Community cultural strategies for the local level

Introduction

This Initiative was part of a Triangular Cooperation effort developed with the support of the ADELANTE Window aimed at fostering and engaging civil society organizations and networks focused on culture that were effective in developing conflict resolution mechanisms and strategies in vulnerable territories. To this end, government programs seek to direct these organizations to cultural projects and to address territorial conflicts and violence in Mexico.

Objectives

The Initiative aimed to harness the knowledge of the Partnership entities to transfer a community cultural strategy and intervention tools that foster social change at the local level, thus contributing to the development of inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable cities.

Leveraging international expertise in local cultural strategies for peace

Thanks to this Triangular Cooperation Initiative, the Department of Culture of the Municipal Government of Guadalajara has benefited from the experience and knowledge of the Secretariat of Culture, Recreation and Sport of the Mayor's Office of Bogotá (SCRD in Colombia) by leveraging the successful experience of the 'Cultural Transformations for Peace District Project' and 'Community Cultural Strategy' as case studies. On the other hand, the Institute for International Cooperation and Municipal Development (INCIDEM, Spain) lent its extensive experience in decentralised cooperation as a key tool for strengthening local governments.

Therefore, based on the maximum use of the knowledge and know-how shared by the providers entities and the joint work of the Partnership, a model has been achieved that contributes to the strengthening of cultural policies with concrete and easy-to-use tools and strategies. As well as support and coordination mechanisms for cultural actors in Guadalajara that can be replicated by other territories in the country or the Region.

In addition to the Partnership members involved in managing cultural policies in local governments, individuals from civil society and cultural organisations in Colombia, Mexico and Spain also benefited by strengthening their capacity for coordination and advocacy to promote community-based cultural policies. The Initiative has broadened the scope of the positive results achieved by reaching a larger number of beneficiaries of the proposal and promoting coordination between them.

Strengthening community life and culture leads to safer spaces, more engaged citizens and peaceful coexistence, which improves opportunities for development, growth and resilience in the territories.

Project activities

This initiative was structured around five key activities, designed on the institutional capacity building of the Beneficiary entity, while at the same time strengthening the capacity for advocacy and coordination among Guadalajara's cultural agents, in order to generate knowledge that fosters participatory, inclusive and sustainable cultural policies and strategies.

Key activities included:

• Capacity nuilding: workshops and seminars provided Mexican representatives specialised training in:
  • Design and implementation of community-focused cultural policies.
  • Strategies for reconciliation, community development, and effective cultural management.
• Model implementation: an advisory process led to:
  • A systematised document outlining strategic recommendations for cultural policy implementation.
  • Development of a roadmap for potential replication of the cultural strategy model across Latin America and Europe.
• Community engagement: participatory sessions involving diverse cultural actors, including Afro-Colombian, Indigenous groups, and women-led organisations, promoted:
  • Community-defined strategies for reconciliation and local development.
  • Strengthened coordination between civil society and local governments.

Cross-cutting themes

Throughout the initiative, a human rights-based approach was prioritised, along with a focus on:

• Gender equality
• Environmental sustainability

These elements were integrated into knowledge-sharing activities, research, and systematisation, ensuring a comprehensive and sustainable approach to cultural strategies for peace for the territories.

Results

Through this Triangular Cooperation Initiative, the knowledge and expertise of the Partnership's member entities and the collaborating entity in the field of sustainable cultural policies and strategies was used to elaborate the document ‘We Resonate’: from the neighbourhood to the global south, which synthesised the knowledge generated.

The results of this Initiative have also contributed and aligned with the SDG 11 Sustainable cities and communities, particularly target:

• Target 11.4 ‘Strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage’

Implementing partner

Institute for International Cooperation and Municipal Development - INCIDEM), in Spain