Jammu, Dec 23: Yakjah Reconciliation and Development Network, a non-profit social innovation working for youth peacebuilding leadership and women’s empowerment organized a ‘Product Design Training’ workshop for women artisans of Jammu & Kashmir. The training was facilitated by Piyush Suri, Founder and Creative Director of Handmade in Britain, the leading organizer of Contemporary craft fairs in the UK since 2007.
The training held from December 12 to 22 in Srinagar and Jammu is part of a five-year research project on ‘Culture and Conflict’ in partnership with the London School Of Economics’ Gender Justice and Security Hub funded by the United Kingdom Research Innovation(UKRI) Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF)for achieving Sustainable Development Goals of the UN. The project at the South Asia level with four countries is led by Dr. Neelam Raina, Associate Professor of Design and Development at Middlesex University. The project takes into account the visual and material cultures of regions and aims to understand these cultures to explore their potential as the starting point for discussions about livelihood and peace.
In India, the project lead Ashima Kaul, Founder Yakjah along with her team of researchers and community mobilizes Akshay Kumar Sharma, Urzeeba Bhat, Anamika Bharti, Aamir Ganaie, Zakir Hussain and Tanya Bhat envisions to focus on women artisans livelihood and policy impact. The training brought together 12 Kashmiri women, six Kashmiri Pandit women artisans from Jagti refugee camp doing Aari work (Crewel) and six from Srinagar doing Sozni embroidery.
In Jammu, 11 Basohli artisans from Basohli, Kathua and Jammu city participated in the workshop. The aim of the workshop was to allow women to explore and understand color combinations, designs, patterns and texture. The artisans also experimented with different fabrics and mediums. The idea is to support, promote and empower them to reach out to different markets to sell their innovative products which will be exhibited next year in India and the UK. The project will look into developing women’s sustainable livelihood and impacting policy. As such Yakjah envisages collaboration with multiple stakeholders to enhance women artisans’ productivity and livelihood.
In Srinagar, Mr. Mahmood Ahmad Shah, Director Handicrafts and Handlooms, Kashmir felicitated and interacted with the artisans. He gave away certificates of participation to the artisans and researchers. Also present in the felicitation ceremony were Dr. Muqbil Burhan, Chairperson IIM-Jammu (Kashmir Division) and Assistant Director Zahid Rashid and Dr. Muzaffar Khan, Director, Police Drug De-addiction Centre.
In Jammu, the workshop was held at Government Polytechnic College. During the valedictory Mr. Arun Bangotra, Principal Government Polytechnic College welcomed Ms. Avni Lavasa, Deputy Commissioner Jammu and ADDC Mr. Ramesh Chander who felicitated the artisans. Mr. Vikas Gupta, Director Handicrafts and Handlooms Jammu office was represented by Development Officer Public Mr. Fareed Kohli. Also present were Mr. Khalid Sheikh, Coordinator Skill Development Mission and Mr. Rajan Kumar, Jammu Coordinator for Mahatma Gandhi National Fellows.
