Dr. Justice Mohan, President of the World Academy of Poets;
Dr. Lucy Cabieles, President of the Congress;
Dr. Yuhsi Patron of the Academy and a Laureate Poet (China)
Dr. Maurus Young, General Secretary of The Academy;
Dr. Ernesto Kahan, Vice- President of the Academy and the 25th World Congress of Poets;
Dr. Antonio Porpetta, renowned poet from Spain;
Dr. Rosemary Wilkinson: President Emeritus of the Academy
Ladies and Gentlemen

I am pleased to be here with you today at the XXV World Congress of Poets. I would like to thank the World Academy of Arts and Culture for inviting me to this distinguished gathering of poets and leaders of cultural expression from around the world.

I would also like to thank you for granting me the opportunity to share with you the work carried out by the Organization of American States (OAS) in support of art, culture, integral development, peace and security, democracy and social justice.

As Assistant Secretary General of the OAS, I am even more honored to be speaking to you as I look at the objectives of the WAAC and recognize that your organization and mine hold similar values in terms of promoting peace instead of war, and in engendering the “mutual understanding of peoples from different cultures.”

It is my belief that the ability of societies and nations to find common ground and understanding is rooted in communication as well as a willingness to be open to societal and cultural differences.

“Peace through Poetry,” one of the central topics for this conference, is a recognition of that basic truth.
Indeed, communication in all its dimensions and through all its modes of expression -- including poetry and art -- can truly be powerful tools for peace.

The OAS

At the OAS, we deal with issues of peace, conflict resolution and development on an ongoing basis. Since its creation in 1948, the OAS has been the premier forum for multilateral dialogue and action in the Western Hemisphere. The OAS has 34 active member states in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean. With four official languages – English, Spanish, Portuguese and French – the OAS truly reflects the rich diversity of peoples and cultures across the Americas.

This rich diversity provides the framework for our organization’s fundamental understanding that culture is an intrinsic element of who we are as individuals and societies, and is crucial to the way in which we see each other and the way we interact with each other. In the global village in which we live, integrated by technology, travel and ever-expanding means of instant communication, culture -- in many ways -- has become borderless. On occasion, these differences can create tension but each of us has the option to choose to fear diversity or to celebrate it.

Those of us here today have clearly chosen to celebrate diversity. You have chosen to develop your talents and share your cultural expressions with a global audience and, in so doing, help to promote peaceful co-existence and advance communication among civilizations.

It has never been more important than it is today for peoples and cultures to find vehicles for effective cross-cultural communication. We must find ways for the people of the Americas and the world to learn about each other, respect each other, work and live together for the social, economic and peaceful development of all.

All too often, culture does not receive the significance it deserves. The OAS recognizes that culture plays an important role in development and has incorporated culture into the overall strategic plan and functions of one of our largest and most significant bodies -- the Inter-American Council for Integral Development – with specific responsibilities assigned to the Inter-American Committee on Culture (CIC).

The CIC

The Inter-American Committee on Culture (CIC) is an inclusive unit composed of representatives from the Ministries of Culture of our 34 member states. The CIC’s conceptual framework really reflects the position of the OAS. It accepts as a basic tenet that culture and development are indivisible.

As such, the CIC actively pursues the following key objectives:
• Contribute to the better understanding of the different approaches to culture and cultural policy in the Americas;
• Define, elaborate and implement an Inter-American Program on Culture;
• Facilitate the sharing of information and best practices that contribute to the recovery, preservation and promotion of cultural diversity;
• Examine means of providing technical and financial assistance to the member states in the preservation and promotion of cultural diversity;
• Promote cultural activities and artistic expression in educational programs, among others;
• Make use of the Inter-American Observatory of Cultural Policies to foster the exchange of information;
• Identify challenges confronting cultural industries; and
• Promote micro, small and medium-sized cultural enterprises and the creation of employment opportunities in the cultural sector.

The OAS has done a phenomenal job in executing projects that allow for the practical realization of these laudable objectives. However, we know that much more can be accomplished when there is buy-in from the constituencies that we serve and when we receive the support of individuals and organizations that have a common interest in promoting culture as a key component for peace and development.

Partnership

Under the leadership of Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza, the OAS is committed to the deepening of inter-cultural dialogue and communication. We intend to work with organizations that share similar goals and values. We will continue to identify opportunities for education and training, particularly for our youth. We also want to capitalize on opportunities that will enable the OAS to provide a space for talented poets, artists, and others to share their work with a wider audience.

To do this, we intend to reach out to partners like you to leverage the necessary resources for investing in the promotion of art and culture. I believe that investing in human capital is essential. The OAS is open to working with groups that support complementary objectives of development, social cohesion and cultural diversity. International financial institutions will be key to this endeavor but so also is the private sector. I look forward to your feedback in this regard.

OAS Projects/Activities

At the OAS, we believe in the process of consultation and the CIC structure requires outreach and collaboration. I believe such processes are fundamental if we want to be representative and inclusive.

In another two weeks, the CIC will be meeting in Washington to review its work plan, examine the economic impact of culture, develop cultural indicators to measure the contribution of culture to social and economic development, and consider recommendations submitted by civil society representatives.

The OAS currently creates two important spaces for art and culture that have hemispheric and global reach.
One such vehicle is the bi-monthly Americas Magazine that provides an opportunity for millions of people to meet and learn about the culture and history of their neighbors in our hemisphere -- from Yanomami communities in the rain forest of Venezuela, steel drum rhythms of carnival in Trinidad, petrified forests of Argentina's Patagonia, and the Chiribaya mummies of Peru to the artistry of Mexico's silversmiths. The Americas Magazine truly brings to life the full mosaic of peoples and cultures in the Western Hemisphere.

In addition, the Art Museum of the Americas promotes awareness and appreciation of the art and cultural traditions of the thirty-four OAS member countries, with particular emphasis on modern and contemporary art from Latin America and the Caribbean. Many of this Hemisphere’s famous as well as emerging artists, who later gained worldwide followings, gained prominence when they had the opportunity to their first exhibitions outside of their home counties at this centrally located museum in Washington, DC. They include Fernando Botero of Colombia, Jose Luis Cuevas of Mexico, and Eduardo MacEntyre of Argentina, among others. Poetry exhibits have similarly enjoyed prominence over the years, including the presentation of “Homecoming,” a collection of poems by Julia Alvarez of the Dominican Republic.

I am also pleased to let you know that the Museum offers internship opportunities for the next generation of cultural ambassadors and is an invaluable resource for researchers from all around the world who utilize the Museum’s extensive archives. Many of you present at this meeting may wish to take advantage of this resource.

The Museum collaborates with other universities, galleries and museums in the United States and the rest of the Americas. It also takes its social responsibility very seriously. The Museum collaborates with community groups such as the Whitman Walker Clinic to create awareness about HIV/AIDS, high school art programs, and programs aimed at providing at-risk youth with the tools and opportunities to succeed.

Elevating the Inter-Cultural Agenda

Deeper integration requires a more profound understanding of diversity and respect for others. The European Union has proposed 2008 as the Year of Intercultural Dialogue with initiatives that encompass culture, education, youth, civil society and people-to-people programs.

I call on the inter-American community to adopt a similar measure, to provide inter-cultural communication with the prominence that it deserves and to recognize its fundamental value to our lives.

Culture is a cross-cutting issue that is incorporated into the main agenda of the work that the OAS supports and implements. The cultures of 34 countries influence the conduct of diplomacy, occasionally creates tension, but, more importantly, the range of cultures represented in the OAS provides our organization with a unique ability to play a major role in conflict resolution. By learning to communicate with each other and learning about each other, the members of the OAS have indeed created a community of nations that is united in its support for the rule of law and the safeguarding of democracy.

Represented here today are participants from different countries who speak different languages and encompass a variety of religions and ethnic groups. Quite notably, you have also incorporated the important issue of gender into your agenda. All of you assembled here today represent an important part of what works – the ability to express, to hear and distill information. In short, the ability to accept and transcend difference.

To paraphrase Julia Alvarez, we write to find out what we’re thinking, to find out who we are and to understand things.
As pioneers of the written word, you have the great opportunity and the responsibility to help represent the richness of cultural diversity, both now and for future generations.

Peace through dialogue and enhanced cultural understanding is achievable. Those of us who support inter-cultural dialogue must be united in our efforts to secure support, leverage resources and prioritize efforts in affirming inter-cultural dialogue as a fundamental building block for peace and development.

Thank you.