Agb Voorsitter, as ons kyk na wat ons tasbare en ontasbare kulturele erfenis insluit, kan ons inderdaad daarop trots wees dat ons met so 'n verskeidenheid gesen is. Ons het 'n ryk erfenis met uiteenlopende kulture, gebruike, tradisies, geskiedenisse en tale. Erfenisdag is die viering van hier die kleurryke verskeidenheid.
Die viering van ons erfenis gaan egter nie net oor die eie kulture van afsonderlike groepe nie, maar veelal ook oor uitreiking oor verskillende kultuurgrense heen. Elemente van nasionale eenheid, nasiebou en sosiale kohesie staan sentraal tot hierdie viering.
In die tema van vandag, val die fokus op die viering van ons tasbare en ontasbare erfenis om sosiale kohesie te bevorder.
Ten einde te besin oor die rol van erfenis in die bevordering van sosiale kohesie, moet daar ook gestel word dat erfenis veel meer as kommoditeite is. Erfenis bring ook die identiteit en waardigheid van individue en gemeenskappe tot uitdrukking. Dit is juis deur die ontasbare erfenis waar daar inhoud en sin aan die tasbare erfenis gegee word.
Die ontasbare erfenis sluit meer in as die eng definisie wat verwys na sang, dans, volksverhale, en orale vertellings. Dit verwys ook na sosiale waardes en tradisies, gebruike en praktyke, estetiese en spirituele oortuigings, artistieke uitdrukking, taal en ander aspekte van menslike aktiwiteite. Die betekenis van fisiese artifakte kan teen die agtergrond van sosio-ekonomiese, politiese, religieuse en filosofiese waardes van 'n spesifieke groep mense vertolk word. Uiteraard is dit moeiliker om ontasbare kulturele erfenis te bewaar as om fisiese voorwerpe te bewaar.
Dit is inderdaad ook so dat die waarde van kulturele erfenis tot 'n groot mate onderskat word. Ontwikkeling word dikwels gesien as 'n suiwer tegnologies en ekonomiese uitdaging met 'n onderbeklemtoning of totale miskenning van die ekonomiese waarde van kultuur en die feit dat waardevolle kennis opgesluit l in die diverse kulturele erfenisse van Suid- Afrika se mense.
Kulturele erfenis, beide tasbaar en ontasbaar, is 'n wonderlike hulpbron. Dit kan mense bemagtig, en dit kan mense beheer oor hul lewens teruggee. Dit kan mense se waardigheid herstel en het die moontlikheid om swaarkry en armoede te verlig.
Dit is dus uiters prysenswaardig en selfs edel om ons kulturele erfenis in diens van sosiale kohesie te stel. Maar as ons eerlik wil wees en werklik ernstig wil wees oor die viering van ons tasbare en ontasbare kulturele erfenis vir sosiale kohesie, dan is daar kritiese vrae wat beantwoord moet word. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[Dr A LOTRIET: Hon Chairperson, when we look at what is included with regard to our tangible and intangible cultural heritage, we can indeed be proud that we have been blessed with such diversity. We have a rich heritage with diverse cultures, practices, traditions, histories, and languages. Heritage Day is a celebration of this colourful diversity.
Celebrating our heritage, however, is not only about embracing the inherent cultures of distinct groups, but is, in fact, often about reaching out across the different cultural boundaries as well. Elements of national unity, nation-building, and social cohesion are central to this celebration.
In line with today's theme, the focus is on celebrating our tangible and intangible heritage in order to promote social cohesion.
Reflecting on the role that heritage plays in the promotion of social cohesion, it has to be stated that heritage includes more than just mere commodities. Heritage is also an expression of the identity and dignity of individuals and communities. It is precisely through intangible heritage that substance and meaning is given to tangible heritage.
Intangible heritage includes more than the narrow definition with reference to song, dance, folktales, and oral narratives. It also refers to social values and traditions, customs and practices, aesthetic and spiritual beliefs, artistic expression, language, and other aspects of human activities. The meaning of physical artefacts can be interpreted in context of the socio-economic, political, religious, and philosophical values of a specific group of people. It stands to reason that it is harder to preserve intangible cultural heritage than physical objects.
It is indeed a fact that the value of cultural heritage is to a large extent also underestimated. Often, development is perceived as a purely technological and economic challenge, underestimating or disregarding the economic value of culture and the fact that there is valuable knowledge inherent in the diverse cultural heritage of the people of South Africa.
Cultural heritage, both tangible and intangible, is a wonderful resource. It can empower people, once again giving them control over their lives. It can restore people's dignity and has the potential to alleviate hardship and poverty.
It is, therefore, highly commendable and even noble to employ our cultural heritage to attain social cohesion. But, if we want to be honest and really serious about celebrating our tangible and intangible cultural heritage to bring about social cohesion, then there are critical questions that have to be answered.]
Firstly, what is social cohesion? Do we all have the same sense of what it means? Do we all attach the same value to it? Secondly, we have to look at the scorecard. How successful has our cultural heritage been in promoting social cohesion? Can we indeed talk of social cohesion in South Africa?
Let us first look at what social cohesion is. It is a concept that we often encounter in many departmental documents such as policies and reports, as well as speeches. I wonder, however, how many people have actually asked what it is. Social cohesion can be seen as the glue that binds a society together. It has to do with social relations, norms, values and identities. Social cohesion is central to the social because it is impossible to have interactive social beings, collective identities and the social world without social cohesion. Social cohesion is reflected by the degree of harmony, co-operation and mutual respect that exist within a society.
The question then is: To what extent has social cohesion been achieved by means of celebrating our cultural heritage? In attempting to answer this question, we have to look at what the indicators are for social cohesion and how cultural heritage has or has not promoted it. The first indicator is a sense of belonging. Can it in all honesty be proclaimed that every citizen in this country experiences a sense of belonging - a sense, in the individual, of this is my country and I am welcome here, regardless of my race, my religion, my language, my own cultural heritage?
Is this sense of belonging fostered and nurtured by how elements of heritage are promoted and protected? Belonging also refers to identity, and part of one's identity refers to one's national identity. It is very easy to say that we are all South Africans, but it rings hollow when we hear of one's South African identity being judged in terms of the political party one belongs to. This was the case last week when a statement was made by a member of the ANC that voting DA means you do not want to be a part of South Africa and Africa. When your commitment to the country is judged on the basis of your party affiliation, there can be no claim of social cohesion. If there is no sense of belonging created by how we accommodate all the different cultural elements and identities in our heritage, we are not working towards belonging, but towards isolation and marginalisation.
Secondly, social cohesion requires inclusion. Inclusion concerns equal opportunities of access as well as the sense of being included and being represented in the cultural heritage. Does our cultural heritage reflect the whole of our heritage - tangible and intangible - or is it selective on the basis of what is acceptable to some? Heritage is about memory. And if we are selective about what is considered to be acceptable, proper and politically correct, we will have an artificially constructed heritage and memory - made to fit a specific purpose but without the real soul of people who have traversed many roads to reach a specific destination.
How can we tell the story of all the people of this country when we do not include and add to our cultural heritage, but think it is wise to remove and replace and even destroy? How is social cohesion promoted and attained when photos, works of art, buildings and other elements of cultural heritage are discarded and neglected because they do not fit the politically driven construct of what our cultural heritage should be?
Thirdly, social cohesion requires recognition as opposed to rejection. Recognition refers to respecting and tolerating differences in a country where we have a variety of cultures, languages and heritage. Instead of assimilating or obliterating variety and diversity, diversity must be harnessed to showcase cultural richness. The diversity of our cultural heritage should not be used to wall us into specific enclaves and stereotypes of minorities and majorities, but should be used as bridges to cross for new knowledge and experiences.
To answer the question whether social cohesion has thus far been achieved through our cultural heritage, the answer is unfortunately no, not yet. There are still too many instances of exclusion, marginalisation, disregard and neglect. Working towards social cohesion requires an intricate balance between the different elements of social cohesion. When we celebrate our tangible and intangible cultural heritage, we should be mindful of this balance between the individual cultural heritage and the national aim of social cohesion, as well as the dangers of an inability or unwillingness to fully embrace the totality of our heritage.
Ten slotte moet ons egter ook onthou dat dit nie realisties is en dat daar ook nie aan die doelstelling van sosiale kohesie, deur middel van die viering van ons kulturele erfenis, uitvoering gegee gaan word as dit tot een dag beperk is nie.
Daar moet deurlopend en aktief daaraan gewerk word om aan almal in die land 'n gevoel te gee dat hulle behoort en dat een en elkeen se kulturele erfenis belangrik is en gerespekteer word. Slegs so sal ons kulturele erfenis ook 'n kulturele nalatenskap vir toekomstige geslagte wees wat gesamentlik die toekoms in 'n oop geleentheid samelewing tegemoet kan gaan. Ek dank u. [Applous.] (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[In conclusion, we should however also bear in mind that it is not realistic and that we will not be able to achieve the objective of social cohesion by celebrating our cultural heritage if it is limited to one day.
Continuous and active work is required so that everyone in this country has a sense of belonging and that each and everyone's cultural heritage is important and respected. Only in this way will our cultural heritage also be a cultural legacy for future generations who, together, would be able to approach the future in an open opportunity society. Thank you. [Applause.]]