Ethical Trade
PANAMA"I think it is essential to recognize and acknowledge the skills and knowledge, belief systems and aesthetic traditions of the indigenous peoples who have been marginalized and invisible for so long."
The Kuna:
The Kuna Indians are an indigenous group living in Kuna Yala (Kuna Land) a small but beautiful territory of primary rainforest and coral islands in Panama.
Since the first arrival of Europeans into their territory 150 years ago their lands have been eroded and the population decimated but this fiercely independent people have managed to resist attempts to subdue them. Remarkably, the Kuna have maintained such a rare degree of political and cultural autonomy that other indigenous groups all over the world have expressed an interest in how the Kuna have achieved this. However, there is still much work to be done.
The Kuna argue that it is their culture that underpins their integrity, and are aware that their survival as a distinct people depends on the internal strength of their society. Everything comes from this and they want others to know their story so they can maintain a dialogue with the outside world on their terms.
They use their crafts to generate a self-confidence in their traditions, and strengthen their sense of identity. For the Kuna, art and craft allows us a glimpse of their world view, of their relationship with the spirit world, the land and life around them, their material culture, ritual life, social and political and economic experiences. The women wear traditional dress with appliqué picture 'molas' full of hidden stories, thread beads up their legs and arms, wear symbolic? gold nose rings, earrings, and the chest plates and pendants of their grandmothers.
Craft has become crucial to generate much needed income and goldsmiths are eager that the designs be kept alive. The jewellery has only ever been made for community use, and never been commercialised.
Pippa Small will work with the Kuna on a project to revive the old skills and designs of their ancestors' jewellery and work with the last of the old goldsmiths.
Her aims are to:
- Encourage the younger generations to learn the old techniques
- Introduce relevant new skills, and tools.
- Create a project that generates income for the community, long term - a non-profit organisation for community craft collaboration.
- Create work that helps the community stay together so they don't have to seek employment in the city.
- To open new high end markets for their crafts internationally.
- To raise international political and cultural awareness of the Kuna
- The first phase of the project will be collaboration on design and ideas that will culminate in a collection that can be exhibited with photographs and a film in London.
This will raise awareness of a highly motivating story, a story of determination and success against enormous opposition. The voices of the Kuna will be heard both in the process and in the final product, and we hope, into the future.
AFGHANISTAN
The Afghan Turquoise Mountain Project:
I was very excited to go, having read and heard many stories about this beautiful country that has spent the last 30 years in turmoil.
I arrived in Afghanistan after a long flight and was instantly struck by the beautiful quality of light and this sense of vastness that central Asia has, this feeling that the land just stretches away forever on every side of you.
The city is partly in ruins and yet the extraordinary human spirit that allows children to laugh and babies to be born, ladies to sit and gossip and men to work despite such chaos and violence all around.
TM is working on an old area of the city with architects to carefully restore the architecture to its former pre war splendour.
I created a collection of jewellery with a workshop in the city, ten men were working in a small hot space creating lovely pieces, they had all been refugees when the Taliban had been in power, when no one could wear or sell jewellery. Now they were home and starting up a business.
The collection is inspired by different traditional techniques and designs from around the country. We worked with all the beautiful minerals found in Afghanistan, the stunning deep blue Lapis Lazuli, the sparkling green emeralds, rough rubies, aquamarines and multicoloured tourmalines.
We made large tribal torques with pendants of smooth lapis pebbles, delicate rings with uncut chunks of emerald, and chains with charms of birds, gold wrapped pebbles, crescent moon charms and dangling disc’s.
It was a wonderful experience, proufoundly disturbing in the hopelessness of the wider political situation but inspiring to work with such remarkable and talented and brave people.
A few weeks after I left, the workshop was destroyed in the bomb that blew up the Indian Embassy. Everyone at the workshop survived but many around did not.
TM helped rebuild the workshop and work is carrying on …
The collection is on sale at the shop and on line.
BOLIVIA
When Evo Morales was elected president of the Andean nation I was
determined to go. I was enthralled to travel to a country in
the Americas where there was an indigenous leader – something
that has not happened in hundreds of years. I wanted to know
how this would affect life for Bolivia’s majority Aymara
and Quechua Indian peoples. Bolivia has had a tragic history
of wars and violent colonisation, a ruthless mining economy,
and is one of the poorest countries in the world. I wanted to
go.
The country has rainforest, desert and high mountains. Within a few
hours you can drive from the dizzying heights of La Paz where the
air is dry, thin and cold, past great herds of Llamas, snow capped
mountains and glaciers; then descend down to the hot, humid and green
jungles of the Amazon.
Urth Solution is a young company aimed at working with miners to
raise standards and control the environmental impact of mines. They
put me in touch with a goldmine in the Yungas in the lowlands east
of La Paz. Tipuani is an alluvial mine that runs as a cooperative
working with the local community. It is in the process of becoming
a cleaner mine. Already they have managed to extract their gold without
the use of cyanide and are now intent on no longer using poisonous
mercury. This will allow the mine to eventually reach fairtrade status
which means the gold can be sold at a premium. This additional money
can then be put back into the community to help in health and education
projects, as well as improve the safety of the mines.
The gold of Bolivia is very pure and often found in beautifully sculptured
nuggets; it is a rich warm colour and is wonderful to work with.
We bought the gold from the mine, and then rather than ship it back
to England, I decided to find a goldsmith in La Paz I could work
with. I found Javier, a brilliant craftsman who very quickly understood
what I wanted to do with the gold. His father had been a miner and
he had grown up in the Yungas not far from the mine.
We made a collection of pure 24kt gold pebbles, making natural, graceful
shapes that allowed the beauty of the gold to speak. We made beads
moulded on ancient pre-Columbian gold and stone beads that had been
unearthed by ploughing farmers. The shapes are rounded and soft and
speak of the passing of time – the wind, water and earth creating
shapes that feel smooth and comforting to the touch.
These perfect little sculptures have been strung on coloured alpaca
wool to wear as reminders of water-worn pebbles, and they support
a mine that is trying to improve the conditions for both the miners
who work there and the earth around it.
AFRICA
MADE - by the people for the people
The cornerstone of the collaboration between Pippa Small and made is trade not aid. made's
main objective is to train local artisans, improve their working
conditions and set them up in business by providing tools and materials.
We also make certain workers recieve a decent iving wage from their
businesses through the orders we place. This extra income can
drastically improve lives and ultimately rejuvenate entire communities.
We currently work with five different projects around Nairobi, some already established, others set up from scratch by made.
All have a story to tell - click below to learn more.
LINKS
www.survival-international.org
Survival help tribal people defend their lives, protect their lands and determine their own futures.
http://www.survival-international.org/blog/2008/10/07/pippa-small-my-journey-to-the-dongria-kondh/