‘Culture in Development’ in the Uganda

1. ‘Culture in Development’ in the Uganda A presentation for Makerere University Kampala, NUFU MAK Folklore Project Seminar January 23, 2010 By The Cross-cultural Foundation of Uganda

2. Context • Development prescriptions with exception of a few ignore the cultural dimension all together • 31% of the Ugandan population live in extreme poverty (less than US$1/day) • In Uganda culture is often dismissed as Music, Dance and Drama • Rarely are the positive aspects of culture discussed, documented or used to address development challenges • At international level, there is growing recognition of culture as an essential dimension of effective and equitable development (UNDP World Development report 2004, and “Culture and Public Action” by World Bank).

3. What is ‘culture in development’ ? ‘Culture in development’ is the selective, voluntary integration of positive aspects of culture into development thinking and practice. Being sensitive to the local cultural context; • Recognizing and acknowledging the existence of indigenous knowledge systems • Identifying and using local cultural resources • Managing the process of harmonizing different bodies of knowledge. • Respect, tolerance, harmony - seeking engagement rather than dominance.

4. Engaging with cultural resources • Knowledge (traditional medicine, spirituality, environment) • Skills (livelihood – farming, fishing, livestock rearing) • Values (collective responsibility, integrity, solidarity, chastity) • People (clan leaders, traditional healers, family heads/advisors) • Language (oral tradition - informal education through stories, proverbs, songs) • Systems (governance, conflict resolution, social interactions)

5. Cultural heritage • What is it? • Who owns it? • Where do we learn about it?

6. 3 world heritage sites: Bwindi forest…

7. Kasubi royal tombs...

8. …the Rwenzori Mountains

9. …and a Masterpiece of the Intangible Heritage of Humanity.

10. People’s initiatives to preserve culture • Artifacts, literature, music, dance, drama, art…

11. Some challenges in heritage promotion? • Limited marketing, publicity and income generation from cultural heritage • Inadequate management of heritage, in terms of collections preservation and storage, infrastructure • Limited research and documentation • Inadequate legal protection • Heritage sites are isolated and poorly coordinated • War and displacement have led to a breakdown of cultural norms and values

12. So, what can we do? • Project the message that poverty is an added reason for investing in a country’s heritage, not the other way round! As a Ugandan recently said, “Without a past, we have no future”. • Promote a policy environment that will genuinely support such initiatives (protection; tax incentives and other affirmative action) • Encourageheritage education in our schools. That is where the fate of our remaining tangible and intangible heritage will be decided: that is where we can hope to re-learn to respect our past and to construct a better future based on a well-nurtured national cultural consciousness.