Copyright and cultural development

Jul 22, 2016 Letters

Dear Editor,

Copyright legislation and implementation is a pre-requisite for cultural development.
I am simply not impressed with the responses given to Ms Kiana Wilburg in her interview with Mr. Ruel Johnson, Cultural Advisor, published in the Kaieteur News edition of the 18th July 2016 under the headline “Struggling cultural institutions and musicians”.
While I commend Mr. Johnson for fighting a good fight defending his cause, he does not represent our cause as a collective in the cultural industry. Since taking office as an advisor, Mr. Johnson has not scheduled meetings with those actively involved in the cultural industry to understand their plight and realize why the associations are finding it difficult to survive in this unhelpful climate.
Now that the audit has unearthed the blatant discrepancies within the Ministry of Culture Youth and Sport, it is now SOCU responsibility to deal with those culpable. Mr. Ruel Johnson role is to work with the cultural activists, groups and associations to develop a cultural policy to avoid a repeat of what happened under the previous administration. Consultation should be held across our 10 Regions to carve a national cultural policy, but do we have to wait until the end of this consultation to stop the pirates who are openly stealing people’s music and putting it for sale on those carts? This is open theft condoned by the state totally against international best practices.
When I see these things happening I wonder why those in authority are condoning this lawlessness. Are they in any way benefitting from this act that keep committed poets, musicians, singers, dramatists, dancers, writers and many others in poverty here in Guyana?
When I travel to Barbados, on my arrival at the airport, I can immediately put my CD which is a collection of poems on sale and receive $35 BDS per CD. I do not know the contents of their policy but I know my work is protected by their copyright legislation, and should I find anyone selling my work he can pay a fine of $5000 BDS and six months in prison. But here at home people run around pirating your work that you would have invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in and selling for $200 GUY=$1US per CD.
The Ministry of Culture Youth and Sport do not allow the Calypso Association to function as it should. Calypsonians over the years have been continuously used and abused by this institution. They take the funding offered by Banks DIH and other private sector bodies and do what they like for Mashramani and other national events, treating calypsonians with utter disrespect. Mashramani calypso competitions must be organized and presented by calypsonians. This is something Mr. Johnson as an advisor on culture should be prepared to defend.
It’s time to prepare proper accommodation for our brilliant men and women who operate on Main Street, Georgetown offering their work of art to the public in very adverse condition. Why can’t we activate a cultural village where craftsmen and women can work and offer their work decently to the public especially tourists as is done in Barbados and other countries promoting cultural tourism? The infrastructure and buildings must be established by the Government with assistance from those creative minds who will occupy them. We need a bookstore that is built to sell the work of local writers. This will encourage young creative writers and promote reading in this society.
Our cultural policy must address the issues of cultural development in schools, integration of our indigenous cultures, international cultural exchange programs, the role of the University of Guyana in cultural development, the village movement and cultural development in general, culture as a tourism package, access to affordable musical instruments and other tools to be used in the industry.
We must bring an end to this lawlessness and Mr. Ruel Johnson must immediately begin consultation with the key stakeholders affected and those responsible for copyright legislation and its implementation.
RAS Aaron Blackman

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Copyright and cultural development

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