Where Creativity Fuels Prosperity — Global Issues

A vibrant world of the orange economy is emerging, also known as the creative economy.

But what exactly is it and how does it promote peace, accelerate sustainable development and empower communities?

What is the orange economy?

The term “orange economy” was first coined by former Colombian President Iván Duque Márquez and former Minister of Culture Felipe Buitrago. It is a color that resonates across cultures in the creative, religious and cultural spheres.

In an exclusive interview with UN News Speaking at the fourth UN-backed World Entrepreneurs Investment Forum (WEIF), held recently in Manama, Bahrain, Mr Buitrago explained why.

“If you think about activities such as audiovisual media, filmmaking, television, video games, music in all its forms, but also crafts, visual arts, theatre and also activities such as design, fashion and increasingly other digital expressions of communication, you are talking about something that represents us, our identity in different forms,” he said.

“Those creative expressions live together in a very rich ecosystem where you have makers, dreamers, but also doers, entrepreneurs and policymakers, and that is a very powerful sector of the economy,” he added.

The power of creativity in Bahrain

In the heart of Bahrain, Sudanese interior designer Ammar Basheir found himself at a crossroads after returning from studying in the UK. Faced with a job market that demanded experience he lacked, he took a leap of faith and unwittingly blazed a trail in the emerging orange economy.

“I was rejected from every job I applied for because I was a fresh graduate,” he recalls.

The Orange Economy is, as he calls it, “the new kid on the block,” gaining recognition as a powerful engine for creativity, economic growth and cultural preservation, and a sector where collaboration and mutual support are vital, fostering a sense of community and shared purpose.

“The beauty of the Orange Economy is that the capital is the person’s idea,” said Mr. Bashir, whose company raised more than $10 million in capital in three years, a testament to the power of creativity in generating wealth and jobs. “We found that creativity makes money and creates jobs for people,” he said.

Promoting peace and understanding

The orange economy plays an important role in promoting peace and understanding between peoples, according to former Culture Minister Buitrago, who cited the rival gangs in Comuna 13 in Medellín, Colombia, as an example.

“We had two gangs brought together by the government and the mayor’s office, who together created a rap and reggaeton festival,” he explained.

With one gang pro-rap and the other pro-reggaeton, organizers set up a stage that alternated between musical styles. By sharing the spotlight, the gangs realized their shared passion for music, that reggaeton and rap were not so different and that they could coexist, he said.

“That reduced the violence and helped them find other ways to promote the development of the communities,” he added, “rather than just trying to control them through fear.”

Connecting culture and trade in Morocco

Fatima Zouhra, a young artist from Morocco, owns a family business called Yatto, together with her family, which specializes in making dolls dressed in traditional Moroccan clothing. The word yatto, as Fatima explained to her, UN Newsis a Moroccan Berber name that is easy for everyone to pronounce.

“During the lockdown, we just stayed home, there was nothing to do,” she said. “My sister, my mother and I made a lot of dolls, because my mother sells a lot of dolls. We found out that we had a lot of dolls, so we dressed them up.”

After the lockdown, they took part in an exhibition in Morocco and sold the dolls.

“People really liked the dolls because they are very Moroccan, because the little kids play with American Barbies,” she said. “We want to give the kids the idea of ​​playing with Moroccan dolls, with Moroccan clothes.”

Accelerating the SDGs

But how does the orange economy help accelerate growth? the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Developmentwhat is considered a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet? Mr. Buitrago explained.

“If you examine the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), you will notice that none of them explicitly mention the words culture, art or creativity,” he said. “But if you dig deeper, you will see that creativity, culture and art serve as both a means and an end of the SDGs. This is very powerful, because culture is an excellent and important tool that brings people together to achieve many of the SDGs.”

He said that culture promotes employment, inclusion, ecological sustainability of cities, better education and cooperation.

“When we come together, when we talk to each other, when we share our perspectives on the world, we are engaging in a cultural exchange,” he added. “This is critical to achieving the SDGs.”

Empowering Women in Ethiopia

Samrawit Mersiehazen, a visionary creative designer from Ethiopia and creative director of Samra Leathers, uses fashion to address economic imbalances and empower women in her country.

“In the fashion industry we provide a lot of employment, especially for women, and we add value for women and society,” she said. UN News, underscores the importance of the orange economy in addressing pressing problems in Ethiopia and across Africa.

Ms Mersiehazen highlighted a lack of educational support for creative industries, saying that although the Ethiopian government has established more than 20 major universities in the past two decades, none focus on nurturing talents in creative fields.

“We are educating a lot of doctors and engineers, who after graduation spend years looking for a job,” she said. “These big facilities have not helped with job creation. So, this kind of orange economy with the creative industry, people like me, provide a lot of jobs, especially for women.”

Ms. Mersiehazen’s enterprise demonstrates how the creative sector can lead to substantial employment opportunities. Samra Leather, known for its products ranging from bags to clothing for both men and women, is a beacon of what can be achieved when creativity is harnessed as an economic force.

A call to cherish cultural artifacts

When the co-founder of the term, Mr. Buitrago, reflected on the dynamic world of the orange economy, he urged us not to overlook the cultural artifacts that shape people’s identities.

“The message is that sometimes we take for granted that there is a craft, or that there is a painting, or that there is a melody from our heritage, and that is stupid,” he said.

“We must take it seriously, because it is a message from the past being told to us by someone who is alive today and who is willing to dream about the future with us.”