Update on the "Open Compendium" Initiative

In recent years, the content of the Compendium information system has been upgraded to link national cultural policies and trends with broader and even global problems and achievements. Issues that are now very prominently highlighted in the system via the country profiles and new trans-national "Themes" sections embrace

• "Cultural Diversity" (including but not limited to the monitoring of the 2005 UNESCO Convention on the diversity of cultural expressions, aimed at supporting the Council of Europe, its member governments, experts and NGOs to cope with the evaluation goals set forth in the Convention);
• "Ethics and Cultural/Human Rights" in cultural policies;
• "International Cultural Co-operation" (for which the new reporting segment 2.4 was established in the country profiles); and
• "Intercultural Dialogue" (including a constantly enhanced interactive database of good practices and key projects).

A logical consequence of such broadened perspectives has been the growth in Compendium user figures from outside of Europe, with many new contacts deriving from that. Another consequence was a more systematic assessment of the problems connected with a potential outreach of the Compendium beyond Europe, but also with the chances such moves could mean for the improvement and further development of the information system.

In 2008, this led to discussions among Compendium authors and with the Culture Committee and the Secretariat of the Council of Europe about an eventual "Compendium+ Programme". Several authors, editors and Culture Committee Members developed these ideas further with the backing of the European Cultural Foundation and IFACCA, resulting in what is today called the OPEN COMPENDIUM INITIATIVE, which is currently in an experimental stage.  The new outreach also meets aims of CultureWatch Europe regarding a better visibility of European experiences and achievements in the governance of culture and is in line with decisions of the Conference of the Ministers responsible for Culture of the Council of Europe, held December 2008 in Baku (Azerbaijan), whose "Baku Declaration for the Promotion of Intercultural Dialogue" even foresees a "possible access of non-member states of the Council of Europe" to the Compendium information system.

At different meetings held between 2008 and 2010 it was agreed

• that public bodies and their networks, NGOs and individual experts in different regions of the world should take full responsibility to coordinate and organise their own Compendium type system comprised of country profiles from their respective regions;
  
• that the Compendium Grid which is publicly available in many different languages can provide a starting point for colleagues around the world, which could be modified according to national or regional needs (NOTE: a more comprehensive version of this grid which is used by the authors can be provided to Open Compendium partners by the ERICarts Institute);
  
• that Compendium editors, authors and the webmaster could advise interested parties on the development of such a system as well on the collection of data where these are not currently available or systemised;
  
• that mutual information on such Open Compendium activities and an exchange of experiences is crucial; and
  
• that once different profiles exist and were made available, one should discuss whether and how to link them.

At this moment, we find ourselves at a crucial point where chances to build on experiences gained with the Compendium information system and create national or regional "sister-sites" are being studied throughout the world. First efforts to implement the system have already been successful, including in 8 Arab States and in the Spanish Region of Catalonia. An Australian profile is currently in preparation.

Experiences (e.g. at the 4th IFACCA World Summit on Arts and Culture in Johannesburg/South Africa or at a UNESCO Conference in Paris, both 2009) show that there is a need to address the growing worldwide interest with an appropriate, albeit realistic strategy for exchanges on, and for the monitoring of, cultural policies that foster development and diversity. Where resources permit and within a new international governance framework, the Open Compendium Initiative could now indeed be further developed.

Based on the results of the Compendium Authors Meeting in Zurich and on discussions held at an ASEF conference near Hanoi (Vietnam), both of which take place in April 2010, as well as at the 1st Cultural Policy Conference in the Arab Region held June 7-9 in Beirut (Lebanon), further steps towards a regular Open Compendium Programme are to be expected during Summer and Fall of 2010.