Interview jordi pascual 16. Committee on / for Culture

South? Is Rio de Janeiro a of the South? Is Sao not yet be into soft exchanges, such as peer-to-peer Paulo? Some of the in Brazil are ‘South’ and learning, but cities still want to see very tangible some are not. To be more precise: some fractions of outcomes. In the area of culture, it is essential that the South are economically richer than some other they are partners in international platforms. fractions in the North. Whatever it is – the South – I think it is very good that any learning initiatives, How do you think the learning any benchmarking or any cooperation exercise and cooperation process can includes cities that are not at the top of their be tuned or calibrated to best How do you view the “sou- development, so-called economic development, benefit developing countries? thern learning process” and etc. Exchanges between cities in the South are 3 ii) associated international extremely interesting. Cities in the South are also Jordi Pascual: We should not see culture as platforms and actors? looking for visibility – they want to have a place in something abstract. Culture should be understood 1 global media, in academic debates. We have the as the local development of heritage, diversity, Jordi Pascual: Paternalistic approaches, duty to support this visibility. knowledge and creativity. These four concepts North-South, are not legitimate any longer. I have are the cultural dimension of local development. been telling cities in Europe for the past 20 years Do we need to formalize a Unless a city explicitly addresses these four areas, that they have to go to Latin America to learn. If specific platform of south- development cannot take place. People need Medellín was able to diminish violence – they south cooperation? If so, how resources to live and widen their freedoms; some have ‘used’ culture in community-based work1 – in would this be best organized of these resources are cultural, as mentioned: their most difficult neighbourhoods, and they have 2 at city, regional and interna- heritage, diversity, knowledge and creativity. established numerous partnerships in doing so, tional levels? ii) How can UCLG best Human beings are not ‘machines’, mere ‘homo other cities can learn from this example. Difficulties help in this? economicus’ solely interested in the generation are not diminishing in European cities, which leads and distribution of income. This is not life. also to the question: How do you define a city of the Jordi Pascual: It is good that these city-to- People should have a strong sense of community city exchanges are also multilateral, involving everywhere in the world, but at the same time be 1 http://www.agenda21culture.net/index.php/ partnerships and international platforms. They may able to be himself/herself. Freedoms. Also cultural docman/articles/452-cultura-medellinen/file freedoms. In all communities of the world, there dimension/pillar/sphere of ) that is a very difficult dialogue on the past, the present places culture in equal relation to other dimensions and the future which is a cultural dialogue because (social, economic, environmental) of development it involves people from different origins, it is also and emphasizes an integrated approach. We are an external dialogue in that it brings cities together convinced that culture is the ‘glue’ that allows a city in dialogue. This is about identity and diversity. to become sustainable if the development strategy There is no way to become more developed as is people-centered. We have learned that ‘culture’ human beings unless you are exposed to risks and is not ‘nice words’ but a set of ‘key urban questions/ trust, be involved in the creation of new things challenges’ that the city must address with the with neighbours, friends, people who live close support of local ‘cultural actors’. In fact, our toolkit to you. Inventing something together can be very Culture 21 Actions aims to provide guidance on this enriching, it empowers people. Cities really need issue. We also offer useful programmes, we bring this cultural dimension of development in order to people together, help them to make contacts and become sustainable. importantly to learn from each other. Cities also Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) exemplifies have a need for greater visibility. this movement”. What can your city or association teach other What are your big successes “The United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) cities? Where does your city and why were these initiatives has developed, with the document Culture 21: or association need to learn so successful? What are the Actions adopted in March 2015, an international 4 most from other cities? How lessons for the south-south guide to promote a culturally sensitive approach to do you effectively transfer technical 5 and triangle learning and , and strengthen a global knowledge? development agenda? How can your network of innovative cities. Collaborative and best practices for innovation be turned comparative work between the cities and with civil Jordi Pascual: Agenda 21 for Culture (see www. into learning opportunities? society and private partners is planned to develop agenda21culture.net) is the founding declaration over the coming years”. of a Committee within UCLG; the declaration Jordi Pascual: First of all, the notion of culture was approved in 2004 with 67 articles. Over the is gaining traction in the global agenda. The Habitat- Here at Agenda 21 for Culture, we have a number past years we have fostered a lot of exchanges to III Issue Paper 42 on Urban Culture and Heritage of initiatives that have been very successful. We make this declaration useful for cities and local makes two specific references to Agenda 21 for have a global award3 – the ‘International Award government. We see ourselves as a neutral place Culture: UCLG - MEXICO City - Culture 21’ that recognises where ‘leading cities’ (those with experience in leading cities and people that have distinguished the relation between culture and sustainable “Culture is now acknowledged as a key priority of themselves through their contribution to culture as development) and ‘pilot cities’ (those wishing to local development by local authorities’ networks. a pillar of sustainable development. It also aims to learn about culture and sustainable development) The Agenda 21 for Culture developed by the United ensure that the visibility of the relationship between can find useful content. We also provide a conceptual framework (culture as a stand-alone 2 https://www.habitat3.org/the-new-urban- 3 http://www.agenda21culture.net/index.php/ agenda/knowledge awards/rules the city, culture and sustainable development is actions included in Culture 21 Actions and on the of the principles and actions included in Culture enhanced at an international level, encourage experience and expertise of Culture Action Europe 21 Actions. Partnerships may also be established cities to adopt the principles of Agenda 21 for in representing and collecting the voices of the with other regional or national organisations (e.g. Culture, and to contribute to the dissemination civil society cultural actors. The projects have five intergovernmental organisations in certain world and implementation of this agenda. We have a main phases: analyses of local context (bringing regions or sub-regions, national ministries of global database4 of good practices on culture and together local government and cultural actors); culture, etc.) for the implementation of Culture 21 sustainable development. The critical factors for a design of the programme of work; implementation Actions and the promotion of capacity-building and project to be considered a good practice includes of the programme of work (this phase also see the learning in the relevant regions and countries. The innovation, participation, sustainability, efficiency, adoption of pilot measures that have been agreed programme will also foster mutual learning and transversality and reproducibility. on collectively through peer-learning exchanges); networking. final conference, assessment and production of We also have the Pilot Cities Programme that is the final report; and communication throughout We also have a practical toolkit7 – the ‘Culture 21 offered to cities that are beginning to include culture all phases of the project. The objectives of the Pilot Actions’ toolkit – that provides guidance for cities in the long-term strategy of the city, including Cities programme are to: foster increased local aiming to evaluate, design and implement cultural through language, diversity, history. It’s about and international understanding of the connection policies contributing to sustainable development. people-centred planning. We have the Pilot Cities between culture and local sustainable development; It was adopted at the first8 United Cities and Local in Europe5, jointly devised by UCLG’s Committee enable the design, implementation and evaluation Governments’ Culture Summit, held in Bilbao in on culture and Culture Action Europe, which aims of innovative pilot measures, through collaboration March 2015 under the title ‘Culture and Sustainable to bring together the wealth of knowledge and between public, private and civil society actors; Cities’. The Leading Cities Programme9 is also an good practices that already exist by providing facilitate exchanges, evaluation, peer-learning and important initiative. Cities that have experience in opportunities for European cities to participate in a capacity-building among cities concerned with Agenda 21 for culture can become the leaders in learning process, on the basis of the principles and culture and sustainable development; provide the implementation of Culture 21 Actions and the visibility to the participating cities and their policies advocacy activities of the Committee. The Leading and programmes in global discussions on the Cities receive the support of the Secretariat of role of culture in sustainable development; and the Committee in the area of cooperation and contribute to advocacy efforts for the consideration learning (technical assistance, capacity-building, of cultural factors in the paradigm of sustainable good practices) and communication (website, cities internationally. social networks). The Leading Cities can also serve as spokespersons of the Committee on Culture As was the case with Europe, the general Pilot Cities of UCLG in international meetings and events. Programme6 seeks to enable effective evaluation, The leading cities in 2015 are: Angers (France), peer-learning and the dissemination of existing 7 http://agenda21culture.net/index.php/ intelligence and will provide opportunities for cities newa21c/new-a21c 4 http://www.agenda21culture.net/index.php/ to participate in a learning process, on the basis 8 http://www.uclg.org/sites/default/files/ goodpractices-eng/good-practices-eng cumbre_bilbao_eng_af.pdf 5 http://agenda21culture.net/images/a21c/ 6 http://agenda21culture.net/images/a21c/ 9 http://www.agenda21culture.net/index.php/ nueva-A21C/A21_PilotCities2015_EUROPE-def-ENG.pdf nueva-A21C/A21_PilotCities2015_global-def-ENG.pdf newa21c/2015-07-17-11-16-19/leading-cities-2015 Barcelona (Catalonia, Spain), Belo Horizonte (Minas Gerais, Brazil), Bogotá (Colombia), Buenos Aires (Argentina), Lille-Metropole (France), Mexico City (Mexico), Milan (Italy), Montreal (Quebec, Canada), Talca (Chile) and Vaudreuil-Dorion (Quebec, Canada).

Do you have case studies or methodologies that demons- trate: i) processes that are effective; and ii) the effective 6 building of capacity?

Jordi Pascual: For the Pilot Cities we are borrowing from the URBACT methodology to promote exchanges between cities where they share experiences, problems and possible solutions, coming up with new ideas on how to address challenges related to culture and sustainable urban development. Learning has two dimensions: one is the rationale or the core, and the second is about adapting what you are learning on a particular policy challenge so that it fits into your daily work. Adapting the learning to the daily reality is done in part through creating local action plans. Through the action plan, actors commit to working on challenges using a participatory approach (local authorities, cultural actors, civil society, etc.). This involves joint discussions and joint implementation in the action- planning process after a self-reflection phase of identifying areas of weaknesses and strengths. The local action plan helps drive the exchanges and learning activities involving all stakeholders. What you have in the end is long-term plans at the local level.