The Culture and Development programme focuses on support of cultural identity in developing countries. The programme is based on two starting points, namely that culture can be used as an instrument and as a purpose. It is important to have attention for the cultural dimension in projects to enlarge the effectiveness of the development cooperation; culture is used as instrument. Cultural identity can also be strengthened via specifically cultural projects; culture is used as purpose.
The Culture and Development programme has been developed in 1991 by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to strengthen the cultural dimension of development cooperation. The programme, as part of the development cooperation policy, focuses on the support of cultural identity in developing countries (arts and movie) and on the maintenance of cultural heritage. The projects have a temporary nature at first, but activities can be transferred into the regular policy. Every proposal has to meet to a few demands. The next terms are central for projects applying for funding from the Culture and Development programme: development relevance, request from the developing country, strengthening and enlargement of cultural processes and quality, feasibility and efficiency. The proposed cultural activity should be relevant to development. It is highly important that the activities are based on a request from the developing country, the project however can be initiated in the Netherlands. Important aspects for activities in the Culture and Development programme are for example that the cultural identity or self-consciousness of the population in a developing country can be strengthened. The strengthening of structures for the maintenance or development of cultural heritage and social cultural aspects of a country or population is another vital goal of the programme. These initiatives can lead to a better and wider cooperation in the cultural area. The widening of this cooperation should always be based on equality between the different cultural partners.
The Embassies of the Netherlands have an important role in the implementation of the programme. There are fifteen Embassies that have a Culture and Development budget, namely: Afghanistan, Bhutan, Bolivia, Egypt, Ghana, Guatemala, Indonesia, Kenya, Macedonia, Mali, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Tanzania, Vietnam, South-Africa. The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs is currently investigating the possibilities for an enlargement of the programme with Rwanda, India and the Palestine Area. The Embassies with a Culture and Development budget develop country specific frameworks where the priorities per country are arranged. The budget for the programme is 6.5 million euro a year of which 3.5 million is reserved for the Prince Claus Fund and 2.7 million is managed by the Embassies.
