Culture matters for development. What influences more a society's ability to reinvent itself than culture? Who more than artists can lead us to feel and see things differently? What is development cooperation if not an intercultural dialogue? What would our daily life look like without the possibility to enjoy and find food for thoughts in a book, a play, a movie or music - or without the possibility to express ourselves in a creative, symoblic way? Naturally, culture matters for SDC. SDC has always taken culture into account in its work, and has a long tradition in supporting cultural expressions, especially in their artistic form. In the strategy for Swiss international cooperation, culture and arts explicitely mentioned as means of operationalisation. In practice, at least 1% of SDC operational budget for programs is used to support culture "in and of" SDC partner countries. Now beyond facts and statements: how do we at SDC integrate arts and culture in our activites in a way that makes sense and adds value towards our development objectives? We are here to share good practice, learn from each other, and show how arts and culture make the difference for the people and the world we work for. This facebook account is a stepping stone for our community. It starts modestly and will develop according to our interests and needs. It shall not become a mere deposit but foster interaction among us and animate colleagues to look at the potential of arts and culture for our work.
