The cities of Ramallah and Sao Paulo are the winners of the 7h Mexico City Culture 21 International Award, which recognises cities and individuals advancing culture as a pillar of sustainable development.
The 2026 individual winners are Dr. Nancy Duxbury, PhD in Communication from Simon Fraser University in Canada and a leading scholar in the global conversation on culture and sustainability; and Prof. Dr. Amareswar Galla, Salzburg Global Fellow, Emeritus Faculty at the Australian National University in Canberra and Founding Executive Director of the International Institute for the Inclusive Museum.
Rocío Lombera, from Mexico City, presented the finalists and winners of the Award in Tangier. “Culture has been named as a fourth pillar of sustainable development, but we believe that it is something deeper: the heart of our essence as human beings and people,” she said. “Mexico City wants to recognise the local and regional governments that deserve this award.” The winners will be officially recognised on 7 and 8 October in Mexico City.
The Projects
Ramallah. “Living Heritage for a Resilient Future” is a long-term municipal policy that aims to safeguard and activate cultural heritage as a living urban resource. Facing a context of ongoing occupation, this citywide initiative reflects the city’s strategic commitment to preserve, revitalize, document and make accessible cultural heritage as a core element of identity, memory, belonging and social cohesion. The initiative brings together local communities, cultural practitioners, educational institutions and national stakeholders, to put in place targeted interventions, including local protection legislations, inclusive annual awareness programmes, and the preservation of the city’s archives and museum. The Jury highlighted this initiative as a remarkable example of a wide and solid local policy based on cultural rights and with a gender perspective that values and ensures continuity of collective memory and heritage across generations.
São Paulo. “VAI Program (Valorization of Cultural Initiatives)” is an initiative that recognizes young people as creators and producers of actions relevant to society, across a wide variety of artistic and cultural expressions. VAI Program provides financial support for artistic and cultural activities, primarily those developed by low-income youth from areas lacking resources and cultural facilities in the city of São Paulo. It is based on the acknowledgement of culture as a fundamental right, and on the understanding that it is the responsibility of the public sector to promote and encourage such practices, especially in the city’s peripheral areas. The Jury emphasizes the positive impact that this initiative has had over the years, including the promotion of civic participation of youth in the implementation and evaluation of cultural policies, and its recognition as an important public tool for social inclusion and gender equality.
You can find all the details at: https://agenda21culture.net/award