Plenary Session VI: Bringing the Arts and Culture into Education
Advocating Cultural Education for Youth
Kevin C Kettle, Programme Development Specialist, SEAMEO Regional Centre for Archaeology and Fine Arts (SEAMEO SPAFA), Bangkok, Thailand
"The World Development Report 2007: Development and the Next Generation" clearly describes the present number of young people of 1.3 billion as not only the largest in world history but refers to this "youth bulge" as a risk. However, it is also described as an unprecedented opportunity for countries to deepen their human capital. For this to be achieved, the promotion of cross-cultural understanding and mutual respect must comprise a significant component of education.
The World Development Report and the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions together outline the significance of the abundance of young people and the issues of cultural diversity related to future development for a peaceful, non-violent world. Southeast Asia is very rich in diversity and the descriptor "youth bulge" is applicable here. So, how can we encourage meaningful participation in the classroom and beyond? This paper looks at several SEAMEO SPAFA educational initiatives from community youth involvement projects, to educational cultural games, as well as, culture workshops.
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