CULTURAL POLICY INSTRUMENTS PROMOTING DIVERSITY
Common cultural policy instruments for promoting diversity include creating educational programs that teach about different cultures; ensuring diverse representation in decision-making bodies and cultural institutions; providing grants and funding programs to encourage diverse artistic expressions; safeguarding, preserving and promoting diverse cultural heritage; creating inclusive cultural spaces and supporting multicultural events; organising cultural exchange programs and implementing anti-discrimination policies and affirmative action policies or quotas.
To begin with, it is important to incorporate cultural diversity into educational programs to foster understanding, appreciation, and respect for different cultures. This can be done through school curricula, workshops, seminars, and public awareness campaigns.
For creating policies aiming at cultural diversity, it is vital to have a diverse set of individuals involved in decision-making bodies and cultural institutions. Appointing people from different cultural backgrounds to key positions, such as advisory committees, boards, and management roles, is a way to achieve this goal.
Governments and international donors can play an important role in promoting cultural diversity by providing financial support through grants and funding programs. By supporting local artists, cultural events, festivals, and educational programs that promote cultural diversity, marginalised cultural groups can be empowered, and their visibility in society can be increased.
Implementing policies that safeguard, preserve and promote the cultural heritage of diverse communities – including intangible cultural heritage, customs, traditional practices, and languages – is crucial for maintaining cultural diversity over time. This can be achieved through legal protections, documentation efforts, and support for cultural revitalisation projects.
Creating spaces that are accessible and welcoming to people from all backgrounds is also an important step toward promoting cultural diversity. It is necessary to ensure that cultural institutions are accessible to everyone and that their programming reflects the diverse community they serve. Also, organising cultural exchange programs, festivals, and events facilitates interactions among people from diverse backgrounds and promotes intercultural dialogue and understanding.
Finally, promoting diversity by implementing laws and policies prohibiting discrimination based on cultural factors such as race, ethnicity, and religion is essential. Affirmative action policies or quotas may also be necessary to increase representation and opportunities for marginalised cultural groups in various sectors, including arts, media, and public institutions. (PC, ITK)