Culture

With Lula and Dilma, public policies recognize and support the strategic dimension of Culture for the country

More Brazilians producing and gaining greater and greater access to cultural goods. This is the result of 12 years of Lula and Dilma, who bequeathed to Brazil for the first time in history, an authentic state policy for culture. The budget rose from R$ 276.4 million in 2002 to R$ 3.27 billion in 2014.

Three National Culture Conferences ensured a voice for civil society. More than 4,000 points of culture sprang up across the country, promoting the cultural expression of the community. More and better public libraries were set up in the four corners of Brazil.

Recognizing the country's magnitude and cultural complexity, new guidelines were issued. More democratic access to goods, equipment, products and services, decentralization, regionalization and the bringing of projects to the hinterlands were the hallmarks of policies that were implemented. This included recognition of culture as an important part of the Brazilian economy. Culture that is more alive and stronger

What was already good we've improved. Created by Lula in 2014, the National Program Promoting Citizenship and Cultural Diversity (Living Culture) is now state policy. This ensures the continuity of the program's actions, independent of alternancy in the management of public administration.

Sanctioned by Dilma in 2014, the National Policy on Living Culture aims to increase access of the population to its cultural rights by strengthening the activities of cultural groups already active in the community.

The main tools to implement the new law are the Culture Points (non-profit cultural organizations that develop ongoing cultural activities in local communities); Large Culture Points (cultural spaces or regional and thematic networks that articulate the Culture Points) and the National Registry of Culture Points and Large Points (composed of groups that develop cultural activities and are certified by the Ministry of Culture).

The objectives of the National Living Culture Policy are:

• Ensure the full exercising of cultural rights to Brazilian citizens, providing them with the means and materials necessary to produce, record, manage and disseminate cultural initiatives;

• Encourage social leadership in the development and management of public culture policies;

• Promote a shared and participatory governance, supported by democratic mechanisms of dialogue with civil society;

• Consolidate the principles of social participation in cultural policies; • Ensure respect for culture as a right of citizenship and cultural diversity as a symbolic expression and an economic activity;

• Encourage existing cultural initiatives, through support and encouragement of the federal government, the States, the Federal District and the municipalities;

• Promote access to the means of cultural fruition, production and dissemination;

• Strengthen cultural initiatives, aimed at the construction of new cooperation and solidarity values, and expand education tools with education;

• Stimulate the exploitation, use and ownership of the codes, artistic languages and public and private spaces available for cultural action.