African Art Club

World Cultural Preservation: A Growing Imperative

A conversation with the Smithsonian Institution’s Richard Kurin

Richard Kurin, under secretary for history, art, and culture at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, sat down with the State Department’s Bureau of International Information Programs for a discussion on protecting cultural heritage.

…I believe that when people lose their cultural heritage they lose their moral grounding, their connection to their own past…

…The cultural economy has grown extraordinarily in the last several decades, and I think nowadays it is actually the largest part of the international economy….

…it is very important to invest in culture, give it value, give it a place, and nurture it, not just for its intangible qualities – the aspects that give meaning to life – but also for its very tangible benefits, which are sometimes economic, sometimes political, sometimes even medical and scientific….

Tuesday, 16 March 2010,  in collaboration with America.gov

Read the interview..

...

Post a Comment