Meet the agents of cultural change

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An art exhibition held on the sidelines of the Culture Summit in Abu Dhabi covers the floor, walls and roof at the Manarat Saadiyat with art.
An art exhibition held on the sidelines of the Culture Summit in Abu Dhabi covers the floor, walls and roof at the Manarat Saadiyat with art.

Abu Dhabi - Khaleej Times spoke to 9 culture leaders and artists who are change agents in their respective countries.

By Anjana Sankar and Jasmine Al Kuttab

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Published: Mon 10 Apr 2017, 9:00 PM

Last updated: Tue 11 Apr 2017, 2:14 AM

Culture unites. Culture connects. Culture reconciles. Culture empathises. Culture is essentially the biggest hope in a world that is being torn down by extremism and division. It is the only agent of change. These were the sentiments expressed during the Culture Summit 2017 that opened on Sunday in Abu Dhabi.
The summit held at Manarat Al Saadiyat brought together some of the best creative minds and thought leaders from various fields such as government, arts, philanthropy, heritage preservation, education, media, science and technology from every region of the world. Held under the theme 'Culture as change agent in the Digital Age', the summit, over five days, will discuss culture and common interests, and ways in which they can be addressed in today's polarised world.
Khaleej Times spoke to 9 culture leaders and artists who are change agents in their respective countries.

Culture helps in combatting extremism

(Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman, Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi), UAE)
Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman, Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi), said art and culture play critical roles in today's society.
"Culture and art are simply not an adornment for society, they are a necessity and vitally important aspects of our global community that should be at the forefront of policymakers' attention worldwide," he exclusively told Khaleej Times.
He pointed out that culture plays a central role in combating extremism, tackling major global social, economic, and geographic issues and promoting global peace and understanding, which is why the Culture Summit is a crucial event for the UAE.
"The Culture Summit 2017 Abu Dhabi is the world's first truly global cultural leadership forum."
"The event has convened high-level participants from the fields of government, arts, philanthropy, heritage preservation, education, media, science and technology, from every region of the world, to discuss culture and common interests, create new collaborations, and address concrete ways in which they can address today's societal and political challenges."
He noted that the summit thus acts as a platform for forging relationships, coming up with creative solutions for how to tackle universal challenges through art, and creating an incubator for artists, policymakers, cultural ministers, and influential media to collaborate.

Use culture to rebuild and rehabilitate

(Faryad Rwandizi, Minister of Culture, Iraq)
Faryad Rwandizi, Minister of Culture, Iraq, said art and culture hold a greater power than one may often believe.
"Everything can change in the society, but I believe that the tool of art and culture is the more powerful, if used in a reasonable way," he told Khaleej Times.
The minister pointed out that Iraq currently faces immense turmoil and destabilisation, not only leading to a dislocation of millions of innocent civilians within their own land, but also causing the ultimate destruction to what is considered as once of the ancient and early civilisations of mankind - the monuments and historic sites located in Nimrud, Hatra and Nineveh.
"We need to use culture as a tool to rehabilitate and rebuild the societies in the areas. We can use culture as a tool to defeat fundamentalism and extremism, because terrorists can not be fought only on the battlefield, they need to be fought intellectually too."
"Daesh not only destroyed archaeological cities, but also looted many historic pieces and transferred to Europe and around the world, because it was a main source of finance for them."
The minister stressed that Iraq needs the international communities to take on the initiatives that help protect and rehabilitate historic areas, which are facing great danger. "These historic monuments not only represent the Iraqi people, but they represent the world."

Culture and diplomacy go hand-in-hand

(Cynthia P. Schneider, Professor in the Practice of Diplomacy, Georgetown University, US)
If you thought culture and diplomacy are strange bedfellows, ask Cynthia  P. Schneider. A former US ambassador to the Netherlands and co-founder of the Laboratory for Global Performance and Politics at Georgetown University, Schneider says trying to do diplomacy without culture is like playing tennis with your hands tied behind your back.
"It is crippling. People's decisions are motivated through their emotions. And culture, whether music or theatre, it appeals to our emotions," said Schneider.
"What we do at the Laboratory for Global Performance and Politics, is try to humanise global politics through the power of performance. And what that means is we try to give aspiring students of international politics an alternative approach to diplomacy."
"Through theatre performances and concerts, we give them real human stories of people living in conflict zones and war zones, and get them to think in a broader way in solving the issues."
She said culture is the centre of identity, and ironically the only people who have realised the power of culture are extremists. "That is why they go about destroying culture. If culture matters to them, why not to us?"
According to her, culture is not an entity that has to be separated from life. "But it tends to be put aside as an extra thing you do in leisure time. We have to put it at the centre because culture is what gives people resilience and hope."

Art matters as it enhances your empathy

(Darren Walker, President of the Ford Foundation, US)
Darren Walker believes art matters, and it matters more than ever in today's polarising world. As the President of the Ford Foundation in New York, he is a decisive voice in the non-profit world, promoting culture and arts.
"We need arts more than ever during a time of growing nationalism and division because artists bridge communities, societies and nations. Through arts, we develop capacity for empathy, and we become more fair in our own behaviour as human beings," said Walker.
"Culture is essential to our identity as a nation, as a people, and as a world. Artists are willing to take risks, challenge authorities, and talk on behalf of the marginalised. And the society needs artists for this reason. We need agents of change who promote progress and inclusion. That is why the art matters."
Walker said Ford Foundation has been doing just that for more than eight decades. Ford Foundation supports individual artists and art organisations, because both institutions and individuals are needed for social progress and human achievement.
"This has been our mission for almost 80 years. We have supported myriad institutions from Grammeen banks to museums in Africa, India, culture and heritage projects in China, Indonesia and Mexico. We are a global institution committed to a world that believes in inclusion and justice."

He changed his life by pursuing his passion

(Henry Ohanga, 'Octopizzo,' Rapper, Kenya)
Henry Ohanga, known by his rapper name as 'Octopizzo,' is the founder and executive director of Octopizzo Foundation, however, not so long ago, he was living in the largest slums in Africa - the Kibera Slums of Kenya.
The 28-year-old, who believes that "Content makes poor men rich; discontent makes rich men poor," left the slums almost seven years ago, before he turned his life around, by pursuing his passion for art, culture and music.
"I come from the biggest slums in Africa and one of the biggest in the world.When I recently visited the camps in Kenya, I saw that there are no opportunities for the youth to grow, in terms of mind and knowledge, as well as passion and talent."
Ohanga, who now performs globally, including in Europe and the US, pointed out that those living in the slums need to create their own opportunities and space, in order to "become something", because they are not being provided with chances to grow in life.
The rapper, who firmly believes that artists must use their voice to educate societies, instead of merely entertain, said he hopes organisations, including the United Nations (UN), would provide more than food and shelter for the dislocated.
"Refugees need to feel something, they need to feel some ownership, because they've lost everything, they've lost their homes and countries, but what do they still own? Their culture."

Art, culture shape the way we think

(Noura Al Kaabi, Minister of State for Federal National Council Affairs and Chairwoman, Media Zone)
Authority-Abu Dhabi and Twofour54, UAE
Noura Al Kaabi, Minister of State for Federal National Council Affairs and Chairwoman, Media Zone Authority-Abu Dhabi and Twofour54, said art and culture are major agents that can enhance all societies across the globe.
"Art and culture have always been a unifying factor when it comes to any country or any event or region," she exclusively told Khaleej Times.
Al Kaabi pointed out that media is a tool that not only helps in connecting nations together, but also allows thinkers, artists and academics to unite under one roof and nurture a culture of understanding. Unfortunately, there are many aspects that differentiate us, but when it comes to music for instance, you will find people with different backgrounds, different ethnicities as well as religious beliefs, that are attracted to one concert."
The minister noted that the Culture Summit 2017 is meant to educate all those who give art and culture a chance.
"Art and culture allow us to create content that inspires us and most importantly educates us and make people more accepting than, what we are seeing currently."
Al Kaabi explained how art and culture are necessities, because they are seen as engines that are rapidly growing in the UAE, despite the turmoil the region currently faces.
"I feel that people who are destroying heritage or art and whatever medium that expresses unity, are people who are destructive in a different way."

Zayed believed in connecting globally

(Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Culture and Youth, UAE)
Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Culture and Youth, said it is not an overnight phenomenon that UAE developed a global cultural eco system.
"When our nation's founder the late Sheikh Zayed, united the Emirates and founded the UAE, most of our people relatively knew nothing about the world beyond the Gulf coastline. We had no national education system, no connection, no roads. We lived among ourselves."
"We, however, did have a courageous leader who believed we must establish connections with the rest of the world if we were to build a country that we envision. He knew the first priority is education. He knew women had to play a role equal to men if we have to develop fairly. He knew our linguistic skills must extend beyond our mother tongue, and immerse ourselves in the wonders of science and technology. He knew we must see, hear and engage with people who are not part of our culture and respect the core of their cultures."
Sheikh Nahyan said the UAE has grown into a diverse population of almost 10 million people, representing more than 200 different nationalities. "Just as we gain knowledge from you today, we gain knowledge every day from our international friends and acquaintances who live and work here."
He said as the Emirati community acquires knowledge from the diverse population around, their curiosity sharpens, respect for others increases, and commitment for their best values strengthens.

 Art, culture help people connect

(Taonga Tembo, Programme Director, BareFeet Theatre, Zambia)
Culture means many things to many people. For Taonga Tembo, Programme Director at Barefeet Theatre, an organisation that works with street children in Zambia, culture is a great healer.
"We use theatre, performance art and workshops to help street children overcome their fears and anxieties. We create modules wherein children can connect with and learn from the characters who tell similar stories as theirs," said Tembo.
Barefeet was founded in 2006 by a group of street children themselves in Zambia, and ever since the non-profit organisation that works mainly in the southern and central parts of the country, has helped hundreds of young people living on the streets. Tembo said children living on the streets are most vulnerable, and performance arts give them a chance to grow up as emotionally healthy, and socially cohesive individuals.
"In this modern world, children who lose their parents are at high risk of ending up on the streets as orphans. In early days, they would be taken care of by the village or the community."

Clowning is a great tool that heals us

Sabine Choucair, Artistic Director, Clown Me In, Lebanon
Sabine Choucair has the best defense against extremism -  clowns. The Artistic Director of Clown Me In, an NGO from Lebanon, Chouchair, says clowning is a powerful tool to keep the youth away from dangerous and extremist ideologies.
"I have worked with unemployed youth in Northern Lebanon, which is a hotspot of sectarian violence. Most of them were either fighters in the civil war or potential recruits by the militant groups. We turned the cafes - where they used to hang out - into cultural cafes, and organised clowning and theatre performance.
"The results were amazing. People who earlier did not have a cause to live for other than war, started getting involved. We conducted story telling and clowning workshops for the youth, and taught them to look at life from a lighter side."
A performance artists herself, Chouchair said she gave up her career and chose clowning. "I come from a war zone. I grew up during the civil war in my own country. I have realised it (clowning) is a great tool that heals people with laughter and fun."
jasmine@khaleejtimes.com
anjana@khaleejtimes.com 


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