Relevance of Culture and the Arts in Attaining Global Peace and Development

January 11, 2008

By Dr. Amalia Cullarin Rosales**

 

 

I. Introduction

 

Good morning!

 

I am happy to be with you this morning to talk on a topic which is close to my heart – culture and the arts.

 

The topic assigned to me is the Relevance of Culture and the Arts in Attaining Global Peace and Progress.   Your  theme  Searching Asian Identities through the Arts is   a very timely topic and your inclusion of the topic assigned to me is also a very welcome idea  considering  that  global peace  is,  as of today, a very  elusive thing.  The series of bombings which happened and are still happening not only in the Philippines but also in other parts of the world, attests to the great need to think of a solution to this worldwide problem.  For how can progress be achieved if there is no peace?

 

For indeed, the world today is beset with so much turmoil that peace has really become an elusive dream.  As we face the 21^st century, we are faced with the uncertainty of life.  We cannot help but ask ourselves whether the next generation will be afforded the chance to live in a peaceful world; whether they will be able to enjoy prosperity; whether universal unity will be a reality.

 

But we continue to hope… we continue to struggle to achieve peace, unity and prosperity for the world. In the heart of each one of us, hope springs eternal.  And so, this morning, you have thought of doing your share in achieving global peace and progress through this activity. And what is the best and most effective   way of   doing it ?  Personally, I believe and I would say without hesitation that culture and the arts are powerful weapons of achieving peace and development.

 

II. Culture, the Arts, and Development

 

Two important components of the country’s efforts for development are culture and the arts.   UNESCO defines culture as that which comprises the whole complex of distinctive spiritual, material, intellectual and emotional features that characterize a society or social group.  It includes not only the arts and letters, but also modes of life, the fundamental rights of the human being, value systems, traditions, and beliefs.  (1982).[1]

 

Fernando N. Zialcita referred to culture as a group’s repertoire of beliefs and practices that is acquired, not through genetic inheritance, but through the use of symbolic systems, the most common of which is language in its various forms, i.e.  spoken, body, and written.  Zialcita also believes that culture is not race.  Thus, expressions like Malay race or lahing Pilipino, although seemingly neutral, are dangerous, according to him.  Further, Zialcita believes that culture should be viewed dialectically rather than in a reductionist manner for culture grows and that what was once foreign can be assimilated and given new form and content.

 

Culture has three components.  They are:  what people think, what they do; and the material objects they produce Thus, mental processes and rules that guide behavior, beliefs, knowledge and values are all part of culture.  Culture is shared; learned; symbolic; transmitted across generations; adaptive; integrated; and ever changing.  We understand ourselves as individuals and as members of various groups through the study of culture.

 

            On the other hand, the arts is the significant expressions of human experiences.  It is a journey to bridge the visible to the invisible. It allows us to bridge cognitive and affective experiences, to bridge left and right brain activities.  The arts in its humanizing influence move man to his greater wholeness, to great heights of sensitivity.

 

Despite the importance of culture and the arts  in development, however,  researches revealed that in the Philippines alone, support for  artistic and cultural development and promotion, both  from among government leaders  and the general populace, has been found insufficient, wavering and even absent.[2]

 

Proofs of this reality concerning the lack of support to culture and the arts are the results of the consultative meetings conducted by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts in preparation for the formulation of the Philippine Cultural Education Plan.  During these meetings the following were revealed:

• Cultural education is intrinsically not part of the country’s formal  education system;

 

• Basic education does not identify and define the basic socio-cultural concepts that need to be taught to students. Neither are these defined in the textbooks or instructional materials for the teachers and students;

 

• Arts subjects are getting less time in the school curriculum;

 

• There are very few qualified teachers of arts and culture in the elementary and secondary levels.  Even fewer are the textbooks and instructional materials on arts and culture;

 

• The country’s leaders and decision-makers do not give importance to culture as a vital component in national development;

 

• As such, support for cultural development, heritage preservation, promotion and cultural education has been generally neglected;

 

• Among Filipinos in general, there  is a lack of understanding and appreciation of Philippine culture and  its importance to their lives and to the nation;

 

• Many artistic and cultural organizations, both government and non-government, have cultural education programs but these  programs are not designed  and implemented in line with a national effort that will achieve greater impact;

 

• The use of the media as a potent tool in cultural education has not been fully explored and maximized.

 

Since culture and the arts are important in development, there is a strong need for the people to be culturally educated.  In order that unity will be achieved, a better understanding and appreciation of the diversity of the Filipino culture as well as its rich manifestations are needed.   If this is done and realized, a national cultural consciousness that will define our identity as a people and inspire us to work toward attaining common goals for the good of our society will evolve.   Helping towards this end, the NCCA has been doing the following:

 

• undertake projects  that encourage  the continuing and balanced development of pluralistic culture by the people themselves;

 

•  conserve and promote  the nation’s historical and cultural heritage;

 

•  ensure the widest  dissemination of artistic and cultural products among the greatest number across the country and overseas, for their appreciation and enjoyment;

 

• preserve and  integrate  traditional culture and its various creative  expressions as a dynamic part of the national cultural mainstream and ensure that standards  of excellence  are pursued  in programs and activities  geared toward  the development of culture and the arts.

 

Culture and the Arts as  Instruments of Peace and Progress: Some Stories

 

1. Philippines

 

In his paper, Creative Pathways to Peace, Nestor Horfilla wrote that most cultural workers in Mindanao create art works that are linked to building a just and lasting peace as well as the  concern for sustainable  development.  To ensure the success of  the cultural workers’ noble  goal of  using the arts as instrument of peace and progress, they  seek  the partnership of  various  sectors – government, civil society, educational  institutions, private sector and the general public -  in    carrying out  their two programs, the Arts-for-Peace and the  Theater-in-Development. Out of these programs, several stories emerged – stories which can be good materials for tele novelas.

 

One of the stories narrated by Horfilla concerns their experiences in a refugee camp in Mindanao, where they worked with children caught in armed conflict.  The story goes:

 

            In August 2000, the MILF territory in Camp Abubakar was taken over by government forces.  It was an extremely difficult period as the “all-out-war” policy

of the government was implemented .  It led to the massive displacement of communities and the proliferation of refugee camps – the so-called “tent cities” – where five or six municipal mayors hold offices in the same site.

 

                In that year, we conducted several psycho-social debriefing activities for children and caregiver utilizing the arts. The Office of Civil Relations of the Department of National Defense                    sponsored one of the projects that we facilitated.  That project in Matanog was conceived by a private foundation based in Manila in collaboration with some volunteer students from the                        Graduate School of the University of the Philippines.

 

                That engagement was special because it was our first time to work on a project organized by a government agency. We designed a process of five-day creative interactions for the more than 100 children evacuees aged 6 to 17 and their caregivers, most of whom came from the areas surrounding Camp Abubakhar.

 

                At that time, the sponsors wanted to showcase images of the military giving gifts to children.  However, we suggested that the project must focus on “preparing the victims” to face the    perceived “aggressors”.

 

                Prior to the actual project implementation, there were several consultative meetings with the community, the families of children, core of caregivers from the various line agencies and the representatives of the LGUs.

 

                The children participants came from various ethnicities, the majority are Iranun, Maranao, Maguindanon, and a few Bisaya- Ilongo and Bol-anon.  Vivid images of war were captured in the drawings of children:  helicopter, gun-ships, bombs, dead                        carabaos, destroyed houses, abandoned crop fields,                         closed school buildings and many more.  Likewise, the children in chorus signified that the military must pullout from the area immediately.

 

                It was a very strong sentiment that was very difficult to rebut at that moment.

 

                We converted a dilapidated gymnasium in Parang as an improvised “art center” where the creative outputs of children were exhibited and the performance showcases were presented                       to the community and to the more than 1,000 men-in-uniform headed by  then Secretary Orlando Mercado together with a core of AFP Generals.  The showcase included among others:

 

–         Exhibit of children’s visual artworks, some of which were turned into “Peace Greeting cards”

–         A variety of children’s games and song compositions  by children;

–         One hour interactive theater performance showcase; and,

–         Several children’s letters sent to the  Armed Groups to both the military and the rebels

 

                During the creative encounter, energy and enthusiasm among the children were so high and signs of hope were painted on their faces.  On the last day, when the military almost out- numbered the children participants, there were no expressions of fear or aggressive behavior. After the performance, the children were celebrating a sense of victory, albeit, symbolic.

 

                At the end of the one week cultural journey, while we waited for the vehicle that would bring us to Cotabato City, Nasser, one of the most aggressive children came to us slowly. He burst into tears, Hindi na rin kayo babalik!  We felt a sense of deep guilt.

 

                Before the project began, we had proposed that the activity not end in evacuation camps, that it be institutionalized as “Children’s Arts-for-Peace”.  We have yet to follow-up the response of other stakeholders.[3]

 

The other is about the story of the Kaliwat Theater Collective which was formally established in 1988 as a cultural organization in Mindanao.  It is a theater which actively engages in popular theater for empowering the culturally “silenced majority”.  Over the years, Kaliwat directed its efforts at enhancing the creative capabilities of the grassroots through a creative process and a liberating methodology.  Using various art forms, it encourages the articulation of social issues within the community.  Theater is utilized as a socially binding device and as a tool for community dialogue.

 

Kaliwat has produced several plays which deal with the issues of peace and un-peace.  The plays are products of the myriad forms of interactions between Kaliwat members and the sources of the stories – grassroots communities.  Utilizing art and theater-making processes, cultural action, methodologies, community dialogue, and cultural research, a collaborative play is produced based on real-life situations.  The play is then performed to various other communities and to the general public for advocacy.

 

Kaliwat has produced   six plays as follows:

 

• ASIN SA KATAWHAN

 

      Drawn from experiences of members and leaders of basic Christian communities and demonstrates the mounting contradictions in a peasant society;

 

• BAKWIT

     

      A piece filled with black humor about the situation of a permanent internal refugees named  Kardo and Berto.  They talked about their desire to go home, their situation in evacuation centers and the rules of life governed by war, poverty and displacement in a hilarious exchange of wit and wile.

 

• PAGBATI

 

      Portrays the role of women in mythical and contemporary realities and was written, directed and performed by women.  It paints varied pictures of violence faced by women from birth to giving birth

 

• SIAK SA DUHA  KA DAMGO

 

      A musical comedy about two families in search of wealth.  One a family of fisher folk and the other, a family of entrepreneurs As they raced towards the pot of gold, they found themselves trapped in their own elusive dreams.  The play weaves the issues of debt and ecological destruction and utilizes audience  participation in  defining the play’s conclusion.

 

• OYA ARAKAN!

 

      A concert play about the story of a couple – a Manobo warrior and Christian settler.  They were gifted on their wedding day with a  gunso,  a Manobo tribe’s ancient sacred jar,  which is the vessel of the Manobo’s heritage and wisdom.  The Manobo  groom was given the task of guarding the gunso but it was grabbed by the migrant settlers in order to unearth its secrets and to gain power over the tribe.  War ensues and the two people – the Manobo and the  Bisaya who were once united parted ways.

 

• MINDASILANG

     

      Within the backdrop of a raging war, three friends of various cultural origins - Talaandig, Cebuano and Maranao prepare to mount a play on the issue of peace  with a school theater group.  As the war seethes on, their efforts towards this common project are being derailed, compelling them to journey through their past in order to understand why there is war, to appreciate their differences and to rediscover their commonalities.

 

According to Horfilla, all the six productions are creative components of broader interventions for people’s development.  The process involves design and implementation of cultural action to pursue a common agenda.  The promotion of peace and protection of natural resources are two of the examples of these agenda.

 

How did these artistic productions help the natives?   During the conception of Siak sa Duha  ka Damgo, KALIWAT and the fisher folk of  Bago Aplaya in Davao City worked together on finding solutions to the pollution problem in the community caused by a queue of food factories in the surrounding areas.  While  OYA ARAKAN!, on the  other hand was being envisioned, KALIWAT and its community partners, conducted  an ethnographic research on the Manobo of Arakan Valley, facilitated various fora, consultations and conferences with relevant government agencies to push for the Manobo’s ancestral domain claims. Almost three years after the start of  the  Arakan project, and after more than 20 years of pangayao (tribal war) against cattle ranches and logging companies, majority of the  Manobo’s ancestral domain claims were granted.

 

Another  example of how  culture and the arts  have been utilized  to serve as instruments  of  peace and  progress is the  story of KASIBULAN or Kababaihan sa Sining  at Bagong Sibol  ng Kamalayan.  This group was established in 1988 by Filipino women artists par excellence composed of Brenda Fajardo, Ida Bugayong, Imelda Cajipe-Endaya, Anna Fer and Julie Lluch.  It started as a small group of ten  which after fifteen years  grew into a hundred.  The group, a sisterhood of  Filipino women practitioners  in various fields of arts, such as visual arts, literature, music and the theater, espouses as one of its goals  the enhancement of social, economic, political and cultural consciousness of women artists and Filipino women in general.

 

This group also underscores the role of women in the peace process, in the (re) telling of history and in the preservation of traditional and indigenous crafts. It also consciously works for the development of distinct women’s expressions in language symbols, imagery, values, and beliefs.  One of the members of the group, Dr. Thelma Arambulo, wrote in her essay, Babae, Kasarian at Sining: Ilang Kuru-Kuro: Hindi lumalayo ang babaing artista sa paghahanap ng inspirasyon.  Para sa babaing artista, may kayamanang  mamimina sa  mgs ordinaryong gamit sa bahay at sa mga  pangkaraniwang  bagay-bagay at  parte ng kanyang kapaligiran.[4]

 

Nangangahulugan lamang na kung pagyayamanin  at titingin tayo sa ating kapaligiran,  hindi malalayo ang pag-unlad sapagka’t  sa mga  bagay na nasa ating paligid, ang isang  alagad ng sining ay maaring makalikha  ng mga obra maestra na hindi lamang  magbibigay ng  kabuhayan o dagdag ng kita sa pamilya kundi  magbibigay  din ng dangal  at pakiramdam ng pagmamalaki sapagka’t  mula sa mga ordinaryong bagay  ay nagawa nila ang lumikha ng  isang bagay na hindi lamang  magbibigay  kabuhayan kundi  maaaring  maging instrumento ng kapayapaan.

 

            2. Sri Lanka

 

In Sri Lanka, a war-torn country which is recovering from a twenty year old violent conflict, Dr. Vinya   Ariyaratne a cultural worker-educator, revealed that the development of her country focuses not only on social, economic and political aspects but also on spiritual, cultural and moral aspects.  She said that in considering the future of their culture, preservation and respect for cultural diversity are paramount since their heritage, culture and traditional knowledge have also been eroded by the ideology of consumerism.  Her country’s program, according to her, is placing particular emphasis on peace education through their heritage, culture and traditional knowledge.  In a community education which a movement named Sarvodaya Shramadana, started in the poor villages of Sri Lanka, an integrated program of development with all ethnic, cultural and religious communities is facilitated through bringing about an “enlightenment literacy” amongst the people.  Its education is geared toward peace, reconciliation and development. 

 

For the Sarvodaya Movement, to create a peaceful society, the following elements are necessary:   consciousness  (how we think about ourselves, our inner being, our spiritual lives, our interactions  with other); power ( how human  beings govern  each other’s behavior for the good of all ) good governance; and, economics ( how we maintain our physical existence and obtain our basic needs).

 

The Sarvodaya Movement believes that men have to work on all three spheres to have a healthy, balanced and peaceful society.  The consciousness element includes the way of thinking, culture and interrelationships.  Lasting peace cannot be achieved in the absence of a deeper understanding and nourishment of these components of the collective consciousness.  In the consciousness building process, community education and culture play a critical role.  To affect the consciousness, some of the activities carried   out by the Sarvodaya Movement are:[5]        

 

• Meditation;
• children’s peace camps;
• inter-religious peace dialogues;
• conflict resolution skills;
• play, music and drama;  and,
• publications

 

Also from Sri Lanka is the story of Sister Therese Ranee,[6] principal of St. Mary’s College in the picturesque town of Trinkomalee, a multi-racial, multi-religious, and multi-lingual community of 10,000 inhabitants in Sri Lanka.  She told of how she builds up broken relationships of pupils from different ethnic groups, who, in the aftermath of violent outbreaks between Tamils and Muslim, tend to avoid each other, with the Sinhalese (Sri Lanka) thinking that all Tamils are “terrorists”.  She said that aside from organizing friendly netball tournaments and encouraging her Tamil students to learn the Sinhalese language, she also encourages them to learn the traditional Sinhalese dances.  The Tamil children perform on Parents Day in costumes borrowed from a Sinhalese school.  This is her way of making the Tamil students and their parents appreciate the value of other cultures and then eventually live in peace with the Sinhalese.   

 

3.     Afghanistan

 

Benazir Hotaki, a member of the Information and Culture Office in Afghanistan, in an appeal to the government of Japan narrated the need of her war-torn country.  In her appeal, culture and the arts are prominently mentioned.  In a war-torn country like Afghanistan, it is surprising to hear a citizen concentrate her appeal not on economic needs but more so on culture and the arts.  This only proves how important culture and the arts are in the lives of the people.  Benazir’s appeal is consists of:

 

·         assistance to the public library in Kabul  like books and  other reading materials for the children;

·         funds to purchase materials for their national archive, which was snatched of its holdings;

·         funds for the  Kabul museum  to purchase  materials, the precious and  historical items of which have been  taken leaving the museum with nothing;

·         reconstruction of the  theater in their Ministry of Information;

·         experts to visit  their Bamiyan caves.  These caves can provide a clear picture of the peoples’ situation in that country;[7]

 

At the end of her appeal, Benazir thanked the Japanese government for its optimism and willingness to help the Afghan people and its government in restoring their destroyed repositories of culture and the arts, a proof of the importance of culture and the arts in the development of a nation.

 

 

IV. Conclusion  

 

            Progress is not possible without peace.  Peace is not sustainable without progress.  Peace is a pre-requisite to development, whether this be in the arts or in any other field   Peace is what will  break the cycle of insurgency, underdevelopment and poverty not only in our country but also in other parts of the  world where problems of this nature exist.⁶

 

A culture of peace must exist in the world if progress is to be attained.  In attaining it, the people must be educated.  Through education, enlightenment is achieved. When one is enlightened, violence is rejected; conflict is prevented; problems are solved through dialogue and negotiation.  To ensure the existence of a culture of peace, however, values that make people free, those which promote their dignified existence, those which empower them, must be emphasized.  Through these values, people would embrace peaceful means in their daily lives; they will become peaceful and caring people.  

 

 

As citizens not only of the Philippines but of Asia and  of the world, we have to learn and develop different and peaceful means of living  together.  We should be able to understand and appreciate the culture of other nationalities without, however, forgetting and being ashamed of what we have.  We might be culturally diverse as a people but despite this cultural diversity, we should always think as a nation, forgetting our religious beliefs and political differences.  If we think in this manner, then, for sure, we will be able to use our cultural identity in promoting peace  and harmony.  If we have peace and harmony, then  we can achieve prosperity. It is about time that we stop thinking as a Muslim, as a Lumad, as a  Bisaya, as a  Tagalog, as a Bicolano, etc.  We should think as a Filipino – a citizen of this country;  and we should  appreciate our being Asian.  And as such , we should  flaunt to  the whole world our Asian identity – through our culture and the arts.  Let us not hesitate to promote our heritage as a people of Asia, our values, our beautiful customs and traditions, our indigenous arts and culture. 

 

Bambi Harper in an interview in connection with the celebration of Heritage Month in 2004 stated that the Filipino is not a Filipino without an acceptance of his past and without coming to terms with the past.  We should remember that a “nation’s heritage is the birthright of its people”.  Our beliefs, practices, and values which are handed down from generation to generation must be as much as possible followed, remembered and not forgotten and be ashamed of.  Our tangible heritage must be preserved and protected for them not to be exploited and destroyed.

 

     

The main goal of any nation is the conquest of poverty.   For this goal to be realized, a nation must enjoy peace. In the quest for peace, culture and the arts are important, thus, they must not be taken for granted.  In the paper Culture and the Arts and the Promotion of Peace, General Manuel Yan stated that the Filipinos must come to terms with their cultural diversity if they wish to attain their full potential as a nation.  He said that they should overcome their ethnical and religious differences in order to accelerate the development of the nation.[8]

  

In closing, let me share with you this song, which I will recite since I do not know how to sing.  Let this song be a challenge to you as well as a way of committing yourselves   to the noble endeavor of using culture and the arts to achieve peace and development.

 

I’ll give my hand to those who cannot see the sunlight            or the falling rain

I’ll sing my song to cheer the weary alone

For I may never pass this way again.

 

I’ll share my faith with every troubled heart

For I shall not have lived in vain.

 

I’ll give my hand,

I’ll sing my song’

I’ll share my faith

because I know

That the time has come to fulfill its vow

For I may never pass this way again.

 

      We will pass this world only once, let us not waste the chance of using that opportunity given to us to leave something behind and be contributors to the attainment of peace and progress. As Filipinos, as Asians, let us take every opportunity, no matter how small, no matter how insignificant to promote peace through our cultural heritage. And in doing so, to work for their preservation, let us do every possible way to make the young generation appreciate them and eventually become our partners in preserving them.  Such cultural heritage is our identity as a people.  Let us not allow such identity to be overshadowed by western culture.  Let us not allow it to perish.

 

      Muli, magandang  araw sa inyong lahat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Amalia C. Rosales is the present Director of the PUP Ninoy Aquino Learning Resources Center, and President of the Association of Philippine Colleges of Arts and Sciences (APCAS) and the Philippine Association of Teachers of History and Rizal (PATHRI). She was designated as Dean of the PUP College of Arts from 1997 – 2004. She is a former President of the Philippine Association of Teachers of Culture and the Arts (PATCA) and former Head of the National Committee on Cultural Education of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA). In recognition of her contributions in the field of culture and the arts,          she was chosen as the PUP Centennial Alumna                       for Culture and the Arts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jobal2005

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* A paper delivered on February 17, 2005 at 9:00a.m.. at the 2^nd National Conference on Asia, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Sta. Mesa, Manila.

 

 

[1] UNESCO definition.

 

[2] Philippine Cultural Education Plan, National Commission for Culture and the Arts, 2000.

[3] Nestor Horfilla, “Creative Pathways to Peace”, paper presented during the Culture and Arts Convention of the NCCA on June 12, 2003.

 

[4] Nina Somera and Pamela Peters – Baun, “Forces of Change,” Agung, 2003 – 2004 issue.

[5] Vinya Ariyaratne, “A Grassroots Perspective from the Sarvodaya Sharamadana Movement of Shri Lanka”, a paper presented during the Future of Education and    Culture Forum, Tokyo, Japan, July 28-31, 2003.

      

[6] M. Therese Ranee, Lessons in Love: The Quiet Peacemakers, UNESCO

[7] Benazir Hotaki, An appeal to the Japanese Government, presented during the The Future of Education and Culture Forum, Tokyo, Japan, July 28-31, 2003.

[8] Manuel T. Yan, “Culture, Arts and the Promotion of Peace,” a paper presented during the Culture and Arts Conference on June 13, 2002 at Pearl Manila Hotel.