Colleagues!
Are you interested in joining with over 10,000 people
from around the world who will discuss all sorts of
issues related to the future of our cities -
environment, food, water, culture and more? In
preparation for the World Urban Forum (which will be
held in Vancouver, Canada-June 2006-
www.unhabitat.org/wuf) the United Nations Habitat
organizers have created a massive online event to
flesh out critical topics and engage the world in
discussion. It is called the Habitat JAM. On December
2, from 1:30 to 3:00 (EASTERN STANDARD TIME), I will
be moderating a discussion on the potential roles of
museums in 'fostering a culture of sustainability'.
The following statement will start off the
discussion...
*********
"Fostering a Culture of Sustainability"
In the American Association of Museum's recent book,
"Mastering Civic Engagement: A Challenge to Museums",
American psychologist, Edgar Shein provides a
definition of culture. He says culture is “a basic
pattern of assumptions invented, discovered or
developed by a given group as it learns to cope with
its problems of external adaptation and internal
integration”. Thus, Shein places the measure of
cultural well-being on the successful adaptation of
human beings to their changing world. By virtually all
measures, humans are not relating well to the shifting
reality of life on the planet - climate change, wars,
species loss, social/economic inequity are all
symptoms of our predicament. Museums are one of the
principal instruments of cultural reflection and
action within our society - with a capacity to
facilitate cultural dynamics. Yet as often as not,
they seem to play more of a role in leisure-time
edutainment, local economics and generating tourism
than in the facilitation of community cultural health.
Is there a viable image of a transformed museum sector
that actually serves the cultural needs, opportunities
and potentials of a changing world? If culture is
understood as how we live our lives, as opposed to how
we spend our leisure time, then how do we even
formulate questions about the cultural needs and
opportunities of our era? What are the cultural
indicators that can help assess the cultural
well-being of individuals and collectives in our
pluralist society (as opposed to corporate and
economic indicators most museums are guided by)?
*******
If you are interested in participating in the JAM, log
onto <WWW.HABITATJAM.COM> and register. Then, on
Friday at 1:30 pm EST, go on line and join in the
discussion.
If you're wanting to check out some of my writings on
the topic of museums, culture and sustainability, you
can find a few articles at <www.geocities.com/dcworts>
- just follow the link to 'articles'. I hope to see
you online on Friday afternoon.
Thanks.
D.
Douglas Worts
Culture and Sustainability Specialist
(Interpretive Planner, Canadian Art, Art Gallery of Ontario)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
[log in to unmask]
work # - 416-979-6660 (x227)
personal website: www.geocities.com/dcworts
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