(ANALYSIS) The creative economy is about translating the inspiration of culture and ideas into high-value businesses and enterprises.  For billions of people around the world their faith is a big source of inspiration and creativity. Artificial intelligence will be a major disruptor of our economy. It will also allow many people to join the ranks of the creative economy like never before. In essence, faith has a role to play in the unfurling of the next chapter in humanity’s economic story.

Indeed, prior to the contemporary era most acts of human creativity, we celebrate today were directly related to divine inspiration. This includes ancient artifacts like the bust of Nefertiti and the Pyramids to Renaissance objects like Michelangelo’s “The Creation of Adam” a fresco which forms part of the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican City.

The recently concluded 4th World Conference on Creative Economy in Tashkent did not deal directly with faith, but attracted diverse individuals from around the globe from supermodel Naomi Campbell who took the stage to a priest who sat in the audience. Faith was even more present in part because the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation, who organized the event in partnership with United Nations Trade and Development and the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy of the Republic of Indonesia, is involved in restoration works around the country.

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Religion in many countries is a strategic reserve for what’s called the “Creative Economy.” For example, tourists around the globe include sightseeing to mosques, churches and temples in their itineraries. Similarly, history would suggest the pop stars of tomorrow are today members of youth choirs or similar groups. 

“From a historic perspective the creative economy began with religious inspiration in many places. You can see that in very diverse areas from painting and music for example around the world. In a Muslim country [like Indonesia]… we embrace differences and members of other religions bring their own ideas to the development of the creative economy,” said Sandiaga Uno, Indonesia’s then0Minister of Tourism.    

Orange is a color often associated with the Protestant faith and in Asia with Buddhism, Hinduism and Sikhism. It is also the color associated with the creative economy to differentiate — it from other macroeconomy buzzwords like the green economy and blue economy.

 “This summit is about encouraging the talented people here  not to leave the country. Instead of seeking high-paying positions abroad, we want to attract those jobs to Uzbekistan,” said Uzbekistan Minister of Digital Technologies, Sherzod Shermatov. “Digital platforms can help achieve millions of views globally, enabling monetization and additional income. We aim to create local role models and success stories, and by combining digital tools with creative talent, we can open new doors for our youth.”

The growth and development of the Orange Economy offers a growing and important sector — especially because polls show that from fashion to video games these are sectors in the economy which a growing number of youths see as important to their futures. There are other ways in which the creative economy growth goes hand in hand with the development of faith

“By focusing on creating an ecosystem where creatives can thrive within their home countries—leveraging technology, financial management, and global platforms—[countries] can better capitalize on … cultural wealth and retain talent that might otherwise seek opportunities abroad,” said Felipe Buitrago, Colombia’s former Minister of Culture.

In the past, Buitrago also stressed that the Orange Economy can help build peace and reconciliation between diverse groups. In the past, he has pointed to the example from his own tenure as minister and the example of the Comuna 13 area of Medellín. Here, two rival gangs faced off together with little chance of reconciliation. What ultimately brought these two together was a joint music festival in which the two groups battled it out over competing forms of music (such as rap and reggaeton) in these days.

“Faith is a key element of the creative economy. Because freedom of expression and belief are necessary conditions for creativity,”  Buitrago  said, “You cannot not be creative and non-inclusive at the same time. … Of course faith is a delicate issue and you can’t force people to have certain beliefs but, overall religion has played a major role in fostering creativity. As reinforcing and building identity…which often allows people to cooperate in harmonious ways.”

Looking toward the future faith, creativity and technology will often intersect. The pathway from “prophet” to “profit” will not always be clear. However, creativity, at times fueled by faith, will help spur greater creativity where-in new technologies will allow the visionaries of the future to unlock new possibilities for collaboration, innovation, and mutual understanding more quickly than ever.

Joseph Hammond is a former Fulbright fellow in Malawi and a journalist who has reported extensively from Africa, Eurasia and the Middle East. Hammond is also part of the Interfaith Dialogue on Violent Extremism (iDove) at the African Union. He speaks enough Spanish and Arabic to discuss boxing, a sport he treasures.