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Towards a creative civil society national plan of action for arts and culture (NPAAC) - Discussion document
Nhimbe Trust
March 15, 2011

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Introduction

Towards a Creative Civil Society's Nation al Plan of Action for Arts & Culture (NPAAC) is an initiative of Nhimbe with technical support from Arterial Network, and funding from MIMETA. The NPAAC is based on the belief that for the creative sector to work effectively there needs to be results based Roadmap to provide direction and regulation.

Further, the NPAAC seeks to enable the creative sector to contribute meaningfully to the human rights, democracy and governance challenges in the framework of the Global Political Agreement (GPA), which is a Roadmap for Zimbabwe's transition to economic recovery and political stability.

The NPAAC seek to complement relevant government policies as well as demonstrate the creative sector's commitment to accountability and self regulation in tandem with international Conventions and Protocols to which Zimbabwe is a signatory.

Background and Justification

The creative sector is one of the fastest growing sectors in Zimbabwe. The most significant milestones in the last five years being the adoption of the first well defined Cultural Policy in 2007, the establishment of the Culture Fund of Zimbabwe Trust (CFoZT), and the establishment of the Arterial Network Chapter in Zimbabwe in 2010. These developments are important moves towards the consolidation of the efforts of advancing the creative sector of the country.

However the operating environment for arts and culture remains constrained by lack of funding and unfavorable / outdated legislation such as the Censorship Act, National Gallery Act, Arts Council Act and Cultural Policy. The NPAAC aims to articulate the views and interests of value and rights based Creative Civil Society Organizations (CCSO) in Zimbabwe on pertinent issues affecting the entire creative sector in Zimbabwe. The main objective of the NPAAC to stimulate and support structured civil expression and engagement (with policy makers) that is accessible, inclusive, fair, tolerant and professionally facilitated.

It is interesting to note how processes such as globalisation have necessitated the need for a plan of action on arts and culture in Zimbabwe. Globalisation has become a defining process of the present arts and cultural discourses. These new discourses include the creative economy, cultural diversity, culture and development embracing climate change. The world has become a global village where technology plays a pivotal role in promoting networking and markets. International trade in arts and cultural goods has affected their impact not only on the economy but also on the preservation of cultural identities. This calls for a need to plan on the protection, preservation and promotion of arts and culture both as an industry and as a way of life.

Arts and culture should be at the forefront on the national agenda as they are the fabric of the country. Since development processes are fundamentally a question of human development not just about the economic and social questions, culture should be the foundation of all development. Principle 6 of the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions provides that, Cultural diversity is a rich asset for individuals and societies. The protection, promotion and maintenance of cultural diversity are an essential requirement for sustainable development for the benefit of present and future generations. Arts and culture contribute to the national economy with creative activities contributing to the development of cultural industries, which in turn attracts foreign investment, cultural tourism and generate income.

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