- In 1998 three issues were published as usual. What was
unusual about them, however, was the fact that an specially thick
double issue (N°31/32) was issued to report on the 10th Anniversary
Celebration held on October 1997 as a " Summing-Up Event " (see Annual
Report for 1997.)
- The
issue N°31/32 (March 1998) included the
two remarkable key-note addresses made respectively by Dr. Durre Sameen
Ahmed of Pakistan and by M. Noël Cannat of France. The issue
offers also large extracts of speeches held by Prof. Riccardo Petrella
(E.C. Forward Studies Cell, chairman of " Les Amis du Monde
Diplomatique "), Sulak Sivaraksa (President of the Santi Pracha
Institute, Bangkok) in the course of this Summing Up Event.
This issue also offers the outcome of one of Network Cultures' main
effort this year, namely a global reflection on ten years of research,
reflection and action by its regional bases all over the world. We
consider this text as the most elaborate and yet rapidly accessible
text on what we have achieved and what impact we seek to have. (See "
L'Impact du Réseau en Dix Ans d'Activité ".
The 31/32 issue also presents the 1998-2000 project on " Cultures,
Conflicts and Citizenship " with reference to on-going actions in
various regional bases of the network. By publishing it we seek also to
attract new partners in our effort to enrich and disseminate still
further our messages. The many " letters to the Editor " received
practically each week witness eloquently to the interest raised by our
publication. We are particularly encouraged by messages coming from our
readers stating how they were concretely helped by one or the other
article.
- The
issue N° 33 (October 1998) presents a
sympathetic yet critical appraisal of Paulo Freire's celebrated
conscientisation method which has become central to the projects of
NGO's all over the world (in our opinion, among the best and most
useful projects). A text on " World Crisis and Emerging Cultural Change
in Europe " participates in Network Cultures' present effort to turn
attention to problems in Europe rather than exclusively focus on
problems in the South. Moroccan iconoclastic economist Hassan Zaoual
writes a devastating piece on the " besoin de croire " as opposed to
the deterministic approach of the homo economicus put forth by dominant
economics.
Due to an increasingly frequent request addressed to us to explain the
methodology of our research projects, a detailed exposure to this
three-waves participatory method is offered.
This issue offers various news items on ongoing activities within our
network. This includes the " Our lives, our stories " workshop held in
India with the Alliance for a Responsible and United World " as well as
the " Tower of Babel " project which is geared towards the recognition
of the fact that universal values cannot possibly be expressed in one
language only.
Network Cultures' new projects, on " Cultural Perception of Social
Right and Duties " (about Cultures and Conflicts) allows us also to
reach our to a broader public for this particularly sensitive project.
This is also the case for the project on the role of identity in local
development and grass roots democracy, and its subtheme " Roots and
Wings ".
Book reviews offer glimpses on important new literature.
- The Issue N° 34 (April 1999) gave a large place to the major
international conference held in Helsinki in September 1998 and
organised by our partner network IGGRI (International Grass Roots
Initiatives Network) with The Finnish Ministry for Overseas Development
Aid (Finnida) and with KEPA. Title of this Conference was: "Expanding
People's Space in the Globalising Economy". The complete Network
Cultures (South North) team was present and contributed. The journal
reproduced part of the conclusions of this conference, as well as major
inputs by Poona Wignaraja, Suzan George, Orlando Fals Borda, Sulak
Sivaraksa, Smitu Kothari.This issue also presented papers by
Congolese, Belgian and Nepalese NGO staff. A unpublished
paper by Raimon Panikkar was included as well as Edith Sizoo's "Appeal
to Women: after four decades, a new challenge", namely an invitation to
women to make more explicit what women's ways of handling things
differently exactly consists of, and how these could contribute to
overall cultural and attitudinal change for the better of our
societies.
On the Davos group and on an Alternative Davos Forum, place was given
and an appeal to participate was made. Our member Serge Latouche's
latest book "L'Autre Afrique" (Albin Michel) was presented, as well as
our American friend David Korten's bestseller "The Post-Corporate
World"(Worldview Publications).
- The Issue N° 35/36 (November 1999) is a special issue totally devoted to the
presentation of the conclusions of two major Network Cultures research
and sharing programmes, called "Ailes et Racines" and "Roots and
Wings". Both projects are part of our overall research project on the
Role of Identity on Local Development and Deep Democracy". It is a
popular special issue. Hundreds of copies had to be printed in addition
to the regular number of subscribers (more than 1000), and soon a book
will be forthcoming on the French speaking project, complete with the
contributions (the "first wave" papers) of the 25 participants. The
conclusions to be read in the special issue offer concrete suggestions
as to cultural change in terms of values (e.g. "the feminisation of
culture") and in terms of daily behaviour (approach to power, to money,
to gender, to nature, to spirituality and organised religions, etc).
Special attention is given to citizenship, political engagement,
political parties and ways to act, including through Ghandian
active non-violence. Attention is given to multi-culturality in the
major cities of the world, and the ways to go about it to avoid
violence and political manipulation of religiosity and racialism by malafide
politicians. Attention is also given to personal attitudinal change as
a condition for structural societal change. Examples are offered from
Buddhism, atheistic or humanistic philosophies, Islam, Christianity,
Hinduism, Candomblé, etc.
- The issue N° 37 of our journal “Cultures and
Development / Cultures et Développement” (May 2000) offers
two important pieces of information on South North network activities.
There are a series of texts and interviews on the “Viva
Rio” campaigns, launched by our base in Brazil. This highly
successful campaign illustrates how a renewed spirit of urban
citizenship can be developed, and how social work can be realized with
maximum participation by all people concerned. The other important
piece is a report on Network Cultures-Europe’s project on
multicultural cities. How do they evolve? Towards de facto apartheid
between autochtonous and immigrant communities? Or towards mutually
enriching inter-cultural learning and conviviality?
This issue also reports on the book which Network Cultures helped to
prepare and draft for the Belgian Minister for Development Cooperation,
Dr Reginald Moreels. It also proudly contains a paper by Michaël
D. Higgins, poet and one time Minister of Culture in Ireland.
- The double issue N° 38/39 of “Cultures and Development /
Cultures et Développement” (December 2000) contains a
medley of contributions on the themes of the globalizing neoliberal
creed, the notion of postmodernity (with a paper by Leonardo Boff), and
the growing attention to cultural diversity. The latter is extensively
treated in a full report on the Brainstorming session organized
in June 2000 on the impact of Network Cultures over the past 12 years.
This impact is looked at on thought, policy and practice of NGDOs and
official development agencies alike. It is obvious that culture is now
gradually coming to the fore as a concern in many circles, including
in intergovernmental bodies (like the WB). Network Cultures has
played its part in this positive evolution. What would be Network
Cultures’ future task in this context ? How can we help NGDOs and
other agencies to operationalize concretely the growing interest for
local cultures in development ? How can we improve our pedagogy and
maximize our impact ?
© 2000, South-North Network Cultures and Development