No Indoctrination 3: No Coercion, Helping the Poor of Africa & the World

The font in the jpgs posted today is too small to be easily read, but, when websites change at the press of a mouse, it is a good idea to get a screen capture. ( No wonder those who have held the reins of power want control of the internet. History could be re-written so easily. ) Anyway, I have added the top of this section so people may easily follow the links from the jpgs posted earlier.

Search: UNESCO, cultural, diversity Webpage of Culture et Communications Quebec, Newsletter: Vol. 5, no. 37, December 19, 2005 -- published after Paul Martin signed the UNESCO protocol Nov. 23, 05.
http://www.mcc.gouv.qc.ca/index.html

In this issue :
Launch of a new website section: “Cultural policies and measures” http://www.mcc.gouv.qc.ca/international/diversite-culturelle/eng/#nouvelle1

What to watch for on our website: Implementating the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions - Prospects for Action http://www.mcc.gouv.qc.ca/international/diversite-culturelle/eng/#nouvelle2

With the adoption of the UNESCO Convention, the INCD and culture ministers in the INCP are moving into a new phase http://www.mcc.gouv.qc.ca/international/diversite-culturelle/eng/#nouvelle3

UNESCO Convention on the Diversity of Cultural Expressions - The fight continues: “We must work extremely hard to sustain momentum for ratification” http://www.mcc.gouv.qc.ca/international/diversite-culturelle/eng/#nouvelle4

23è Sommet Afrique-France: “We must speed up the ratification process for the Convention on the Diversity of Cultural Expressions” - Bamako Commitments
Trade and culture's File:The 6th WTO Ministerial Conference in Hong Kong, China http://www.mcc.gouv.qc.ca/international/diversite-culturelle/eng/#nouvelle5

Challenge, opportunity, or threat to cultural diversity? http://www.mcc.gouv.qc.ca/international/diversite-culturelle/eng/#nouvelle6

What’s at stake at the Hong Kong Ministerial Conference http://www.mcc.gouv.qc.ca/international/diversite-culturelle/eng/#nouvelle7

Trade liberalization: The challenges of the Hong Kong ministerial http://www.mcc.gouv.qc.ca/international/diversite-culturelle/eng/#nouvelle8

WTO alliances and groups in Hong Kong http://www.mcc.gouv.qc.ca/international/diversite-culturelle/eng/#nouvelle9 [Very interesting breakdown : The G10, The Cairns Group, The G20, The G33, The ACP Group ]

How does the GATS operate? http://www.mcc.gouv.qc.ca/international/diversite-culturelle/eng/#nouvelle10

The GATS and the services trade negotiations http://www.mcc.gouv.qc.ca/international/diversite-culturelle/eng/#nouvelle11

Developments on the services trade negotiations since Cancun http://www.mcc.gouv.qc.ca/international/diversite-culturelle/eng/#nouvelle12

UNESCO Convention on the Diversity of Cultural Expressions and the services trade negotiations in Hong Kong http://www.mcc.gouv.qc.ca/international/diversite-culturelle/eng/#nouvelle13

The need for countries to refrain from making any free trade commitments involving culture in the negotiations within the framework of the GATS http://www.mcc.gouv.qc.ca/international/diversite-culturelle/eng/#nouvelle14


Excerpts from some of those links:

[Heritage Dept.] Launch of a new website section: “Cultural policies and measures”

[....] The section will feature regulatory measures aimed at protecting and promoting the diversity of cultural expressions, including those that provide opportunities for creation, production, dissemination, and distribution to domestic cultural industries; that provide public financial assistance; that support public institutions, as appropriate; that support artists and others involved in the creation of cultural expressions; and that enhance diversity of the media. [ except for any pro-Conservative media? ]

Promote discussion among cultural managers, public policy developers, teachers, and researchers with a special interest in policies and measures aimed at protecting and promoting the diversity of cultural expressions, by providing access to research, publications, and lectures on cultural policies, practices, and measures.

This section will be added in the early New Year and will gradually be expanded through research efforts and voluntary contributions from partners who wish to draw attention to subjects of interest and websites dealing with cultural policies. .... [I have mentioned previously that there were plans ...]

* Communiqué du ministère de la Culture et des Communications

* Étude Bernier/Ruiz-Fabri [This study is worth checking as a starting point for this UNESCO protocol, along with the MacBride Report.]

* Délégation générale du Québec à Paris

Who are the ones who wish to "volunteer" contributions? Any connections to those who have "volunteered" money for special schools and imams to preach in them? If you think that is far-fetched, check the part on the WTO and the importance of the summit to Islamic countries. Scroll to: Summit’s Outcome Important for Islamic Countries on WTO

Note: It is the Canadian/Quebec group which organized the INCD world headquarters in Gatineau, Quebec.

The INCD or International Network for Cultural Diversity and culture ministers in the INCP or International Network on Cultural Policy

http://incp-ripc.org/about/index_e.shtml

International Network on Cultural Policy
Liaison Bureau
25 Eddy Street, 13th Floor
Gatineau, Quebec K1A 0M5
CANADA
Fax: +1 819 953 8439
Email: incp-ripc@pch.gc.ca [Patrimoine Canadien - Canadian Heritage ]
Website: www.incp-ripc.org ]

Google: search "pch"

Ministère du patrimoine canadien / Department of Canadian Heritage
Image du Patrimoine Canadien - Canadian Heritage image Patrimoine canadien ...
Symbole du gouvernement du Canada / Symbol of the Government of Canada ...
www.pch.gc.ca/ - 3k - 1 Feb 2006

... With the adoption of the UNESCO Convention, the INCD and culture ministers in the INCP are moving into a new phase: “We must work for the implementation of the Convention and to find concrete ways to make it effective as a political and development tool” – Dakar Declaration

International Network for Cultural Diversity (INCD), November 21, 2005 – 2005/11/21

[....] “We must work for the implementation of the Convention and to find concrete ways to make it effective as a political and development tool. It is especially significant that we are embarking on this next phase of our work in Africa .... We must put conditions and rules in place ....

[....] INCD delegates focused on .... resisting demands in the WTO and regional and bilateral trade and investment agreements to make commitments that undermine the objectives and principles of the Convention and that would render it meaningless; identifying policy initiatives and projects that give life to the commitments in the Convention, particularly to create preferential opportunities for artists and cultural productions from the South and to provide the necessary resources to develop cultural capacity and creative industries [....]

In fact, like the International Liaison Committee of Coalitions for Cultural Diversity (See our Bulletin No. 35, November 25
http://www.mcc.gouv.qc.ca/international/diversite-culturelle/eng/events/events05-11-25.html#nouvelle7 ), INCD underlines that as governments face pressure to make new commitments at the WTO and in regional and bilateral agreements, INCD delegates are urging Culture Ministers to work with trade ministers to ensure they understand the wide scope of cultural policy tools that are at risk. This extends beyond the audiovisual, publishing, and music industries to include telecommunications, electronic commerce, retail and distribution services, the media, and many other sectors.

UNESCO Convention on the Diversity of Cultural Expressions - The fight continues: “We must work extremely hard to sustain momentum for ratification” http://www.mcc.gouv.qc.ca/international/diversite-culturelle/eng/#nouvelle4
Line Beauchamp, ministre de la Culture et des Communications du Québec, Lyon, le 7 décembre 2005 – 2005/12/07

[....] Québec minister of culture and communications Line Beauchamp released a study on prospects for action related to the UNESCO Convention implementation. The Bernier/Ruiz-Fabri study “lays out the winning conditions for the implementation” of the Convention which, now that Canada has signed on, must still be ratified by 29 countries. [....]

The Convention contains a series of commitments to help developing countries adopt cultural policies, including preferential treatment for their artists and provisions for an International Fund for Cultural Diversity. For this reason, Canadian Coalition for Cultural Diversity co-chair Pierre Curzi stressed that “We must start broadening the debate and transfering knowledge to developing countries right now, otherwise we will extinguish the flame of hope that we have lit. And it is clear that if there is no financial effort from the rich countries, the Convention will be a lame-duck.”

Minister Beauchamp agreed that it is an “extremely important challenge” that must not be “exclusively tied to the creation of the fund” and “limited to subsidies.” “We must help developing countries develop cultural funding mechanisms,” she declared. [ Wasn't she generous with other people's money? ]

* La presse canadienne
http://www.matin.qc.ca/quebec.php?article=20051205181321
* Le Devoir
http://www.ledevoir.com/2005/12/07/97140.html
* Communiqué du ministère de la Culture et des Communications http://mcc.quebectel.qc.ca/sites/mcc/communiq.nsf/d7daa5c4efe8e08b852570c80047c81e/0b654b6827174163852570ce00663f8a!OpenDocument
* Étude Bernier/Ruiz-Fabri http://www.mcc.gouv.qc.ca/international/diversite-culturelle/mise_en_oeuvre_unesco.htm
* Délégation générale du Québec à Paris http://www.mri.gouv.qc.ca/paris/en_france/actualites/qc_rhalpes/societe/diversite_culturelle.asp

Was there anything of substance in the English press concerning the above? CBC? Or was the activism elsewhere?




Trade and culture's File:The 6th WTO Ministerial Conference in Hong Kong, China http://www.mcc.gouv.qc.ca/international/diversite-culturelle/eng/#nouvelle5]

23è Sommet Afrique-France: “We must speed up the ratification process for the Convention on the Diversity of Cultural Expressions” – Bamako Commitments Final communiqué, Bamako, Mali, le 6 décembre 2005 – 2005/12/06

Together with France, 51 African states attended the 23rd Conference of African and French Heads of State and Government on December 3 and 4 in Bamako, Mali. [....] The Conference recognized the leading role played by young people in promoting the image of Africa.

Was a little social engineering of young people intended, perhaps through schoolnet? Would this have anything to do with Maurice Strong's ManyOne.net? Or is it OneMany.net or .ca? headquartered in Zambia? I posted on this earlier in January.

Some proposals suggest groups of like-minded (richer) countries should reach more far-reaching deals on priority sectors, which others (mainly developing and least developed countries) are “invited” to join. In practice, these invitations are likely to be backed by direct or indirect threats of loss of trade or aid for those who don’t accept.

For Ms. Kelsey, one such area is audio-visual services. Pressure is being applied from the so-called “friends of audio-visual services” led by the U.S. and including Hong Kong China, Taiwan, Chile, Japan, and Mexico, at the same time as some governments continue their attempts to dilute the UNESCO Convention even further. But the threat to culture is not only in the audio-visual sector, but also from similar demands that involve telecommunications, advertising, retail, publishing, theme parks, events management, and more.

Take that, Americans! Does the above put a different complexion on the meeting of which I wrote last March -- the one day conference at UNB on helping the poor in Africa, held at someone's (taxpayers'?) great expense with the attendance of at least six African ambassadors, WTO representatives including from province(s)?

FHTR: March 12, 2005
http://frosthitstherhubarb.blogspot.com/2005_03_06_frosthitstherhubarb_archive.html
Compare: "Pulp MIll Workers Urged to Build Arts Industry" & UNB: World Bank, Industry, Educ. Ambassadorial Reps "Working with Africa Workshop"

* Ambassadors from Africa
* High Commissioner for the Republic of Kenya
* Ambassador for the Republic of Guinea
* Ambassador for the Republic of Mali
* Ambassador for the Federal Republic of Ethiopia
* Ambassador for the Republic of Cameroon
* Ambassador for the Republic of Burkina Faso

Search: UN , CIDA , ACOA , World Bank

There were many highly qualified and accomplished individuals at that talk-fest.




What’s at stake at the Hong Kong Ministerial Conference
http://www.mcc.gouv.qc.ca/international/diversite-culturelle/eng/#nouvelle7

Trade and culture's File: The 6th WTO Ministerial Conference in Hong Kong, China – December 13-18, 2005

[....] this new series of talks aimed at encouraging freer trade and reducing the gap between globalization’s “winners” and “losers” was dubbed “the Development Round.”

[. . . . ] Professor Jane Kelsey from the Law School at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. [. . . . ] the ongoing negotiations on the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) aim to extend the right of foreign firms to run a country’s services, ranging from health, education, and pensions to railways, postal services, and broadcasting, and prevent their governments from giving preference to local providers of such services. [. . . . ]

But the threat to culture is not only in the audio-visual sector, but also from similar demands that involve telecommunications, advertising, retail, publishing, theme parks, events management, and more. [....]

Note: "giving preference to local providers" and I'll bet they're not concerned about Saskatoon nor Calgary. Did you think they were?



Protectionism, Sanctions and Control

What’s at stake at the Hong Kong Ministerial Conference

[. . . . ] For the first time, agriculture was included in trade talks. And a tribunal with the power to sanction—the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB)—was set up to resolve trade conflicts. This binding mechanism, which gives the WTO the power to slap heavy economic sanctions on countries that fail to meet their trade obligations, has given the trade body an enviable record for efficacy in the world of intergovernmental organizations, as it is the only international institution with a sanctioning mechanism to hold states to their commitments. [. . . . ]

Trade liberalization: The challenges of the Hong Kong ministerial
http://www.mcc.gouv.qc.ca/international/diversite-culturelle/eng/#nouvelle8

According to experts, failure at the Doha round—which is at stake at the WTO Ministerial Conference in Hong Kong—would penalize LDCs, who are calling for an end to the injustices in the global trade of agricultural products. In this respect, Mr. Lamy notably pointed out that “In Doha, we promised developing countries we would correct the distortions in the world trade system to their advantage. If this round fails, developing countries will lose all hope for new markets and greater fairness (…). We need this (Doha) round to promote economic development and reduce poverty.”