facilitated.

While literature presents something of a barrier toacculturation, literatures in the main vehicular languageshave a major advantage in terms of cultural diffusion. Avaluable corrective to this trend is provided by a numberof literary prizes devoted to foreign works in translationand by ventures such as the recently launched WorldDigital Library, a project on which UNESCO and the USLibrary of Congress have collaborated, making availableprimary materials from cultures around the world.

Crafts and international tourismCultural consumption today involves an increasinglybroad public and encompasses an expanding range ofcultural expressions and experiences. Crafts and tourism– the former, by giving artistic shape to decorative ordomestic objects; the latter, by providing access to thediversity of cultures in their natural settings – illustratethe tension between authenticity and commercializationthat is central to the preservation and promotion ofcultural diversity.

Crafts production is an important form of culturalexpression and, increasingly, of income and employment in many parts of the world. Crafts havebecome part of a highly organized system of guilds,traders and banking systems, which is transforming thetraditional craft economy in keeping with therequirements of the global marketplace. Craftwork thatremains faithful to its traditions embodies a form andphilosophy specific to the culture from which it derives. Mass production can lead to the impoverish -ment of craftwork by cutting it off from its creative roots.The flooding of traditional markets with Westernindustrial products has had a serious impact on crafteconomies. Ensuring fair returns on craft products andpreserving traditional know-how are of equalimportance, and a case can be made for safeguardingcraft manufacture under provisions for the legalprotection of folklore.

The promotion of cultural diversity depends to animportant extent on support for commercial venturesadapted to cultural contexts and local economicconstraints. Microcredit – based on the mechanisms ofthe commercial economy while taking account of thecooperative structures within a given society – hasproved remarkably successful in this regard, particularlyin developing countries.

C R E A T I V I T Y A N D T H E M A R K E T P L A C E . 2 1

Chapter 6: Creativity and the m

arketplace

J Zafimaniry woodcraft,Madagascar

L Tourists with a SouthAmerican Indian woman


Tourism plays an important role in combining profit-making initiatives with the promotion of interculturaldialogue. After decades of so-called mass tourism, we areexperiencing a renewal of tourism in search ofauthenticity, which is motivated by the desire to discoverother people in their natural, social and cultural settings.So-called ‘cultural tourism’, which includes forms ofreligious tourism and tourism linked to World Heritagesites, can help to promote cultural understanding bysituating others in their natural settings and lendinghistorical depth to other cultures. Involving communitiesin the process can also help to nurture in them anenhanced sense of pride and contribute to sustainabledevelopment. This said, the results of this new trend intourism have been mixed, since tourism can also lead tothe exoticization of cultural difference, reducing culturalexpressions and practices to ‘folklore spectacles’ divorcedfrom their true context and meaning.

Cultural diversity and the business worldIn the context of the internationalization of markets, theability of firms to respond to the challenges of culturaldiversity by capitalizing on its resources has become akey factor in economic success. With regard toconception, brand images and marketing strategies, aswell as corporate structures and staffing, it is essential forcultural diversity to be taken into account in commercialoperations at the global level.

Multinational corporations are becoming increasinglyaware of the benefits of diversifying and customizingtheir products in order to penetrate new markets andmeet the expectations of local consumers. Efforts tocheck these commercial inroads by marketing rivalbrands under different names with local associationsonly serve to promote the ‘universalization’ of the genericflavour. Some multinational enterprises base their imageon a synthesis of the local and the universal. In practice, aproduct has to take account of local conditions and

preferences even if the brand itself is international. Inemerging markets, strategies developed in the contextof Western consumer societies must be adapted, withthe support of local personnel, to local conditions.

In a globalized business world, very different cultures arebrought into professional contact across multinationalpartnerships, mergers and relocations. Today’s managersare increasingly aware of the need to take cultural factorsinto account in order to optimize company performance.This ranges from the adoption of a culturally neutralprofessional attitude to emphasis upon the specificorigins or cultures of colleagues. Corporate culture aimsto ensure that employees feel valued and respected bytheir colleagues, in order to produce organizations thatare more fully integrated across occupations andhierarchical levels. As managerial competenciesincreasingly embrace the ability to work in very differentcultural contexts, ‘chief diversity officers’ (CDOs) havecome into existence, tasked with managing diversitywithin companies so as to prevent conflicts that couldbe detrimental to the group’s overall performance.

Cultural diversity is also becoming an increasinglyimportant concern of corporate management, andresearch is taking place in order to assess the diversity-performance link in an increasingly competitivemarketplace. Recent research suggests the existence of apositive link between diversity and the financial andeconomic performance of multinational corporations.Indeed, firms are promoting ‘cultural intelligence’, whichfocuses on the potential benefits of employee diversity,such as: greater creativity and innovation; moresuccessful marketing to different types of consumers;comprehensive decision-making as firms internationalizeand become exposed to a variety of environments;careful employee selection and training; and governancestructures that bridge different corporate culture schemes.


Recent researchsuggests theexistence of apositive linkbetween diversityand the financialand economicperformance ofmultinationalcorporations

I Statues of the Holy VirginMary in a souvenir shop inLourdes, France

ii A multinationalbusiness team joininghands

i Street art in Rio deJaneiro, Brazil

K Ecuadorean blankets


PART III:

RenewingInternationalStrategies relatedto Developmentand Peace Cultural diversity – understood as a

dynamic process within which cultural

change can best be managed through

intercultural dialogue – can become a

powerful lever for renewing the

international community’s strategies

towards development and peace, based

on respect for universally recognized

human rights. Sometimes construed as

being of secondary importance, cultural

diversity needs to be placed at the heart

of policies for the furtherance of

international cooperation and cohesion,

in line with the UN Millennium

Development Goals.


Chapter 7: Cultural diversity: A key dimension of sustainabledevelopment

Contrary to a widespread assumption, there is noprescribed pathway for the development of a society, nosingle model towards which development strategiesshould be directed. The conception of development as alinear and essentially economic process, in keeping withthe Western model, has tended to disrupt societiespursuing different paths or holding to different values. Asustainable development strategy cannot be culturallyneutral: it should be not only culturally sensitive but alsocapitalize on the gains resulting from the dynamicinteraction between cultures. Thus, an approach todevelopment sensitive to cultural diversity is the key toaddressing the interlinked economic, social andenvironmental problems confronting the planet as a whole.

The cultural approach to developmentA view still prevalent in the industrialized world posits acausal relationship between ‘culture’ and ‘under -development’ or, to put it another way, betweeneconomic performance and Western cultural values. Abroader conception of development is increasinglychallenging the implicit equation of development withthe maximization of profit and the accumulation ofmaterial goods. By failing to take account of culturaldiversity, development strategies risk perpetuating orcompounding the shortcomings they are supposed toremedy. Consideration of social factors and culturalcontext, as well as community participation in projectdesign and implementation, are essential to sustainabledevelopment efforts. In the words of James D.Wolfensohn, former President of the World Bank, ‘we arestarting to realize that development effectivenessdepends, in part, on “solutions” that resonate with acommunity’s sense of who it is.’

Following the UNDP’s elaboration of the humandevelopment model in the 1990s, increasing emphasishas been placed on integrating the cultural dimension indevelopment thinking and projects, thereby takingaccount of the ‘webs of significance’ that people create,the cultural context in which communities and groupsexist, local social hierarchies and living patterns, and localforms of communication and expression.

2 4 . P A R T I I I R E N E W I N G S T R A T E G I E S


Acknowledgement of cultural diversity adds a crucialdimension to strategies that view sustainability asfacilitating the integration of the economic pillar ofdevelopment with its social and environmental pillars. Inthis sense, cultural diversity can be seen as a key cross-cutting dimension of sustainable development.

Perceptions of poverty and poverty eradicationCultural perspectives shape how poverty is understoodand experienced. It is often the ways in which the poorare perceived or perceive themselves that relegatesthem to situations of inferiority, constituting a majorobstacle to their empowerment. Differing conceptions ofpoverty make it difficult to apply a comprehensiveinternational cooperation strategy for povertyeradication. Yet poverty is a violation of basic humanrights, and there is no acceptable cultural justification forpoverty (as ‘fate’ or the consequence of an overarchingsocial order). By looking at poverty from the inside andwith a clear commitment to human-rights-basedpoverty eradication, local solutions can often be found inconcert with the communities involved, who canthemselves become the ones who find a way out ofpoverty. Holistic approaches that integrate culturalstrategies and the commitment to human rightscontribute greatly to empowerment and capacity-building.

The core of the cultural diversity approach lies in the ideathat cultures are trajectories towards the future. In thewords of Arjun Appadurai: ‘We need a sea change in theway we look at culture in order to create a moreproductive relationship between anthropology andeconomics, between culture and development, in thebattle against poverty. This change requires us to placefuturity, rather than pastness, at the heart of our thinkingabout culture.’ The task then is to unleash the ‘capacity toaspire’ and enable individuals and groups to become theagents of their own development.

Social policies that favour cultural diversity help toincrease the level of self-determination among low-income or low-status minority groups. In addition toincome redistribution and equal access to rights, povertyalleviation requires measures to ensure that such groupscan play a more active role in the public sphere. Breakingthe spiral of poverty involves restoring a sense of pride,which in turn entails valuing the intangible heritage ofwhich those concerned are the depositaries. Efforts torevitalize crafts and promote community-based tourism,

C U L T U R A L D I V E R S I T Y : A K E Y D I M E N S I O N O F S U S T A I N A B L E D E V E L O P M E N T . 2 5

Chapter 7: Cultural diversity: A key dim

ension of sustainable developm

ent

An approach todevelopmentsensitive to culturaldiversity is the key toaddressing theinterlinkedeconomic, socialand environmentalproblemsconfronting theplanet

LL Two young childrenplaying at a local wastedump in Maputo,Mozambique

JJ Lake in China

L A child is vaccinatedagainst polio in Afghanistan

L An Indonesian womanmaking a basket

in keeping with the principles of the Fair Trademovement, can help to improve socio-economicconditions while enhancing the creative link betweencultures, traditions and modernity. What matters is thatpoverty eradication strategies are relevant and acceptedby local populations – which is more likely when thestrategies emphasize dialogue with the groupsconcerned and their participation in capacity-buildinginitiatives – so that they are empowered to make theirown informed decisions.


Cultural diversity and environmental sustainabilityIn issues ranging from the erosion of biodiversity toclimate change, cultural diversity has an important –though often underestimated – role to play inaddressing current ecological challenges and ensuringenvironmental sustainability. Cultural factors influenceconsumption behaviour, values related to environmentalstewardship and the ways in which we interact withnature. There is much to be learned from theenvironmental management skills embedded in local,rural or indigenous knowledge and know-how, includingmulti-use appropriation strategies, small-scaleproduction with little surplus and low energy needs, andcustodial approaches to land and natural resourceswhich avoids waste and resource depletion. Whileindigenous populations, as the guardians of thousandsof species and varieties of domesticated plants andanimals, can play a crucial role in inspiring solutions tocontemporary environmental problems, politicalconstraints have restricted progress towards indigenousparticipation under the five-year Nairobi WorkProgramme on Impacts, Vulnerability, and Adaptation to Climate Change (2006).

In keeping with UNESCO’s longstanding emphasis onthe dynamic interdependences between humans andnature, there is increasing recognition of the linksbetween biodiversity and cultural diversity, even thougheach may have evolved differently. Areas ofcorrespondence include linguistic diversity, materialculture, knowledge and technology, modes ofsubsistence, economic relations, social relations andbelief systems. The renewed interest of decision-makersin the ‘terroirs’ paradigm shows the extent to whichcultural practices can contribute to the revitalization ofbiological, agricultural and other forms of diversity. Butthese two commitments – to cultural diversity and tothese other forms of diversity – are not necessarilyreconcilable, as is illustrated by the debates that can ariselocally around the hunting of endangered species.

Since cultural expressions and practices are often boundup with environmental conditions, the impact of large-scale environmental changes will inevitably beconsiderable. Possible consequences include massivepopulation displacements, seriously threatening culturalcontinuity and diversity. The effects on culturaltransmission will be particularly acute in rural areas andamong place-dependent minority groups already under

2 6 . P A R T I I I R E N E W I N G I N T E R N A T I O N A L S T R A T E G I E S

There is much to belearned from theenvironmentalmanagement skillsembedded in local,rural or indigenousknowledge andknow-how

stress. The emergence of a daunting nexus ofenvironmental problems that threaten the stability, if notthe very existence, of human societies has triggeredwidespread reflection on the limitations of a purelytechnical and scientific response to the ecologicalimperative and on the potential of a sustainable-development perspective that would draw on a broadrange of cultural experience, intuitions and practices.

There is thus a pressing need both to devise and topromote new forms of development thinking, indicatorsand methodologies which focus on those whomdevelopment is to serve or whom it may exclude, as wellas on how it affects the human condition and the socialfabric into which it is introduced. In this regard,UNESCO’s Cultural Diversity Programming Lens, for useby decision- and policy-makers, has begun tooperationalize a series of norms and standards in orderto mainstream cultural diversity into programme design,development and implementation.

I A Fair Trade coffee farmersorting through organicbeans at a coffee plantation

K Jars of traditionalChinese medicine, HongKong


Chapter 8: Cultural diversity,human rights and democraticgovernance

‘No one may invoke cultural diversity to infringe uponhuman rights guaranteed by international law, nor tolimit their scope.’ This core provision of the 2001 UniversalDeclaration on Cultural Diversity highlights the oppositionthat is sometimes confusedly invoked between culturaldiversity and universally proclaimed human rights. Farfrom opening the way to forms of relativism, culturaldiversity and its corollary intercultural dialogue are thepathways to a peace based on ‘unity in diversity’. A fullunderstanding of cultural diversity contributes to theeffective exercise of human rights, enhanced socialcohesion and democratic governance.

Cultural diversity and universally recognized human rightsThose who view cultural diversity as synonymous withrelativism and thus as a rejection of universal principles,and, conversely, those who view the application ofuniversal human rights as impositions on traditionalvalues or beliefs, incorrectly assume that culturaldiversity and universal human rights are mutuallyexclusive. For human rights emanate from the very fabricof cultures, as recognized by the nations that have

become signatories to human-rights instruments. Fromthis perspective, cultural diversity and interculturaldialogue are key levers for strengthening the consensuson the universal foundation of human rights.

Indeed, as stated in the 1993 Vienna Declaration, thechallenge is, while bearing in mind ‘the significance ofnational and regional particularities and varioushistorical, cultural and religious backgrounds’, topromote and protect all human rights and fundamentalfreedoms ‘regardless of [the States’] political, economicand cultural systems’. The emphasis on the culturaldimensions of all human rights should be seen not asundermining universality through diversity but asencouraging the appropriation of these rights by all,whether individuals or groups. A set of standardsprotecting human rights is best incorporated in acultural context through dialogue and communication.Cultural diversity is thus vital for reaching people in theireveryday lives, failing which the universality of humanrights is liable to remain abstract. As the Fribourg Grouphas so clearly underlined in the Fribourg Declaration, it isnecessary to take into account ‘the cultural dimensionsof all human rights in order to enhance universalitythrough diversity and to encourage the appropriation of these rights by all persons, alone or in communitywith others’.

C U L T U R A L D I V E R S I T Y , H U M A N R I G H T S A N D D E M O C R A T I C G O V E R N A N C E . 2 7

Chapter 8: Cultural diversity,hum

an rights and dem

ocratic governance

K Young children playing,Alice Springs, Australia

Cultural diversityand interculturaldialogue are keylevers forstrengthening theconsensus on theuniversalfoundation ofhuman rights


Moreover, there can be no effective implementation ofcivil and political rights unless the cultural requisites thatcontribute to individual and collective self-realization arethemselves addressed. Exercising the right to vote, forexample, is to some extent contingent upon havingachieved at least a minimum level of education, such asliteracy. Most of these cultural requisites may be equatedwith cultural rights, which are enablers of capacities.Language rights are of particular importance since theyprovide access to a capacity essential to all other rights.

Cultural rights are themselves poorly developed ininternational law and have received scant mention in a variety of international instruments. The broad compassof cultural rights poses numerous problems of definition,opposability and compatibility with other human rights.Collective claims in the name of cultural rights – embody -ing a rights-based approach to the promotion and theprotection of cultural diversity, relating to culturalcreations, cultural expressions or even the sum of acommunity’s material and spiritual activities – aredifficult to translate in terms of human rights. Further -more, it is not clear who is to guarantee the exercise of

such rights. Finally, there is an ongoing debateconcerning tensions between cultural rights andfundamental human rights, such as the right to equaltreatment and non-discrimination.

Cultural diversity: A parameter of social cohesionCultural diversity today represents a key challengebecause of the multicultural composition of mostcountries. The UNDP’s 2004 Human DevelopmentReport, Cultural Liberty in Today’s Diverse World, stressesthe need to implement public policies that recognizedifference, champion diversity and promote culturalfreedoms. Yet this is only possible to the extent that weare conscious of the conflicts that arise in multiculturalsocieties from the recognition of diversity. Experiencehas shown that attempting to reinforce the nationalfabric by pretending that differences do not exist leadsto cultural backlashes and that confronting culturaldifferences is the only effective way of living with them.

While a culturally homogenous society has never existed,the cultural web is becoming progressively morecomplex as globalization takes hold. In many countries

2 8 . P A R T I I I R E N E W I N G I N T E R N A T I O N A L S T R A T E G I E S

K The obelisk of BuenosAires, Argentina


that have not seriously taken account of culturaldiversity, mass immigration has led to the emergence ofcommunity ‘ghettos’ that can become sources of conflicts– hence the need for ‘reasonable accommodations’between cultures. Issues of perception are importanthere, since intercultural conflicts invariably involveconfusions and distortions between fact and perception,especially between the majority population andminorities that feel themselves insufficiently recognizedand integrated in the social fabric. Steps should be takento ensure that minority voices and views can be heardand that debates involving all members of thecommunities concerned can take place.

Since the 1970s, multiculturalist policies – notably in theareas of education, information, law, religious observanceand media access – have been one of the mainapproaches to ensure equality in diversity. Such policieshave proved to have a number of shortcomings,particularly that of encouraging a drift towards culturalisolationism. Several countries are currently challengedwith finding new models that fuse agendas forpromoting national identity with those ‘celebrating’diversity. In this context, the aim is to go beyondassimilation and multiculturalism conceived in terms ofseparateness, in order to highlight multiple interactionsand allegiances and facilitate access to other cultures,particularly through the development of networks andnew forms of sociability.

The challenge of cultural diversity for democraticgovernanceGovernance involves the whole range of decision-making processes and actors within formal and non-formal structures in a given social or political context.Recognizing the interdependence of all these actorsconnects governance to a wider concern with socialcapital and the underpinnings necessary for socialcohesion.

Building cohesive societies requires developing andimplementing policies that ensure empowerment of allgroups and individuals, as well as their politicalparticipation. Power-sharing arrangements, such asconsensus democracy, should be complemented byempowerment policies in the fields of education, cultureand the media.

The overarching goal is to promote an enablingenvironment for realistic progress towards genuinedemocratic governance. Such a universalistic approachfounded on mutual trust is the key to peacefulcoexistence within societies, for it is the point ofdeparture for the forging of a wider internationalconsensus in keeping with the goals of the UnitedNations. As with human rights, such an overarching goalgains in acceptance when it takes root in the diversity ofcultural models of governance in use in societies. In thisregard, customary law and dispute-settlementmechanisms – as rediscovered through the prism ofintangible heritage – can coexist with State organizationand serve to strengthen democratic governance.

C U L T U R A L D I V E R S I T Y , H U M A N R I G H T S A N D D E M O C R A T I C G O V E R N A N C E . 2 9

Chapter 8: Cultural diversity,hum

an rights and dem

ocratic governance

The overarchinggoal is to promotean enablingenvironment forprogress towardsgenuine democraticgovernance

L The fortified town of Aitben Haddou nearOuarzazate in Morocco

I Aboriginal rock paintingsat Carnarvon Gorge, CentralQueensland, Australia

L New Jersey City skyline onthe Hudson River, US


C O N C L U S I O N . 3 1

Conclusion andRecom

mendations

ConclusionThere is an urgent need to invest in cultural diversity and dialogue. Integrating cultural diversityin a wide range of public policies – including those somewhat remote from the cultural fieldproper – can help renew the international community’s approaches to two key objectives:development and peace building and conflict prevention. Regarding development, culture isincreasingly recognized as a cross-cutting dimension of the three economic, social andenvironmental pillars of any truly sustainable development. Regarding peace and conflictprevention, acknowledging cultural diversity places the emphasis on ‘unity in diversity’, that is tosay, the shared humanity inherent in our differences. Far from representing a potential restrictionon universally proclaimed human rights, cultural diversity furthers their effective exercise; itstrengthens social cohesion and fosters renewed forms of democratic governance. However, thisrequires that we refine our understanding of cultural diversity and dialogue so as to dispense witha number of received ideas.

Towards a new understanding of cultural diversityThe World Report sets out to promote such anunderstanding by examining certain commonpreconceptions:

● Globalization leads inevitably to culturalhomogenization. While globalization undoubtedlyweakens cultural diversity in some respects bystandardizing modes of life, production andconsumption, it equally helps to reconfigurecultural diversity in the ways highlighted in thepresent World Report.

● Cultural diversity is reducible to the diversity ofnational cultures. Yet national identity is not afixed quantity: it represents an historicalconstruction; and identity that may appearseamless is in fact the product of multipleinteractions to be found in all national contexts.

● Cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue aremutually exclusive. Rather than viewing the worldas a plurality of civilizations, whether in terms ofconflict (the ‘clash of civilizations’) or dialogue (the‘alliance of civilizations’), we need to movetowards the reconciliation of differences wherebythe harmony of the whole is born of theresonance inherent in receptiveness to others.Cultural diversity is the precondition ofintercultural dialogue, and vice versa. Withoutgenuine dialogue, the dynamic of change (whichis the very essence of cultural diversity) is notsustained, and diversity is lost or declines as a

result of self-enclosure. Dialogue, includinginterreligious dialogue (conceived as dialoguebetween all spiritual and intellectual traditions),does not mean that we relinquish our convictionsbut simply that we remain open-minded.Intercultural dialogue must be seen as a complexand ongoing process that is never complete.

● Cultural diversity and the economy are mutuallyincompatible. In practice, cultural diversitypervades all sectors of the economy, frommarketing and advertising to finance and businessmanagement. Diversity is becoming a resource,since it stimulates creativity and innov ationwithin the enterprise, particularly of a social kind.Recognition of the tools required for culturaldiversity to flourish (‘cultural intelligence’) is oneof the most tangible signs of this gradual shift inthe way the economic sector (and the market)views cultural diversity.

● Scientific and technological progress and thediversity of cultural practices are mutuallyincompatible. Cultural diversity is in no wayincompatible with progress or development.Indeed, the emergence of genuine ‘knowledgesocieties’ implies a diversity of forms ofknowledge and its sources of production,including indigenous knowledge conducive to the preservation of biodiversity.

L A ‘Roi de Soleil’ mask atthe Carnival in Rio deJaneiro, Brazil

J One of the 6th-centuryBuddhas of Bamiyan, aUNESCO World Heritage sitedestroyed in 2001 by thethen Taliban government inAfghanistan


3 2 . I N V E S T I N G I N C U L T U R A L D I V E R S I T Y A N D I N T E R C U L T U R A L D I A L O G U E

● There is an irreconcilable contradiction betweencultural diversity and universalism. The assertionthat cultural diversity leads inevitably to therelativization of rights and freedoms, seen asvarying in time and space, rests on an unjustifiedconflation of standardization and universality.The rights and freedoms universally recognizedby the world community are intrinsic to everyhuman being and are in this sense intangible.They are also inalienable since no one canrenounce his or her rights. On the other hand,these rights and freedoms are exercised in awide variety of cultural environments, and allhave a cultural dimension that needs to beunderlined. This is not to say that universalnorms are relative in terms of their application. It is rather that cultural diversity can further theexercise of rights and freedoms, since to ignorecultural realities would be tantamount toaffirming formal rights and freedoms withoutensuring that they can in practice be rooted andenjoyed in diverse cultural contexts.

It is all the more necessary to dispel thesepreconceptions since it is tempting to see culturalfactors as the cause of conflicts, whereas they areonly the pretext for conflict; the ultimate cause ofconflict lies in political or socio-economic

circumstances. To clarify the question, it isnecessary – as the present report recommends –to establish new mechanisms for monitoring, datacollection and the circulation of information.

In challenging such received notions, the WorldReport suggests a new approach that emphasizesthe dynamic character of cultural diversity. It impliesthat policies to promote cultural diversity shouldnot be confined to safeguarding the tangible andintangible heritage and creating the conditions inwhich creativity can flourish, but should alsoencompass measures aimed at assisting vulnerableindividuals and groups ill-equipped to cope withcultural change.

The implications of cultural diversity for publicpolicyAlthough the cultural dimension of the challengesconfronting the international community is notdirectly reflected in the Millennium DevelopmentGoals, an informed awareness of the implications ofcultural diversity is essential to public policy-makingin areas lying outside the cultural domain proper:

● In the field of languages, it is culturalimpoverishment, as much as the political, social,administrative and cultural status of languages,which is at the root of language decline.

● In education, integration of the culturaldimension makes for greater relevance ofeducational methods and contents. The culturaldimension contributes to the full realization ofthe right to education and the diversification offorms of learning, including out-of-schoollearning, ensuring that no group in society (e.g. indigenous minorities, vulnerable groups) isoverlooked. If cultural diversity is not taken intoaccount, education cannot fulfil its role oflearning to live together. Consequently, thedevelopment of intercultural competencies thatare conducive to dialogue between cultures andcivilizations should be an educational priority.

● In the area of communication and culturalcontents, since the diversified communication ofvaried cultural content contributes to the vitalityof exchanges, and since globalization and the

It is tempting to seecultural factors asthe cause ofconflicts, whereasthey are only thepretext for conflict;the ultimate causeof conflict lies inpolitical or socio-economiccircumstances

I Four Dogon Dancers withMasks and Stilts, village ofIrelli, Mali


C O N C L U S I O N . 3 3

Conclusion andRecom

mendations

● There is a need to strengthen the foundations ofuniversalism by showing how it can beembodied in a wide variety of practices withoutbeing compromised. Cultural diversity is centralto human rights. These rights must be‘appropriated’ at the local level, not as elementssuperimposed on cultural practices but asuniversal principles deriving from the practicesthemselves. For each cultural practiceconstitutes a pathway to the universal, testifyingto our shared humanity.

● There is a need to explore the new approachopened up by recognition of the multiple –multidimensional – identities of individuals andgroups in order to further the development ofcultural pluralism. Increasingly, individualsdecline to be limited to fixed categories(whether ethnic, linguistic, cultural, political orotherwise). This is an opportunity to be turned toaccount. The growing number of potentialpoints of encounter between individuals canreduce the obstacles to intercultural dialogue,and the plasticity of identities can create adynamic of change conducive to innovations ofall kinds and at every level. Such an approachmakes it possible to transcend the limits of themulticulturalist policies initiated in the 1970s.

It follows that States should invest increasedfinancial and human resources in cultural diversityas a matter of priority. What are the main areas inwhich these investments should be made andwhat should be their goal? The recommendationsthat follow offer a number of pointers in thisregard. The returns that can be expected on suchinvestments are no less than progress towards theachievement of sustainable development and apeace based on ‘unity in diversity’. The cost of suchaction may be high but the cost of inaction couldbe even greater. If the international community is able in ten years time to measure the progressmade along this long road, the approachesoutlined in this World Report will have served their purpose.

new technologies have expanded the scope ofpossible choices, cultural diversity is a factor thathas to be taken into account in this connection.It enables minority communities to makethemselves known to the public at large, even ifcontinued efforts are necessary to limit thestereotypes and prejudices to which thecommunities concerned are often subject.

● In the private sector, cultural diversity is impingingon all spheres of economic activity, sincecreativity and innovation are linked.

Because cultural diversity cuts across a whole seriesof public-policy areas not obviously related toculture, UNESCO has a particular responsibility toassist Member States in the formulation of relevantpolicies in all its fields of competence.

The main challenges to be addressedThe World Report highlights three challengesrelating to cultural diversity that will confront theinternational community in the years ahead:combating cultural illiteracy, reconcilinguniversalism and diversity, and supporting newforms of pluralism resulting from the assertion ofmultiple identities by individuals and groups.

● In a globalized world in which the contactsbetween cultures are expanding rapidly, it isnecessary to combat the spread of culturalilliteracy. Indeed, the ability to accept culturaldifferences, to welcome them without beingunsettled by them, calls for interculturalcompetencies that some societies have learnedto develop in particular contexts but which cansometimes appear sorely lacking at the individuallevel. Helping to equip individuals or groups withthe tools they need to manage cultural diversitymore effectively should be the new concern ofpublic and private decision-makers. Interculturaldialogue should ensure equality between allstakeholders in society. Multilingualism andmedia and information literacy have animportant role to play in this regard.

L A young boy in KihnuIsland, Estonia

In a globalizedworld in which thecontacts betweencultures areexpanding rapidly, itis necessary tocombat the spreadof cultural illiteracy


3 4 . C U L T U R A L D I V E R S I T Y

Chapter 3 – LANGUAGES3. National language policies should beimplemented with a view to bothsafeguarding linguistic diversity andpromoting multilingual competencies.

To this end, action should be taken to:a. Facilitate language use through appropriate

measures, be they educational, editorial,administrative or other.

b. Make provision – as appropriate – for thelearning, alongside mother tongues, of anational and an international language.

c. Encourage the translation by all possiblemeans of written and audiovisual materialsin order to promote the internationalcirculation of ideas and artistic works,including through the use of newtechnologies.

d. Develop reliable and internationallycomparable indicators for assessing theimpact of language policies on linguisticdiversity, and promote good practices inthis regard.

Chapter 4 – EDUCATION4. In order to further the process oflearning to live together, there is a need topromote intercultural competencies,including those embedded in the everydaypractices of communities, with a view toimproving pedagogical approaches tointercultural relations.

To this end, action should be taken to:a. Undertake a global comparative survey of

educational contents and methods,including traditional modes of transmission,with particular reference to the recognitionand accommodation of cultural diversity.

b. Support efforts to identify and/or createopportunities and facilities for culture-specific learning in each educationalsystem, making use of existing instrumentssuch as EFA National Assessment Reports.

c. Adapt teaching methods to therequirements of the everyday life oflearners, with the necessary support of

Chapter 1 – CULTURAL DIVERSITY1. Consideration should be given toestablishing a World Observatory onCultural Diversity to monitor the impactsof globalization and to serve as a source ofinformation and data for comparativeresearch with a forward-looking function.

To this end, action should be taken to:a. Collect, compile and widely disseminate

data and statistics on cultural diversity,building inter alia on the revised 2009UNESCO Framework for Cultural Statistics.

b. Develop methodologies and tools forassessing, measuring and monitoringcultural diversity, adaptable to national orlocal conditions by governments and publicand private institutions.

c. Establish national observatories to monitorpolicies and advise on appropriatemeasures for the promotion of culturaldiversity.

Chapter 2 – INTERCULTURAL DIALOGUE2. Support should continue to be given tonetworks and initiatives for interculturaland interfaith dialogue at all levels, whileensuring the full involvement of newpartners, especially women and youngpeople.

To this end, action should be taken to:a. Develop measures to enable members of

communities and groups subject todiscrimination and stigmatization toparticipate in the framing of projectsdesigned to counter cultural stereotyping.

b. Support initiatives aimed at developing realand virtual spaces and provide facilities forcultural interaction, especially in countrieswhere inter-community conflict exists.

c. Showcase ‘places of memory’ that serve tosymbolize and promote reconciliationbetween communities within an overallprocess of cultural rapprochement.

The followingrecomm endations areaddressed asappropriate to States,intergovernmentaland non-governmentalinternational andregional bodies,national institutionsand private-sectorentities.

L Cocolo street paradein San Pedro de Macorís,Dominican Republic


R E C O M M E N D A T I O N S . 3 5

educational policy-makers, educationalprofessionals at all levels and localcommunities, recognizing the culturaldimension as a central pillar of Educationfor Sustainable Development.

d. Develop international guidelines for thepromotion of intercultural dialogue throughthe arts, based on the identification of goodpractices in arts education.

Chapter 5 – COMMUNICATION ANDCULTURAL CONTENTS5. There is a need to encourage culturalsensitivity in the production andconsumption of communication andinformation contents, thereby facilitatingaccess, empowerment and participation.

To this end, action should be taken to:a. Support the production and distribution of

innovative and diversified audiovisualmaterials, taking account of local needs,contents and actors, and having recourse asappropriate to public-private partnerships.

b. Assess the impact of ICT-driven changes oncultural diversity, with a view tohighlighting good practices of multilingualaccess to written and audiovisualproductions.

c. Promote media and information literacy forall age groups in order to increase theability of media users to critically evaluatecommunication and cultural contents.

Chapter 6 – CREATIVITY AND THEMARKETPLACE6. Creativity being a source of social andtechnological innovation, there is a need toinvest in its development, both in thecultural sector and in the business sector,within which cultural diversity is to beunderstood as a source of profit andenhanced performance, conducive tocorporate ‘cultural intelligence’.

To this end, action should be taken to:a. Facilitate the exchange of artistic

productions and the circulation of artists,including through a system of cultural visas.

Conclusion andRecom

mendations

b. Develop appropriate systems for theprotection of traditional know-how in thecrafts sector, as well as ways and means ofcompensating the communities concernedfor the commercial exploitation of suchknow-how.

c. Draw up and widely disseminate goodpractices in relation to tourismdevelopment with a view to maximizing itspositive impacts on cultural diversity.

d. Develop ‘cultural intelligence’ in thebusiness and marketing world through theestablishment of real and virtual forums andthe production of relevant research on theprofitability of cultural diversity, not limitedonly to ethnic or gender difference.

Chapter 7 – CULTURAL DIVERSITY ANDSUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT7. The principles of cultural diversity, asembodied in particular in the CulturalDiversity Lens, should be duly taken intoaccount in the design, implementation andmonitoring of all development policies.

To this end, action should be taken to:a. Identify concrete measures to

operationalize research on the culturaldimension of natural resourcesconservation and management, withparticular reference to the knowledge andknow-how of indigenous communities.

b. Establish a clearing-house for documentingparticipatory approaches to environmentalproblems, including indications as to theirsuccess.

c. Encourage the participation of members ofall communities in defining resourceallocation criteria on the basis of socialjustice, so as to foster a dynamic of socialdialogue and promote interculturalsolidarity.

Chapter 8 – CULTURAL DIVERSITY, HUMANRIGHTS AND DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE8. As universally recognized human rightsshould be guaranteed to every individual,their effective exercise can be fosteredthrough the recognition of culturaldiversity, which can also reinforce socialcohesion and encourage renewed modesof democratic governance. Policiesconducive to the preservation andpromotion of cultural diversity should beencouraged to this end.

Action should be taken in particular to:a. Collect striking examples of cases in which

the cultural context is a key factor in theeffective exercise of universally recognizedrights and freedoms, so as to highlight thecultural dimension of all rights andfreedoms.

b. Map exchanges within and betweenminority groups and between majority andminority communities, especially in thecontext of ‘global cities’, in order to createinformal networks of solidarities, and widelypublicize such exchanges.

c. Study the diversity of the intangibleheritage as a source of examples of modesof democratic governance based on theempowerment and participation of allcommunities.

GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS:9. There is a need to promote awarenessamong policy- and decision-makers aboutthe benefits of intercultural and interfaithdialogue, while bearing in mind itspotential instrumentalization.

10. Consideration should be given toestablishing a national mechanism formonitoring public policies as they relate tocultural diversity, with a view to ensuringimproved governance and the fullimplementation of universally recognizedhuman rights.


3 6 . A C K N O W L E D G E M E N T S

Under the supervision of Françoise Rivière, Assistant Director-General for CultureGeneral Editors: Georges Kutukdjian and John Corbett

Editorial and Research Coordinator: Frédéric SampsonProject Editor and Production Coordinator: Janine Treves-HabarDirector of the World Reports Unit (effective until July 2007): Michael Millward

ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR THE WORLD REPORT ON CULTURAL DIVERSITYNeville Alexander (South Africa)Arjun Appadurai (India)Lourdes Arizpe (Mexico)Lina Attel (Jordan)Tyler Cowen (USA)Biserka Cvjeticanin (Croatia)Philippe Descola (France)Sakiko Fukuda-Parr (Japan)Jean-Pierre Guingané (Burkina Faso)Luis Enrique Lopez (Peru)Tony Pigott (Canada)Ralph Regenvanu (Tuvalu)Anatoly G. Vishnevsky (Russian Federation)Mohammed Zayani (Tunisia)Benigna Zimba (Mozambique)

Copyright ©2009 by the United Nations Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization

7 place de Fontenoy 75007 Paris, France

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any

means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission.

The designations employed and the presentation of material throughout this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion

whatsoever on the part of UNESCO concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the

delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

The UNESCO World Report No. 2: Investing in Cultural Diversity and Intercultural Dialogue (ISBN 978-92-3-104077-1) is available in English;

French and Spanish forthcoming from UNESCO Publishing. The Executive Summary is currently available in Arabic, Chinese, English,

French, Russian and Spanish.

For more information, please refer to www.unesco.org/en/world-reports/cultural-diversity

Email: [email protected]

UNESCO World Report

Investing in Cultural Diversity andIntercultural Dialogue

Des

ign

by B

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L Two men on a bicyclenear Arusha, Tanzania


CLT-2009/WS/9

http://www.unesco.org/en/world-reports/cultural-diversity

mailto:[email protected]

UNESCO World Report


Introduction 1

PART I – Cultural Diversity: What is at Stake? 5

Chapter 1: CULTURAL DIVERSITYCultural diversity in a globalizing world 6National, religious, cultural and multiple identities 7 Regional and international initiatives 8

Chapter 2: INTERCULTURAL DIALOGUECultural interactions 9Cultural stereotypes and intolerance 9The challenges of dialogue in a multicultural world 9Empowerment 10

PART II – Key Vectors of Cultural Diversity 11

Chapter 3: LANGUAGESLanguage dynamics today 12Languages and identities 13The challenges of language assessment and revitalization 13Multilingualism, translation and intercultural dialogue 14

Chapter 4: EDUCATIONThe relevance of educational methods and contents 15Learning societies and the right to education 16Participatory learning and intercultural competencies 17

Chapter 5: COMMUNICATION AND CULTURAL CONTENTS

Globalization and new media trends 18Impacts of communication and cultural products 19Policies fostering cultural diversity 20

Chapter 6: CREATIVITY AND THE MARKETPLACEArtistic creation and the creative economy 20Crafts and international tourism 21Cultural diversity and the business world 22

PART III – Renewing International Strategies related to Development and Peace 23

Chapter 7: CULTURAL DIVERSITY: A KEY DIMENSION OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

The cultural approach to development 24Perceptions of poverty and poverty eradication 25Cultural diversity and environmental sustainability 26

Chapter 8: CULTURAL DIVERSITY, HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE

Cultural diversity and universally recognized human rights 27Cultural diversity: A parameter of social cohesion 28The challenge of cultural diversity for democratic

governance 29

Conclusion 31Recommendations 34

Executivesummary


Photography

Cover (main): © James Hardy/ZenShui/Corbis Inside cover-1: © Mihai-Bogdan Lazar 1: © Sven Torfinn / Panos 2-3: © Jacob Silberberg / Panos 2a: © T. Fernández 2b: © F. Brugman / UNESCO 3: © Jack Stein / Photo Edit4a: © Jocelyn Carlin / Panos 4b: © Rick Lord 5: © Robert Churchill 6a: © Instituto Nacional de Cultura /

Dante Villafuerte 6b: © Commission nationale Centrafricaine

et Ministere de la jeunesse et dessports, arts et culture

6c: © Karim Hesham 7a: © Gerd Ludwig / Panos 7b: © Renato S. Rastrollo / NCCA -ICH /

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Cultural diversity has emerged as a key concern at the turn of a new century. Yet the

meanings attached to this catch-all term are as varied as they are shifting. Some see

cultural diversity as inherently positive, insofar as it points to a sharing of the wealth

embodied in each of the world’s cultures and, accordingly, to the links uniting us all

in processes of exchange and dialogue. For others, cultural differences are what

cause us to lose sight of our common humanity and are therefore at the root of

numerous conflicts. This second diagnosis is today all the more plausible since

globalization has increased the points of interaction and friction between cultures,

giving rise to identity-linked tensions, withdrawals and claims, particularly of a

religious nature, which can become potential sources of dispute. The essential

challenge, therefore, would be to propose a coherent vision of cultural diversity and

thereby to clarify how, far from being a threat, it can become beneficial to the action

of the international community. This is the essential purpose of the present report.

UNESCO World Report


Executivesummary

investing in cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue ... · investing in cultural diversity...

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