Harnessing Culture For Sustainable Development

A cross conversation between EU-funded programmes covering three continents

Alejandro Guma by Leslie Salgado
Annica Floren
Aya Kasasa by Alexander Louvet
Mercedes Pinto
Alessandra Borchi by Unesco D Pitzalis

Links

Chaired by Mr. Alejandro Guma (Cuba), UNESCO Transcultura Programme Officer

with Ms. Annica Floren (Sweden/Belgium), Deputy Head of Unit, European Commission (EU) / “Cultural cooperation: the new engine for a self-propelled and sustainable future”
Ms. Aya Kasasa (The Democratic Republic of the Congo/Belgium), Head of Culture, Migration, Urbanisation, Démography, Department of Political Affairs and Human Development, Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) / “The ACP-EU Culture Programme: boosting the potential of culture and creativity in the ACP countries”
Ms. Mercedes Pinto (Portugal), PROCULTURA Programme Coordinator / “Fostering the cultural and creative economy in the Portuguese-speaking African Countries (PALOP) and in East Timor”
Ms. Alessandra Borchi (Italy/Cuba), UNESCO Transcultura Programme Coordinator / “The bridge and the journey: incubating culture, knowledge transfer and exchanges between the Caribbean and the European Union”

The EU-funded programmes Transcultura, PROCULTURA and ACP-EU Culture share a vision of promoting community talent and partnerships to penetrate extra-regional and global markets.

These initiatives are facing the challenge of supporting the creative sector and cultural actors impacted by COVID-19. The pandemic has brought about shifts in the national, regional and global dynamics of culture; however, culture and creativity have kept alive and have proven to be powerful sources of resilience, social cohesion, innovation and recovery. How to better harness this potential than reviving income generation and empowering young men and women as cultural agents for sustainable development?

This panel will highlight the actions of these programmes, as they work in close collaboration to meet the needs of beneficiaries, and their partnership in the context of the upcoming Luanda Biennale 2021.