Sharing and comparing…
The more I encounter issues about artisans, the more I try to see how others have solved and overcome similar challenges. Of course there are individual issues according to the craft and sometimes local social issues. But many times there is much to be learned from others' mistakes. Which has really made me step back and think about how generally countries are grouped into regions.
Egypt is usually considered part of the North Africa/Middle East region (or some deviation of this). And there is much knowledge to be learned and shared. BUT, interestingly we don’t usually as individual citizens take time to learn from each other. For example, most Egyptians who are fairly well-traveled, travel to Europe, Canada or the US, but rarely other Arab countries. In the artisan industry in the region there is much to be learned: Moroccan, Syrians, Palestinians and Jordanians. They have all done a good job of retaining cultural heritage or cultivating their artisanal industry. For example, Morocco has done an amazing job retaining cultural heritage for a number of reasons: government intervention (has helped retain them) as well as rich local tradition that still lives on (e.g. wedding gifts are many times made from traditional craftsmanship, as well as the wedding dress, i.e., kaftan for women)….
Also, some organizations such as Aid to Artisans have done a wonderful job in sharing best practices from around the world and adopting local angles. Check out some of their stories…
I know this is similar in other regions as well. Why do you think this is? And how do you think we can encourage regional learning?
Comments
Culture
I agree!
I lived in Kenya for a number of years and from my knowledge, I remember the people who visited Tanzania/Uganda went predominantly for work purposes.
This could be for a couple of reasons,
- The cultures in our regions do not appear to be differentiated enough, even though they usually are quite unique. (Perhaps trade of arts/crafts in foreign but neighboring countries will assist in countering this)
- Culture of the wealthier population is driven to explore countries in other continents due again to the significant differences to foreign living styles compared to back home.
As of Indian origin, I have found that in sub-continent asia, political history and a simple lack of willingness to 'travel to learn' are some reasons for the lack of regional learning. Instead, they usually travel to meet relatives/re-settle elsewhere which is increasing significantly.
so true!
Hey Christine,
I totally agree that many travel far and wide but don't really explore the regions around them. I have noticed this in South Asia too, and wonder if it's also a question of infrastructure? Often, the roads are not great and there are no trains connecting the neighboring countries, borders are fiercely controlled, etc. etc. I think we should be investing a lot more in encouraging travel between borders within our regions.
Post new comment