A few words about the Brazilian Ministry of Culture. Interview with Giuliana Kauark, Lilian Richieri Hanania and Piatã Stoklos Kignel

Opinions expressed here are the views of the persons interviewed and do not represent the opinion of the organizations they are affiliated with.

Q: Closure of the Ministry of Culture, merger with the Ministry of Education, creation of a Secretariat, promise made to appoint a woman, and finally reestablishment of the Ministry and appointment of Marcelo Calero at its head… How do you explain such dramatic turn of events in Brazil’s cultural policy? Are these decisions purely administrative or are there other motives?

These changes are the result of a major political crisis in Brazil and are certainly not purely administrative. After the announcement of the first step in the procedure to impeach President Dilma Roussef, the interim government took the decisions you mention based on diverse considerations. The abolishment of the Ministry of Culture and its merger with the Ministry of Education was likely motivated by a desire to cut spending and the number of ministries, and – according to some commentators – also possibly in reaction to the opposition of many artists to the impeachment procedure. Then, the idea to create a Secretariat and after that to reinstate the Ministry under the leadership of Marcelo Calero resulted from the pressure exerted by civil society and civil servants of the former ministry. Also, many women declined the offer to lead the new organization.

Q: How did the population react to these different announcements?

Artists and cultural professionals harshly criticized the abolishment of the Ministry. They went as far as to occupy to this day about twenty buildings belonging to the Ministry of Culture in Brazil’s provincial capital cities (according to the movement “Ocupa MinC”). This mobilization seems to have born fruits since the interim government reinstated the Ministry of Culture and designated a minister who said he would be ready to dialogue with civil society and especially with the cultural community – although such a dialog does not seem to be wanted by the professionals who more broadly question the interim government’s legitimacy. In any case, the current crisis provides an opportunity to debate at length the role of the Ministry of Culture, of cultural policies and of culture itself for the development of the country.

Q: What is the role of culture in the Brazilian society?

Difficult to answer in a few sentences, but the diversity and plurality of cultures are certainly a trait of the Brazilian people, which they are actually very proud of. This does not mean that the Brazilian society is totally convinced of the importance of cultural policies and even of the relevance of having a ministry of culture. A lot remains to be done to guarantee Brazilians have access to infrastructures and basic conditions allowing them to participate fully in the cultural life.

Q: Do you think the Ministry of Culture is an efficient mechanism to promote the diversity of cultural expressions?

No doubt the existence of a ministry makes it possible to develop a coherent strategy and public policies for culture, while positioning culture on an equal footing with other government priorities. Furthermore, Brazil is a federal state where the actions of federated states and municipalities have very often followed the directions given by the federal government. The existence of a Ministry of Culture is therefore even more fundamental to protect and promote diversity at all levels.

Q: What are the main issues awaiting Marcelo Calero?

The new minister will first have to establish a dialogue with civil society and rebuild trust in the actions of the State. He will have to guarantee continuity in the programmes of the Ministry of Culture and of forums for citizen’s participation (such as the Councils for cultural policies), including by the allocation of an adequate budget for culture. He must also advocate for a greater coherence and coordination between the Ministry’s different services and with other ministries. As for the promotion of the diversity of cultural expressions, the Ministry should consider the 2005 UNESCO Convention as a fundamental text.

Giuliana Kauark: Cultural manager. Ph. D. student in Culture and Society (Federal University of Bahia – UFBA). Associate researcher with the Centre for Studies of Culture (UFBA) and the Brazil Observatory of the Cultural Diversity. Member of the U40 group for the promotion of the UNESCO Convention on the diversity of cultural expressions.

Lilian Richieri Hanania: Lawyer (Brazil and France), Ph. D. in international law (University Paris 1 – Panthéon-Sorbonne), collaborator with the Centro de Estudos Sociedade e Tecnologia (CEST, University of São Paulo – USP), Associate researcher with the University Paris 1 and the University of Rouen (France) and member of the U40 group for the promotion of the UNESCO Convention on the diversity of cultural expressions.

Piatã Stoklos Kignel: Cultural manager, Director of the consulting agency “Agência PSK” for the development of cultural and educational initiatives. Member of the U40 group for the promotion of the UNESCO Convention on the diversity of cultural expressions.

Saiba mais em: http://www.cdc-ccd.org/Quelques-mots-sur-le-ministere-de?lang=en&var_mode=calcul

Fonte: Coalition for Cultural Diversity

Imagem: Divulgação