Protection & Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions

The organisation has been undertaking activities to promote and facilitate understanding of the importance of the protection and promotion of the diversity of cultural expressions as human experience, human aspiration and human development through diverse modes of artistic creation, production, dissemination, distribution and participation.

The specific goals of these activities include;

• creating greater awareness, understanding and knowledge of the positive values of cultural diversity as a common heritage of humanity,  both for the present and the future generations;
• enhancing understanding of diversity of cultural expressions as manifested in the diverse modes of India’s cultural heritage;
• raising awareness that cultural diversity creates a rich and varied world, which increases the range of choices and nurtures human capacities and values, and, therefore, is a mainspring for sustainable development for communities, peoples and nations;
• affirming that cultural diversity, flourishing within a framework of democracy, tolerance, social justice and mutual respect between peoples and cultures, is indispensable for peace and harmony at the local, national and international levels;
• recognizing the role of  cultural diversity in fostering full realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms, proclaimed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other universally recognized instruments;
• emphasising the need to integrate culture as a strategic element in the national and international development policies, particularly in the  educational policies as well as in promoting international development corporation;
• recognizing the importance of traditional knowledge as a source of intangible and material wealth, and, in particular,  the knowledge systems of indigenous peoples, and its positive contribution to sustainable development as well as the need for its adequate protection and promotion;
• underlining the importance of culture for social cohesion in general, and its potential for the enhancement of the status and role of women in society in particular;
• affirming that freedom of thought, expression and information as well as diversity of the media are essential to enable cultural expressions to flourish within societies;
• emphasizing that linguistic diversity is a fundamental element of cultural diversity;
• raising understanding regarding importance of the vitality of cultures; including for persons belonging to minorities and indigenous peoples, as manifested in their freedom to create, disseminate and distribute their traditional cultural expressions and to have access thereto, so as to benefit them for their own development;
• motivating to minimize deterioration, disappearance and destruction of the intangible cultural heritage;
• promoting the understanding of the deep linkages and interdependence between cultural diversity and universal values (peace, non-violence, righteous conduct, truth and love) as the respect for the diversity of cultures requires tolerance, mutual trust, understanding, dialogue and co-operation;
• reaffirming that the culture should be understood as the set of distinctive spiritual, material, intellectual and emotional features of society or a social group; and that  culture encompasses lifestyles, ways of living together, value systems, traditions and beliefs;
• striving for recognition of, respect for and, enhancement of cultural heritage; particularly the intangible cultural heritage; which include; performing art, oral traditions; social practices; and traditional knowledge; and
• encouraging the students and young people to become active assimilators, practitioners propagators, actors and contributors of the diversity of cultural expressions.

Measures

IISD has been adopting measures aimed at the preservation, safeguarding and enhancement of the diversity of cultural expressions of India. “Cultural expressions” are those expressions that result from the creativity of individuals, groups and societies, and that have cultural content.

India’s cultural diversity is represented by the manifold ways in which the cultures of groups and societies find expressions. These expressions are passed on within and among groups and societies. Cultural diversity is made manifest not only through the varied ways in which the cultural heritage of humanity is expressed, augmented and transmitted through the variety of cultural expressions, but also through diverse modes of artistic creation, production, dissemination, distribution and enjoyment, whatever the means and technologies used.

The organization has been to create, produce, disseminate, distribute and have access to cultural expressions, paying due attention to the special circumstances and needs of women as well as various social groups, including persons belonging to minorities and indigenous peoples.

It has also been emphasizing on providing access to diverse cultural expressions from within their territory/region.

It has been covering the culture in all forms-tangible and intangible. The art forms covered by the organization include; Indian Classical Dances, Indian Classical Music, Theatre, Visual Arts, Folk/Traditional/Indigenous Arts and Literary Arts.

Education and Public Awareness

IISD has been promote understanding of the importance of the protection and promotion of the diversity of cultural expressions, inter alia, through educational and greater public awareness  programmes.

It has been endeavouring to encourage creativity and strengthen production capacities by organising educational, training and exchange programmes in the field of cultural industries. These measures have been implemented in a manner which does not have a negative impact on traditional forms of production.