Amartya Sen (1998 Nobel Prize in Economics)
defines through his criteria of “Development as freedom” a broader
understanding of freedom and hence of development, not only in a limited sense
of dealing with oppression but more in terms of a broader democratic access,
the rights and/or the choice to participate in the definition and implementation
of economic mechanisms (i.e. access to credit, protection from abject poverty,
unemployment benefits) and other important basic freedoms (as he enlists them) that
encircle one’s sustainable, healthy and productive life - and that is where I find harmony in his writings,
on what will distinguish a truly free individual.
There is a lot to be said about his insightful writings and
research, and I recommend his book “Development as Freedom” for that, and well,
is by that same token that I got to thinking about a more democratic access to
culture and more specifically about performing arts and their social benefits,
not only in terms of a more obvious improvement of communication skills, but
also in the development of other personality traits for those who participate as
creator or spectators, such as discipline, motivation, expression, enjoyment, among
others..
With this little project that we started some time ago
(although recently a little dormant I might confess) I will continue to try and
see about making it sustainable. There are several approaches to accomplish
this, and have learned through my experience in the development of social
enterprises that without ANGELS, there is a more participatory and revenue-generating
approach that needs to be considered. I will keep posting on ideas for this and
hopefully get some feedback on them as well.
I will in the mean time continue on my own time and
resources to do as possible to bring a little more of our awareness through music project into people’s lives and revolve on
the idea of the sustainability of it all.
http://www.uio.no/studier/emner/matnat/ifi/INF9200/h12/readings/papers/Sen.pdf
