Cultural Assets

Last year the ECA Region prepared a cultural heritage strategy paper to provide guidance in mobilizing cultural assets in support of socioeconomic development. The strategy suggested that cultural considerations should be incorporated into the Bank's work because:

• Development activities are more likely to be effective if they reflect values and interests of beneficiaries; and
• Culture, viewed as an asset, can be mobilized to promote socioeconomic development.

Furthermore, the strategy specified that it is sensible to support cultural assets activities when:

• These activities have a positive impact on socioeconomic development;
• They contribute toward attaining the objectives of the country strategies; and
• Are adequately conceived and prepared, including the availability of sufficient financial resources.

From the CDD perspective, the Bank should only engage in cultural assets activities where expected benefits can be demonstrated and participatory processes are feasible. There are clear linkages between the CDD and cultural heritage. On the one hand, cultural heritage can support CDD by:

• Providing sources of income;
• Promoting social capital formation;
• Increasing social inclusion; and
• Encouraging participation.

CDD, on the other hand, can support cultural heritage by giving communities a stake in the preservation and development of both built and living culture.

Experience with the Mostar Bridge Case in Bosnia
The ethnic politics of Mostar present a problem from a CDD perspective. Working at lower levels of community organizations means working with monoethnic groups. For this reason the project has focused on working with the multiethnic city government. However, recently a new initiative of developing a City Development Strategy was started and this may prove to be a venue for reaching out and engaging both ethnic communities. Conducive to this development is that the new city government has provided leadership that does not represent monoethnic interests but rather concentrates on the issues at hand and getting the job done.

 Presentation on Mostar Cultural Heritage project (58k ppt)

 Presentation on Cultural Assets as a Vehicle for Community Development-ECA's Cultural Heritage Strategy viewed through a CDD lens (30k ppt)

 Notes from the BBL (12k pdf)