Keeping Culture Alive?

By Mariama Grant

Children worldwide are growing up in a globalized environment influenced by many

factors such as technology, pop culture, and the internet. Their development has been
affected by the internationalisation of television programming, a major force in the
development of their identity. They interact with the symbols they see on television and
incorporate these experiences into their daily lives. As a result some argue that a third
identity is emerging, a global one that transcends traditional, ethnic and cultural
boundaries. Deregulation of the audiovisual sector in many parts of the world over the
last 25-30 years, has enabled television systems to move further away from a public
service agenda and closer to a national level privatization. Furthermore satellite
expansion has assisted the growth of transnational networks available to young
audiences in an international context.
Many now argue that western based television genres saturate the global marketplace,
and that children’s exposure to programs that originate in the United States impacts
how they understand themselves and their environment. Clearly the reach of American
television is global, finding its way to remote villages across all continents and making
its presence felt. However, with the emergence of this third identity there are growing
concerns that the cultural makeup of many societies in countries globally are at risk of
becoming distorted or extinct.
On the other hand music is seen as a universal language that connects cultures and
acts a catalyst for global communication. It is found in every culture and social identities
are reinforced with it, speaking to our moods, emotions and reaching the deepest parts
of the heart and soul. With the growth of the internet, other digital technologies and
globalisation we now witness a growing knowledge and interest in music from cultures
worlwide. While this ability for music to reach a wider audience is seen as a positive
development international organizations continue to fight for many cultures to be heard
and or seen. The challenge for us is to not only encourage an acknowledgement of
older practices but also the development of the new, and a clear example is currently a
great phenomenon in europe taking place in new hybrids, i.e. new forms of music being
created by second, third and fourth generation immigrants joining together with their
country men and women to create forms based on their traditions. This represents a
development that would not so readily have been recognised without the ongoing
creativity and encouragement to experiment and develop new ways of making music,
the internet and globalisation in its many forms.
However, an intense debate exists that centres on globalisation and what measures can
be taken to safeguard the less diffused languages and cultures in the world so that they
are not swallowed up or marginalised by mighty economic powers. In an age of
multinational media and television local cultures are constantly confronted by the impact
of the messages. This is important for artists and creators and anyone committed to
cultural diversity. It is about free expression of ideas, history and experience,
guaranteeing that these will be communicated to future generations. UNESCO
recognises that 50 percent of the world's languages are in danger of extinction, and that
90 percent of them are not represented on the internet, and that 88 countries have
never had their own film productions.
Many initiatives have been undertaken by international organisations to address such
issues. UNESCO's convention on the protection and promotion of the diversity of
cultural expressions entered into force on March 18th 2007 to preserve the world's rich
cultural diversity, and the Canadian government has taken on a leadership role
internationally to promote the treaty and its implementation. All parties see major
challenges ahead to implement this worldwide, and have formally encouraged civil
society to take a key role to achieve this goal.
Culture is the bedrock of who you are and that there are many ways that it can be
manifested, and in many ways can form an effective bridge in areas of conflict.