In Video
The Zimbabwe Artists' Charter
Proposed at a meeting of concerned artists called for by members of the committee representing the arts and culture sector in the constitution making and national healing process held on Friday 16 April in Harare.
1. Being aware that Zimbabwe is a multilingual and multicultural country with a proud history of achievement in diverse fields.
2. Acknowledging the commitment to inclusiveness and diversity in the 2010 process of consultation that will produce a people driven constitution for a democratic Zimbabwe.
3. Recognizing that cultural rights are human rights and that cultural practices are part of the natural infrastructure for national development.
4. Recognizing that language rights are human rights and that local languages are part of the natural infrastructure for national development.
5. Recognizing that artists’ rights are human rights and that artists’ products are part of the natural infrastructure for national development.
6. Emphasizing the need for the recognition and protection of the right of every citizen to participate freely in the cultural life of the community and to enjoy the arts in their diverse expressions.
We, the Concerned Artists attending a meeting held on Friday 16 April 2010 in Harare, unanimously agreed to recommend that this document be adopted as the Artists Charter for Zimbabwe, and that the rights and interests of the artists of Zimbabwe and their language communities be recognized and protected in the new constitution, which must inter alia guarantee the following:
1. Recognition of the linguistic, artistic and cultural rights of the people of Zimbabwe in their diversity.
2. Protection, preservation, promotion and development of all local languages, localities, works of art, monuments, sites, practices and natural resources which are of special cultural and artistic significance.
3. Establishment of culture, languages and arts national regulatory bodies with responsibility to protect, preserve, promote and develop the culture, languages and arts in Zimbabwe.
4. Formulation and implementation of comprehensive culture, language and arts policies that cover all the relevant sectors.
5. Recognition and protection of the rights of artists as creative and professional workers in their chosen fields and of their right to share in the economic, scientific and technological advances of the modern world and their benefits.
6. Provision and development of arts education and training to international standards for Zimbabwean nationals.
7. Creating a single government ministry with responsibility for the coordination of: a) policy formulation and implementation to cover the diverse interests and activities of the culture and arts sector; and b) implementation of UNESCO’s and other International Conventions on cultural heritage, cultural diversity, intellectual property and copyright ratified by the State of Zimbabwe.
8. Active promotion of the national culture and arts sector at the international level by competent cultural practitioners, including attaches appointed and attached to Zimbabwean embassies in foreign countries.
9. Appointment to positions of responsibility in statutory bodies for culture, languages and arts that are filled by transparent recruitment competition, with artists and cultural practitioners involved in the selection process or and among those eligible as candidates.
10. Any works commissioned by public authorities or for public use be fairly distributed amongst local artists and or cultural practitioners with artists’ associations consulted on such distribution.
11. Creation of a national fund by the state for the purposes of artistic training, educational travel and visits abroad, financing of artists’ works and or acquisition and use of equipment and material needed for the free movement of artists, works of art and artists’ materials.