AMRAPAALI January 2015 | Page 17

NEWSTREK Amrapaali / January 2015 THINK GLOBAL, • Amrapaali Report ACT LOCAL! The phrase Think Global, Act Local has been in use for different prospects of planning, societal aspects, tourism, business, etc. With this perfect thought, public and private sectors have joined hands with UNESCO for development of marketing strategies and organizational matters alongwith cultural industries. The project titled as Paralelo 9XM, keeping in view promoting the nine cities of Mexico: Chihuahua, Zacatecas, Aguascalientes, Tijuana, Mérida, Tlaxcala, Pachuca, Toluca and San Pedro Cholula. The title delivers a powerful statement that the goal of strengthening cultural and creative industries in Mexico starts at the local level. This project was launched in 2013, by National Conference of Cultural Municipal Institutions (CONAIMUC) with the support from UNESCO’s International Fund for Cultural Diversity (IFCD). Mexican hats Photo courtesy: Communitytable.com 17 Mayté Cordeiro, Director at CONAIMUC remembers an instance: “In the city of Mérida, we decided to hold a very specific workshop, designed to bring local public authorities and local entrepreneurs together in one room. The goal was to encourage them to debate and express their needs, points of view and opinions. They discussed. They argued. They exchanged. And in the end, what came out of it was the creation of a specialized office in Mérida to help entrepreneurs in a variety of aspects, from revising a business project to providing advertising media spaces for a product or service. For the first time, entrepreneurs and local government were working together. And that’s great not just for the city of Mérida, but for the whole region of Yucatán.” Ramón Antonio Gil Ramírez, Pachuca, former Director of Culture turned entrepreneur have been a clear winner of being part of the Paralelo 9XM. He proudly states that, “This project has helped local authorities understand the role culture plays in local development processes. And that’s absolutely vital to strengthen the relationship between both sectors, because it ignites changes and investments on a structural level, which, in the long run, can generate more opportunities to improve the quality of life in Hidalgo.” HOME