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Poland - the Land of Practical Beauty |
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An international conference is to be held in Zamosc on May 20 and 21 to deal with the role of tradition in inspiring the development of local communities. The conference organised by the Foundation of Culture will inauguate the Foundation's new project called "Roots and Wings". Ryszard Zółtaniecki PhD, the president of the Foundation elaborates on the project and the conference.
One of the ways to preserve the unique diversity of cultures which accounts for the phenomenon of Europe is by invoking local and regional traditions. All enlightened people are aware that development of civilisation, and by the same token of the economy, is not feasible without cultural development. But no such money is available in Poland that could autonomously stimulate the development of culture. Hence the field of culture and that of the economy have to be joined and organic mechanisms have to be found that would stimulate that process. The second element which I think is of essential significance consists of regional mobilisation. It has been often the case that people in neglected areas and in state of civilisation and often of moral degradation, are looking for a miracle, expecting that somebody will come and provide. To spur up regional development in the 1970s, the Swedes conceived the motto of "Dig where you are", telling the populace not to wait for a miracle but find something alluring in their area".
Our project pursued along this line of thinking is called "Roots and wings". It is an attempt at finding an answer as to which elements of local traditions could be used by autonomously acting communities to generate economic resources. We have fine traditions -hence how could these inherited traditions, customs, folklore and even microclimate be taken advantage of for promoting civilisation development and determining a qualitatively new future?
For the objective to be achieved is civilisation advancement and by no means stimulating symbolic activities of various communities.
I think that one of the things that has still not been tapped in our country and in Europe consists of local products perceived in a much wider sense than what Brussels has inscribed to them. EU legislation has very clearly defined what a local product should be, how should it be marked and certified. We have a much broader perception of a local product. For us a local product is something locally specific that can be of importance for the local community in both a material and symbolic dimension. It is a guarantee of our identity. A regional product must be enveloped in ideology to take on specific features. For if there is no ideology, we shall find a whole series of identical products which can hardly be noticed in their mass. There must be some ideological distinction that would launch the respective product. Forgotten traditions have to be revived but this should not end up with a folklore presentation but translate into well being and better life quality of the community.
In pursuing our objectives we have been collaborating with the “Association of Regional and Local Product" and the "Regional Development Foundation". Our task has been to inspire and generate ideas. This specificity of reviving traditions for sake of generating well being and higher civilisation quality of regions also entails the region's tourist attractiveness. This is one of the reasons why the conference will be held in Zamosc. For one, it is situated on the longest external European border. This is a region of very rich traditions and at the same time in need of civilisation advancement. And last but not least - Zamosc is unknown in Europe. Yet it is one of the most beautiful places, which - to start with should not be there - for it is Renaissance in pure form, unspoiled by later styles. And one more reason - the exceptional mayor of Zamosc, that is Marcin Zamojski, the son of the last heir in tail.
We believe that the project can be pursued on several planes. First of all - on the regional plane in the geographic sense but it may also exist on the plane of various specific groups within the society.
The motto "Roots and wings" which we conceived has a double meaning, for on one side it means tradition and future, and on the other a material and symbolic value. We would like to do this all under an appealing name, and the one we have chosen is "Poland - the Land of Practical Beauty".
am convinced that the program initiated by thu Foundation of pro moting civilisation development resorting to local and regional traditions may contribute not only to increased citizen's activity but could also become an interesting platform of international communication and consequently an instrument of promoting Poland in Europe and in the world.
RYSZARD ZÓŁTANIECKI PhD
President of the Foundation of Culture
ECONOMIC MAGAZINE
Polish Market
Mo 4(116) APRIL 2006 |
