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Peru's next government should promote culture to combat poverty

Culture is a tool to combat poverty

Published on 12 June 2011

Author(s): Andina

Type:  News 2 June 2011

Unesco official Edgar Montiel reported that a public policy is needed that links culture with development

The next government has the opportunity to turn culture into a tool to combat poverty, through the implementation of a great public policy that links culture with development, Unesco official Edgar Montiel reported.

He explained that the idea is to associate culture with development through cultural industries, in sectors such as tourism, music, plastic arts, narrative, among others, which can generate thousands of jobs and give added value to the products that are exported without major transformation.

Unesco rep peru.jpg
• Unesco official Edgar Montiel, former Chief of Policies for Culture Section of such organization

For this, a campaign similar to the one carried out for the promotion of gastronomy can be made, says Montiel, who was the Chief of Policies for Culture Section of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) for nearly a decade.

“Just as we are good in gastronomy, we are also good in literature, painting, music, gold and silversmithing and other areas. All that should be part to a great public policy linked to culture, cultural industries and creativity”.

He explained that this is something some countries started doing, like Mexico and Brazil. For them, culture is not only a form of human expression, but also a factor in development, for which it is necessary to associate the various aspects of culture, from plastic arts, music, to the production of craftwork, biodiversity, etc.

He gave as an example the development of an entire jewelry industry in Mexico and Italy, where they take advantage of their goldsmiths’ talent and generate thousands of jobs, incomes; besides, it is also a non-polluting activity.

Montiel highlighted that to achieve something similar in this and other areas of the Peruvian culture, a public policy should be designed to promote and articulate the development of creative forces.

"Culture is a tool to combat poverty. Some people may be poor because they have no cars or big houses, but have great culinary, handicraft and agricultural skills, and have knowledge that make them rich," he said.

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