Abstract
Although culture is left out as a standalone goal in Agenda 2030 of the United Nations, its role in providing a transformative force for sustainable development has attracted wide attention in recent years. According to the complex system perspective prevailing in sustainable development literature, culture is a nexus that interacts with many sub-systems to create synthetic effects on pursuing an equal, diversified, inclusive, and sustainable future. Inherited cultural heritages have the potential to become shared capital for the disadvantaged to improve their economic well-being. Shared cultural values and traits can enhance solidarity in mobilizing collective actions for creating and governing public goods. Recognition of diversified culture promises inclusive public participation and equitable political decisions. While these theoretical potentials are well acknowledged, how beneficial cultural conditions can emerge is still puzzling. This paper illustrates the coevolution between cultural diversity and sustainability through the dynamics among political identity, placemaking initiatives in cultural revitalization, and collaborative governance in Taiwan. In the course of democratic consolidation, Taiwan has also been retrieving diverse cultural origins and maintaining a good balance between ethnic identity recognition and a fate-sharing identity as a modern state. By examining down-to-earth cases, this paper illustrates how the former has contributed to generating innovative ideas for just development, and the latter promised collective actions for the ideas to be realized.
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Cultural Commons, Heritage Conservation, Solidarity Economy, Identity Politics, Social Innovation
