tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646962192150644991.post8742603250176921372..comments2023-04-01T06:48:52.650-07:00Comments on arterialnetwork: Africa challenged to come up with indigenous philosophy of developmentarterialnetworkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16374657044164144330noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646962192150644991.post-16853926721412634492011-12-07T17:38:22.578-08:002011-12-07T17:38:22.578-08:00Me Mosowa outlined a highly relevant topic and she...Me Mosowa outlined a highly relevant topic and she did so with insight. <br /><br />In the city of George (Southern Cape region of South Africa) we identified cultural sensitivity and cultural pride as the key to nation building for our region. <br /><br />The newly established George Culture Link (Multi Culture Forum for Arts & Culture) commenced with planning roll out plans to support this vision. Cultural precincts will develop the various genres and showcase it with cultural integrity. <br /><br />In this way all the local culture groups would be sensitized cross culturally and learn to appreciate and respect the cultural expression of their fellow citizens who are different from them.<br /><br />However, we soon found that there is very little financial support for such initiatives. <br /><br />Local and district municipalities plead poverty, while even the funding policy of the Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs & Sport prohibit them from allocating grants to local cultural forums and initiatives. (Grants only made on District level.)<br /><br />And so began the long road of our grass roots struggle to foster unity in diversity (and adversity.) <br /><br />"Unity in diversity" is a new focus of the UN, but their funding is allocated mainly to national and international policy making projects. <br /><br />Where could grass roots organisations such as ours look for alternative funding to support such ground breaking initiatives?Pieter Peplerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02722377174075333461noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646962192150644991.post-37009708321964277142011-12-07T17:29:54.708-08:002011-12-07T17:29:54.708-08:00This comment has been removed by the author.Pieter Peplerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02722377174075333461noreply@blogger.com