Culture needs us, and we need culture. This field can unite whole continents and establish bonds based on shared history and tradition. It’s unfortunate that it turns out to be one of the most neglected fields by politicians and citizens alike. And the problem involves developed and developing countries alike.
In South America in particular, there are some countries we have to call out for not cultivating the potential of their heritage, and I would like to start with my own - Peru. The land that was once the home of the great Inca civilization now invests only 75 cents per person in developing the traditions they left behind as well as newer endeavours in music, drama and the arts. We are talking about the investment made by our Ministry of Culture, whose budget is sadly only 0,3% of the government’s annual GDP. We are doing poorly even at the continental level. Colombia is spending approximately 2.55 dollars per person on culture, while Argentina is spending 3.7 dollars. If you leave South America, these numbers are dwarfed, with France investing 36.56 dollars in culture per person - not surprising, given the deeply-ingrained European attitude of appreciation and esteem for the arts.
South American culture and tradition is extremely rich. Pre Columbian civilizations inhabited our land for hundreds of years developing their communities and their customs. The period of colonization and forced African immigration also greatly influenced our identity, which continues to transform today. Our historic past is a goldmine of stories, a link that brings our people together, and it should be treated as such. Unfortunately, there are glaring issues our countries need to address. We still deal with extreme levels of poverty in some regions, along with a lack of access to basic education, sanitation, food and shelter. Racism is an ever-present, if subtle issue that divides our society and creates resentment between people that should care about each other because they have so many things in common. But, we have something to say about all of these issues, and the more resources are designated for the development of arts & culture, the louder we can say it and the more people will hear us. Ariel Dorfman’s “Death and the Maiden” is a play from 1991 that covers government oppression during what could be interpreted as Pinochet’s dictatorship in Chile. It is now a famous work of art that started conversations about that tragic time of Chilean history and serves as an excellent example of the value of art to society. Music, theatre, film, literature and art are engaging lenses that can be used to reflect the prevalence and seriousness of many of the world’s problems to its own people. Encouraging expression stimulates awareness of problems we must solve and wounds we should tend to. If you can put in your grain of sand to help bolster any form of culture in your community, then do so. It is likely your country already needs it.
Source for Statistics: Peru21
