Mimeta this week launched the Sector Collective Program Organization aimed at fostering collaboration among multiple organizations and sponsors to address shared challenges and tasks within the cultural rights sector.

Mimeta has been deeply involved in supporting organizations working on cultural rights since 2008, particularly in regions like the Middle East, North Africa, and Sub-Saharan Africa. Through our experience, we have recognized that while organizations may work on similar issues independently, there's significant potential for greater impact through collaboration. Hence, the idea of a sector collective approach emerged, emphasizing joint efforts to address shared challenges within the cultural rights sector.

A Sector Collective Program Organization represents a departure from the traditional model of managing a portfolio of separate organizations operating their projects independently. Instead of merely overseeing individual projects, a Sector Collective Program Organization fosters collaboration among multiple organizations and sponsors to address common challenges within a specific sector.

This approach encourages shared goals, pooled resources, and collective efforts. In essence, it emphasizes a unified approach to problem-solving and leverages the collective experience, expertise and resources of diverse stakeholders to drive meaningful change.

An object in the work “Score for a longer conversation” by Bård Breivik

Mimeta has identified three key programs based on extensive dialogue and assessments with communities we have closely collaborated with over the years. These programs include:

Support for Safeguarding Artists: This program focuses on mobilizing resources to protect artists at risk, fostering collaborative efforts to increase funding for organizations involved in this vital work.
Realizing Artistic Rights and Freedom of Expression: The vision of this program is to establish a secure foundation for creativity by fostering a resilient supportive sector that upholds artistic rights and freedom of expression.
Exploring Narrative Impact: This program aims to enhance the capacity of civil society organizations to transform narratives and utilize them for social change, thereby amplifying their impact within their communities.

Each program has an operational program board responsible for progress, with regular meetings among program sponsors and an annual gathering for all participants. Tasks are allocated among professional experts and organizations in the sector in a manner that avoids duplication of efforts.

This initiative invites various stakeholders to participate in a collaborative approach, pooling resources and expertise to tackle issues collectively.

In addition, we are committed to implementing consistent approaches and systems for knowledge reporting, risk management, fund management, and compliance requirements across all programs, involving all participants. This ensures transparency and accountability throughout our operations. Currently, we are exploring options to facilitate seamless collaboration by having all participants work and communicate on a shared system platform.

We welcome organizations and sponsors who share the program visions and strategies and are interested in contributing to the advancement of cultural rights to reach out to us. Whether through direct involvement in the programs or alignment with our collective goals and strategies, their support is invaluable to us.

An idea is not strong in itself, nor is it becoming strong by some kind of embedded dynamics. Ideas need coinciding interest to grow, engagement to be visible, investments to move and network to be present.

You can find more information on our website at www.mimeta.org and contact us directly for further details or to express your interest.