It’s sometimes nice to lose yourself in a crowd, especially at a cultural congregation. And that’s what Sharada Ramanathan is currently doing at Casablanca in Morocco as one of the 43 international experts who have come together to implement UNESCO’s 2005 charter on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.
India is among the 121 countries that has ratified this UNESCO 2005 convention.
“It is often from these restless groups that cultural breakthroughs that shape our lives emerge,” says Sharada in a telephonic interview. “We need to develop that spirit of openness, whether we are looking within (at Indian heritage) or outside,” she adds.
Right from the days when, as an active SPIC MACAY volunteer, she hopped from one venue to the next along with the celebrated masters of music and dance, Sharada realised the need for networks and intercultural change-agents. Then as a filmmaker with her National-award-winning Sringaram and the much-hailed documentary Natyanubhava , she captured on camera, how ethnicity could be turned into something influential with one’s own diverse experiences and outlook.
Only someone like her who constantly engages in the freedom of artistic expression can understand the importance of UNESCO’s convention that raises awareness about policies to promote cultural diversity at the international level and support people and groups who take it up at the country-level.
“It’s time that we project our 5,000-year-old civilisation not just in museums but on the world map as well. The magnitude of what we have in India is amazing — there is a thriving cinema industry, an enviable tradition of crafts, architecture that dates back to several years and add to this the classical heritage of dance and music. We need a strong vision, the ability to take pride in what we have and the foresight to nurture it. I am actually excited about the return-to-nativity-spirit that is visible in many of the recent Indian films. But it is important to handle these stories with sensitivity and maturity to compete at the international level. Don’t see it as just a trend or fad.”
As she interacts with representatives from even countries such as Congo, Slovenia and Burkina Faso, besides those at the helm of economic and cultural growth, Sharada is determined to scale geographical barriers for a cultural dialogue. “Casablanca is the first stop. This pool of experts will be visiting Africa, South America and South and South East Asia to engage with governments and civil society groups to develop strategic reports on their work in culture and media,” says Sharada.
