Louis Armstrong. Duke Ellington. Benny Goodman.
Many musicians claim to embody American music, but no others come close
in their ability to pull at the heart strings of the poor and disenfranchised around
the world. The Diplomacy of Jazz is the
story of how U.S. developmental agencies utilized jazz musicians to carry a
message of hope when politics and financial incentives failed.
During the 1950s and 1960s,
Jazz music was used as an extension of U.S. national diplomacy. The initiative is credited as crucial in
transforming relations in the Cold War era, and helped reshape capitalism and democracy's
image worldwide. Jazz music and jazz
musicians were viewed with such esteem; they had an outsized impact in
diminishing the social credibility and appeal of Soviet communism within vulnerable,
third world states.
Jazz Diplomacy argues that this musical method of winning hearts and minds often transcended economic and strategic priorities. Even so, the goal of containing communism remained paramount, and it prevailed over America's policy of redefining relations with emerging new nations in Africa, Asia, and Latin America[1].
So what can we as
innovators, learn about the effects of Jazz on cultural change? Investment in the arts relies on the idea that
if time is taken to understand what drives a community first, aid workers and entrepreneurs
alike can tailor more effective, localized solutions. A good recent example of this type of
investment in art can be seen in the film "The Recycled Orchestra," about
a group of children from a Paraguayan slum who play instruments made entirely
of garbage. Within the context of
extreme poverty and unsustainable waste pollution, the movie strives to educate
audiences on recycling and sustainability topics through social media and
partnerships with environmental organizations[2]. Incorporating philanthropy and localized
social service, the movie creatively brings awareness to issues that revolve
around the poor in Paraguay.
In many ways art can
influence innovators to think outside the box in exploring new opportunities. However, social entrepreneurs must always be
aware of practical constraints that can prohibit effectively utilizing art,
such as in the case of starvation, disease and/or war.
As one current example, one of the largest global crises and largest need for aid exists in the Central African Republic. The sectarian violence has created a human catastrophe of violence and starvation to the point that the United Nations now says rebuilding the fragile, poor nation torn can no longer be done cheaply or independently. The country has no functioning court system, and police officers and prison guards have not been paid for months. Aid agencies had warned for years that the country needed far more development assistance, and had long been neglected by donors. United Nations officials continue to warn of the risk of genocide[3]. Obviously, focusing on art in the Republic, say by providing guitars to the starving, would be unhelpful and in essence immoral. Understanding priority for relief and developmental tiers is crucial for any social causes:
As one current example, one of the largest global crises and largest need for aid exists in the Central African Republic. The sectarian violence has created a human catastrophe of violence and starvation to the point that the United Nations now says rebuilding the fragile, poor nation torn can no longer be done cheaply or independently. The country has no functioning court system, and police officers and prison guards have not been paid for months. Aid agencies had warned for years that the country needed far more development assistance, and had long been neglected by donors. United Nations officials continue to warn of the risk of genocide[3]. Obviously, focusing on art in the Republic, say by providing guitars to the starving, would be unhelpful and in essence immoral. Understanding priority for relief and developmental tiers is crucial for any social causes:
“…I must study politics and war, that
our sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy. Our sons ought
to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history and naval
architecture, navigation, commerce and agriculture in order to give their
children a right to study painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary,
tapestry and porcelain.”
John Adams - Letter to Abigail Adams (12 May 1780)[4]
The above quote by John Adams
highlights how the flow of creativity pushes away from economics and towards
artistic endeavors once a society becomes stable enough to support it. In light of the practical restrictions to
supporting the arts in development budgets, many of these projects can be implemented
at low cost and can be simultaneous with other development efforts. Therefore philanthropists should support the
arts, even within the world’s poorest areas.
Arts can inspire more so than pure financing can.
In all, it must be understood that all problems
cannot be solved by throwing money at it.
Other aspects of the human condition must be addressed in order for
people to truly believe that better things are possible. Making the most of the world’s development
budgets requires appropriate development planning frameworks and effective
industrial policies that are evidence based and take into account what
influences linkage breadth and depth, as well as the structural and
country-specific linkage drivers[5]. But exploring artistic endeavors can be the
perfect complement to giving hope to those most in need.
Chris, I found your blog really amazing, and actually something that I have seen happening in developing countries. I have some artists’ friends in Mexico who are bringing art to poor areas. I have two friends, one was working with the government and the other is a contemporary dancer. Both of them got together to promote art in poor communities and create different workshops so people in these communities could participate. Their idea is that through these workshops, people would start developing their creativity, and government could support them by financing cultural programs in low income communities.
ReplyDeleteChris - This is a packed post and much appreciated for its unique view on development interventions. As we discussed in person, my son is exploring a similar construct with hip hop and rap - both in the US and South Africa. He loved your post, and I hope he sees a connection to a development innovation, as well.
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