COOPERATION IN CULTURE AND INFORMATION ( COCI )


Cooperation in the field of culture and information conducted by the Committee on Culture are Information (COCI) during the year 1985/ 1986 placed emphasis on streamlining the Committee's mechanism and rationalising the great number of projects under its purview. These were undertaken through the reorganization of the committee's structure aimed at maximizing efficiency the implementation of various projects and programmes. The following four working groups were established on the approval of the 6th ASEAN Standing Committee in Kuala Lumpur in July 1985 :

The Chairmanship of each working group will every year. The working groups met for the first time in Manila, 8 - IO October 1985; in Singapore 2 - 5 October 1985 ; in Jogyakarta, 26 - 28 September 1985 and in Bangkok, 11 - 14 November 1985, respectively.

The Working Groups are responsible to the Committee for the implementation of projects and programme activities and related matters under their purview. They shall render technical advice, coordinate and monitor the progress of approved ASEAN COCI projects and submit their report to the Chairman of ASEAN - COCI.

Other important functions which the Working Groups are expected to perform are to make feasibility studies for implementation of deferred and new project proposals, merge old projects, and formulate the theme, format and modalities of approved projects.

During the short period of their establishment, the four Working Groups were able to reduce the frequency of preparatory meetings and may be considered as cost saving devices. They have been successful in the appraisal of new project proposals with the involvement of experts at this level. New project proposals and feasibility studies were discussed at great length to ensure that every approved project would have greater impact.

Merger of Projects

Based on the recommendations of the Working Groups, the 13th Meeting of ASEAN - COCI, Johor Baru, Malaysia, January 14 - 18 1986, endorsed the merger of the following projects :

Two on-going projects namely: ASEAN Exhibition of Painting and Photography, and ASEAN Exhibition of Children's Arts, have been merged into one entitled "First ASEAN Travelling Exhibition of Paintings, Photography and Children's Arts, scheduled to be organized in Financial Year 1987/1988.

Two on-going projects, ASEAN Cultural Exchange of Radio/TV Artistes, and ASEAN Song Festival, have been merged to become one project called "ASEAN Festival of Song" to be organized by Brunei Darussalam in October 1986. ASEAN Film Week and ASEAN Film Festival to be merged under its new title "ASEAN Film Festival/Event", to be hosted by the Philippines in FY 1987/1988. ASEAN Radio Cultural Programme Exchange and ASEAN Kinship through Music, have merged into the "ASEAN Radio Cultural Programme Exchange".

The ASEAN Television Cultural Programme package Exchange and ASEAN Music Interlude are now the "ASEAN Television Cultural Programme Exchange". Three projects namely: Study and Documentation of ASEAN Cultural Traditional Media Comparative Study on ASEAN Cultural Traditional Media - in ASEAN member countries. and Impact Assessment on the Uses of Indigenous Communication Systems in the Promotion of Socio-Cultural Development, have been merged into one called "ASEAN Cultural Traditional Media, scheduled for implementation in 1987/1988.

Implementation of Major COCI Projects

The highlights of major projects undertaken by the ASEAN - COCI and coordinated or hosted by the ASEAN member countries on a rotational basis during FY 1985/1986 were as follows :

The Fourth ASEAN Square Sculpture Symposium was the first major COCI project organized by Brunei Darussalam since it joined ASEAN in January 1984. The symposium was successfully held in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam, from 11 January to 24 February 1986. The site of the Square was at Persiaran Damuan near the Istana Nurul Iman. The six Sculptures with a common theme "HARMONY IN DIVERSITY", were done on-site by sculptors from the member countries. The workshops, held at the Indonesian Institute of the Arts, Yogyakarta, from 27 November to 6 December 1985, was participated by thirty seven youth painters from member countries. For 1 0 days the young artists had the opportunity to work together in a harmonious atmosphere exchanging ideas and experiences. The Workshop held in studio and outdoor sessions, comprised lectures, discussions and cultural activities. Two exhibitions were organized during the Workshop for the public, They were:

Study tours were conducted to artists' galleries, museums, temples, batik, silver and leather works factories to expose participants to Indonesian art and culture.

A travelling exhibition which began in Bangkok will end in Manila on 23 July 1986.

One hundred ASEAN youth-musicians and 32 music experts and officials participated in a two- week exchange of ideas and techniques, chamber music recitals, rehearsals and two culminating concerts in Bangkok, 7 - 21 April 1 986.

The Festival was successfully held in Singapore from 24 - 31 October 1985 and participated by 120 artistes from the member countries. All performances were held at the Victoria Theatre, while Panel Discussion and Workshop Sessions for Artistes were at the Drama Centre, During the festival, four public performances including an "ASEAN Night" and a panel discussion were featured. Only one paper "Continuity and Change in Dance, The ASEAN Experience" was submitted by the host country for discussions.

The Third Meeting of Experts on Anthology of ASEAN Literature took place in Manila, 2 - 3 December 1985, in conjuction with the launching of the respective Volumes I A/B of the participating countries which was attended by the diplomatic corps, local dignitaries, writers and heads of government departments. The Meeting discussed the publication of the second volume.

The project, held at Budging Valley, Kedah, Malaysia from 4 - 26 October 1985 had twenty five participants from member countries comprising gemorphologists, excavators, artists, architects, historians and conservationists. Delegates brought upon archaeology the perceptions of their individual disciplines They presented a Report on their studies.

The project was held In Bangkok, Thailand from 25 November to 2 December 1985. Forty eight artistes and officials participated in it, The rehearsals culminated with j Gala performance held at the Auditorium of Chulalongkorn University and was well received by the audience, which included Thailand's royalty, and widely covered by the media.

The presentations comprised a variety of programmes offered by the respective ASEAN countries' radio and television including each country's traditional and contemporary dances.

The Festival, participated by member countries, was held in Jakarta from 2 - 8 November 1985. It was one of the most successful COCI on- going Projects and aimed at promoting social- interaction among singers and composers of member countries. Participants from each member country rendered two popular songs, one traditional and one folk song. The folk song of one country was sung by another country's singers to provide for a meaningful interaction which continued with an ASEAN Songwriters Clinic and Workshop. Discussions held during the workshop helped to develop deeper awarness and consciousness among the composers of the region of the music and songs of member countries.

Singapore successfully hosted the Fifteenth ASEAN Film Festival from 18 to 23 November 1985featuringtopartistesandotherfilm personalities from the participation countries and the screening of feature and documentary films.

The project was held in Jakarta, Indonesia, from 5 to 24 August 1985 and designed to give participants not only practical exercises but also opportunities to gain knowledge and an insight on ASEAN as an organization for regional cooperation. The programme consisted of: (a) lectures by selected resource persons (b) class-room exercises, (c) panel discussions and (d) field trips/familiarization visits. Although the participants came from different backgrounds and with varying levels of experience and capability, they all gained from the course in terms of experience, especially knowledge and understanding about ASEAN. The participants presented their course evaluation and made recommendations to enhance the operations of the ASEAN News Exchange (ANEX).

The project was conducted in Manila, Philippines from 12 October to 10 November 1985, The courses consisted of two parts: the first provided the participants additional and wider perspectives for the production of television cultural programmes, the second concentrated on the technique and production process of cultural Programmes for television. The project was conceived as a support mechanism for the ASEAN member countries, with the goal of preserving and popularizing the cultural art forms indigenous to the region. As such, it served as a forum for the sharing and exchanging of ideas, experience and skill in maximizing the use of television to promote cultural exchanges. The general plan was to use the Philippine situation as a springboard for the discussion of the situation in other ASEAN member countries. At the end of the Course the participants produced a one hour cultural television programme entitled : Philippines: Land and People.

The second ASEAN Editors Conference was held in Pulau Pinang, Malaysia, from 10 to 12 September 1985. Besides ASEAN participants there were speakers, observers, and guests from India, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Great Britain, the United States and from international and regional news organizations. Resolutions on the setting up of a Co-ordination and Operations Centre for the ASEAN News Exchange (ANEX), lower communications tariffs, training and keeping abreast 7with the latest media technology, were adopted. In addition, the conference resolved that to give further impetus to ANEX, the National News Agencies and/or related news organizations of ASEAN member countries should immediately take concrete action towards the institutionalization of a regional and integrated coordination centre that would monitor, plan and supervise the operations of ANEX on a full time basis.

The documentary films on the "Socio- Cultural Aspects of ASEAN" and the "Economic - Industrial Structures of ASEAN" have been completed with the Philippines and Singapore respectively coordinating the production of the afore- mentioned films.

The above project has been fully implemented with the completion of the publication on the said study. The book will be formally launched at the 19th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting/Post Ministerial Conferences.

The Meeting of the Editorial Board of the above project was convened in Bangkok, 19 - 22 August 1985, to finalize the materials for Publication. The first book, the English Master Edition, has been printed and sent to the participating countries.

Project Proposals with Dialogue Partners

Apart from the projects that are funded by the ASEAN Cultural Fund, the COCI has also several project proposals with dialogue partners particularly Australia, Canada, the EC, New Zealand, United States and the UNDP.

ASEAN's cultural and information programmes which cover a great variety of activities under the five programme areas: visual arts, performing arts, literary work, ASEAN studies and communication media have contributed to the attainment of the ASEAN - COCI's objectives of preserving the cultural heritage of ASEAN member countries and fostering greater- interaction. and awareness of the different cultures of the region. Performances have led to a greater appreciation of the arts and culture of ASEAN in ASEAN itself.

The successes of ASEAN - COCI activities have laid a firm foundation for more meaningful cooperation and for expanding the ASEAN cultural horizon in the future and spreading understanding of ASEAN.