Charter of Cultural Rights
1. Concepción and culture
Concepción stands out as a university city and a cultural reference point in the country. However, it faces challenges related to cultural access and inclusion, especially among population segments limited by socio-economic and geographical barriers, as well as a limited knowledge of cultural rights, resulting in the exclusion of large sectors of its community in these activities.
In view of these challenges, the Municipality of Concepción has sought to establish a framework to develop planning tools and cultural policies that seek to value culture as an driving force, implementing various instances of dialogue and participation that have advanced the strengthening of community cohesion and ensured that the cultural offer is inclusive and accessible to all.
2. Project goals and implementation
2.1. Main goal and specific objectives
The objective is to establish a normative and action framework that guarantees the recognition, protection and promotion of cultural rights for all inhabitants of Concepción. This document seeks to be a roadmap towards cultural inclusion and diversity, focusing on guaranteeing equitable access to culture and encouraging active community participation in the cultural life of the city.
The Charter aims to integrate culture as a central axis of sustainable and human development, and to facilitate the articulation of the city’s diverse cultural organisations, promoting synergies and collaborations that enhance the cultural fabric. With this articulation, it seeks to amplify the impact of cultural initiatives and to ensure that cultural public policies respond effectively to the needs and aspirations of all sectors of the city’s society.
The objective of the Charter is to establish a normative and action framework that guarantees the recognition, protection and promotion of cultural rights for all.
It has the following specific objectives:
- Guaranteeing equitable access to culture for all the population.
- Promoting cultural diversity and social inclusion through culture.
- Encouraging citizen participation in cultural planning and management.
- Establishing mechanisms for collaboration between the public sector, the private sector and civil society for cultural development in the city.
2.2. Project development
The Charter constitutes a pioneering normative framework in Chile, designed to guarantee the recognition and protection of cultural rights at the local level in the commune of Concepción. This initiative seeks to establish the basis for an inclusive, participatory and sustainable cultural policy, aligned with the principles of sustainable development and human rights.
The beneficiaries of the Charter are children, young people, students, artists, creatives, cultural managers and especially the general public, with a focus on historically excluded and marginalised groups.
Central to the development of the Charter was the formation of a multidisciplinary task force, composed of professionals from the Municipality’s Directorate of Culture and external advisors. This team was responsible for the drafting of the Charter and led the dialogue as well as community participation initiatives, ensuring that the final document reflected the needs and aspirations gathered during the process.
The project was developed in several phases:
- Designing the process, managing the funding and preparing the work group.
- Identifying the cultural situation in Concepción and carrying out public consultations through face-to-face and online surveys.
- Pursuing the participatory development of the text of the Charter through workshops and meetings.
- Validation and approval of the Charter by the Municipal Council.
For the elaboration of the Charter, various local cultural institutions and organisations collaborated in the design and implementation of the Charter, especially those that make up the Cultural Advisory Council of the Municipality. The regional government of Biobío and the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage, through the Regional Ministerial Secretariat, also collaborated in this process.
The diversity of participants posed the challenge of creating spaces for dialogue and collaboration that could welcome and value different contributions. Awareness-raising and education campaigns on cultural rights were also conducted targeting different segments of the community. Positioning cultural rights as a fundamental pillar for community development and social well-being required not only efforts to overcome knowledge barriers, but also strategies to build bridges in a fragmented and uncertain political environment. This effort involved emphasising the universal nature of cultural rights, as well as the collective benefit of promoting an inclusive cultural policy, to build consensus across political divides, and to secure the support and active participation of the entire community in the consolidation of the Charter.
The “Charter of Cultural Rights of Concepción”, first in the country, seeks to be a testimony of how culture can be a central axis for the sustainable development of a community.
The diversity of the participants posed the challenge of creating spaces for dialogue and collaboration that could welcome and value different contributions.
3. Impacts
3.1. Direct impacts
The approval of the Charter initiates a promising path towards the dissemination of cultural rights among the inhabitants of the city. This document has the role of educating and raising awareness of the importance of cultural rights as key for the well-being and development of the community. It is hoped that, as this knowledge deepens and expands, more citizens will advocate and participate in local cultural life, thus contributing to a more informed, inclusive and vibrant society.
Another key aspect is its focus on inter-institutional articulation as a means to realise the cultural rights in Concepción. This network of inter-sectoral and inter-institutional collaboration is vital to overcome existing challenges and to build a sustainable framework for cultural rights to flourish throughout the city.
By positioning itself as a pioneer in the formalisation of cultural rights within its legal and political framework, Concepción becomes an inspiring model for municipalities and cities seeking to strengthen the cultural fabric of their own communities.
3.2. Evaluation
An evaluation and monitoring mechanism based on participatory methodologies and the use of specific indicators will be implemented. This system will include the annual evaluation of access to and participation in culture, diversity of cultural expressions, and the level of knowledge and exercise of cultural rights among the population.
Indicators will include:
- Number of cultural events and activities carried out in the territory.
- Rate of citizen participation in cultural events and decision-making processes related to culture.
- Geographical distribution of cultural programmes and projects to measure equity of access.
- Perception surveys on the knowledge and importance of cultural rights.
In addition, tools such as digital platforms for data collection and community feedback, participatory evaluation workshops and discussion forums will be used to identify critical aspects to be solved and opportunities for improvement of the local cultural policy.
As a pioneer in the formalisation of cultural rights within its legal and political framework, Concepción becomes an inspiring model for municipalities and cities seeking to strengthen the cultural fabric of their own communities.
3.3. Key factors
The previous experience of the Directorate for Culture of the Municipality in the participatory elaboration of planning tools has allowed the implementation of an inclusive and collaborative methodology from the outset, ensuring that the Charter reflects the real needs and aspirations of the cultural community and the population broadly.
Collaborative networks between the Municipality, cultural organisations, educational institutions, private companies and other local actors have facilitated the exchange of ideas, resources and good practices, enriching the process of elaboration of the Charter and its subsequent implementation.
Another important element has been the multidisciplinary work group formed by the Directorate of Culture of the Municipality for this endeavour, and the valuable collaboration of the Regional Secretariat of the Ministry of Cultures, Arts and Heritage, which provided the necessary funding to develop this initiative.
3.4. Continuity
The Municipality of Concepción is committed to maintaining the momentum of this project through inter-institutional strategies, ensuring that the Charter transcends as a living and constantly developing policy. Collaboration with different entities is key for this purpose.
In addition, Concepción will play an active role within the Association of Municipalities of the Biobío Region, promoting the replicability of the Charter in other communes, inspiring them to implement inclusive and participatory cultural policies, and thus strengthening the cultural fabric of the entire Biobío region. This effort will also be carried out at national and international level through the networks in which Concepción takes part.
4. Further information
Concepción was a candidate for the sixth “UCLG Mexico City – Culture 21 International Award” (November 2023 – March 2024). The jury for the award drew up its final report in June 2024, and requested that the Committee on Culture promote this project as one of the good practices to be implemented through Agenda 21 for culture.
This article was written by Mauricio Castro Rivas, Director of Culture, Concepción, Bíobio, Chile.
Contact: mcastro (at) concepcion.cl
Website: www.concepcion.cl/
