The bridge of culture

"Culture: a bridge for development" is not only an initiative launched in October 2011 by Irina Bokova, UNESCO general director. It’s a philosophy of life. UNESCO supports the travelling exhibit "Imagining the Balkans. Identities and Memory in the long 19th century" with the cooperation of the International Council of Museums (ICOM) and the International Committee for Exhibitions and Exchange. The event will open in Ljubljana (Slovenia) at the National Museum of Slovenia, on 8 April 2013 and will be showcased in cultural centres across South-East Europe. SIR Europe interviewed Irina Bokova.Why did you promote this initiative?"Today, in the Balkan region, many museums, in particular national history museums, are revisiting their mission statements and approaches. The re-conceptualization of these museums coincides with the quest for a new understanding of national identity and of European history. UNESCO supported this initiative, because it resonates with the Organization’s own approach of building intercultural understanding through shared history, for which museums are certainly privileged places. This is also reflected in the desire of many museums to present history in a multi-perspective fashion, and to stimulate the critical reflective and personal involvement of visitors with history. This is the very first time that major history museums from the region work together on a difficult topic, share and confront their collections, their narratives. This travelling exhibit, coordinated by UNESCO with the support of ICOM, is a unique opportunity to enhance a common vision of shared history across the region and beyond, to reflect on the challenges of shared pasts and shared futures".Is culture a bridge or an obstacle to development in Balkan region?"More and more political leaders understand that investing in culture is both an economic and a social driver. Culture creates jobs, revenues and fosters human development. Across the world, a new creative economy is emerging. This is the reason why UNESCO advocates strongly for the inclusion of culture in the UN’s post-2015 development agenda. As we approach 2015, we must redouble efforts to reach the Millennium Development Goals. And culture can lead us there. We hear new calls in this region to better integrate culture into sustainable development strategies, to underscore the power of culture to bring inclusiveness, resilience, and sustainability to development. This is why in October 2011, I launched a new global initiative, ‘Culture: a Bridge to Development’, with a special focus on South-Eastern Europe. The contribution of culture to sustainable development includes the social dimension, inclusive economic development, environmental sustainability as well as peace and security. The potential of culture in this regard is especially important in this region". Which is the role of Europe in this development? And of Balkan citizens?"Heritage constitutes assets inherited from the past that we wish to transmit to future generations also because of their social value. Culture helps preserve our heritage understood in its entirety, namely natural and cultural sites, such as monuments, but also cultural objects, traditions, living expressions, and to make sense of our future. Heritage provides a natural and cultural capital that must be taken into account in efforts of reconciliation, peace-building and in wider development strategies. In addition, heritage is increasingly targeted in conflict situations as it embodies the very identity of the peoples. South East Europe is a living laboratory of this global endeavour. With the fall of the Berlin Wall, the end of the war in the former Yugoslavia, the return to peace and stability in the region, and the rapid European integration process, the role of Europe and Balkan citizens is key: they can make a difference that will be meaningful for the region and also help to tackle the challenges of an increasingly connected and globalizing world. Heritage is also at the centre of the most pressing challenges facing humanity – climate change and natural disasters, but also migration and urbanization, social exclusion and economic inequities". Which kind of cooperation does Balkan region need? "This region has moved from reconciliation and reconstruction to new priorities – to concerns for professional training, for cultural exchanges and policy improvement. We have created a network of centres of excellence on cultural heritage to strengthen national policies, to train professionals and implement international standards. I see the exceptionally quick implementation of all UNESCO Conventions in the areas of culture as a powerful sign of commitment. We also launched last November in Turkey a regional capacity-building initiative to enhance the fight against illicit trafficking of cultural objects in South East Europe. Our goal is also to create new spaces for exchanges between culture professionals, city planners, artists, civil society. We need to provide more space for arts and creativity. Creativity enables individuals to expand their abilities and develop their full potential. In today’s global, knowledge-based societies, creative assets are generating new forms of revenue that are spurring growth. Releasing creativity and innovation contributes to building open, inclusive and pluralistic societies. Creativity can inspire positive transformative societal development for future generations. The time has come for a global shift in the way we approach culture. To these ends, UNESCO is organizing, for example, a series of events, featuring artistic and cultural performances, round-tables, and the staging of public readings, on iconic bridges, symbols of mutual dialogue, across South East Europe. After Edirne in Turkey, it will be the turn of Lovec, in Bulgaria, next May". What special quality or resource do you think Balkans possess which could help them overcome the internal divisions?"Building regional cooperation is of direct benefit to all countries of the region and their European perspective. All South East Europe countries are interested in developing transboundary projects as part of the pan-European networks. In this respect, UNESCO has supported the establishment of a comprehensive network of regional centers of cooperation in the field of cultural heritage and helped to build cultural corridors across the region: the Regional Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage in South-Eastern Europe in Sofia, the International Centre for Underwater Archaeology in Zadar, the Tirana Regional Centre on the Restoration of Cultural Heritage and the Regional Centre on Digitization of Cultural Heritage in Skopje. This network is a unique tool to strengthen national policies and foster regional cooperation. The region has come a long way, but more and more, countries of South East Europe are joining forces to protect their shared heritage, tangible and intangible, across borders. This can be witnessed through the determination of political leaders in the region to position culture, the arts and heritage, at the heart of peace-building, reconciliation, and sustainable development. We can already see today the strong results of these efforts".Which kind of future do you imagine for Balkans? How it could be possible?"I belong to a generation raised in a divided Europe that was able to draw positive lessons from history in order to overcome past divisions. History has made this region a crossroads between Europe and the Middle East, between Northern Europe and the Mediterranean. The shared belonging that exists across this region arises from buildings and stones, but it comes also from its intangible cultural heritage, from its creativity embedded in the traditions, dance and music, from the crafts. This has been UNESCO’s commitment since 2004, that of strengthening sub-regional cooperation, when the first annual Ministerial Conference on Cultural Heritage in South-East Europe was held in Mostar. My message today is UNESCO remains ever more committed to advancing this region’s goals through culture, and also through education, the sciences, communication and information. I will bring again this message to the next meeting of the Council of Ministers of Culture of SEE in Ljubljana, next April, and to the annual meeting of Heads of States of SEE in Skopje, next June".