What does the right to culture include?
There is no simple definition for the right to culture. However, the right to express and enjoy one’s culture does exist. International organizations and documents are quick to name “culture” as an important right, even though what that means hasn’t been fully developed by international law. The Covenant on ESCR recognizes everyone's right to take part in cultural life, to enjoy the benefits of scientific progress, and encourages the development of international contacts and co-operation in the area of science and culture. The rights of indigenous peoples is a first step towards legal recognition of cultural rights.
Below is a list of links involving the right to culture. The wide variety of organizations dealing with cultural rights helps to demonstrate how important it is to guarantee the human right to culture.
Legal Instruments
Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage
Declaration on Race and Racial Prejudice
Declaration of the Principles of International Cultural Co-operation
Draft United Nations declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples
Florence Agreement of 1950 and the 1976 Nairobi Protocol
International Covenant on Economic, Social & Cultural Rights
Recommendation concerning the Status of the Artist
Universal Copyright Convention
UNESCO Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity – 2001
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Vienna Declaration and Program of Action
Organizations
United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Culture Section
UNESCO promotes international co-operation among its 190 Member States and six Associate Members in the fields of education, science, culture and communication.
Aga Khan Trust for Culture
The Trust focuses on the physical, social, cultural and economic revitalisation of communities in the Muslim world.
Aid to Artisans
Aid to Artisans is a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating economic opportunities for craftspeople in developing nations.
Artists and organizations working on political art
This is a list of links to political artists and organizations focusing on political art, from a conference on political art.
Asian Cultural Council
The Asian Cultural Council is a foundation supporting cultural exchange in the visual and performing arts between the United States and the countries of Asia.
Americans for the Arts
Americans for the Arts is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the arts in America. It represents and serves local communities, and creates opportunities for every American to participate in and appreciate all forms of the arts.
Arab Artists Resources and Training
Arab Artists Resources and Training is committed to helping career-track artists creating fine art in all styles and media to support themselves exclusively by networking together and teaching them how to find and receive grants to help promote their Arab cultural heritage.
Bosnian Handicrafts
Bosnian Handicrafts (BH) is a non-profit, non-governmental organization that works to improve the lives of people from Bosnia and Herzegovina by selling traditional crafts through its online catalog.
Center for Arts and Culture
The Center for Arts and Culture aims to inform and improve policy decisions that affect cultural life. The guiding principles of that mission include freedom of imagination, inquiry and expression, as well as freedom of opportunity for all to participate in a vital and diverse culture.
Central Asian Crafts Support Association
An online catalog including a variety of traditional and contemporary arts and crafts handmade by talented but disadvantaged artisans and craftspeople living in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan.
CinemaBrasil
CinemaBrasil fights for more space for Brazilian and other countries' films inside the movie and TV programs, instead of present 90%+ occupation of north-american films. CinemaBrasil is one of the 29 founders of the organization CBC-Brazilian Congress of Cinema, which has instigated govern to create an agency and a Council to regulate abuses of the market.
Craft Link
Craft Link is a non profit organization in Hanoi that works with craftspeople. The Craft Link development and design team implement income-generating projects for handicrafts producers.
Crafts Council of India
CCI strives to fulfill the needs of craftspersons, protect craft traditions and provide a bridge between India's craft heritage and the challenges of a contemporary milieu. CCI is dedicated to the revival and perpetuation of craft skills.
Cultural Heritage Watch
CHW was established by a small group of volunteers in China to raise the awareness of Chinese communities and government authorities about the importance of protecting the nation’s rich cultural heritage, and to provide them with knowledge and tools to translate awareness into constructive action.
Danish Center for Culture and Development
DCCD promotes cultural co-operation between Denmark and the developing countries in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America, and the Middle East. DCCD answers to the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Etnia
Etnia is a Portuguese not-for-profit co-operative, founded in 1988 and aiming to promote traditional music and cultures of the world in Portugal and beyond. Though putting a natural emphasis on Portuguese and Latin culture, the organisation has always based its activity upon a clear concern of furthering the multiculturalism and the north-south dialogue, using culture as a tool for reciprocal and multiple discovery and respect for minorities and cultures.
Georgian Cultural Heritage Information Centre
According to UNESCO, the GCHIC is an NGO aimed at obtaining and keeping archive of the qualified information on diverse branches of the Georgian cultural heritage, as well as ensuring accessibility and availability of this information through scholarly and popular publications, exhibitions, electronic network, etc.
International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property
ICCROM was established in Rome in 1959. It has a world-wide mandate to promote the conservation of all types of cultural heritage, both movable and immovable. It currently comprises over 100 Member States.
The International Council of Museums
ICOM is an international organisation of museums and museum professionals which is committed to the conservation, continuation and communication to society of the world's natural and cultural heritage, present and future, tangible and intangible.
International Council on Archives
The mission of the ICA is advancement of archives worldwide. Archives safeguard the memory of humankind by preserving records of its past. In pursuing the advancement of archives, ICA works for the protection and enhancement of the memory of the world.
International Council on Monuments and Sites
ICOMOS is an international non-governmental organization of professionals, dedicated to the conservation of the world's historic monuments and sites.
International Theatre Institute
ITI was founded in Prague in 1948 by UNESCO and the international theatre community. The ITI has national ITI centres in approximately 90 countries. The ITI maintains formal associate relations with UNESCO and is its principal international NGO partner in the field of the performing arts.
Instituto Pensarte
Instituto Pensarte is a Brazilian organization with an emphasis on research of Brazilian cultural policies and development.
Kala Raksha
Kala Raksha is an NGO located in the village Sumrasar Sheikh, 25 km from Bhuj, in the desert region of Kutch in India. The Trust's mission is to preserve and protect traditional arts, primarily through assisting artisan cooperatives.
Lamia Mediterranean Music Centre
The Lamia Centre organizes a composition competition (with participation from Mediterranean countries) and festivals with specific themes. It also conducts research, publishes and holds workshops on producing traditional musical instruments, and the relationship between musical traditions of Mediterranean countries.
National MultiCultural Institute
The NMCI is a U.S. based NGO founded in 1983. It provides services, knowledge, and skills in the growing field of multiculturalism and diversity.
New York Foundation for the Arts
The NYFA is a state-wide service organization for artists that provides this free national information resource for artists in all disciplines and for those who support them in any way.
Organization of World Heritage Cities
The OWHC represents 203 cities that have sites included on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The organization helps implement the World Heritage Convention through symposia and seminars on the development and preservation of historic sites.
Pacific Islanders' Cultural Association
The Pacific Islanders' Cultural Association was formed in 1995 as an umbrella organization, to meet the common needs of all Pacific islanders in Northern California. It is comprised of interested volunteers and members of clubs rooted in a wide range of interests including outrigger canoes, music, dance, language, history, folk arts, foods, and athletics.
Siberian Association of Prehistoric Art Researchers
SAPAR was organized and registered in november 1997, with the University of Kemerovo as its base. The main aim of SAPAR is to contribute in every way to the study, preservation and popularization of prehistoric art.
Society for Cross-Cultural Research
SCCR is an organization of about 200 members devoted to pursuing cross-cultural research from a multidisciplinary perspective. The Society includes Psychologists, Anthropologists, Sociologists, other social scientists, and members of other disciplines such as Communications, Business, and Education.
Society for Intercultural Education, Training and Research
SIETAR-USA is a professional membership organization for people from many cultural and professional backgrounds that promotes and facilitates intercultural education, training, and research through professional interchange.
Swedish Joint Committée for Artistic and Literary Professionals
An umbrella for 18 artist organisations representing about 30 000 individual members. Their main task is to protect the importance of culture in society, to work for better access to culture and to safeguard the artists´ right to fair compensation for their work.
Tibetan Cultural Center
The Center, located on a 90-acre site in Bloomington, Indiana, grew out of an active university and community involvement with Tibetan culture. It was established not only to acquaint people with the history and culture of Tibet, but also to support Tibetans everywhere, both in Tibet and in exile, and to preserve Tibetan culture through educational and philosophical endeavors.
Women's Intercultural Network
WIN is an international non-profit organization based in San Francisco, California, USA, that links women and girls across cultures, globally and in US communities. WIN creates settings and opportunities for women and girls to come together to exchange ideas and skills in professional, economic and political leadership and to foster better understanding for cross-cultural relationships.
Woodland Cultural Centre
The WCC is a First Nations organization located on Six Nation's land in Brantford, Ontario. It provides a variety of services which reflecting its values in respect to culture, history and heritage. Its mandate is educational in nature and it offers programs to member First Nations and to the general public. The Centre takes an integrated approach to culture and heritage, recognizing that contemporary life styles are rooted in ancient traditions.