National Culture Policy Launched

National Culture Policy Launched

The Minister of Culture and Tourism today has today launched the country’s National Culture Policy

It is indeed my pleasure to stand here as the Minister responsible for Culture and Tourism and to launch the National Kalsa policy of Solomon Islands.
From the outset let me take this opportunity to acknowledge certain organizations and individuals who have ensure that a National Kalsa Policy becomes a reality set of guidelines for the development of the culture sector in the country.

The National Kalsa Policy is twofold.
Firstly it aims at developing the cultural sector into a vibrant economic sector in terms of our cultural and creative industry. Secondly it aims at safeguarding and protecting our cultural resources from misappropriation not only by outsiders but also by our own people. This is to ensure our people benefit fairly from our cultural resources.

If there is anything in this world that we have and no one else’s has then it’s our culture. From this perspective our cultural resources are rare and of highest value. We are sitting on top of a goldmine of untapped resources in terms of cultural resources.
It is in this context that one of the areas in which economic and culture have been successfully addressed is tourism. One of the aims of the policy is to present the country’s beautiful scenic landscapes and views, our unique underwater heritage and marine environment, our exotic indigenous cultures and cultural practices and some historic cultural and natural sites of significance to humanity in order to derive not only economic benefits but appreciation of both our cultural and natural heritages. Take for instance development of a particular cultural and natural landmark is a classical examplar for tourism attraction.

We also have a growing creative and cultural industry in terms of handicrafts and artworks. We need to strengthen and assist this sector to contribute fully to our economic development. The policy again would address this sector to maximize its economic potentials

While we can see our cultural products a commodities my ministry would ensure that we do not over commoditized them that would amount to misappropriation of our culture. Thus, there is a need to have proper traditional and legal protocols in place and are adhered to. This is to minimize if not avoid compromising our culture for a dollar.
Our cultures create us and we are like photocopies of our own cultures. We derive our identity from our cultural upbringing and enculturation. From our culture we inculcate our values and norms. Our values and norms are imbedded in our cultural heritages. Thus, safeguarding our cultural heritage is important to maintain our culture and to pass it on to the next generation. Safeguarding could mean also legal protection of our cultural properties. Thus the policy would like to see legislations put in place to protect our cultural creations and to derive a fair share of economic benefits out of them.

Since culture is a cross-cutting phenomenon, the implementation of the policy also cuts across different social institutions of our society. For instance, the family, the Education system and the churches would play a major role in passing on of our cultural knowledge to our young. In short to effectively implement the policy it would require not only my Ministry to do it but all lots of stakeholders and the wider community. Thus, we need to mainstream culture into all sectors of our society.

A policy as all of us know is a set of guidelines that aim at how individuals, social groups and institutions in a given society should do things and or behave. Thus a policy can promote peaceful co-existence or it can be detrimental to peace and create a culture of conflict in a society.
Noting this, my Ministry ensures that our National Kalsa Policy is one that promotes peaceful co-existence among our various cultural groupings. No one cultural group in the Solomon Islands is too big nor too small and all are given equal attention when it comes to the implementation of the policy we are here to witness its launch. In short the National Kalsa Policy is a policy that aims in promoting and safeguarding our Solomon Islands Cultural Heritage not one that aims to promote a particular culture in our country.

Let us not point finger at anyone but since independence the country has been without a national culture policy. The policy we are witnessing its launch today is in fact a milestone and a key addition to all our policies that are already in place.

The National Kalsa Policy belongs to the People of Solomon Islands.
On this Gesture on behalf of the Government of Solomon Islands and in my capacity as Minister responsible for Culture.

ends

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