Culture and Rights Anthropological Perspectives Jane K. Cowan, Marie-Bénédicte Dembour and Richard A. Wilson & CAMBRIDGEAre rite abr 1979 Ona pe New i: Se Ma TEST Gos neg tee tow Ste nk See Casini: Cg Uy ch a 10 Paige Long: een an Recep Tinie An any, ana of Et Po od Cl a 3, Sohn A 116i on Psa Ran Cas: Unity a i Sep 08 nt of PL dCs Les On ssp lo ar a rl hot Cod of oe Schnper | 190. Kinship a Marriage asong the Teas. In Afican Sytem "7 Rip and fra 0 BR Ratan Bese iene Ox Urey re nro aan tae seams and SA Reb, 107 orp Recs Ane Uk at svi aces 8- 28 que ah fmm i Fw a Ln: Re, SOSA Inn Pops Go Dn rt aac De as “Zebu Ram Sates Tor Catron Betws Goreme ‘sate, Me 1980, No Neure, No Cult: The Magen Cae, tx Nite, “af on (28) Horace M Sohn Cone Conese Ger Pree “tinct dW Ga 108, Lae iat, Marge a Fey iy Schr a, In rans ou Sea arn Str cE) we Late, Becky ad Lt Reg Une of Etre repnata Roel UNI 988, ude Poplin an Dae apr a Hguine Sc C ane Dee Commi Ea) 1° Drath Gost Naa wars te Cnn ene Ba: Sete “ian A cnn po cc fre COBEN ‘pues an! Ting’ ed (Cosnatng. Commitee Ostet RICE nd leo fcc au Dee Paring LUMIERE 9 hdl Ween aed Dope soa A Sein “is, Ree pee Made ov) fe he Grane iatmans IC we TO, an i hs: Pca oy of he Kr i UnriayfCrag P bung i0t Gomes Sty ig se Wane So Eat pe, 3-7 6 Between universalism and relativism: a critique of the UNESCO cencept of culture ‘Thomas Holland Eriksen Introduction Ina scathing stack on the classic Herderian Boas concep of eure and ts poten for generating both elas and chawinism, Alsi Fakielzaur (1987) nots tht ahough the United Nacons" ves tional, Scenic and Calural Organization (UNESCO) was intlly ounded i an Enlgtenmenr spt loyal to the unersls legacy of Dero and Condorcet it almost immediatly degenerated inte a fol for parotid ravi. Uainbed by the posible constants inpled by detaled knowledge ceparding the topics under scrutiny, Finkclraut wat able to present + power, coherent andy i many people's wom pesuatve catch ofthe widepread cuturlzaon of policy and stsetie in the late tenth entry. Anping that the meaning of elroy Biking to hestage for universal ‘houek orbs an-thougt his book oa he defer of king” Ins been widely ead and wanslted over the ps cae Tn Finkeliaur® book, UNESCO 1s ghren a cent role as chet ils along with soil amopolgin, tose danasous purveyors of ‘latest none). n this chapter, UNESCO's eso of ute wil Serve as poi ofdeparare engaging curentdcbates oer etre and ‘igs with the mon recent and mor comprehensive natement fom UNESCO sesanding culture fo the contemporary worl, namely the report on Our Creative Dts (World Commission on Culture a Development 1995), 4 document which beracaly and often silly savemps to manoeure inthe maddy waten between the Sells of ‘inte clara eats aed the Gharybisof supremacist universal- Is, Furie, less elegant and es eosin tn eral equ of he Fiabielsaut wpe, Our Grea Dita in ite of important shor comings i sesetheless more compes, presenting. + muticetst slr of the social wold. Wri Uberaleice fame the problem brng oe of rghs versus culture (Sethe eds itoduction to his ‘volume, the right culture’ is sronger concern in UNESCO.128 Thomo Hand Pen However, the suors donot expictlyades the posible coneatic- in betveen the to approaches Ney do hey soe phe clans although hey emphasize the valve fear dass, appear aay ‘san aesthetic rather than 2 meray lie, ‘As inriguig and imately iguleeg contest forthe UNESCO adel of clr ithe work of Cla Live Stnus on cll elt and care contac, which, although peripheral tw hit nrcterise mire hat heen infuenial i UNESCO, ‘The vision exprea in {Strauss programmatic work on clr divesty states some the as inhezene im Our Granite Dery Toe tro pees ommissned by UNESCO ftom Liv Stun, fact et Hue (ove Suauns 1971 (1952) and Race e Cub CLaveSeruss 1979 (1971) bihlph some ofthe dileramas assocated witha pation of th ork nto colar. Central insights fom these works can au Be invoked acon! ver-opimiticsupposions om scholars sucha» Finkle that specif lel cieumtances and poli can beefs dvtoed “These problems reer: Pat's Sac or ae, dacs hen th is contemporny selatiess, Gorge and Prowgors) Thea dove ‘eequenty tamed as communitarian versus iberalan, of teats ‘ers unierslim, thre are sme ral by ane attr problems which can doubles he deat with chauenly and eel bt not somprchensively, from un uerformed Enligtenmens compotion Doin view. A discussion ofthese pecbleme fos the substance oth foseaton, Our creative diversity UNESCO has, sine it foundation in 1945, planned an plemented 8 vast umber of developmental and cooper projets conceriag ‘cation n'a wide verse.” Calta crest, clr sights aed thin discrimination have alo hen pian emcee the besining ~ leading, inter aa to ie famous lat of wold elera bekage ses, which ecenly expanded to include ‘acu erie ste 2 well, Many writings supported or pubishd by UNESCO have, ovr the past five decades, mace import cntribaions 19 netnston debates about racin,cthnoentram, cual relates clara hege ‘monies and quest fr equ cura ig. AtDough his Dny of ark ‘eiily hasan applied perspective in enmmin, can be isn tat allo even ner aly the wring publabed ues the ns of UNESCO share a common perspecve on cult feat ad hts despite Finkeeau’s lasinuatens "A few publication: eee Uses stand out a smplice or exp pokey documens, The mot Important example of the later is cleaty the report Ow Crate Diseray) (ONESCO 1995), Weten by a charters oben Intetisiptinary group? ee Wrld Commisoncn Cult and Det ‘pment CECCD}, the repre was putbledsinutancously im ese Iangusgss an later canated inc yee ethers (heen te net ‘sound, ‘Pi report seems a parclarly ful staring point for 2 sing "groups thar shure basic ales and customs Since Lourdes Ape, wotieg on Dell of UNESCO, recently (0908) expressed ipreduty in response w a simian ents fom ‘Susan Wap (1998) [wil highligh a ew quotsons fom the poet tovsastantte this chim, whic an spoctant premise forthe res of this pec. In Chapter 2, programmasallentiled ‘No cutur an ‘dan he author wre abet espe fo all cultures, cra least for ‘hose atures that vale tolerance and respect fr ater (0.3). AS ‘less were cal apts pluraiam ie defined ap tolerance and respect for and rejoicing over the plurality of eulres (p39) on ‘minis, the authors sy tha “hese groups share ster of vases td sources of selrescen that often ae derived fom sources ite ‘Serent om those of the majority cure’ (p97; and i the Sab Seauent chapter the auors wre that "omst ssits today ae ‘multcutura” (p61) meaning that they contin sever caltres, Inplcidy sumed to be bounded. Throughout the report, cles ‘ae imply and explcly seen 25 roted and ld, shared within a ‘Boup to Be teated with respec” at one handles aping china or od nt wats due atention o thls ai (Like so many elite sccouns| ‘f ealtare tinged with Romantic, this report does not exp recopnine the extra imensson of maiasteam or modem phenomena Such as urban mdale-class ng cular, de eure of New York or Bombay, or the clare of contemporary Germans or the rend et) ‘Ahough Ic sak expt that any cates rlaomiup wit the ‘tide worlds -dynamics UNESCO cults rain lands ofa est Peale Global tics and identity potitice “Ths perspesive has more to recummend it than many devasnting, but “en atonal ecent esque fom cultural studies and aeons Inve been wing w adi For decade snhropolopsts have ued evelopment ages to take the cltutal dimension inte assur 0 become more sete rows loa conditions and fo undersans tht soceesfl deeloment process necessarily take local conions 20 Toca human rexacesseriovaly at factors of change. The wort ges lepimacy to sucks ine-honouredanthropaogicl ves. However, the Jnssence on cultural difference and plus constutve of te ‘il woot docs ot very well wth the equally strong inseam {he ned for a gloalebics. Obviously, the WECD wants eat eke nd have it fos promotes a relic view of developrent and =| ‘nivalis ew o eis. Distancing self ccatonal rom the Woe bois of iden pebcs and the mono-cthnic model ofthe natn ste it doesnot, however, discuss the obvieus cntrdicans between ‘kara rine and ethical univers or the pei of wmty poles a the su-ncona level While the Commision ay defend lf sucessfully agaist academic charges of saperialiy and dated ss" by piting Ot tat the age rou const ef odinary ede evpe, or specalized and parochial scholars engaged in gamex of flea! oneuomaneip he pli inocence cident the ep S aoting shor cf tuning In an ape when neal all are conti take place within and nor between sates (se SIPRI 1997), and most of therm could be designed as "ets in an age when Croatian ness paper te abot ther score naional football eam (ut he {8 World Cup thats genecaly determined wo win when motors ‘of coletive cual ight and fear of fori cvtamination dest nt Uberal or antics paiia ellots in contexts there a irr 1 Le Pen's France, he BJP’ India (or Hindasan a the Algeria of the FS, sues rating to clear rights ought aot o be ueated aly by a polcjaiened body such ss UNESCO. To sinply sate, 4 ce report doc in many places and in diferent ways tht ni fvourable ‘occlusal ight ply wl ot do, whether the context a seeder ‘one o pial ope. The notion has tobe excused more ct Tilly Tet not selene what the term means, noe how i artialtes| ‘wth nvidal buman sighs. The programmatic "gh Co cule ms) Confit with cone dertone of right ere clare “Therisea demi poles tthe ran af he millennium not caused bya widespread and contagious lack of olerance robe atigated By he Jmplementaion cfs glbal eis, Rater, 1 das Teac from 3134 Thoma Hand Enki Romantic way of thinking sbout dllerence nd simi, which the [GNESCO report inspite of ts hurnntain intentions, may ive tary conenbte to pepetuating. The polticl conclusions 0 be dawn from the description of the wold inbrent in the report ae ot neceseaniy the ier fleant and univenalitic ones spewed y he Suthor and here, a east one mat appa of Finlelirets n- ‘Rformed Enlightchnent uiveralanretaprvicile). Sparse, ‘Siercnce molest championing cxcawe enters of dgement form ear’ nationals seeking steter border conte and reve ons un he fais of meaning across boundaries, ingusitors casing he Salma Rushdis ofthe word ito hidig, and myriad naan wet ‘all could find a sound bass for thr #olaionim and poll fericuarm inthe spor, doowitanding ks periodical meetone to {he contrary. Thee abterins stand i a echanicl, exteral elton stipo the bai vew of enue ax hounded and uni. Calrres need to wk to each ober a it were, and elt but they remain bounded ‘chlues nonetbees, Probably s+ Klnnen (1998) emati i comment onthe sport, would have been both better and more eis the sternal enon {5 diaareaments within he commie hd Been mace exh. In that ‘se, one might hie explored the sens and weaknesses of he C80 postions (Fights afve eultre and the rght fo culture, and it would fave Been evident hat oe cannot shay ave one's ake and et eo, ‘Hybrids, traditions, culturalism and modernity Let me sum up the argument so far. Out Craie Dizon ke Several concepts of elt, but demiated bythe elie iw om ral retinem 1050¢ soil anthropology’, Wht (109813) els idsmissrely of cultures as bounded eases with thir ove Se of falues and proces, Tacirsintvences should be encourage’, ‘Weis poraptses the repor (1998.13) "3 is by loking aco boundaries becween dine cllure shat people gin des orate ive ways of ing The image presented acral eembles Dari’ [41985 [1859] datincion henscen stil selection (a i pips red) an natu selection artifical selection i ep nd supe fics natura eleton i slow and deep. Creole cult, hyd fms ‘ral universal such as MeDenalds (and human rights scours?) us hu be sen as supe whl radon, associated wit oot tnd the pase profound. Since the report does noe singh tween faltre and etic, itmay perhaps be inferred hat the dee eu Df taco ts socnted with ete Mentigy whie the “superiial | ‘eri fs group ef pope ll ayo ica che [epee ‘ot the pop, boon theme of cre neal (UNESCO os “Twcmembers of a were enrolled fo agus in favour ofthe motion, and tro were asked Yo atgucapuinst it iane Howell and Hata Beet Broch the supporters of the mouon, haa both armed out extensive Seubork amon indigenous peoples ~ Howl ix Malan and Indo ‘es, Heo in Canada and Indonesia ~ and ha inte ure of their fie witnewed the more or lew enforced cnoointers herscen wulneable indigenous gps and moder ste apparatuses, The reo ‘ponents Halard Vike abd myself had been working Ia moder, ‘comple scives where the populations tended to turn wowards te ate ether tha aay fom i ode to ave thi ight sanctioned ‘Vike fad secntly completed hs PRD on local poles in = Norwesan| count ble T hd eerie ou esearch on isla and the plc ‘om alclture nthe poetic and tte of Maun and Trad nd hago. Speaking from very diferent etinopapie hon he Sagem not ony reoched opposite eanchsions, hut aso fled to ‘gage epeoper dslogue: dey tended to depict cach other, i the heat ef the debate, as hopeless Romanses and yma! modernists seapectvely. The sin favour ofthe ition argued fom the vantage ot of indigenous peoples in Tadonesi epunst sate dominance, Tanguage dent and global cas Gee Samion’ chapters thi ‘olame). The opponent spoke about the multe (and inte ‘ex, poten) nature of contemporary Tnropene and Newth Americ socepy and ow the pisczaion of ele ad deawn | pubic attention aay fom sues of righ and dsbuson of rescues. In other words, the debate mirored the ore genera conor rounding the communiatianse- teal dinde fa contemporary poles and plea! pluosop, and ao ita the fact un Surprising oat snthopologi, thar wher you stand depends on where yous "Alter the debate, the audience was ined ro vote ao the lon. At the inal count, sevent-iht Yred for iand seven voted aginst Ic Alnough all academic categories wee represented, the sence monly comisted of undereaduates, Tin or Alen years ago, there Would slmoercersinly have been msve ‘er ote, anthropology Undergraduates having been for decades notorious forthe Ramante ‘bent and for regarding indigenous poops staple fr autonomy 23 {general mode! lor polis, Perhaps thei wil turn ain. In any cas {Cs kely thatthe quetons summarized inthe abose Gunton from (ur Gite Disray and hic hae een siacued i thi pee, il ‘be increasingly central othe gba pol agenda in the decaes 0 ‘ome. I his prediction hols, anthropos = no fngs dhe Bearded fd greatcoated explorers plying tema waters in search of rail Aierence ~ may, provided hey ares eile asthe demic hey ‘hore about atin pivotal soe pala anal, ‘An eur version ofthis text at preset at he Ce and Rishi ‘Wortshop a the Univer f Sass fi 1987 Toul Hk co hank he organizers and the partipans foe aves snd stimolating interdicpiary exchange of silat and simi ‘eas Thanks also to Richard A. Wilson or persuading me to wie thi fp, and forthe comments on the dat by Wison, Mark-Bénedcte Dembourand wo anonymous reer, 1 In Bois, maton 2 The Engh urnton of La dais a Psi ic elt, somewba Sthonneray, Te Ung of Top eins 1965,146 Tas in ton 2 In oer expe wie oe of de crue’ aie et me ‘eo ayaa sol UNERCO we te Neiman Rican coun 4 UNESCO's trent son ‘Souapeorccpmen” reine eng ction fr a uningunthe ncnest,ise ad shag of knoe promosing the ee Bow of infrmition ad she developmen: of um Swap ding ‘rcuctng eden pase, Maman sig and democracy ter et imate! ering raming hun ihr sa Aes crn, ‘lpr comida f democrat poss “ccurp aa plaralam a cope Stee cues, ‘Souce meron) 4 ‘The Wot Common on Gute set Dewsapnat (WCC) respons ‘roms in exes, Niger, aban the USA, Gree, Neve Sipmr Seng Swasetang, el Faye pan Ri, Zim ad ‘Ati, In ssn td rf serves oe nin nd Moo ‘per wcll tonownry cs sng Burne aan Sete une Sin Stu Kul, West Inn poet Dee West, Belo Phy IePogogme, Amercan wer Bhe Wc coupe Arb Facer ances, shade LevsSvuse Te Comino’ wok ‘Tidy Pra er Poe de Coc, ter Sora Goer be iR "One te Cosmin war lec’ eps Loud Atoe Assn Dino Genera fr Cure UNESCO (ae 198) he te yeas ha filoned sample onus the erent cones wich one 29: tok te Boor 1 ing seen en oppor’ On te arcpelage iw ene ee sien 1993, © Selous Apes 1938 rns Wah (098) 10 Aran cumple fh poe he gh ae mies among out rama coy, Noes an te sedi he Ferme ob Soni fr strut loa oe peers! he oune Sa ca ‘star fl ihe epson of Sami thomas or of Nowep Smtr they a ened fs hadg 2 Bybee ew no ed ‘eta Frm te wpa cube ery We ad bee ele ho in hoc peri the eal ang 0 pele ‘eu to er sbny ok seen of ound 1 oceaupl panpagh 3 The pein for, oe cheer meat ic, Acrigefite UNESCO coe le 1a Se fr ump Kol 199, Taya! 1982, Wo 1997 15 Laer neon nde anh 16 feng soem ‘Ac ing nie ube “otis imma a 18 On ts aclu, Fin’ (1987) coupling of rch wei [Sus rans Fann nr ajith Jen Tetmendion sion mrai mesa) gy ‘rome sledcerminasna aed cy por suse le eth ‘ona dlede me aio cal ttl sacs New ah ‘argu athe 18s Scr hen ty fod on th ons ot einienos a 2 Comet o Lv Senn, Tosaor (1999108 sy ine hao ‘Sows beneen he wo esa atv nd snd even, foe ear rede tha terete smart heen 21 Se Hniey 1997 fora fall ite ft ere ot Maw 6 omc 1008 corn Canaan cane Avi 1 1986, UN cate oy Te 143, 2 ium, 2 1998 om Pim Tou 8 Set Hse of Mey a ‘Quis Catal ey) Halland Du Gay tno SAGE. Dawa 1985 [1958-Phe Ongo of he Spas fy Men of Nan Sea, ‘rT Pano rou Rat te Soe rf Hemendenr eau Csi ‘eae TH 993 Do Cara ads Bis Sl Achy hake A100? a dane eon Pes Galina Gata, 1996. Pecos communion, ners, 1989 Notes on be Clb eae: Pe Cali 1:2 66-75, bow (4) 196, Te hp of ol. Land: Rote Inga 109), The As Tre ns Casto Work Ta Bond ‘Bunda CndandnTeonion ana Aeteaepeal Dice.) son Ono Berg Ing T (Ed) 199 Key Dan pal London Ro ive, AML 1008, Our Crave Diver Cee Comment Som “pots fhe Ws Repre In Ow Cre Dos ea Pepa Repet From Th nena Calon Calera Despre Liitaner 31 Sepramter 1997 Ono Norgan Nia Comm ‘nor UNESCO, yma W199 Lito, Cammy nC On: Creo [el #1985 Unrate Que ty Ta Th vay usin (8) Reman, Lan ReeM8 Ps Hot tan Ls Sean, C1055, re mp Pas Pon. [tse [983 aro Pte De. {stan 1070 att. Rac cate Ia Ga Li Sau) i eisar and Clement Par Gait, (Oia pushed wean de ssc 2. Luster C85: Leo Ps Po, {Seem and. sho 100" Deptt, a on een mi Teco Pa OBI rere “alan 2m a 182, Alba sate Pa of Roe 188) "X Gusmann Prince, Neston Ue ao “Tada E109, Neue te La fl oa dri mans “Turon D197 teralacon: Wir a eit a War and Ei: Gb ‘Gan Lx Pine (Ba) Daron, Wodbee, Sue {ent of aches Pre ‘Wort Commision on te ome. 1987, Oar Gm Fas Oo ojo th Precast Manns, London a wrldCormtnee en Cle an Detect 19, Ou Cate Dio Ton UNESCO, wins, RA, (E197. Haman igh, Cte a Comet Antrpol “Ropes Londen Pe wags 1008 The Pomona’ Aap Tay 2,715. Part Claiming cultural rights “The four chapters inched inte second pat ofthe book explore how azivutsivohed in grssoot cultural oe etinonstialst monement fave Been lang gh Doe on what the prev aster’ ‘While thee Ineleel cases ate ccemed wth ele taking pce in vais continents ~ Europe, Southeast Asia Central America Sn North mena respectively ~ they make sumar pots Ones ha {he arcultion of such clans, which oppose the paialydeminan ‘ew in the country where they are male, hss been dicey dependent ‘nan ineratons ena and global frum wich ve encurapes| {ei expression, af the same time a neal ceumstnces have shapes te pee fom of this aruelation. Anther point i that he signi ‘ance and utatetnuve of there clam can only be unersond By ppingattenion to de lel conten, anole by ir. Final he ‘sett fel sinhret in he making of such cins Each thor, in hiro Brown was, reveal sch rights poset lead 0 panicuar predicament. Inher study of Macedonian minority chim in Grece, Jane Coma inroduces the concept of “ainorizatie Walser sheer 10 the usgsormation ofa i deny nt one of sappraily onto ‘ual inorder to fieal and pole eer. Inthe region Cowen has Studied, dss warsformation haben acomplia since te mi-1980 by actives whose words resonate in ineraatinal for ead take on Doan the activi message without asing whom iby eeprese ‘Cowan shows, howeret, Dit de Queton of representation ~ and of ‘numbers is cru ane. Inthe wale of «complex regional ston, ‘many of those ostensls represented ty the sctvits donot themes claim 2 Macedonian tent in a0 fee as thie ental rejecting tit Groce. Nor do they neces ert the non-Greck language they ue in some crcumtances as Macedonia, While tere ar indeed people who percsitethemecie s members of an oppresed sino {heir nombcr should nor benfated. Cowan ackontedges the courage