Counterpoint-online | Themes | Politics and Culture

Politics and Culture

Questions about what distinguishes the political and cultural sphere have long been discussed amongst politicians, artists and theorists, with claims forwarded about what value either would have without an interrelation with the other. Are the arguments over cultural independence conducted in intellectual circles useful if the consumer refuses to recognise any difference between the two? Do current attempts to tackle this conundrum overlook the distinction between culture as product and culture as environment, and if this is acknowledged, what answers are we led to? Is it possible for culture to exist free from political expression, influence, or reading? More importantly, do we want it to?

Projects

1-11-2007	Britishness Beyond Borders
4-10-2007	Symposium on Leadership and Human Rights in Africa
22-09-2007	Leadership for Change in Africa
7-09-2007	The games we play
5-09-2007	A manifesto for positive change in Africa

Publications

	Glass Houses Author: Rughani, Pratap dir. Part of the Keeping in touch project, this DVD forms a series of interviews with journalists from outside the UK, giving us the unique opportunity to look at Britain from the outside, through 17 pairs of eyes.
	Britain & Ireland: Lives Entwined II Author: British Council Ireland Essays on contemporary British-Irish relations, with views from the USA with a preface written by Mary McAleese, President of Ireland.
	Mutuality, trust and cultural realtions Author: Rose, Martin and Wadham-Smith, Nick This paper is an exploration of the mutuality in cultural relations. It examines what mutuality means and ways in which it can be implemented in the British Council's work.
	Under the Tree of Talking Author: Wambu, Onyekachi A collection of essays by eighteen distinguished thinkers and leaders which testify to hope on the horizon for African societies. Includes preface by John Githongo and introduction by Onyekachi Wambu.
	Do Human Rights travel? Author: Bechler, Rosemary ed. The post-war structure of human rights instruments is the basis for much of the West's rhetoric, policy and world view. Its universality is axiomatic. But is it as universal as we think?