Social inclusion through the arts: An alternative to international development?

Interview and translation by Jose Javier Lanza.

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Bonnie Castañeda de Garcia, President of Women in the Arts (MUA) in Honduras

Bonnie Castañeda de Garcia has dedicated decades of her life to the promotion of the arts in Honduras. As president of Women in the Arts (MUA) – Honduras, she seeks opportunities and spaces for up-and-coming artists and vyes for the protection and appreciation of Honduras’ important cultural and historic treasures. For example, she played a critical role in the opening of the Honduran Museum of National Identity in Tegucigalpa, which has spurred a cultural reawakening in the city. Thanks to her relentless contributions and creative spirit, the institution has attracted local and national artists and has inspired the community to invest and engage in the previously derelict surroundings of the city’s historic downtown.

Here, she discusses her life’s work, recent cultural developments in Honduras, and why international agencies and organizations have been short-sighted in giving a secondary role to the arts and culture in their development agendas.

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Jose Javier Lanza: In the case of your home city of Tegucigalpa, which has recently developed alarming levels of violence, what are the benefits of investing in the arts as a means of reducing violence?

Bonnie Castañeda de Castañeda: The benefits of investing in art stem from the possibility of approaching violence as a multidimensional problem. We must consider violence from the perspective of human beings, and their right to express themselves as a means of changing behavior patterns. People think about the role of art in reducing violence, but do not place enough emphasis on how to achieve this.

The reconstruction of a country’s social fabric requires the promotion of social creativity and individual expression skills, self-esteem building, as well as fostering people’s capacity to transform their surroundings.

Art that inspires taking action across the various parts of our society enables bottom-up thinking. When we can jointly create the vision of an integrated society, we build a community’s capacity to use its own historical and socio-cultural perspectives. These become the building blocks for peaceful interaction, conflict resolution, democratic coexistence, and the free exercise of political and socio-cultural rights.

Theoretical and subjective knowledge play an important role because they are a tool that allows the understanding of socio-cultural phenomena, while at the same time addressing gender and development issues. Art enables this.

Since 2013 Women in the Arts (MUA) runs an art program called “Educar A Través del Arte” (Educate Through Art), which enlists several top artists in a series of art workshops, exhibitions, and lessons aimed at local children. Photo courtesy of MUA.
Since 2013 Women in the Arts (MUA) runs an art program called “Educar A Través del Arte” (Educate Through Art), which enlists several top artists in a series of art workshops, exhibitions, and lessons aimed at local children. Photo courtesy of MUA.

Lanza: Youth have been severely affected by the community and family breakdown resulting from mass migration from Honduras. In this context, why is it so important to involve youth in the arts?

Castañeda: Promoting spaces for the cultural participation of young people, supporting cultural and artistic public education, and supporting programs for young artists to share their experiences with youth is vital to generating dialogue and creating content that reflects the reality of young people in the country.

Art can integrate young people from their own ability to organize, decide, plan, self manage, create, and recreate their present and future life based on collective agreements and purpose.

Lanza: Do you think the cultural sphere in Honduras is changing?

Castañeda: An active cultural agenda is being promoted in the city of Tegucigalpa through cultural centers and through the efforts and cooperation of community leaders and artistic workers. This expansion of the cultural sphere is based on the will and capabilities of multiple actors, such as authorities, civil associations, schools, artists, and socially responsible companies.

But all this requires the generating sustainable financial support for these collective processes, the installation of community social networks, and building common agendas with a focus on citizen participation.

Lanza: In your experience having led various cultural initiatives and organizations in Honduras, what are the main obstacles faced when it comes to convincing foreign donors about the far-reaching social impact that can result from investing in the arts?

Garcia: Human development basically addresses the expansion of opportunities for people. By linking this concept to culture it is possible to initiatie a debate about people’s right to be, to create, to express themeselves, and to claim their rights, especially marginalized and vulnerable groups.

Unfortunately, the notion that culture is a human right has not been sufficiently prioritized in development agendas, which have always used culture as a means but not as an end. All this is tied to the principles of governance, which involve making decisions in complex and changing contexts with a plurality of actors representing multiple interests – something many foreign donors too often shy away from.

Lanza: How does Women in the Arts (MUA) use art to reflect and connect with the needs of the community?

Castañeda: By familiarizing the public with the different modes of contemporary artistic expression, we create synergies and institutional relations to influence the agenda and political will of the government and other sectors. Our institutional focus is to link contemporary art practices with the creation of a sense of community and cultural identity and participation.

Our experience since establishing our “Educate Through Art” workshops in 2013 has led us to turn these activities into one of our organization’s main program areas. By working with children in public schools and enlisting several top artists in a series of art workshops and exhibitions, we promote the right to culture as an essential input for social cohesion and social inclusion, and provide opportunities to communicate and express the psychological trauma caused by violence.

Part of MUA’s activities include engaging recognized national and international artists in community activities that foster social inclusion or that challenge cultural notions and harmful stereotypes. Photo courtesy of MUA.
Part of MUA’s activities include engaging recognized national and international artists in community activities that foster social inclusion or that challenge cultural notions and harmful stereotypes. Photo courtesy of MUA.

Lanza: How does Women in the Arts (MUA) help combat discrimination against women in Honduras, in dismantling stereotypes and sexism?

Castañeda: We strive to make the participation of women in art and culture visible. MUA emerged from females’ work and artistic practice and our projects emphasize the need for changes in the sociocultural dynamics of the country. The visibility of quality artisitc productions developed by women provide Honduras with an element of rupture and struggle through the language of art.

Lanza: Beyond financial assistance, how can international development organizations and governments contribute to and/or help support cultural organizations?

Castañeda: International development organizations and foreign governments can strengthen the capacities of cultural organizations through technical assistance and the exchange of human resources in areas of cultural competence.

International agencies can invest in the circulation and exchange of art and cultural products on a reciprocal basis as part of the cooperation they offer.

The government can also address cultural policy in the country, and also institutional weakness, as well as address the lack of good practices for conflict resolution and poor opportunities to communicate the psychological trauma caused by violence.

Lanza: It seems the celebration of art and culture in Honduras is expanding community ties and creating social impact. How can international organizations and governments contribute to ensure that this momentum is not lost?

Castañeda: Cultural recreation is experiencing a renaissance in Honduras, but it still has a charitable nature. Considering the level of urgency, and the social, economic, and cultural emergency that is currently being experienced by our country, we must translate our achievements into funding and public policy actions.

International agencies often try to meet the government’s defined priorities. However, pressure from all parties has to be placed on the issue of cultural access as a human right.

Cultural actors also need to develop the proactive capacity to reach out to international organizations and to highlight the interesection of culture with issues such as security, education, employment, and environment.

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0754e3dJose Javier Lanza, a Honduran national, is an economist and is currently pursuing his master’s degree in Public Relations and Corporate Communications at Georgetown University. He has previously worked in business and political consulting for Latin American clients in the US.

You can contact Jose Javier Lanza at javierlanzaf@gmail.com or on Twitter @JavLanF.

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