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Danilo Santos de Miranda arrived recently from Barcelona. He speaks about his participation in the Cultural Universal Forum and points out his expectations on the Global Cultural Forum, to take place next June in São Paulo.
Danilo dos Santos de Miranda, Sociologist, Director to the SESC-SP Regional Department and President to the Director Counceling of the Global Cultural Forum, granted an interview, last Tuesday May 18, where he outlines the importance of the Global Cultural Forum to Brazil, his role at the Universal Cultural Forum in Barcelona and the importance of culture for the Global civilization. Miranda is at the head of SESC , one of the most important cultural institution of the country, for the last 21 years. "Since January 1984 I started directing SESC and I work for the institution since 1968. My time here is pretty long". Danilo was also chosen to be the President to the Global Cultural Forum, in April 2003, in a partnership with the Municipal Cultural Secretary of São Paulo, SESC-SP, the Brazilian Cultural Promoters Network, the Cultural Ministry, and the Cultural Institute "Casa Via Magia".
GCF - What is the meaning to shelter an event such as the Global Cultural Forum to Brazil and mainly to São Paulo.
DM - It means a willing statement, a transformation desire, and an improvement reflecting crucial matters of our time. What is cultural action? Who finances it? What are the perspectives to an intelligent planning? What are the public and private sector obligations? Finally, this is an opportunity to bring the world or a nice part of it to São Paulo in order to reflect about the question culture as a transformation factor, improvement and development to the society and to the people. This means the result of an historical international moment. Many groups and organizations from all over the world are dealing with this discussion since the Barcelona Forum. Discussions within UNESCO are putting the cultural matter in a very important dimension. If we think deeply, there are economic reasons, wars, geographic reasons but in reality reasons for such questions are related to the acceptation of the differences with others, cultural diversities and the changing of the comprehension about the world reality. And I think that to bring up to the center such discussions and trying to deepen them, to verify that mankind is constructing using natural resources put to its disposition, its intelligence and ways around either to build beauty, movement, or to construct cities or whatever, this all means culture and it concerns the global project to the future. Why in São Paulo? Because São Paulo is a city with its own characteristics reflecting a little bit Brazilian reality which is a multicultural reality, diversified, varied, multi-influenced and, let us say, presently an answer to the world's confusion.
GCF - Rio de Janeiro was never meant to hold the event?
DM - Yes indeed. Rio de Janeiro is a city with very important characteristics. It is our symbol city and the most known outside Brazil. Nevertheless, for several reasons it recently reduced some of its leadership characteristics like politics, economics, culture and also violence. I do not agree with such a vision to ignore Rio de Janeiro as a city symbol. Rio is important to Brazil, even best known than São Paulo abroad, one of the most known cities in the world for its natural beauty. But the Forum decided for São Paulo because it applied before hand. On the other hand, Rio sheltered the Brazilian Forum in May 19 to 21. I also participated in this much important event.
GCF - Was Rio's event a previous Forum to the Global Cultural Forum?
DM - Exactly. The Brazilian Forum aimed the gathering of the whole effort from different Regional Forum, which took place all over Brazil, and such process was coroneted in Rio de Janeiro, to be taken lately to a more clear participation of our Brazilian cultural reality at the Global Cultural Forum.
GCF - How was your participation at the Universal Culture Forum in Barcelona?
DM - I assisted the opening of the Cultural Universal Forum. I gave a speech on a previous of our Forum. The Barcelona Forum has a very different characteristic from ours, it was born from a local necessity to become an international discussion pole, for events, fairs with much competence. Barcelona is looking for it as an European, Mediterranean, global city with strength and power to be a place where big discussions are brought, raised and discussed. The Universal Forum has mega event characteristics. Their organizers estimate more than five million people to come during the four months. But the project is not only cultural it has also a touristy character and one can feel that it is also a humanistic event to outline the city itself. The Cultural matter is also discussed in several dialogues and such different themes also concern us here in São Paulo. So it is an exchange about the cultural financing, cultural policies, culture and education, culture and environment, all questions related to the culture will be discussed during specific Forums in Barcelona.
GCF - How was it accepted in the Forum your lecture about the Global Cultural Forum?
DM - I talked about our Forum at a Pre-Forum seminar (May 5 and 6), called Interaction - Interacciò, in Catalan language. I talked more about the Brazilian Forum perspectives and it was interesting because I had the opportunity to show to the audience the perspectives of our event. On the following day another Forum, born during the Global Social Forum in Porto Alegre, started with local authorities gathering mayors and personalities from all over the world and it has a very important action above all to the so called "Agenda 21". Our Mayor from the city of São Paulo, Marta Suplicy, was there as well. Nowadays the Universal Cultural Forum is a mega event with huge characteristics with pop stars such as Sting, Bob Dylan amongst others. Our Cultural Minister, Gilberto Gil was also there. During the opening for example, Rosa Passos, our representative, was also there at a stage where a small vocalize show was going on.
GCF - How do you fell the receptivity of the audience to our Forum?
DM - To start with, a very positive reaction from the audience because it showed the Forum intentions to really focus a discussion and to work over the importance of the cultural subject. Culture has to be equal by excellence in the matter of diversity. It is fundamental. So, how to become reality specially in emerging countries so that market can exist for artists coming from the underneath, from the South? Our Forum works on such characteristic. The idea of reinforcing such artists in the ostracism and grant them more visibility is very strong. Especially for those countries outside the hegemonic axe linking Occidental Europe and the USA. Conducting in a unique way of making music, theater, movies, a single proposal in the aesthetic view, a unique color for fashion, a unique way to let flow the thoughts. It is important that dialogue exist in an equal basis. For me the equality feeling is a civilization conquest and it should be deeply appraised. Practically it is not even appraised by those countries pretending respect democracy and equality. This is not real. In my opinion such equality question is one conquest of the basis of civilization. It is curious to observe that on one hand the civilization got this equality perception in a high refined level in the democratic occidental world and on the other hand civilization developed more and more barbarian and more violent answers in the hegemonies relation establishing a unique way of doing things, the necessity to impose the war so that a determined group or society may stand a certain way of life. According to this, terrorism is an illness also developed in a very sophisticated way. In a sense we succeeded in sophistication and modernization and on the other hand we also have more sophisticated ways to fight against the positive side of civilization. I think that culture puts all this together in a mixer and does a certain depuration. So I think that Barcelona and our Forum offer some of this condition.
GCF - What are the pretensions of the Forum after this event? Will it be a fixed event?
DM - There are other people involved in this discussion. But I think that: yes, it is very important. We have the mission to put together this Forum and it is not very easy to do it now. It is quite complicated but we are doing our best so that it can happen. Today (May 18) I am having a meeting with the Governor of São Paulo Geraldo Alckmin about the Forum. I am focused on the achievement of the Forum and to transform it into something positive to the world. But of course this will certainly generate a movement among others either here or in other parts and we will establish conditions so that it may go on happening.
GCF - Changing subjects, you are receiving the title of Araraquarense Citizenship. Nice homage.
DM - You see, I have been working for SESC for over 21 years. I took place as Director in January 1984 and I work for the Institution since 1968. My time here is very long, I know many people from São Paulo countryside. And in my opinion it is the most developed part of the country. If I am asked: where is the most developed area in the country? It is São Paulo countryside and why? Simple, because of the services offered to the population, for the Relation State and Citizen, for several reasons. Of course there also some lacks for example in educational and cultural areas. Not much in education because the regular schooling is good but culture, in my opinion, is also part of the instruction process. Besides, for me it is a one subject culture-education, a single block. We have a unit in Araraquara and it is very active and it meant a change for the population regarding proposals, cultural and sportive actions. In exchange the homage is a retribution for SESC. This is how I consider it. I see it as a collective homage not a personal homage. Araraquara is a city with peculiar characteristics: first of all French cannot pronounce it, well, not only French but other foreigners too (smiles). It is a vibrating city, with a large performance and a significant presence in the cultural, educational and sportive life. Next Monday (May 24) I will be there to receive the title. I feel myself very touched to receive such homage.
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