Equality
and Liberty
The foundation is committed to a vision that is non-discriminatory
on the grounds of race, nationality, ethnic origin, class, caste,
gender, faith, age, or sexual orientation. The foundation will
abide by democratic values, is committed to the freedom of conscience,
thought and expression, to social justice, to a fair, equitable,
just and ecologically sustainable world.
Dissent
The foundation is committed to intellectual rigor, values dissent
and the importance of listening to lone and solitary voices. It
places the highest value on the creation of processes that re-define
and challenge our perception of reality, through acts of radically
transformative aesthetic engagement, play and wonder.
New
Voices
It will actively encourage new, young and unknown, or lesser-known
voices and expressions, and will support projects and processes
that are not capable of being appropriated by mainstream culture.
The
Public Domain
The foundation is committed to protecting and nurturing the public
domain of cultural and intellectual activity. It will strive to
foster cultural commons and collaborative initiatives that remain
steadfast and vigilant in ensuring that a vital degree of creative
activity and the fruits of the intellect remain accessible to
all by being free of the control of intellectual property regimes.
Special
Focus On The Humanities And Liberal Arts
The foundation is concerned about the erosion of the humanities
and the liberal arts, philosophy and the social sciences in many
parts of the world. It sees this erosion as part of a process
of global attacks on intellectual activity and consequently of
cultural decline, and as central to the crises that beset universities
and academia. The foundation will work to re-vitalize institutions,
initiatives and networks in order to create a vigorous climate
of creative engagement with the humanities, philosophy, and the
social sciences, and with the creative arts. The foundation is
committed to doing this in a manner that fosters the liberty of
intellectual and academic enquiry and the responsible exercise
of the freedom of expression.
Global
Cultural Sensibility
The foundation notes the welcome emergence of a global sensibility
in contemporary art, literature and media practice, and of works
of art that fuse a keen intellectual energy, an informed awareness
of political, social, ethical and ecological issues, and a commitment
to the opening out of formal and aesthetic horizons.
Intedisciplinary
The foundation emphasizes its belief in the value of dialogue
and collaboration between disciplines and practices, particularly
between people active in the sciences (especially life sciences,
environmental sciences and medicine, including emerging, alternative
& traditional practices and knowledge systems), technology,
philosophy, the liberal and fine arts (including performing arts
and the media), literature, journalism and the social sciences,
as well as individuals, organizations and initiatives active in
new social movements globally, and individuals and initiatives
who are active in reflective and contemplative practices that
focus on important ethical, social and cultural questions. |
