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Leipzig Action Plan

Leipzig Initiative

The experiences and the results of the whole Cied Projects have produced an Action Plan to enhance the cultural dimension of development, named Leipzig Initiative (June 1999). In the framework of the Palermo Principles, the Leipzig Initiative affirms that, in the interest of European citizens, local and authorities must ensure the development and promotion of culturally-oriented sustainability, enhancing the role of European communities and local self governance; they must promote access to knowledge through education and life-long learning so as to ensure inclusion in the cultural field for all.

Starting from these tasks, the Initiative will develop, promote and organise a broad dissemination and exchange of experience of local strategies for a culture oriented sustainability. Together with the citizens and other cultural initiatives, associations, institutions all over Europe, the Initiative will:

  1. establish a network working for "European Cities and towns as cultural based facilities for development";
  2. work on a European Greenbook about culture and development based on the "Cied Good Practice Manual" and will also keep on exploring the relationships between cultural heritage, innovation and sustainable development;
  3. seek opportunities for investments in the cultural fields of economic development;
  4. hold annual meetings of the Initiative on different topics in cultural based European Cities and Towns and those which consider culture an essential part of economic development;
  5. organise the propagation and exchange of experience and best practice on cultural-oriented sustainability;
  6. promote the creation of a European Culture Fund to assist communities in rehabilitating cultural heritage and to assist in generating public/private partnership;
  7. work on political advocacy at local, regional, federal and European level to adopt and implement the cultural rights of development for a more peaceful, democratic, sustainable development;
  8. promote the central place of education and knowledge in the development of Cities, towns and localities;

Finally, the Initiative would ensure that the action plan and the political declaration are transmitted and incorporated into activities, undertaken by Unesco, the Council of Europe, the European Parliament and Commission and other international organisations and it would assist in the optimal use of their programmes. Under this task, the Cied partnership is going to launch a European Campaign for the cultural-centred sustainable cities, as a "lobbying" network to enhance the cultural dimension of development.

The experiences and the results of the whole Cied Projects have produced an Action Plan to enhance the cultural dimension of development, named Leipzig Initiative (June 1999). In the framework of the Palermo Principles, the Leipzig Initiative affirms that, in the interest of European citizens, local and authorities must ensure the development and promotion of culturally-oriented sustainability, enhancing the role of European communities and local self governance; they must promote access to knowledge through education and life-long learning so as to ensure inclusion in the cultural field for all.

Starting from these tasks, the Initiative will develop, promote and organise a broad dissemination and exchange of experience of local strategies for a culture oriented sustainability. Together with the citizens and other cultural initiatives, associations, institutions all over Europe, the Initiative will:

  1. establish a network working for "European Cities and towns as cultural based facilities for development";
  2. work on a European Greenbook about culture and development based on the "Cied Good Practice Manual" and will also keep on exploring the relationships between cultural heritage, innovation and sustainable development;
  3. seek opportunities for investments in the cultural fields of economic development;
  4. hold annual meetings of the Initiative on different topics in cultural based European Cities and Towns and those which consider culture an essential part of economic development;
  5. organise the propagation and exchange of experience and best practice on cultural-oriented sustainability;
  6. promote the creation of a European Culture Fund to assist communities in rehabilitating cultural heritage and to assist in generating public/private partnership;
  7. work on political advocacy at local, regional, federal and European level to adopt and implement the cultural rights of development for a more peaceful, democratic, sustainable development;
  8. promote the central place of education and knowledge in the development of Cities, towns and localities;

Finally, the Initiative would ensure that the action plan and the political declaration are transmitted and incorporated into activities, undertaken by Unesco, the Council of Europe, the European Parliament and Commission and other international organisations and it would assist in the optimal use of their programmes. Under this task, the Cied partnership is going to launch a European Campaign for the cultural-centred sustainable cities, as a "lobbying" network to enhance the cultural dimension of development.

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