Tuesday, April 6, 2010

“Cultural politics - Global Nation” plus 3 more

“Cultural politics - Global Nation” plus 3 more

Cultural politics - Global Nation

Posted: 06 Apr 2010 11:57 AM PDT

THE MASS MEDIA ARE STILL BUZZING WITH REACTIONS to last month's "midnight massacres," last-minute appointments made by President Macapagal-Arroyo to replace officials of various agencies. The term "massacre" has been used more to refer to revamps in three culture-related agencies: the National Museum (NM), the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) and the National Historical Institute (NHI).

The protests have been mainly about the process, or rather its lack thereof, in the revamps. The new appointments were made without prior notification of the incumbent officials.

The issue of transparency is especially important if you're looking for the reasons for the revamps. These were not officials about to run for office in the May elections. Neither were there reports of incompetence or corruption, which are the usual reasons for a quick revamp.

In the case of the NM, the replacement of the board chair Antonio Cojuangco and the director Cora Alvina has sparked off the most controversy because the NM has seen unprecedented progress in the last few years, moving from a neglected bodega-like collection of artifacts to a Museum of the Filipino People that lives up to its new name.

The reasons for the revamp in the cultural sector are allegedly political, linked to the National Artist fiasco last year, where the President intervened and imposed her own choices. The officials who were replaced were among those most critical of the presidential choices.

The cultural field has always been intensely political, which is why there is even an academic discipline now called cultural politics, where power relationships are analyzed as they affect culture.

In the Philippines, the former first lady, Imelda Marcos, was the most well known, or notorious, when it came to such cultural politics. The Cultural Center of the Philippines celebrated its 40th anniversary last year and many younger Filipinos might not be aware of how its construction was fiercely opposed. Imelda argued that we needed the CCP, and culture, to promote "the true, the good, the beautiful," while her critics said the poor needed food, not more grand edifices.

Some of the "works of art" that came from Imelda's cultural projects and protégés—paintings that practically depict her and Ferdinand Marcos as Malakas and Maganda for example—have been scorned and ridiculed, but history does allow us to be kinder to her and acknowledge some of her contributions through those buildings, as well as her scholarships for artists, and the Makiling-based Philippine High School for the Arts (marred though by recent reports of hazing and bullying among students).

Popular culture

By and large, Filipinos still think of culture as elite art. (I know many who have never entered the Cultural Center or National Museum, and have no interest of ever doing so.) This is why, all the more, I am disturbed by the replacement of Cora Alvina, who has done so much to advance popular culture.

On one hand, she has cared well for the museum's vast collections. The museum is better known for its archaeology and anthropology but it also houses the country's biggest natural history collection, for example fossils, flora and fauna. The NM was operating on a tiny budget, and was buried in debt, including unpaid electric bills. Alvina and Cojuangco were able to turn things around, tapping into the private sector to rehabilitate the museum.

Amid all this rehabilitation, she has been able to promote a broader view of culture in an anthropological sense: a way of life, a way of doing things. I don't know her that well but in the few conversations we've had, she's always held me hostage with her animated discussions about a wide range of cultural issues, from "Filipinismos" (Filipino culture adopted by Spaniards) to the ubiquitous abubut (knick-knacks) in every Filipino household. Two of her most popular books are about the Philippines' culinary cultures, and I frequently stumble on her articles in food magazines.

Alvina's view of culture is reflected in the way the museum has evolved into a public venue. I have attended conferences and meetings there, and, once brought my children for a delightful afternoon of drawing birds, sponsored by the Wild Bird Society of the Philippines. After the art session we went up another floor to look at an exhibit of photographs taken by the society, supplemented by the National Museum's own collection of birds.

We need more of this kind of appreciation of culture both at the national and local levels. Again, the National Museum did take the lead in trying to move in this direction of promoting local heritage sites and museums. I recently visited the Tagbilaran branch of the National Museum, one of 17 scattered across the country, and was impressed by the exhibits.

Sensibilities

With elections around the corner, and in the light of the midnight massacres, we should be thinking too of the candidates' cultural literacy. For too long now we've allowed ourselves to be assaulted by our political leaders' atrocious tastes. Just look at the street lights in Manila, and future vice president (?) Bayani Fernando's love of a particular shade of purple all over Metro Manila.

Seriously, those aesthetic lapses are minor compared to political leaders who see culture mainly as a political tool. Focus on local officials. Did your mayor demolish historical sites to build a shopping center? Or, worse, did he or she disfigure some site by trying to "renovate" it, without proper advice from experts at the NM or NHI?

There's hope, even from traditional politicians. I recently heard of a program with Cebu Gov. Gwen Garcia providing funds to the University of San Carlos to train staff from local government units (all the towns in her province) in heritage conservation. Now that's a forward-looking cultural strategy.

The other week, one of my graduate students proudly showed me a book, "Tawid," consisting of interviews with local artisans: the pangabel (weavers of the cotton fabric abel), panaglaga (weavers of baskets, mats, fans and hats), panagdamili (earthware potters) and many more producers of stuff used in daily life.

Most encouraging is that the production of the book was supported by Ilocos Sur Gov. Deogracias Victor Savellano but the governor takes a very low profile in the book, confined to an introduction. I hope to do another column on that book, but wanted to cite it is another excellent example of cultural conservation. Many years from now, young Ilocanos (and non-Ilocanos—my copy of the book keeps getting borrowed) will still be reading the book with awe and appreciation.

Books like "Tawid" will remind us that cultural treasures are often intangible: knowledge, creativity, imagination. If young Filipinos can be encouraged—through museums and books and other cultural appreciation activities—to appreciate such intangibles, we just might end up with future generations of Filipino leaders who will be kinder to culture, and to people.

Email to mtan@inquirer.com.ph

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Cultural industries focus of EU report - United Press International

Posted: 06 Apr 2010 12:33 PM PDT

BRUSSELS, April 6 (UPI) -- A European Commission report recommends more investment in cultural and creative industries to spur economic growth on the continent.

Odile Quintin, director general of the commission's education and cultural development department, said an upcoming report focuses on cultural opportunities, which currently supports 5 million jobs and 2.6 percent of the gross domestic product of the 27-member European Union.

"If creative and cultural industries are widely considered as a very strong input to growth, then we should invest more money," Quintin said, the EUobserver reported Tuesday.

The report titled, "Green Paper on Cultural and Creative Industries," is due for release before the end of April. Increased investment could be considered for the 2014 through 2020 EU budget, which will be debated later this year.

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Cultural Adaptability — Recommendations for ... - Moscow Times

Posted: 06 Apr 2010 01:30 PM PDT

Valentin Timakov
Country HR Leader Russia/CIS
IBM

"For a German and a Finn, the truth is the truth. In Japan and in Britain, it is all right if it does not rock the boat. In China, there is no absolute truth. In Italy, it is negotiable."

— Richard D. Lewis (1999),

"When Cultures Collide — Managing Successfully Across Cultures,"

Nicholas Brealey Publishing

A lot has been said about how Russia is culturally different from any other country, and it seems to be a well-known fact. All international companies who come to do business in Russia seem to be aware of this. However, when they start their day-to-day operations they often experience a real culture shock.

In most cases, foreigners traditionally complain about a certain "Russian approach," which, under close scrutiny, could be described as follows:

1. authoritarian style predominates, you always have to deal with hierarchy

2. short-term focus — people are reluctant to plan long term, pension planning does not exist at all

3. lack of leadership — people avoid taking responsibility or making decisions

4. bureaucracy is overwhelming — strong adherence to procedures without thinking of rationale or value

5. labor legislation does not provide enough flexibility in executing organizational changes

6. information is treated as leverage; problems with information sharing

7. lack of trust toward foreigners.

This list could easily be much longer and more detailed.

Fons Trompenaars and Geert Hofstede, as well as other culture diversity researchers, have successfully convinced the world that existing cultural differences are more of a norm and should be taken seriously.

Cultural awareness is challenging because any culture is complex as is. It runs much deeper than what we can readily observe.

Cultural differences such as communication style, customs, standards of dress, and food can be easily observed. However, many of these are indicators of more fundamental differences in attitudes and beliefs, which are not as obvious.

Most international companies with a proven success record in doing business in Russia train international teams in cultural awareness to make them culturally fluent before they start working in Russia. People coming to work in Russia should be aware of the specific business culture and typical cultural behavior well in advance.

Knowledge of the Russian language, or at least a couple of traditional words like spasibo, or thank you, will definitely be a great plus.

Some companies experiment with "culture buddies" as first hand help, local managers who introduce their foreign colleagues to cultural nuances.

Another good way to build trust within international companies is to set up, for example, a Russian-German or Russian-English club in your company to let both expats and Russians learn and discuss cultural differences and languages.

It should be accepted that labor legislation is very straightforward and directive. It is employee-oriented, and this may be upsetting to find out suddenly. In most cases, the Labor Inspectorate takes the employee's side. The ideal solution is to find a trusted and experienced lawyer who can logically explain the legal differences. Strategic alignment with global policies and due account of local legislation provides a good basis for one's response plan and for labor risk mitigation.

Another tip for success is to invest in developing local talent. The primary objective of assignees arriving in Russia should be to identify and develop the local successors who possess a high level of cultural adaptability. Working with foreign mentors and with international teams in a structured way should be embedded into your Russian colleagues' development plans.

Investments should not go only to develop specific skills of individuals but to develop teamwork competencies and to build a team-performing culture.

One example of cultural differences is that local Russian companies have kept investing significant amounts in team building as well as parties to celebrate national holidays, even during the crisis when international companies cut their social budgets.

Build trust with customers and local authorities, and approach customers in the way that is accepted in the country you are in. In most cases, local authorities would prefer to deal with a CEO of Russian nationality.

It often happens that international companies working in Russia underestimate the value and impact of cross-cultural differences. Development of a corporate cultural strategy and developing local teams should be considered the keys to success in building a sustainable business in Russia.

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6th annual Latino Cultural Festival, Sunday, April 11 - OregonLive.com

Posted: 06 Apr 2010 11:57 AM PDT

Get ready to experience the 6th annual Latino Cultural Festival scheduled from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, April 11, in the heart of downtown Hillsboro.

Enjoy an afternoon of food, music, entertainment, information, street soccer and a special parade at the Hillsboro Civic Center, 150 E. Main St. The festival is free to attend and all are welcome to join the festivities.

The Latino Cultural Festival is designed to connect, embrace and engage the community by celebrating the diversity of Latino cultures, traditions and heritage.

The festival has become one of the key community events in Washington County and continues to grow with support from sponsors, community partners and volunteers. Dozens of local organizations, agencies and service providers participate in the festival by providing information, education and entertainment.

Soccer fans can enjoy the ESPN Deportes Street Soccer Tournament, presented by Grande Foods and Hillsboro Futsal. The tournament has become the most popular attraction at the festival and has grown to require two courts.

The exhibition starts at 9 a.m. and will feature five groups for boys, girls and adult teams from the Portland Metro and Salem areas.

New to the 2010 Festival is the Multicultural Parade of Diversity featuring Hillsboro elementary school students and local area nonprofit organizations. Local fifth- and sixth-graders will represent their school's cultural diversity while showing school spirit and pride.

The parade will travel around the Civic Center and culminate on the plaza for the official start of the festival. Staging begins at 11:30 a.m. on the county courthouse lawn with the parade starting at noon.

A variety of entertainment acts, including folkloric and Aztec dancers, and mariachi, traditional and salsa bands will perform throughout the afternoon on two stages. The festival also features authentic Hispanic food vendors, informational booths and a variety of children's activities.

The annual Latino Cultural Festival is organized by the Hillsboro Chamber of Commerce and is made possible by the generosity of presenting sponsors, Providence Health & Services and La Gran D 1520-AM.

This year's supporting sponsors include Best Buy, City of Hillsboro, Dick's Sporting Goods, Fisher Farm and Lawn, Kaiser Permanente, KUIK 1360-AM, La Pantera 940-AM, NW Natural, OnPoint Community Credit Union, PGE, Tuality, Univision KUNP-TV, U.S. Bank, and U.S. Census 2010.

To sign up to be an exhibitor or volunteer, see www.hillchamber.org/latinofest.

For more, call Jon-Michael Kowertz at 503-726-2151 or e-mail him at jonmk@hillchamber.org.

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