Release from the INCD — Cultural Diversity: Encouraging Human Development

The 6th Annual Meet­ing of the Inter­na­tional Net­work for Cul­tural Diver­sity, to be held 17–20

Novem­ber 2005 in Dakar, Sene­gal, is tak­ing place a cru­cial time.

Shortly before, UNESCO is expected to approve the terms of the Con­ven­tion on cul­tural diversity

that has been at the fore­front of the INCD’s work since its first meet­ing in 2000. We will look at

the results. But, even the most effec­tive Con­ven­tion, while an essen­tial foun­da­tion, will not bring

diver­sity. Achiev­ing greater cul­tural diver­sity requires the devel­op­ment of cul­tural capac­ity and

cre­ative indus­tries and more bal­ance in the global exchange of cul­tural goods and ser­vices. We

will explore these issues as well. The meet­ing will fol­low the 2nd World Sum­mit on the Information

Soci­ety and will be an impor­tant oppor­tu­nity to dis­cuss issues of media own­er­ship and pluralism,

pub­lic access and the con­tent being deliv­ered by the dig­i­tal networks.

INCD meets in con­junc­tion with the meet­ing of cul­ture min­is­ters orga­nized in the International

Net­work on Cul­tural Pol­icy. Del­e­gates can inter­act infor­mally with cul­ture min­is­ters at an exciting

joint social and cul­tural event being hosted by the Min­is­ter of Cul­ture of Sene­gal. The conclusions

of the INCD meet­ing will be pre­sented to the min­is­ters’ meeting.

The issues to be addressed will include:

· Review of case stud­ies to demon­strate how it is pos­si­ble to alle­vi­ate poverty and

achieve equal­ity by devel­op­ing cre­ative industries.

· The respon­si­bil­ity of pub­lic and pri­vate devel­op­ment agen­cies to col­lab­o­rate with, and

fund, local cul­tural projects, and to inte­grate cul­tural impact assess­ment into

devel­op­ment frame­works and processes.

· Analy­sis of the new UNESCO Con­ven­tion and devel­op­ing a cam­paign around it.

· Review of the ongo­ing trade nego­ti­a­tions and develop an INCD strat­egy to respond

the con­tin­u­ing challenges.

The co-hosts of the meet­ing, Cul­tural Diver­sity, Social Cohe­sion and Sustainable

Devel­op­ment: Cul­tural diver­sity for human devel­op­ment, alle­vi­at­ing poverty, overcoming

inequal­ity and pro­mot­ing empow­er­ment are the Sene­galese Coali­tion for Cul­tural Diversity

and the Sene­galese Coali­tion of Socio-Cultural Actors.

Place: Hotel Ngor Diarama, BP 8092 Dakar, Yoff, Senegal

Date: 17–20 Novem­ber 2005

Reg­is­tra­tion and Information:

Albanela Pérez-Suárez, INCD Coordinator

Tel: (613)238.3561 ext.17/ Fax: 613)238.4849

albanela@ccarts.ca