(fragment of my dream, april 1997)
The concept of culture
The concept of culture cannot be understood only as the diverse, but as the product of the action and interaction of people. In this way, we should not speak simply of diversity when the society in which we live is configured in a hierarchy and crossed by many structural inequalities. At the same time, we know that to focus only on the problematic, without recovering and highlighting the peculiarities of distinct societies, will not only fail to resolve theses conflict but deepen them, resulting in a chimera.
Racism in the form of prejudices such as discriminatory practices of segregation and exclusion are also manifested in a cultural slope. That is to say, the concept of racism is not found exclusively associated with the concept of race, as it was conceived during the 21st century, based on phenotype features such as: skin colour, facial features, height, size, cranial form etc, but it has been amplified to project over steriotypes and stigmas of otherness from cultural features such as ethnic origen, dress, music, religious practices etc.
If the structure of racism is the denial of rights, then this cultural racism continues being racism in all its significance, without regard for the contents that drive it’s action. It is racism that stigmatizes the same culture in a form of cultural fundamentalism, a kind of alterophobia.
In Homo Sapiens we consider it of great importance to visualize these concepts of inequality, the reasons for which they are generated, and how we can work through the problems of political, social and economic implications, not only to understand the contemporary social world, but also “to live” within it. We are looking to break with the consequences of masked inequality, that are hidden under discussions based in the ideology of inequality and multiculturalism that hypothesises acritically the benefits and riches of cultural diversity without analyzing them, where situations of profound inequality are reflected in all areas of the action and conduct of people.
PROPOSAL OF Homo Sapiens
Our proposal is that people in diverse parts of the world have access to the cultures and knowledge of other communites and their multiple problems, to construct a network of cooperation and mutual solidarity, validating the multiple cultural expresions as a tool to encourage the human potential as an expression of identity. Given that culture is dynamic and finds itself in constant tension between the legacy of previous and present generations, it is important to be able to realise the complexity of the diverse situations, contexts, forms of living and world views that are developed in the present, to be able to break stereotypes.
Homo Sapiens has the ambitous objective of arriving at an understanding of the motives of historical and contemporary problems that exist at the time of interacting with “others” distinct to “us”, independent of the place they belong to, utilising distinct types of language and knowledge; academic, pedagogical, literary, poetic and artistic.
As human beings we are diverse and belong to the same species, for the moment we are restricted to share a small space, planet Earth. It is our responsibility to do everything we can to produce a place more agreeable to live in.
- Generate spaces for research, exposition and reflection of themes that deal with racism, cultural diversity, relations of power and their consequences throughout history.
- Instruct regarding the origins of racism, it’s evolution, repercussions, and manifestations in the present.
- Spread art, sport and the cultural traditions as tools in the development of human potential.
- Utilise traditional expressions as a mediator for the construction and expression of identity.
- Promote access to the higher education of young people.
- Rescue, document and distribute oral expressions.
- Encourage Cultural Tourism.
- Create a path to the self-generation of sustainability.
- Strengthen projects that are already en action.
- Contribute with links of cooperation and solidarity.
- Encourage the participation and articulation of distinct social actors through the work of networks.
- Impulse activities which promote human rights.
- Build dialogue with Embassies, International Organisations, Government Departments, Universities, etc, to encourage the diffusion of the distinct activities which impulse the Institute.
