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The Tracker Culture & Public Policy | Special Issue n°4 : Regional Perspectives | Arab States
Youth engagement and empowerment is one of the top priorities in the Arab States when it comes to education, training and capacity building in the cultural sector. Education is seen as key in ensuring the participation of youth in cultural life, fostering a sense of belonging and developing citizenship. Furthermore, there is a recognition that the long-term safeguarding of cultural heritage in the region requires a new cohort of qualified professionals and that including cultural heritage preservation in educational programmes at the earliest stage possible would attract young people to this field. Intangible cultural heritage has become an increasing priority in recent years and there is new demand for educational support in this regard.
Participants identified directions for improvement, including the need for adaptations to teaching approaches and methods. Emphasis was placed on teacher training to convey values to youth, to not only focus on the transmission of knowledge but taking a more holistic approach. Building trust through the educational process was also singled out for attention to ensure that youth were actively taking part in policymaking rather than simply being beneficiaries. Reinforcing inter-ministerial cooperation was also highlighted in order to create appropriate teaching programmes, as well as reinforcing legal frameworks to take into account latest technologies.
The talents of tomorrow need to be nurtured. To do so, we need a conducive environment for the creative economy to thrive, including through education and training. The United Arab Emirates put forward a decision to the UNESCO 211th session of the Executive Board entitled ‘A Framework for Culture and Arts Education’, calling for a revised framework to serve as a comprehensive guiding reference, best practice manual and toolkit for Member States on culture and arts education for the years to come.
