Community Media Forum

Communication, Democracy and Cultural Diversity

Geneva, 11 December 2003
Alfonso Gumucio-Dagron

It is through the evolution of our own genuine culture that our identity can be fully discovered. Steve Biko

Alfonso Gumucio-Dagron

Outline
Dramatic situation of culture and values in developing nations under the push for a globalised world Freedom, participation and democracy is undermined by the weakening of cultures and values National states have a responsibility in providing adequate policy frameworks Communication is the main tool for strengthening cultural diversity and democracy Political empowerment for democracy is possible if people take in their own hands the communication process

Alfonso Gumucio-Dagron

VANISHING CULTURES & COMMUNICATION

Alfonso Gumucio-Dagron

Cultural diversity is the mirror of natural diversity. Creation is unity within diversity, where all forms of life coexist harmoniously. Every time a forest is devastated, a form of life is violated, another language is lost, a form of civilization is curtailed, genocide is committed. Rigoberta Mench

Alfonso Gumucio-Dagron

Vanuatu, sand drawings

In central and northern islands of Vanuatu. A means of communication among the members of some 80 different language groups. They also serve as mnemonic devises to record and transmit oral information about local history, indigenous cosmologies, kinship systems, traditions, values, etc. Multi-functional "writing" form, occurs in a wide range of ritual, contemplative and communicative contexts. Drawings are produced directly on sand, volcanic ash or clay. Using a finger the drawer traces symmetrical composition of geometric patterns. Exposed to winds, the drawings seldom remain intact for long periods.
Alfonso Gumucio-Dagron

Central Africa, Aka Pygmies songs

An extremely complex type of contrapuntal polyphony based on four voices. Vocal musical tradition that differs radically from those of neighbouring ethnic groups and can be found nowhere else on the African continent. The songs perpetuate knowledge considered essential to the cohesion of the group and the preservation of community values, such as courage and solidarity. Relying entirely on oral transmission, they have succeeded in preserving their musical knowledge over the generations by including children in rituals at an early age.

Alfonso Gumucio-Dagron

Bolivia, Kallawaya cosmovision

The Andean cosmovision of the Kallawaya culture is a coherent body of beliefs, myths, rituals, values and artistic expressions that provides an original vision of the world. Derived from belief systems of ancient indigenous peoples, is manifested through traditional medicine, whose virtues are recognized not only in Bolivia but in the many South American countries where Kallawaya priest doctors travel & practice. This healing art involves an exceptionally deep understanding of animal, mineral and botanical pharmacopoeia and a corpus of ritual knowledge intimately linked to religious beliefs. Their botanical pharmacopoeia, which rates as one of the worlds richest with some 980 plant species.

Alfonso Gumucio-Dagron

Culture & Communication

Examples from different regions, out of 28 Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity that UNESCO has recently proclaimed. What do they have in common? The intermingling of communication and culture, for the preservation of values and participation in society. Also in common: they might disappear Arts and culture are much more than performance, aesthetic tradition, artistic and media representation. They are communication tools that communities use to preserve their history, memory and cultural diversity.

Alfonso Gumucio-Dagron

More access, less choice

Mass communication is unfortunately promoting the uneven global trend towards homogenisation of culture. Hopes that more sophisticated technologies would have brought increasing diversity, improved access for all and better choices for content in mass media, were betrayed. While access to technology improved, diversity and quality of content have suffered. We were promised the best television choice ever through satellite and cable -500 channels- but we could go on zapping forever. In poorest nations, local production dropped to zero. In Latin America, the best scenarios: 10% to 20% of soap operas from Brazil, Mexico or Colombia. The worst and most likely: 80% to 90% of old reruns from US television.

Alfonso Gumucio-Dagron

Internet: Unlikely mirror

The Spaniards brought to Latin America colour crystals and mirrors to exchange them for gold and gems. At least, the mirrors were useful Internet (the web), is not yet a good reflecting mirror of our cultures and reality The latest promise for a better world is actually reproducing the same pattern as cable and satellite television:
a) too expensive and benefits only the wealthy segment of society, b) its contents are irrelevant for the large majority of the population of Third World nations, and c) it is largely dominated by English.
Alfonso Gumucio-Dagron

Internet & languages

Web content is: 68.4 percent in English, followed very far by 5.9 in Japanese, 5.8 in German, 3.9 in Chinese, 3.0 in French and only 2.4 Spanish
(Global Reach, January 2004)

However, Spanish is the third largest first-language in the world. Ethnologue lists over 6,000 living languages: Chinese Mandarin comes first with over 960 million, Hindi is second with 366 million, Spanish is third with 358 million and English is fourth with 341 millions speakers. (2002)

Alfonso Gumucio-Dagron

Disappearing languages
Over 50% of worlds 6,000 languages are in danger (UNESCO) One language disappears every two weeks 90% of worlds languages are not represented in Internet A language that disappears, carries to death the whole culture when oral tradition is the main vehicle of transmission of culture and values from one generation to the next

Alfonso Gumucio-Dagron

Thus, there is nothing new under the sun, except what has been forgotten.
Rigoberta Mench

Alfonso Gumucio-Dagron

CULTURE IN A GLOBALIZED WORLD

Alfonso Gumucio-Dagron

The market leads the initiative within the globalisation process, it now regulates the relationships between peoples, nations and cultures, it imposes communication models and speeds up networks. Jess Martn Barbero

Alfonso Gumucio-Dagron

Homogenising attempts
Dominant cultures would like to see the geographical areas under their influence, shaped exactly like them: a mirror image of themselves. It has more to do with the expansion of markets for their products, rather than with any noble attempt to share values. Attempts to impose colonial languages and cultures through the education system. Assimilation as means of integration. Development is difficult in a country that has many languages and a variety of cultures. Homogenisation models only contributed to strengthen neocolonial ties, with no impact on development. UNESCO: Research shows that mother-tongue instruction combined with the majority language, gives the best results at school and fosters children's cognitive development and their learning ability.
Alfonso Gumucio-Dagron

Cultural resources are replacing natural resources as the primary raw material of economic growth. Where timber, iron and oil once ruled, knowledge creativity and design are establishing themselves as the crucial sources of added value.
Francois Matarasso

Alfonso Gumucio-Dagron

Culture as merchandise
The economically successful US cultural industry is occupying the global imaginative and creative sphere. Global cultural homogenization is sweeping the world. Monoculture of the mind - calls it Indian physicist and activist Vandana Shiva. The global monoculture has infiltrated every corner of the world, dominated by western values and lifestyles, driven by a consumer-based ideology and carried through the massive US entertainment-industrial complex. Nations need to oppose it with the richness of their own cultures, as alternative ways of seeing, of thinking, of creating. Communities need to create bridges between other languages, other cultures, and values, to participate in world. Internationalisation, rather than globalisation.

Alfonso Gumucio-Dagron

Cultural purity?
There are no pure cultures and should not be. Every culture is the unique result of multiple interactions with other cultures. Cultures are always in the process of evolving, changing and sharing with other cultures their values and forms of expression. A culture that doesnt interact with other cultures is dead. Cultures are always negotiating their boundaries. The scars that remain in the texture of exchanges, are defining the losses or gains of the negotiation. The terms of cultural interaction have to be balanced and fair to maintain dialogue within equity and democratic principles. While the terms of interaction are more balanced at local levels, at the international level globalisation has set the rules for the most uneven and unfair terms of cultural -and economicexchanges.
Alfonso Gumucio-Dagron

Public service media

Increasing concentration in control of media ownership homogenization of content and limitation of access. The cultural and educational mission of public service media is lost in many countries. Cultural policies must take into account the impact and importance of mass media. Public radio and television editorially independent and free of political or commercial constraints, are instruments for consolidating democracy.

Alfonso Gumucio-Dagron

NATIONAL CULTURE & COMMUNICATION POLICIES

Alfonso Gumucio-Dagron

The more wealth we have created, the worst iniquity results from its distribution; the more sophisticated is our technology, and more people are excluded through ignorance; the more our wealth grows, the more is the ecosystem destroyed; the more diverse is our culture, the more incapable we are to communicate our identities; the more democracy is expanded, the more are its mechanisms manipulated; and when we end with a form of war we immediately discover a more insidious one. Manuel Castells
Alfonso Gumucio-Dagron

Policy frameworks
Multilateral institutions which have no cultural mandate are establishing policy frameworks that affect culture. The international language of commerce increasingly supersedes the language of culture. National states to provide frameworks for the representation of the knowledge, experiences and practices of diverse communities that contribute to the human dimension of the society as a whole. They must ensure equal opportunities for cultural, critical and intellectual exchanges among urban and rural communities. Facilitate the expression of heritage consciousness & collective memory, to replace the dominant forms of selective memory. Preserve specific cultural profiles from erosion by powerful external audio-visual and communication systems. Prevent cultural creativity from being watered down by transnational commercialization.
Alfonso Gumucio-Dagron

Diversity for Democracy

National states treat cultural communities as absolute groups, whereas in reality they are not unitary and there is discussion within communities about their identity, and aspirations. Diversity is a basic building block of the emerging global civic culture based on ethics and values & new forms of conviviality. Diversity is a major source of social energy for development. Cultural policies are necessary to accommodate cultural borders of ethnic diversity, the plurality of languages and lifestyles. They need to reflect critically on hegemonic cultural discourse and establish frameworks for exploring dominance & dissent. A pluralism that cherishes and nurtures cultural diversity is critical to guaranteeing respect for the freedom of all. Democracy flourishes in diversity, because interaction within diversity requires of mutual respect.
Alfonso Gumucio-Dagron

 Harmony between culture and development, respect for cultural identities, tolerance for cultural differences in a framework of plural democratic values, socio-economic equity and respect for territorial unity and national sovereignty are among the preconditions for a lasting and just peace.
Stockholm Conference on Cultural Policies for Development, 1998

Alfonso Gumucio-Dagron

UNESCO Principles
Sustainable development and the flourishing of culture are interdependent Participation and access to cultural life is a fundamental human right Dialogue between cultures is an essential condition for peaceful coexistence Globalisation links cultures more closely but may also be detrimental to creative diversity and cultural pluralism We must empower all communities to harness their creativity and forge ways of living together with others
Alfonso Gumucio-Dagron

Culture as a Human Right

Cultural rights are human rights, an expression and requirement of human dignity Their recognition and exercise are vital to promote cultural identities and foster dialogue in democratic societies. Cultural freedom provides protection for individual freedom and that the affirmation of cultural rights is a constructive rather than a divisive force within and between societies. Problems with the notion of cultural since cultures are dynamic while rights must not be. Ideological tensions: individual's rights conflict with group rights. Communication, is often considered only as technology, leaving aside its importance in promoting culture Excluding communication from the benefits of legislation protecting cultural rights results in community radio stations being ignored or even punished by normative bodies.
Alfonso Gumucio-Dagron

Opportunities
The concept of a central powerful governments, too often doing the dirty work for neo-colonial powers, and serving the wealthy in each nation, is in question. Civil society movements are demanding a more active role in the decision-making process that affects their lives. Elections are no longer synonym of democracy, too often only promote a dormant society. The context of decentralisation and the new concepts of governance at local levels include more power to local governments and municipalities.

Alfonso Gumucio-Dagron

Democratic values
Culture and communication can contribute to consolidate local power, based on participation and democratic values. The role of culture is even more important for democracy and development in multiethnic and multicultural societies. Public debate, ends up supporting fundamental democratic values. Access to high-quality information, free of commercial, political or partisan pressures, is an essential element of a healthy democracy.

Alfonso Gumucio-Dagron

Mainstream
Mainstream is a culture of public practice informed by elitist politics and practices of a dominant minority. The principal agenda is diversifying the mainstream. The preferred future is a broader community that no longer focuses on cultural differences but which reflects the diverse origins of different peoples and their varied cultural inheritances. Cultural environment should be nurtured through participatory processes. In negotiating the representation of cultural values, cultural policy frameworks must ensure community empowerment through effective participation. Nurturing participatory processes and practices that are developed and negotiated through extensive community engagement.

Alfonso Gumucio-Dagron

COMMUNICATION, PARTICIPATION AND OWNERSHIP

Alfonso Gumucio-Dagron

Taking rights
In the absence of cultural and communication policies in most developing countries, or the lack of enforcement for existing cultural policies due to the fragility of national states after the tidal wave of globalisation, civil society organisations and communities have struggle to provide themselves with the tools to support their own objectives of democratic participation in society.

Alfonso Gumucio-Dagron

Community Media
Committed to human rights and social justice approaches. Is key to promote participation, to ensure sustainability of development programmes, and strengthen social organisations. During decades, community radio has been the platform for communities to convey their cultural expressions, exchange information and promote local dialogue and debate. Radio is by far the most important electronic media and particularly of poor communities in Third World nations. Community radio has been a collective tool for empowerment through participation in the communication process. Recent years have seen an important trend to networking, thus strengthening both local and regional capacity and participation in social movements.

Alfonso Gumucio-Dagron

Empowering voices
Community radio is a real place that anyone can enter to exercise the experience of human contact. To turn on a radio set in the context of a community is a social gesture of civic value. One turns on a radio the way one opens a window onto his street, onto his community, onto his city, onto his country, onto the world. (Sylvain Lafrance) To treat content like a transformable product, which is recyclable and industrial, is to deny certain basic principles of human communication. Radio is a simple medium, which technology and industry are forever trying to complicate.
Alfonso Gumucio-Dagron

Communication as a process
Participation in community media can only be ensured through a process that aims key objectives:
Ownership Local contents Language and cultural pertinence Networking and convergence Appropriate technology

Alfonso Gumucio-Dagron

Ownership principles
Relevance and importance of cultural networks Appropriate representation and accountability Identifiable community benefits along with economic outcomes Access to excellence; consultation, participation and negotiation Co-operation and co-ordination Cultural diversity; inspiration, innovation and imagination Quality of experience and resourcefulness.
Alfonso Gumucio-Dagron

I believe it is precisely this explosion of communication at the local level that makes citizens media into empowering tools for democracy. The disruption of established relations of power is a messy enterprise, and our attempts to impose order and organization will only cause our alienation from these processes. Clemencia Rodrguez

Alfonso Gumucio-Dagron