A cultural life is a basic right of the people, and the nation must actively ensure that its people's "cultural accessibility" will not be restricted due to factors including identity, age, gender, region, ethnicity, or physical/mental disability. Taiwan is a multicultural society.
Culturally, it recognizes the cultural differences among its various ethnic groups and aims to help the different groups better understand, accept, and appreciate the differences between one another, avoiding any form of discrimination and prejudice. In terms of resource allocation, the society should pursue efficiency and equality so that all people have equal opportunities while avoiding loss of effectiveness caused by overlapping of resources.
1. Origin
To adapt to a diverse society and ethnic development, the Ministry has long been committed to promoting policies for equal cultural rights. Through a variety of projects, gaps in cultural accessibility are eliminated, and true equality can be achieved.
2. Goal
The promotion of equal cultural rights is mainly aimed at promoting equal cultural accessibility across ethnic groups and to different objects, cultivating a culturally savvy population, encouraging equal participation in cultural activities, and bridging cultural divides.
3. Strategies
To adapt to a diverse society and the ethnic development, the Ministry has long been committed to the support, promotion, and study of the performing arts, counseling local governments to select and provide incentives to performing arts troupes that showcase Taiwan's cultural diversity.
4. Implementation
(1) The Ministry is responsible for carrying out subsidy plans for civic groups and local governments, to encourage all sectors to participate in activities that are accessible and multicultural.
(2) To promote accessibility, the Ministry will gradually upgrade the facilities of the Ministry and its affiliated institutions.
(3) The Ministry will conduct investigations and research regarding multicultural and equal cultural rights policy development and recommendations.
5. Concrete Steps
(1) Launching an Equal Cultural Rights Promotion Conference
To facilitate the integration of related resources, since 2017, the Ministry has convened Equal Cultural Rights Promotion Conferences. The aim of these conferences is to assist in bringing together Ministry resources and help the Ministry and affiliated agencies to promote, supervise, and implement policies of equal cultural rights. Within these conferences are six ad hoc groups: cultural facilities, art exhibitions and performances, promotion of publishing and reading, film, television and broadcasting promotion, information services, and regulatory review. Through the division of labor, they work toward the implementation various administrative goals.
(2) Promoting projects related to accessibility and equality
Plans for activities and measures targeting different groups (e.g. people with disabilities, gender issues, youth, new residents, indigenous peoples) are developed for various cultural establishments based on their own particular characteristics, with an aim to bridge gaps in cultural participation and achieve friendly and equal accessibility.
(3) Subsidies to NGOs and city/county governments for activities related to equal cultural rights
The Ministry will revise "The Direction for Equal Cultural Rights Subsidies," expanding the target groups of recipients (which must include women, people with disabilities, underprivileged rural communities, elderly and youth populations, new residents, indigenous peoples, and the Hakka people) and incorporating more explicitly the concept of multiculturalism. Through Ministry funding, more civil organizations and local governments are encouraged to promote equality and cultural diversity by applying for subsidies and investing in such work. This may encourage local governments to value the multicultural characteristics of Taiwan, thus contributing to the implementation of related policies.
(4) Continue to promote measures to optimize accessibility in cultural venues
The Ministry will continue to supervise the inspection and improvement of the services and facilities of the Ministry and its affiliated cultural establishments, improving them step-by-step to ensure that they meet accessibility standards, in order to meet the needs of a variety of audiences attending different forms of cultural activities.
6. Future Development
Cultural diversity is Taiwanese society's most precious intangible cultural asset. The focus of future development will be on sparking common prosperity with more ethnic groups, achieving cultural participation and sharing, establishing measures for equal cultural rights, and striving to bridge gaps of all kinds. Ultimately, the goal of a balanced development of cultural diversity will be achieved.