Culture – at first sight the concept is a difficult one to grasp. Culture means both conservation and change; it encompasses both tradition and modernity. Culture is the lifeworld in which we move; which we have fashioned through our social coexistence and which we are constantly creating anew.

Culture is dynamic: it never stands still. Greater mobility, migration and digital networking are driving cultural diversity, interaction, momentum for change, adaptation and intermixing.

Culture is creative: in cultural forms of expression, people engage with their surroundings; they challenge, they organise, they explore new perspectives.

Culture is innovative: arts and crafts, product design, film and fashion are independent business sectors; they create jobs and compete in the international arena.

GIZ considers culture in all its diverse forms to be at the heart of development. It uses culture’s innovative potential and recognises the significance of cultural contexts in its partner countries. In GIZ's work, culture means:

• continual engagement and interaction with the lifeworld of the partner country
• use of cultural forms of expression to address social issues, facilitate exploration of cultural identity and provide impetus for change
• capacity development in the cultural sphere (culture management, cultural infrastructure, cultural policy, conservation of material and non-material cultural heritage)
• promotion of the cultural and creative areas of the economy.