Culture – its representation, commoditization, preservation and management – has become a central dimension of international and local development.

Culture is increasingly considered to be an essential ingredient for sustainable development as organizations work in partnership with communities.

The tangible and intangible cultural traditions that ensure continuity of generations can also aid in obtaining freedom from hunger, poverty and insecurity.

The conjunction of culture and development offers a useful lens on many key questions about where globalization is taking us: questions about identity and social fragmentation, historical and cultural representation, authenticity and ownership, local empowerment vs. neoliberal corporatism, global inequality, gender relations, environmental sustainability, and more.