Política Exterior.

Spreading Mexican culture up North

By Avinash Gavai

Published September 8, 2010

Embassy Photo: Miguel Mojedano Batel, the Mexican Embassy’  new cultural attaché, hopes his diverse background will help him succeed in

Ottawa.

The Mexican Embassy's new cultural attaché, Miguel Mojedano Batel, may

appear disarmingly young, but his baby-face belies a will and fierce

determination that may put his older peers to shame.

A veritable newcomer into the world of bureaucracy and foreign policy, Mr.

Mojedano's lack of governmental experience may in time prove to be his biggest

strength as he manages Mexico's cultural interactions in Canada.

"This is my first time working at an embassy," he says. "I spent many years in

Europe and did my BA in Barcelona. Then I continued my education in graphic

design, then I did a post graduate course in the London College of

Communication. I worked there in a publishing agency that put out about eight or

nine magazines."

He eventually did go back to Mexico, becoming an employee of a marketing and

advertising agency whose clientele included large and prestigious brands such

as Samsung. It's this type of unconventional technocratic background which Mr.

Batel thinks will add value to his new and challenging cultural assignment.

"Our culture is diverse and huge in Mexico, and since I have that [cultural]

background, and am used to giving an image for a brand or a country, there was

a space that was open for the skills that I work with," says Mr. Batel. "It was a

great opportunity and the ambassador is very committed to promoting the culture

of Mexico and we have a great agenda for this semester."

Cultural co-operation represents one of the most dynamic and over-looked

aspects of the bilateral relationship between Canada and Mexico. Canadian

artists and performers have become increasingly prominent on the Mexican

cultural scene, and personal exchanges and collaborations between artists and

cultural personalities are becoming ever more frequent, helped by the fact that

there is a prominent Mexican-Canadian artistic diaspora in Canada.

Since 1995, for example, the Banff Centre for the Arts in Alberta has partnered

with Mexico's National Fund for Culture and the Arts (FONCA) to invite Mexican

artists from such disciplines as varied as music, visual arts, writing, dance and

translation to participate in workshops, thereby increasing the levels of cultural

contacts between the two countries.

The Mexican Embassy has tried to step up efforts in Ottawa as well, especially in

a year where Mexico is celebrating its bicentennial year of independence and

centennial anniversary of the Mexican revolution. Mr. Batel stands at the

vanguard of the efforts, with extensive and exhaustive preparations taking place

for Mexico's national day, scheduled to take place on Sept. 15.

"In terms of cultural events, we have shown a mariachi group and presented

them at the University of Ottawa. Organizing these events, trying to get

sponsorships, getting people to come to the events these are all related," he

says.

Mr. Batel, along with his supportive ambassador Francisco Barrio, are hoping to

set a vibrant agenda in Ottawa in a multitude of other cultural fields, the most

prominent being a Mexican film festival soon to be held at Library and Archives,

and the traditional Day of the Dead commemorations that take place on Nov. 2.

"In the short term, there will be a Mexican Revolution series showing at the

Library and Archives which is going to be starting on [Sept. 13], which will end on

[Sept. 20] with a movie on Pancho Villa (one of the most prominent Mexican

Revolutionary generals)," he says. "We are also planning a Day of the Dead

show in the Museum of Civilization. It's a really special day in our culture, and

shows how we celebrate our dead."

Mexico is these days, unfortunately, known more for its violent drug crime and

gang warfare along the border with the United States than its culture, a point that

has irked its elected officials, who worry about the impact it will have on the

country's tourism and image.

When asked about the prevalence of violence in his country, Mr. Batel prefers to

point out the cultural richness of his nation.

"If you want to talk about security there's a person responsible for that, but we

have so much more than violence; we have a great culture, with literature,

cinema, etc. And there are so many positive things that are happening in our

country. These are extensions of the good things happening back home."

Fuente: http://www.embassymag.ca/