The year in review Culture: a seldom explored source of wealth 2
Culture: a seldom explored source of wealth A desire to put as much distance as possible away from poverty has led Ugandans down many roads (both legitimate and illegitimate) in the pursuit of wealth. The nearest and most familiar of these roads, by the name of culture, is only now being fully explored. In this year’s review, we look at how different stakeholders have invested in and used cultural resources to create material wealth, and the opportunities that exist for continuing to do so. Initiating development programmes <strong>2015</strong> saw several cultural institutions put up a spirited fi ght against poverty. Cultural leaders from Lango, Bunyoro, Buganda, Busoga, and Tooro called upon all cultural institutions to focus on development concerns, noting that their relevance lies in serving the social and economic interests of their people. There were campaigns to increase food production on a commercial scale (Bunyoro, Buganda); to promote indigenous crops and tree planting (Bunyoro, Padhola, Buganda); to raise livestock and to establish clan leaders’ cooperatives (Buruuli) and to restore tea growing (Alur). Cultural institutions reported investments in health, agricultural, educational and social protection projects; scholarships; commercial infrastructure; the construction of offices and training centres, and the restoration of palaces and cultural sites. plans, some borrowing ideas from Buganda’s ettoffaali drive. Land is an essential cultural and economic resource. In <strong>2015</strong>, the Buganda Kingdom continued to reclaim land titles confiscated by previous governments. Cultural institutions across the country also demanded the return of their property as a potential source of wealth creation. The leaders of the Banyoro, Alur, Acholi, Lugbara and Batooro communities asked for a share of the proceeds from natural resource extraction and exploration in their areas to fi nance community development. Lack of clarity on matters of land and property ownership has however led to conflicts both within and between cultural institutions, and with government agencies in different locations. In an effort to generate wealth, some cultural institutions have entered into partnership with foreign investors, such as the Buganda-China initiative to build housing units; the Kooki- Arabian and Japanese partnership for agriculture and education projects; and the Busoga-Danish farmers’ engagement for agricultural promotion. Partnerships with the State have also resulted in the promotion of cultural tourism, direct funding and technical support to restore cultural sites, palaces and other heritage properties. Sources of fi nance proved equally diverse. Cultural institutions with viable assets generated revenue from processing the registration of land titles, and from businesses operations on their land, such as markets. They benefi ted from forest reserves, tourism and cultural sites, as well as from royalties and the sale of certifi cates, calendars and portraits. Several cultural institutions also initiated fundraising drives to implement their 34
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