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PERU
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Peru
sits on the west coast of South America surrounded by the Andean mountains
with a population of approx. 27m people.
Handcrafted
instruments have always been an important part of their culture, handed down
over the generations, in fact, the earliest Pan flute was found in a tomb in
Paracas that was 6000 years old.
Wide
plateaus high in the mountains, form natural amphitheatres, where native
Peruvians tell the stories of their ancestors and express their feelings through
their music, using the wind and percussion instruments such as Antaras
,Panpipes, Flutes, Ocarinas, and Drums. You will find them used in all
ceremonial occasions including rituals, weddings and burials.The
instruments are made from bamboo, cana brava [ditch weed] clay, wood, carved
gourds and animal skins.
They are decorated according to the culture and tradition of the particular area
they are made.. In areas such as Puno whole communities spend their days making
musical items with skills taught and shared by extended families. Although the
artisans have not studied music they tune them by ‘ear’.
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Peruvian musician playing the Antara
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Ceremonial dancing
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MINKA
Minka has been
operating since 1978 and represents a network of producer organisations situated
in marginalised urban and rural areas of Peru. Fair trade is practiced from the
sourcing and development of raw materials to transforming them with technology
into products suitable for world markets while recognising their ancestral
heritage.
In the rural
Andes, life has been difficult to make a livable income and males of the
families migrate on a seasonal basis to search for work away from their homes.
The traditional way of selling produce and handcrafts had been less than ethical
with intermediaries constantly undervaluing the labour costs and applying
pressure to keep prices as low as possible. Minka seeks to curtail this
unethical way of business by creating cooperatives for the mutual benefit of
all.
To raise funds
Minka now operates a tourism project , Tourists are able to visit the people of
the Andes ,see the craft producing areas and learn about their language,
culture, customs and values .
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Women carving gourds
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Artisans making Antaras
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Instrument workshop
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CIAP
CIAP was established in 1992 as the
Inter-regional Centre of Peruvian Artisans.
It represents a great number of
artisans from various marginal and depressed areas throughout Peru. It provides
continuous support to its members and has the following objectives.
1. Defend and preserve the cultural identity of the Andes and Amazon
regions.
2. Promote the organisation of artisans and strengthen the existing
ones.
3. Bring about improvement in the living conditions of the artisans, their
families and communities.
4. Support complete development of the communities where the associations
are located.
CIAP offers training programmes to
its 700 members , implements quality control and seeks markets for the
handcrafted products. Technical advice helps the artisans reach a standard
required by the International market whilst maintaining the Andean
characteristics which make the products so popular and original.
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Peruvian women knitting
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Earthlink is a member of
'The Fair trade Association of Australia and New
Zealand'
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