Culture and Development East Africa (CDEA) is a new organization that was incorporated in October 2011 and has an office in Dar ES Salaam, Tanzania.

CDEA is a service organization that aims to support artists, cultural leaders and entrepreneurs in cultural development in Tanzania and the East African region to place cultural values, norms and systems at the centre of development.
CDEA also advocates for a cultural dimension in all public policies and programmes. By integrating culture in development programmes, CDEA will be able to use culture as a resource to promote environmental sustainability, safeguard relevant traditional knowledge in synergy with other scientific knowledge to enhance the resilience of communities to disasters and climate change, and to promote inclusive economic and social development. CDEA aims to get governments to integrate culture in long-term visioning and programming of social and economic development in the East African region.

CDEA is a service organization that aims to support artists, cultural leaders and entrepreneurs in cultural development in Tanzania.
We also carry out research and capacity development for development planners in the East African region to facilitate cultural-based development planning. This involves placing cultural values, norms and systems at the centre of development.
CDEA also advocates for a cultural dimension in all public policies and programmes.  By integrating culture in development programmes, CDEA will be able to use culture as a resource to promote environmental sustainability, safeguard relevant traditional knowledge in synergy with other scientific knowledge to enhance the resilience of communities to disasters and climate change, and to promote inclusive economic and social development. CDEA aims to get governments to integrate culture in long-term visioning and programming of social and economic development in the East African region.

CDEA defines culture as the ‘arts and creative industries,' ‘heritage',  ‘cultural identities' and ‘ideology'. We vouch for the protection and promotion of the diversity of cultural expressions. We believe that the social unit of development is a culturally defined community and the development of this community is rooted in the specific values and institutions of this culture. We define development as the expansion of choices not just growth of material production. Therefore, we see culture as the purpose of development and not just a facilitator or an impediment to economic growth or social development. We implement our vision through three programmes namely: Culture and Governance; Documentary and Future and Organization Development.

CDEA's Core Values
- Respect for the diversity of cultural expressions
- Professional excellence, Innovation, sustainability
- Integrity, credibility, transparency and accountability;
- Empowerment, justice, equality and democracy.

CDEA's Vision
CDEA is a self reliant and sustainable organization that facilitates multi-stakeholders in East Africa to place positive cultural values, norms and systems at the centre of development.

CDEA's Mission
We exist to facilitate multi-stakeholders in East Africa to use culture as a resource to stimulate innovation and find solutions for sustainable production and lifestyles.

How we work
We believe that getting the East African governments to see culture as the purpose of development and not just as a means to development e.g. through forum/community theatre, will enhance holistic human development. We shall do this through:
- Capacity development of development planners
- Capacity development of key cultural sector actors
- Process facilitation of key cultural multi-stakeholders in local cultural policy development
- Providing an arts space for artists to listen,  converse, critique, create, collaborate and innovate
- Moderate policy dialogues
- Implement projects in partnership with like-minded organizations
- Knowledge development from our practice
- Manage a cultural social enterprise

CDEA's Approach
Developing Solid Cultural Policies: CDEA's role is to support artists, cultural leaders and entrepreneurs in cultural development in East Africa by advocating for cultural policies and programmes that support the cultural and creative industries to thrive within national economies

Advocating for a Cultural Dimension in all Public Policies, Plans  and Programmes: CDEA believes that the social unit of development is a culturally defined community and the development of this community is rooted in the specific values and institutions of this culture. By integrating culture in development plans and programmes, CDEA will be able to use culture as a resource to promote environmental sustainability, safeguard relevant traditional knowledge in synergy with other scientific knowledge to enhance the resilience of communities to disasters and climate change, and to promote inclusive economic and social development.

We aim to work closely with country mechanisms responsible for planning and culture in the East African region and municipalities and county governments (Kenya). At sub-regional and regional level, we will work closely with the East African Community bodies that support member states in development planning, the EAC Culture and Sports Department and African Union's (AU) Department of Social Affairs.

From 2012 to 2015, CDEA is the Southplanet network's partner for literature, perfoming arts and visual arts in Tanzania.