Appendix 6 - International Music Council

cultural agreements can be negotiated independently, in a context that in which cultural
vitality is a primary value, and more important than economic issues.
Governments could search for ways to support the importation of music and musicians
from developing countries. They could consider actions such as facilitation of the provision
of temporary work visas, subsidies to presenting organisations, subsidies for the provision
of recordings to broadcasters with an interest in programming these genres, cultural
exchange programs and agreements, study grants for nationals of developing countries
(these obviously would not be for study in Australia of their own music, but might cover
issues such as copyright or small business management).
Governments could contribute to the international fund set up under the auspices of the
UNESCO Convention for the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural
Expressions.
Education
Where appropriate, governments can encourage the maintenance of community cultural
practices that sustain and develop traditional musics. These practices naturally include
instruction to the young. This encouragement can be offered through various means, for
instance, assistance to community organizations, to teachers, to festivals where the musics
can be seen to be valued outside the local community, through recordings…
Education systems must facilitate the transfer of cultural knowledge and skills to children
so that they understand and can participate in their own culture. (Convention on the Rights
of the Child, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights). It must be
acknowledged that in many situations,
the old customs where cultural transfer occurred in
the course of community life have broken down and need to be replaced by other means,
one of which is through the formal education system.
Education systems and curricula should offer universal access to a sustained, sequential and
effective music education.
Education systems should offer universal access to in-depth education in musical
genres of
choice, but also to a meaningful experience of a diversity of musical genres and the cultural
contexts in which they have their homes.
Cultural regulation and support
Government policies should ensure the rights of all citizens to participate in their own
cultures.
Governments should refrain from suppressing any cultures, majority or minority, practised
by their own citizens, excepting where they breach
the rights guaranteed by the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights and other such documents.
Through support both regulatory and financial, governments should foster musical diversity
within their borders. Such support can go to local musics of all genres, with emphasis on
the genres that are unable to be financially self-sustaining and face market failure. It can
also go to facilitate access to music from other countries, whether live or mediated.
Support local enterprise in international pop music. While there is a fear of the domination
of local musical cultures by the international Top 100, and of the homogenising effect of
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