ICOM is preparing an issue of Museum International on the theme Museums and Local Development.
ICOM and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) have joined forces to highlight the role museums play in local development. To this end, the two organisations have developed the Guide for Local Governments, Communities and Museums, a road map for local governments, museums and museum professionals on how to define a local development agenda jointly, which promotes a more sustainable future. The Guide was launched and presented at the OECD conference in Venice in December 2018, where participants from all over the world discussed how culture can be a lever for economic development, the wellbeing of communities and a collective sustainable future in rural and urban areas.
We would like to open up this issue of Museum International to the broader international museum community by deepening the debate on the role of museums in fostering well-being and social sustainability in local communities. Our objective is to consider what well-being means in different global contexts, and the role of museums therein: from developing collaborative strategies with the health care sector; to enhancing the collective good; to cultural sustainability in biodiverse settings. We especially welcome proposals taking a bottom-up approach to the topic through the inclusion of community voice, and we aspire to represent all regions of the world in the discussion in order to enhance the impact of current debates and recommendations around local development.
The submission deadline is 11 April, 2019
