The Amendment Of The Bill Of Right Freedom Of Religion...

Civil liberties are individual freedoms which are protected from the government by the Bill of Rights. There were historical backgrounds to guarantee the freedom. Although they are ruled in the Constitution, it is not easy to protect the diversity and individual freedom in the society, and not all conflicts have been settled today. Yet, people are in a process to improve democratic society which is not a finished product, and freedom in all its forms improves itself over time. I am going to explain two major liberties in the First Amendment of the Bill of Right: the freedom of religion and the freedom of the press. The First Amendment to the United States Constitution starts with â€Å"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment†¦show more content†¦Thus, they moved to the new world where they hoped that they could obtain the freedom of worship. However, colonies where administered by the British government, especially in North America, established the British churches, and persecution to others was not ceased. They had to follow the teachings and pay taxes for a religious church that they did not believe; therefore, they started protesting (The Roots of Religious Liberty). The Virginia constitution stated every person has equality in the free exercise of religion, but it did not include a full separation of church and state on 1776. For the separation, there were two important people: Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. Jefferson made out a draft of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom which enacted the separation of government and religion for the first in the United States. After that, Madison wrote the Memorial and Remonstrance against Religious Assessment which criticized religious taxation because it would damage the freedom of religion when any religion was subject to the government. Voters were moved by Madison’s emphatic argument and elect a state legislature who opposed the establishment of a single church and the t axation for churches. At the following session, Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom was approved in the Virginia legislature. This movement spread other states, and finally, Madison applied the freedom of religion into the ten amendments known as the Bill of Rights in

Analysis Of Homer s The Odyssey Essay - 1334 Words

Throughout the development of humanity, the random group of societies have been historically all-equipped to deal with challenges the state of disorganization is not conducive to advancement of society due to the chaotic nature of existence on planet earth. Humans have to impose will on a chaotic world. One way they can do this is through culturally perceived definitions of hospitality.In the epic, Odysseus explores many different forms of hospitality. Odysseus’s journey is so long is that he is forced to the obligation of accepting the welcoming hospitality of people he meets along his path. This helps Odysseus and Telemachus learn about being away from home by some places being welcoming, and some places being not welcome. Hospitality is a way of life in a wide variety of cultures. The ways people in certain cultures act towards their guest may differ. Great hospitality has been apart of Greek culture for a good amount of time now, as it is seen many times in the epic. Chara cters open up their living area numerous times in the Odyssey. And you, Eumaeus, the swineherd, then replied. These were your words: It’s wrong, my friend, to send any stranger packing — even one who arrives more wretched than you. For it is Zeus who sends to us all beggars And strangers; And a gift, however small, Means much when given by a man like me. (274-275) This shows that even the poor can be hospitable, if respected. A swineherd obviously is not an upper class living kind ofShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Homer s Odyssey By Homer1202 Words   |  5 Pagescoping with the idea of losing his father and letting others to rule Ithaca. It is noticeable from the beginning of The Odyssey, written by Homer that Telemachus finds himself in a complicated situation where his life is seen to be in danger. He is a character of being distance from people. The idea of Telemachus becoming his own father, threatens suitor’s control in Ithaca. Homer describes Telemachus as a teenager who has not found himself and is on a mission to become an adult as his father. TelemachusRead MoreAnalysis Of Homer s Odyssey By Homer1095 Words   |  5 Pagesused in Homer’s Odyssey is the digression. The digression is departure from the main storyline that does not alter the action of the story, but adds a layer of sentimental content to the plot which usual ly helps underscore themes central to the story. The digressions in the Odyssey are meticulously written with great attention to detail just like the rest of the epic, and they truly help readers grasp the important aspects of the story. The liberal use of digression in the Odyssey helps build a vividRead MoreAnalysis Of Homer s Odyssey By Homer2018 Words   |  9 PagesThe Odyssey by Homer is more light in tone than the Iliad, of the same author: The good wins while the evil is punished. Even though the gods are still strict, the relationship between Odysseus and Athena is a more sincere and equal a relationship than between God and Man in the Iliad. Odysseus is distinguished not only by his bravery, but largely by his intellect and cunning. He is the type of resourceful man whom never gives up, thinks of the causes, is reverent and never gives in. The Odyssey isRead MoreAnalysis Of Homer s Odyssey, By Homer915 Words   |  4 PagesThroughout the Odyssey, the hero, Odysseus is po rtrayed in two different and contradicting lights: the wise hero and the capricious leader blinded by his own pride. The epic writer, Homer, embodies the theme of hubris throughout Odysseus’ journey home. The idea of hubris, a trait of excessive pride, significantly develops personalities of characters within The Odyssey, and Homer ultimately creates a statement about excessive pride. The dual portrayal of Odysseus leads the reader to ultimatelyRead MoreAnalysis Of Homer s Odyssey By Homer Essay1479 Words   |  6 Pages The word â€Å"Family†, according to Merriam Webster, is thought to be a group of people brought together by common affiliation. The same cannot be said for the culture in the Odyssey by Homer. In the Odyssey, Odysseus is trying to get back home from fighting in the Trojan War. He has been away from home for almost 20 years longing to just be reunited with his kinfolk. Along the way, he comes across many obstacles that hinders him from reaching his home and family in in Ithaca. Luckily, the memoriesRead MoreAnalysis Of Odyssey By Homer s Odyssey2253 Words   |  10 Pagesand Midwifery Council, 2006). The literature surrounding the subject of mentorship is vast and fails to provide a single definition, however the terms used are often similar. Colley (2000) writes that the word mentor originated in Homer’s poem ‘Odyssey’ in which the character oversees the development of Telemachus. Usually mentoring describes the process of an experienced team member using their skills and knowledge to educate and develop a junior or less skilled co-worker (Chartered Institute ofRead MoreAnalysis Of Homer s The Odyssey 1483 Words   |  6 PagesViolence in The Odyssey Violence in Literature can take any form, whether it be natural disaster like and earthquake or a human based disaster like war (Campbell). In Homer’s The Odyssey both types are found†¦ whether it’s Odysseus’s hardships like making it home or dealing with the wrath of the god Poseidon. Every violent scene has its own reasons, some are more reasonable than others. For instance, the gods were angered by the disobedience of the mortals, this is more reasonable than the killingRead MoreAnalysis Of Homer s The Odyssey 795 Words   |  4 Pages Odysseus Epic Hero In the Epic, â€Å"The Odyssey, spoken by Homer, conveys a heroic tale of an epic hero named, Odysseus, who faces many challenges as he sails to get home. One of the tasks Odysseus faces is, The Sirens, who challenge Odysseus s will power. Another challenge Odysseus encounters is, â€Å"The Cyclops, who torments and slaughters some of Odysseus s men due to his curiosity. One of the hardest threats he had to confront was, â€Å"The Land ofRead MoreAnalysis Of Homer s The Odyssey1636 Words   |  7 PagesGreek society, Homer’s The Odyssey provides a detailed insight into the values of this intricate culture. In particular, this epic discusses the ways in which the deathless gods influence the fates of the mortals. The overall impact of the gods’ power is the mental straining that emerges from the unrelenting conflict of man versus immortal. Likewise, the actions and misfortunes of others also catalyze this extremely significant and powerful mental battle. Homerâ€⠄¢s The Odyssey reveals the values of ancientRead MoreAnalysis Of Homer s The Odyssey 1128 Words   |  5 Pages The Odyssey shows a lot of different stereotypes for women throughout the book, taking action to get what they want. Odysseus is trying to get back home after ten long years since the fall of troy, and his son is going out to find him. Throughout the book Odysseus meets lots of woman who vary in personality. He meets woman with the stereotypes: â€Å"mantis†- dominant, eats its mate, destroys to gain power, feared by many. â€Å"Damsel in distress†- persecuted maiden, woman placed in a dire predicament requires

Crafting a Livelihood in India Free Essays

building sustainability for indian artisans CRAFTINGALIVELIHOOD/ JANUARY2013 Tableof Contents Foreword Executive Summary 1 2 I. Craftspeople – The Backbone of India’s Non-Farm Rural Economy Sector Overview, profile of indian artisans, crafts value chain and key challenges 4 In Sanskrit, Dasra means Enlightened Giving. Dasra is India’s leading strategic philanthropy foundation. We will write a custom essay sample on Crafting a Livelihood in India or any similar topic only for you Order Now Dasra works with philanthropists and successful social entrepreneurs to bring together knowledge, funding and people as a catalyst for social change. We ensure that strategic funding and capacity building skills reach non profit organizations and social businesses to have the greatest impact on the lives of people living in poverty. www. dasra. org II. Government, Private Sector and Non Profit Initiatives Role of key stakeholders in enhancing artisans’ sustainability 15 III. Harnessing the Potential of India’s Crafts Sector Four cornerstones of artisans’ sustainability and recommended interventions for philanthropic support 26 IV. Mapping Non Profits and High Impact Interventions AIACA Avani 43 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 The Edmond de Rothschild Foundations continue developing a modern view of philanthropy through which they defend the dignity and empowerment of each individual. The Foundations’ primary focus is on education, with projects in a range of areas: arts and culture, social entrepreneurship, intercultural dialogue, health and research and philanthropic education. Through their geographic locations and range of projects, the Foundations represent a rich, multicultural network. They endeavor to identify local initiatives and provide close monitoring of their numerous stakeholders while sharing this experience internationally. By applying an entrepreneurial method to the universe of philanthropy, the Edmond de Rothschild Foundations contribute to the growing professionalism of the social sector. They moreover work towards the recognition of the pluralism inherent to all societies and the respect for their citizen’s many identities. www. edrfoundations. org Craft Revival Trust Dastakar Earthy Goods Foundation Gramshree Kala Raksha Khamir ORUPA SAHAJ Shrujan Concluding Thoughts Appendices A. Methodology and Selection Criteria B. End Notes C. Bibliography D. Acknowledgments and Organization Database 6 58 60 61 62 Report published in: January 2013 Cover Photo Credit: KHAMIR Foreword One of the biggest issues in India is that our markets do not recognize the true value of craft. When this value is recognized, and if people are willing to pay a higher price for craft-based products, this should translate into higher wages for weavers and craftspeople and act as a boost to millions of rural-based livelihoo d opportunities associated with this sector. The economics however is not as simple, as finally it comes down to the conflict between pricing and sales. If you out-price goods, you sell only a limited number. If you don’t give crafts people enough work, it kills the craft. Sustainable livelihoods will ultimately depend on finding a fine balance between the two. Fabindia follows an inclusive model of capitalism, placing craft at the center of the quest for profitability and growth. I grew up watching my father build this company. I was also very idealistic so I started a co-operative in 1989 and ran it till 1991. While I soon realized this was not the answer, this experience helped me understand what I wanted to do with my role at FabIndia. If you look at business, success is generally defined by measurable outcomes, financial profit and the material impact. We are taught to squeeze each and every opportunity as hard as we can to maximize profit. In a conventional way, all of this makes a lot of sense. But my experience in business has been different. I operate a business, which is one of the most profitable businesses in the retail space in India. Yet, it is also one in which the central theme is to enable all our producers to become stakeholders and beneficiaries of the larger wealth creation process. When we created this idea, every business analyst who saw it said it would not be viable. But instead it has opened up new avenues for business, which are collaborative. It has connected people in new ways, allowing them to give very differently of themselves. The business operates from the principle that people are not just instruments. When people feel they are valued, respected, a part of something bigger than their own immediate interest, the nature of their contribution changes. And this is at the heart of interdependence that Fabindia recognizes. We are building a very transformative model, and we need to take that to scale. Our greatest motivation has come from the 100,000 artisans that we see affiliated to it – that’s the big picture, needle moving idea that uses mainstream retail to give relevance to this sector. There are several very successful small scale stories in the crafts space. Taking these to the next level necessitates investment and resources which recognize the value of craft and the socioeconomic returns it generates for craftspeople. This is the perspective that this Report and its authors bring to the fore-front. And I wish this initiative every success. WilliamBissel ManagingDirector,Fabindia 1 Executive Summary India’s industrialization and participation in the modern world economy is decades old. Nevertheless, millions of Indians still depend on indigenous modes of production, traditional skills and techniques to make a living based on handmade products. These craftspeople or artisans are the backbone of the non-farm rural economy, with an estimated 7 million artisans according to official figures (and upto 200 million artisans according to unofficial sources) engaged in craft production to earn a livelihood. Despite some instances of well-known design houses using handmade products and successful crafts-based businesses such as FabIndia and Anokhi, the majority of craft production remains unorganized and informal with its full market potential untapped, especially by the artisan, who more often than not struggles for sustenance. Propelled by loss of markets, declining skills and di fficulty catering to new markets, a large number of artisans have moved to urban centers in search of low, unskilled employment in industry. According to the United Nations, over the past 30 years, the number of Indian artisans has decreased by 30%, indicating the need to re-invest in artisans to safeguard history, culture and an important source of livelihood. 2 The Indian Government, the private sector and the non profits are each involved in the sector but their roles have evolved in silos, with little specialization and much duplication. On a policy level a cohesive and concerted effort is required to overcome the challenges faced by the crafts ecosystem through funding and programs. Simultaneously, the private sector has a significant role to play in uplifting artisans through different market-led efforts made by retail chains, high end-fashion designers and a relatively more recent wave of social businesses. Non profits have been particularly active in the crafts space since the early 1960s and have evolved numerous models to support artisans in earning better livelihoods. To realize the full potential of the crafts sector, the gaps, overlaps and challenges in the value chain must be overcome to create an ecosystem that enables crafts to thrive. The different stakeholders involved need to come together to build what we call the four cornerstones of artisans’ sustainability. Philanthropy has a key role to play in supporting the creation of such an ecosystem. Harnessing the potential of this sector requires different types of investments to preserve traditional crafts, strengthen the sector, and improve the incomes of artisans. Investment should focus on building the four cornerstones of artisans’ sustainability: 1. 2. 3. 4. Handholding the Artisan through the Value Chain Increasing Demand for Crafts and Strengthening Market Linkages Strengthening the Decentralized Production Model Building a Multi-Stakeholder Approach This would realize the tremendous opportunities the crafts sector in India provides to improve economic, environmental and social conditions of rural communities. These include: Economic Opportunities : Employment and income: The crafts sector has the potential to provide stable employment and income generation to diverse communities and to those with different levels of education. ? ? Migration: Promoting hand production in rural areas can effectively check migration of rural labor to urban centers and prevent loss of skills Economic growth: The global market for handicrafts is USD400 billion, of which India’s share is below 2%, representing a tremendous growth opportunity. 3 Competitive advantage: Artisans can serve as key drivers of specialization and competence in precision m anufacturing, similar to Japan and Korea. Economic Opportunities Environmental Benefits: Low energy requirement: Production processes used in crafts typically ave a low carbon footprint and promote the use of locally available materials as well as natural and organic materials where possible. Environmental Benefits Social Empowerment: ? Women’s empowerment: Crafts production represents an opportunity to provide a source of earning and employment for otherwise low skilled, home-based women, improving their status within the household. Return for future generations: Investing in artisans leads to a trickle-down effect of improving the health and education outcomes for future generations of the most marginalized populations. Handicrafts embody India’s history and diversity: Over many centuries, an extraordinary legacy has nourished Indians crafts across religious, ethnic and communal boundaries. They highlight the country’s unique cultural mosaic and offer a pow erful tool for pluralism and co-existence. There is an urgent need for philanthropy to realize the economic potential of the crafts sector by investing in high impact scalable models that have the potential to strengthen livelihoods in a sustainable manner. Social Empowerment 2 3 major categories in craft hadi (cloth that is woven from handspun yarn) cotton handlooms processing of cotton textile by hand silk handlooms processing of silk textiles by hand zari (silver and gold threadwork) and embroidery carpets miscellaneous products made of wood, bamboo, cane and grass leather manufacture earthenware plating/polishing/ engraving metals jewelry and related products making of musical instruments I. CHAPTER Craftspeople: The Backbone of India’s Non-Farm Rural Economy 4 â€Å"To write about Indian handicrafts is almost like writing about the country itself. So vast, complex and colorful, and yet with a simplicity and charm, difficult to attain under comparable conditions† – Upadhyay, M. N. : Handicrafts of India. 4 India has one of the most diverse and ancient traditions of handmade products, and its handicrafts industry is an important economic and cultural asset. According to the Twelfth Five Year Plan, handicrafts production is expected to double between 2012 and 2017 and exports are projected to grow at the compounded annual rate of 18% during the same period. As a result, the craft sector will employ an additional 10% of individuals per year up to that time. 6 The crafts value chain encompasses the full range of activities required to bring a handicraft product from conception through production to delivery to consumers. The Government, the private sector and non profits have played and continue to play an important role in the sector’s development, although their efforts remain isolated and thus limited in thei r impact. From Vishwakarma’s Children to Poverty: A Socio-economic Profile of Artisans Chart1: The story of Indian crafts is deeply embedded in mythology, history and culture as can be seen in Chart 1. Artisans are considered to be the descendants of Vishwakarma the presiding deity of crafts and architecture. During the Vedic Age craftspeople enjoyed a high social standing and were part of the landed gentry, responsible for the creation of temples and palaces. In the caste hierarchy that evolved during the post Vedic period, craftspeople were associated with Shudras or the lowest caste due to the manual nature of their work. While Hindu artisans occupied the lower echelons of the caste system, due to the menial nature of their work, artisans from other non Hindu religious communities were equally stigmatized. This adverse status led to a deeply rooted stigma which persists today long after the abolition of the caste system. Nevertheless, in subsequent eras when India was inhabited by princely kingdoms, crafts continued to flourish because of their utilitarian nature, royal patronage and the organization of artisans into guilds. Until the second half of the 17th century, crafts enjoyed a steady market. With the decline of princely states, the entry of the East India Company and colonization, employment in crafts especially handloom declined due to trade between India and the UK which was organized and regulated largely by colonial powers. The result was the fragmentation of the artisan community, marked by inequality between those that could produce for British markets, traders and those that were only exposed to local markets. Subsequent industrialization marked the steady decline in crafts markets and livelihood potential for artisans. Despite the central role played by crafts in the freedom movement, where Mahatma Gandhi incited the nation to produce by hand, and subsequent welfare measures implemented by the Indian Government, artisans (with the exceptions of traders, and extremely specialized master craftspeople) never regained the social status and sustainable income they once possessed. The uniqueness of India’s craftspeople has been their ability to work across religious, caste and cultural divides. Such a meeting of distinctive traditions has fostered dialogue, social inclusion and an extraordinary creativity. ROYALPATRONAGE Craftsusedtoreceiveroyalpatronage, whichhasnowdisappeared. Further,folk craftsnolongerfitintoeverydayusageas theyoncedidduetoincreasing urbanization. Thehandicraftand handloomsectorsarea `24,300crore (USD4. 48bn) industrycontributing `10,000crore (USD1. 85bn) toIndia’sexportearnings of`1. 62lakhcrore (USD300bn). 8 An important economic and cultural asset India’s myriad crafts traditions and living crafts skills are vehicles of its cultural identity, passed on from generation to generation and a means of sustenance for numerous communities engaged in production. Crafts constitute one of the primary sub-sectors within Creative and Cultural Industries, defined by UNESCO as â€Å"industries which produce tangible or intangible artistic and creative outputs, and which have a potential for wealth creation and income generation through the fostering of cultural assets and the production of knowledge-based goods and services. â€Å"7 The crafts sector encompasses diverse activities ranging from embroidery and painting to leatherwork and pottery, with variations and regional specificities within each group. There are thousands of living crafts in India. For simplicity, these can broadly be understood as handlooms and handicrafts. Together handicrafts and handlooms play an important role in the Indian economy. Handicrafts typically refer to artifacts made by hand for decorative, religious or functional purposes. These products are often found in diverse markets from runways in Paris, and highend designer stores to domestic retail outlets and tourist emporiums. SWADESHIMOVEMENT Handproductionwasstronglyrootedinthe independencemovementandGandhi’sprinciples. However,themovementlostsignificanceinthe public’sperceptionafterthe50sand60s. INDUSTRIALIZATION Thefactorysectorhas inherenteconomiesof scaleandgreater bargainingpowerfor cheaperhigherquality rawmaterials,whichhas adverselyaffectedthe craftssector. Further, thissectorhasbeen divertinglaboraway fromskill-based occupations. GLOBALIZATION Challenge:Lackof consumerawareness abouttheimportance ofcrafts Opportunity:Crafts providecompetitive edgeandunique identitytoIndiaina globalmarketplace 5 6 Broadly, artisans are divided into the following categories with a rigid hierarchical division of labor between more and less skilled artisans in a particular craft : ? Skilled master craftsman ? Wage-worker ? Fully self-employed artisan ? Part-time artisan An estimated 63% of artisans are self-employed while 37% are wage earners. 9 Traditional knowledge and craft skills are passed down from one generation to another, so that whole families and communities are engaged in production. An estimated 71% of artisans work as family units and 76% attribute their profession to the fact that they have learnt family skills. 0 It is important to note that most official figures count only the head of the production unit and wage earners in official figures, leaving out the 5-6 family members who are also dependent on crafts for sustenance, thus creating an incomplete understanding of the sector’s size and importance. The vast majority of artisans operate in informal work settings. In fact , according to one study, Vishwakarma’s Children in 2001 only 9% of craftspeople benefited from formalized employment, while 42% worked out of their homes. 11 Most artisan production units tend to be micro enterprises. In fact, 39% of artisans incur production expenditures of less than INR 12,000/ USD 215 a year and only 19% spend above INR 50,000/ USD 900 a year. 12 Typically artisans sell their products to diverse markets including local markets, city outlets, private agents, wholesalers or retail traders and exporters. A meaningful analysis of the sector requires focusing on particular geographies and crafts. For this report, we focused on the crafts sector in the states Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Odisha. These have among the largest number of artisans, as shown in the chart 2. In addition, Dasra’s mapping of non profits involved in the sector, revealed the highest concentration of non profits working at scale in these states. The Crafts Value Chain is Fragmented For a comprehensive understanding of the current state of the crafts sector, as well as areas that need improvement, it is important to understand the crafts value chain. The crafts value chain shown in Chart 3 has been created based on our observations on the ground as well as inputs from sector experts. It aims to demonstrate the different stages in craft production from producers to markets and inputs required at each stage. It must be noted, however, that each craft will have a slightly different set of processes. The stages explained below have therefore been simplified to a certain degree to provide a general understanding of how the crafts sector functions. Chart3:TheCraftsValueChain PROCESS INPUTSREQUIRED Organization Human Resources ? LegalEntities ? Procuring and Processsing RawMaterials ? ? ? Credits Facilities Technology Chart2: DistributionofIndianArtisans 40% 29% 13% Production ? ? ? ? Design Technology Skills Enterprise Development Aggregation and Intermediary Trade Transport toMarkets ? Quality Checks ? Storage ? ? ODISHA UTTARPRADESH GUJARAT-RAJASTHAN Markets Marketing and Promotion 7 Source:ExportPromotionCouncilforHandicraftsand CouncilofHandicraftCorporationsandDevelopmentCommissioner(GovernmentofIndia) 8 1. Organization Artisans are usually structured into groups through informal contracts between traders, master artisans and low-skilled artisans. More formal systems of artisans’ organization involve four main types of entities:13 ? Self Help Groups (SHGs) are set up with the help of external technical intermediaries such as non profits or through Government schemes, and typically comprise 10-20 artisans, usually women. SHGs serve as a form of social collateral, enabling artisans to establish linkages with input providers such as raw material suppliers, microfinance institutions and banks, and downstream players such as aggregators and retailers. Organization are often forced to rely on local traders who provide them with raw materials against orders, albeit at high prices, or switch to non-traditional raw materials. 3. Production Although techniques and processes vary widely from one craft to the next, crafts production generally takes place in households, with multiple family members engaged in different aspects of the process. Even where organized artisan structures exist, artisans typically produce within community settings. Production is generally seasonal, with crafts activity being suspended during harvest season, as most artisans are also engaged in agriculture to supplement their livelihoods. 4. Aggregation and Intermediary Trade ? Mutually Aided Co-operatives (MACs) are created to provide artisans with a platform for equitable participation. Legislated at the state Government level, MACs enable artisans to pool funds as equity and own their production units. However, due to strong Government influence, this structure has failed to gain popularity in most states other than Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. ` ProcuringandProcessing RawMaterials ? Producer Companies were created as a for-profit legal entity in the Companies Bill in 2002 to enable primary producers to participate in ownership and contribute equity. ? Private Limited Companies are for-profit legal entities that allow artisans to participate in ownership as shareholders, while enabling external funders to invest capital. Aggregation involves bringing together products from decentralized production units to enable economies of scale in transportation, storage and retail. Due to the dismal status of infrastructure and communication in India, aggregating products is a challenging task, and leads to many of the bottlenecks in the crafts supply chain today. Buyers and retailers lack incentives to overcome upstream, supply-side issues, which results in a loss of opportunities for artisans to access markets. Aggregationand IntermediaryTrade Markets 5. Markets The markets for the craft products can be broadly understood as local, retail shops – high-end as well as mainstream, exhibitions and exports. Among these, local markets are still the common markets for many artisans. 14 The contemporary markets, domestically as well as internationally, have grown with an expanding demand for ethnic products that have a story linked to them. However, these products are in low supply due to supply chain inefficiencies. However, most artisans continue to work independently as there is a widespread lack of awareness about the advantages of being organized into the above forms. Production Demand 2. Procuring and Processing Raw Materials Traditionally, raw materials used by artisans were widely available due to the close linkages between evolution of crafts and locally available materials. Further, the jajmani system, which consisted of a reciprocal relationship between artisanal castes and the wider village community for the supply of goods and services, provided artisans with access to community resources. However, with the breakdown of these traditional structures, along with competition from organized industry, artisans find it challenging to buy quality raw materials at affordable prices. In the absence of raw material banks, they 6. Demand With the advent of globalization and the availability of cheaper and more varied products, crafts face severe competition in contemporary markets. They are typically perceived as traditional, old-fashioned and antithetical to modern tastes. There have been limited efforts to reposition the image of crafts and build consumer appreciation of the history and cultural identity associated with handmade products. In addition, there are few instances of traditional crafts being â€Å"contemporized† to fit with changing consumption patterns. 10 India’s Crafts Sector is in Disarray While crafts received royal and aristocratic patronage during pre-Independence days and played a central role in Gandhi’s independence struggle, they have slowly lost relevance with the advent of industrialization. Currently, the sector carries the stigma of inferiority and backwardness, and is viewed as decorative, peripheral and elitist. Th is is compounded by the Government’s treatment of crafts as a sunset industry, which has resulted in a lack of well-developed policies and programs to protect and strengthen the ecosystem for artisans. Traditional crafts have largely been marginalized by massproduced consumer goods, which tend to be cheaper due to the economies of scale associated with mechanization. The nature of the crafts sector and challenges faced by artisans reduces their ability to compete with machine-made products. Catering to the mainstream market often necessitates a decline in quality and/or workmanship, leading to the eventual loss of skills over a few generations. There are very few instances like pashmina shawls where a traditional craft has successfully â€Å"contemporized† itself for Indian or overseas markets. Artisans were traditionally an essential part of the village economy, producing everyday utilitarian objects catered towards local markets, using designs and motifs that were of significance to their communities. However, with the advent of industrialization and increasing urbanization of markets for crafts, the historical artisan-consumer relationship has broken down, and largely been replaced by traders. This has rendered artisans’ knowledge and skill, acquired over generations, virtually useless and made crafts an unsustainable source of livelihood. The five main challenges facing artisans in creating sustainable livelihoods in today’s economy can be described as follows: low education levels for the family overall. The lack of education makes it difficult to manage inventory, access Government schemes and market information and bargain with traders and middlemen. It is estimated that in 2003 around 50% of household heads of crafts producing families had no education whatsoever, and more shockingly, around 90% of the women in these households were completely uneducated. 5 Outdated Production Methods- Artisans may also lack the financial capability to upgrade technology in production, or undergo necessary training on a regular basis, as would be available to them in a formal work setting. This compromises the quality of their products and raises the cost of production. 2. Inadequate Inputs Inadequate Inputs There are three main issues: Lack of Quality Raw Materials- Rural artisans often lack access to quality raw materials . Due to the low volumes required, they have low bargaining power and are forced to buy substandard materials at a higher price. In crafts such as weaving, handloom weavers have to compete with the power loom industry for high quality raw materials, which are more easily accessible to the power loom industry as a result of Government subsidies. Further, many raw materials used commonly by craftspeople such as wood, cane, silk, scrap and virgin metal are become increasingly difficult to acquire. The costs of some of these materials are rising faster than the wholesale price index. Lack of Funding- Craft producers suffer greatly from lack of working capital and access to credit and loan facilities. Often, producers are unable to fulfill bulk orders because they lack the capital to purchase raw materials, and simultaneously support their family’s living needs while the order is being executed. While there are several Government schemes intended to fill this gap for artisans through institutions such as National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) and Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), it is difficult for the uneducated artisans to access these programs and manage the necessary collateral or funds for bribes. Banks cite poor recovery rates, wrong utilization of funds, lack of marketing facilities for finished products and lack of education on part of the borrowers as reasons for the low proportion of loans made to artisans. In general, this forces artisans to borrow from their local moneylender or trader at high interest rates. The All India Debt and Investment Survey (2002) showed that the proportion of money borrowed by rural households from money lenders rose by over 10% from 17. 5% in 1991 to 29. 6% in 2002. 16 1. Low Productivity The sector’s informal nature and the low education of most artisans create issues such as: Unorganized Production- As a largely unorganized sector, handicrafts faces problems such as a paucity of professional infrastructure such as work sheds, storage space, shipping and packing facilities. Low Education- Many crafts require the entire household to participate in production in some capacity. For example, in weaver households, women and girls traditionally undertake warping of the yarn, winding the thread onto bobbins, and share with men the task of starching the thread. In many cases, crafts also serve as a seasonal source of income for agricultural households. This means that children miss school, resulting in LowProductivity 11 12 Artisans’ financial weakness also hampers their ability to sell they have low bargaining power at the marketing point and are forced to sell to buyers at a low price in order to recover costs and support themselves. Design Inputs- In most traditional societies, design evolved in the interaction between the artisan and the consumer. Further, the artisan was aware of the sociocultural context of the consumer, and could thus design products that suited their needs and tastes. Due to the breakdown of the historic artisanconsumer relationship, and the increasing urbanization and globalization of markets for crafts, artisans have difficulty understanding how to tailor their products to changing demands. The artisan may not speak the same language as the consumer, both literally as well as metaphorically. An example of this includes women in SEWA’s craft cooperatives who design block printed table napkins and mats, but may have never used these products themselves. f this, retailers have to directly source from select producers, which is often not viable in the long run, resulting in the loss of a large percentage of the market for artisans. 5. Lack of an Enabling Environment Information Asymmetry 3. Information Asymmetry Neglect by Central and State Governments- Rural artisans are neglected by both Central as well as State Governments, as is evident in the lack of available records regarding their numbers and socioeconomic status. The Government views the sector as a sunset industry, no longer relevant in India’s technologydriven economic growth. Thus, schemes designed for artisans tend to have low priority in terms of execution and assessment. Within crafts, the Government’s priorities are skewed towards the export market, with 70% of its crafts budget going towards development of environments to enable export. 17 Further, the fact that the crafts sector falls under the purview of 17 different Government ministries, ranging from the Ministry of Textiles to the Ministry of Women and Children, results in confusion and inaction. Lack of Interest by Second Generation- Rural youth are increasingly disinterested in continuing their family craft traditions, for three main reasons. First, having seen their parents struggle to find markets and fair prices for their products, they are inclined to pursue other trades. Second, the school system today does not integrate lessons regarding the importance of crafts into the school curriculum, and instead students are pushed towards white collar office jobs, even if they are lower paying. Finally, crafts are strongly associated with a family’s religion. In many cases, such as leatherwork, artisans are ostracized for being from the lowest caste, which further dissuades rural youth from joining the family trade. Reducing the obstacles faced by the sector can provide employment for millions of citizens especially those traditionally excluded from the mainstream, while restoring one of India’s key cultural and economic strengths, a diverse and rich handicrafts industry. At the same time, it will provide the economy with key drivers of specialization and competence in global manufacturing. Lackofan EnablingEnvironment Due to their low education, artisans often cannot identify potential new markets for their products, nor do they understand the requirements for interacting with these markets. This reduces their understanding of the market potential of their goods, the prices of their products in different markets, Government schemes instituted for their welfare and diversification opportunities. 4. Fragmented value chain Lack of Market Linkages- While consumers of crafts products are increasingly becoming urbanized, crafts continue to be sold through local markets; artisans have few opportunities to reach new consumers through relevant retail platforms such as department stores and shopping malls. Further, due to their rural orientation, artisans are often unable to access training and technology to supply their products to online markets. Dominance of Middlemen- Although middlemen are necessary to enable effective market linkages, they often, if not always, exploit artisans by paying them a fraction of their fair wages. This may be due to lack of information on the part of middlemen about true manufacturing costs, or merely due to their ability to coerce artisans, who often lack bargaining power. Lack of Aggregation- Crafts production typically takes places in scattered clusters in rural areas, while markets are usually in urban centers. Currently, there is a lack of organized systems to efficiently aggregate goods from small producers, carry out quality checks, store approved goods in warehouses, and supply them to wholesalers and retailers in urban areas. In lieu Chart4: OverviewofKeyChallenges FacedbytheArtisans Fragmented ValueChain LackofMarket Linkages Lackofan enabling environment Neglectby CentralandState Governments LackofInterest bySecond Generation LowProductivity Unorganized Production LowEducation Inadequate Inputs LackofQuality RawMaterials LackofFunding Fragmented ValueChain Information Asymmetry Dominanceof Middlemen Lackof Aggregation OutdatedProduction Methods 13 14 II. CHAPTER Government, Private Sector and Non Profit Initiatives Photo Credit: Sahaj 15 The Indian Government, the private sector and the non profits are each involved in the sector but their roles have evolved in silos, with little specialization and much duplication. Since independence, the Indian Government has created a number of institutions, schemes and welfare programs for the crafts sector. However, on a policy level there has been no concerted and cohesive effort to address the challenges faced by the crafts ecosystem, with most governmental offerings mired in bureaucracy and inefficiencies. Simultaneously, the private sector has contributed to uplifting artisans through different market-led efforts made by retail chains, high end-fashion designers and a relatively more recent wave of social businesses. Non profits have been particularly active in the crafts space since the early 1960s and have evolved numerous models to improve artisan livelihoods. The chart below provides an overview of the evolution of crafts policy and programs in India. Government Program Although Government-led initiatives are often criticized, it cannot be denied that India is in a much more fortunate situation today in the preservation of its crafts than most other nations because of Government efforts immediately following Independence. During this period, the Government placed great emphasis on rural artisans, setting up the All India Handicrafts Board in 1952 to study the technical, organizational, marketing and financial aspects of crafts and design measures for improvement and development of crafts. The impetus for these efforts came in part from Mahatma Gandhi’s legacy of the swadeshi movement and preserving cottage industries as a symbol of India’s diversity and unity as a nation-state. Pioneering efforts were made to provide marketing support to artisans, and make regional crafts available at a national level through state-run emporiums. With industrialization becoming a foremost national priority in the 1960s and 1970s, the Government came to view crafts as more of a â€Å"sunset industry† and began to focus mainly on welfare schemes rather than approaching it as a sector capable of contributing to India’s economic growth. Several divisions were made between State and Central Government responsibilities, and separate administrative bodies were set up for Khadi, Handloom, Handicrafts, Silk, and so on, all of which contribute to inefficiencies and inertia in policymaking for the sector today. At present, crafts are almost artificially bifurcated into Handicrafts and Handlooms, with two separate Development Commissioners in charge of each under the ministry of Textiles. In addition, 16 other ministries have crafts within their purview, including the Ministry of Agro and Rural Industries, Ministry of Tribal Development, Ministry of Rural Development and the Ministry of Women and Child Development. These bodies have often been pitted against each other on issues such as power loom versus handloom production, anti-dumping duty on foreign silk yarn to protect the interest of silk rearers versus removal of duty for handlooms and power looms and interest of petty traders versus greater control for home-based producers, leading to inefficiencies and policy juggernauts. 19 Governmentefforts havechanneled anestimated `752crore intothecraftssector duringtheEleventh FiveYearPlan(200718 2011). Anumberofinstitutions havebeeninvolvedin fundingandimplementing developmentworkfor artisansthroughdifferent schemes. Suchas: 1. Councilforthe AdvancementofPeople’s ActionandRuralTechnology (CAPART) 2. KhadiandVillage IndustriesCommission (KVIC) 3. SmallIndustries DevelopmentBankofIndia (SIDBI) 4. NationalBankfor AgricultureandRural Development(NABARD) Chart4:StakeholdersintheCraftsValueChain PROCESS Procuring and Processsing RawMaterials Aggregation and Intermediary Trade STAKEHOLDERS Organization InputSuppliers Production Markets LocalTraders IndependentArtisan SHG’sCo-operatives, Producercompanies NonProfits SocialBusinesses Government Exporters Retailers 16 17 Despite these challenges, the majority of Government funds have been utilized in the following areas, largely with the support of non profits working in the sector: ? Welfare- Government efforts in the crafts sector are often designed with the intention of large-scale poverty alleviation. Schemes such as the Rajiv Gandhi Shilpi Swasthya Bima Yojana and the Janshree Bima Yojana for Handicrafts Artisans, under which artisans in the age group of 18-60 receive health and life insurance in association with the Life Insurance Corporation of India for themselves and three dependents, provide some social security. Market Linkages- One of the most widely lauded efforts of the Government in the crafts sector has been the establishment of Dilli Haat, an open-air crafts bazaar in the national capital modeled on a traditional village market where artisans from around the country can rent space and display their wares for two weeks at a time. Set up in cooperation with Dastkari Haat Samiti, a non profit organization that works with artisans across the country, Dilli Haat has provided artisans with much-needed market linkages and access to consumers. In addition, the Development Commissioners for Handicrafts and for Handlooms run a number of emporiums across the country, which are retail outlets for crafts from different regions. Capacity Building- In recent years, the Government has moved its focus towards sustainable development of crafts through the participation of artisans. Capacity building efforts such as the Artisan Credit Card scheme and the Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hastshilp Vikas Yojana scheme are generally led by the Development Commissioner of Handicrafts. Efforts include skills development, technological intervention, design and marketing support and reviving languishing crafts. The Development Commissioner for Handlooms runs Weavers Centers in many parts of the country along with the National Center for Textile Design to provide marketbased design input for handloom weavers. Awards- Each year, the Ministry of Textiles recognizes the work of several master craftspeople through the distribution of national awards. These are highly coveted accolades that enhance the reputation enjoyed by master craftsmen and function as a quality approval of sorts. Private Sector Initiatives The private sector has been the main conduit for crafts with over 95% of crafts production taking place through some form of private enterprise. Broadly, private involvement in the crafts sector is of four types: ? ? Traditional Intermediaries: Historically, private involvement in the crafts sector has been dominated by master craftsmen, traders and exporters who aggregated production, provided market linkages and offered financing mechanisms to artisans. Although not always the case, these relationships have often been exploitative to the artisan, who realized little of the value of his products. Design Entrepreneurs: These include high-end fashion houses that have imbedded traditional crafts in their collections. Designers such as Ritu Kumar, Tarun Tahiliani and Manish Malhotra have worked closely with master craftsmen to create product offerings for high-end domestic and international markets. However, none of these efforts have placed crafts distinctly at the center of their enterprises but rather integrated crafts into their work. Their impact on promoting crafts has therefore been largely indirect. Other fashion designers such as Anita Dongre have created a istinct crafts-based collection, Grassroots, that aims at marketing clothing that promotes the skills and knowledge of traditional artisans, and has been made using organic materials and eco-friendly processes. Mainstream Retail: There have been a few successful examples of crafts-based businesses, which have not only contributed to improving numerous artisans’ livelihoods but have also provided unique blueprin ts for future market-based endeavors. However those that exist are success stories that need to be more systematically replicated. Social Businesses: These are a more recent wave of businesses that have originated out of non profits or hybrid models that combine social and commercial goals. ? ? ? ? ? ? Photo Credit: Sahaj Photo Credit: Sahaj ? ? ? The Role of Mainstream Retail While relatively few, a handful of retailers such as FabIndia, Anokhi and Contemporary Arts and Crafts have played a pivotal role in keeping crafts relevant and linked to contemporary consumers. These companies have developed 18 For Government efforts to have the maximum impact, Government bodies mplementing programs need to be reformed and a policy environment more conducive to greater participation and specialization by different stakeholders needs to be created. 19 socially conscious business models wherein they work closely with artisans and ensure that they are equal stakeholders in the business. Due to their relatively well-organized supply chains and focus on profitability, they are able to provide consumers with quality products be tter suited to urban tastes as compared to subsidized crafts available at Government-run emporiums. The success of these models has been built on the zeal of their founding members, who have overcome challenges in the crafts value chain through innovative strategies that not only ensure bottom-line growth for businesses but also fair and consistent wages to artisans. These models include: ? Fabindia, founded by John and Bissell in 1960, India’s largest private crafts business that has taken tradition techniques, skills and hand-based processes to global markets. The company has been recognized worldwide for its socially responsible business model that links over 80,000 craft producers to markets. This has been achieved through its innovations in supply chain management through Community Owned Companies (COC), which serve as intermediaries and are owned by communities. Artisans form a significant part of the shareholding of these companies. Fabindia’s supply chain (in the chart below) consists of numerous backward and forward linkages in a multi-layered supply chain from suppliers or artisans to Fabindia stores. These linkages ensure that products sold cater to consumer tastes, a quality standard and timely delivery. The multi-layered supply chain ensures that each group’s strengths are leveraged efficiently. Anokhi, founded by Faith Singh, is a clothing chain well known as an alternative role model for good business practices, and the ongoing revival of traditional textile skills. The company works closely with the Jaipur Virasat Foundation that provides capacity building inputs to artisan suppliers on design, techniques, quality control and enterprise developme nt. In addition, the foundation works in other areas of Rajasthan’s cultural industries such as folk art, music and dance to promote livelihoods and preserve heritages. Contemporary Arts and Crafts (CAC), founded by Vina Mody and run in partnership with Feroza Mody, is a boutique retail outlet that provides unique and rare craft products to urban consumers. CAC’s success is based on its strong relationships with artisan communities in Gujarat and Rajasthan from where products are sourced. The CAC team invests significant time in understanding craft products and working with artisans to create outputs that will be appreciated in urban markets. In addition to these efforts, stores such as Shopper’s Stop and Lifestyle have expanded their selections of handmade products and ethnic wear, providing much needed market opportunities for the crafts. However, for a deep and sustainable impact on the artisan, retailers and mainstream businesses need to leverage their business acumen in tackling supply chain issues and creating a larger demand for these products. ? 6 The SRC repleshnishes the stock by getting more of the fabric from the weaver Fabindia’sSupply ChainStructure The weaver weaves some yardage and shows it to a regional supplier region company (SRC) HOWTHEFABRIC REACHESTHESHELVES Fabindia’s Supply Chain is split into 17 regional supply companies The Role of Social Businesses The emergence of the social business model has provided a new opportunity to revive the sector. With their emphasis on the end consumer, social businesses have a greater incentive to bring in efficiencies in quality control and pr oduction management, which are often lacking in non profit organizations. Pre-production, social businesses may offer access to quality inputs, equipment, financing and training. Post-production, they improve market linkages through procurement, storage, transport and retail. Social businesses achieve this by focusing on three main areas, which essentially sets them apart from non profits: ? Supply Chain Efficiencies: Given the scattered and homebased nature of crafts production, enterprises often face challenges in ensuring a regular supply chain for their products. Social businesses have focused on fixing the rural supply chain for crafts, either by filling in missing or Through an order booking system, the store manager books the quantity needed. From the SRC warehouse stock moves to the Fabindia regional warehouse Around 40,000 artisans supply goods for Fabindia It now has 144 stores in 35 top towns 2 The SRC calls the designers; they approve the fabric, work with the weaver to develop some samples. Photo Credit: Top – Anokhi Bottom – CAC 4 20 The weaver brings the completed order to SRC warehouse 3 Designers show samples to Fabindia’s product selection committee, the price is finalised and an order is placed with the weaver 21 eak links in the value chain through their own operations, or by establishing creative partnerships with non profits, Government bodies, corporations and community groups. ? Artisans’ Ownership: The advantage of functioning as a business rather than a non profit in the crafts space is the ability to involve artisans as owners by giving them shares in the company. This ownership brings with it an increased sense of responsibility and efficiency, which is sometimes difficult to achieve in a non profit. In this way artisans are not only vested in the company’s growth but also financially benefit from it through issue of dividends. Market Linkages: Due to their focus on standardization and supply chain management, social businesses are in a better position than non profits to create and maintain links between artisans and markets – domestic as well as international. Corporates typically prefer to partner with social businesses to bring crafts products to market due to more efficient processes in the company. This ownership brings with it an increased sense of responsibility and efficiency, which is sometimes difficult to achieve in a znon profit. Further, in this way artisans are not only vested in the company’s growth but also financially benefit from it through issue of dividends. The biggest advantage faced by social businesses is their ability to raise capital from artisans in the form of shares, as well as external investors such as venture capital funds and corporates. In recent years, businesses in the crafts sector have attracted funding from impact investors such as Avishkaar, Grassroots Business Fund and Villgro, who invest in social enterprises with the dual expectation of social impact and financial returns. Industree- Linking Artisans to Mainstream Markets: Industree, a social enterprise that connects rural producers to urban markets has been able to rapidly scale up operations through equity investment by Kishore Biyani’s Future Group. This has enabled them to set up a retail brand called Mother Earth, and increase the number of clusters from whom they source crafts as well as provide artisans an o pportunity to link to mainstream urban markets. ? Support from Multi-lateral Agencies and Foundations The international development community and private foundations have been pivotal in providing support to many non profits working in the crafts sector. United Nations agencies such as UNESCO have provided platforms for sharing best practices, research and documentation such as the Jodhpur Symposium. These initiatives have typically focused on project design and building frameworks to build a movement that strengthens creative and cultural industries. Others such as the World Bank channel funding to crafts organizations. A number of private foundations such as Aid to Artisans, Sir Dorab Tata Trust and the Ford Foundation provided long term grants to crafts non profits to scale their impact. Innovative approaches include Friends of Women World Banking’s funding strategy of credit provision to artisans through non profits. Together these efforts have helped sustain non profits’ work and strengthened models creating an impact on artisans incomes. Thecooperativemovement spearheadedbyElaBhatt, founderofSelf-Employed Women’sAssociation (SEWA),inthe1970s alsohadapositiveimpacton thelivesofself-employed womenartisansthroughthe formationofcraft cooperatives. Thesemembership structuresallowedthemto workwithinequitable structuresandreceivecredit, designandmarketinginputs, withoutfearofexploitation bymiddlemen. The Evolution and Role of Non Profit Interventions Non profit organizations have been the strongest supporters of the craft industry, both in terms of livelihoods promotion as well as cultural preservation. Following post-independence industrialization, the crafts industry was no longer viewed as an economic priority by the Government, which created a void in terms of support and finance available for the sector. A number of non profits were established in the 1970s and 1980s to fill this void and enhance the sustainability of artisans livelihoods. Many of these were run with the help of volunteers and were able to grow and thrive under a strong, charismatic leader with a clear vision for the sector. Examples of successful social businesses in the crafts sector include: ? Rangsutra- Enabling Artisans to Own a Share of their Crafts: Rangsutra was set up as a company of artisans, all of them shareholders, from remote parts of the country. It seeks to be a bridge between â€Å"artisans and customers, tradition and contemporary, and change and continuity† and ensures a fair price to the producer and quality products for customers. It currently has 1,100 shareholders and has attracted investments from Avishkaar and Artisan Microfinance Private Limited (AMFPL), a subsidiary of Fabindia. Photo Credit: Sahaj 22 23 Most non profits functioning in the crafts space today are registered as trusts, societies or Section 25 companies. They are broadly of two types, based on their scope of work: ? Producer Groups: A majority of non profits in this space ? work directly at the grassroots level, organizing crafts producers into collectives to realize various economies of scale in financing, marketing and product development. Examples are URMUL, Kala Raksha and SEWA Ahmedabad. ? Apex Organizations: These focus on enhancing the sector ? by providing services ranging from design interventions to market linkages to groups of producers, who typically serve as part of their membership base. They vary in scale and level of outreach from national to state to local levels. Many apex organizations are well-positioned to act as a bridge between producer groups and Government bodies, both by channeling information regarding relevant Government schemes as well as by influencing Government spending. Prominent examples are Dastkar, AIACA, Dastkari Haat Samiti and Sasha. Non profit approaches have evolved significantly in two main areas: focus of the model and financial sustainability. Most non profit groups have focused on all parts of the value chain from organizing artisans to marketing products, largely due to a lack of other players specializing in certain areas. This has resulted in limited capacity to scale their operations. Fresher non profit approaches focus on one or two parts of the value chain such as aggregation or working closely with artisans’ groups. Further, there has been a realization in recent years that traditional grant funded projects for creating crafts production structures have not succeeded in establishing commercially sustainable structures. Newer non profits have attempted to embrace this change in perspective by incorporating fee-based enterprise development projects into their scope of work, others have spun off business models that target aggregation and marketing, while the non profit focuses on building artisan capacity. The different stakeholders described above have each made significant contributions to the crafts sector. However, since they act in isolation from each other, their impact remains limited and they have not been able to halt the downward slide of India’s crafts sector. 24 25 III. CHAPTER Harnessing the Potential of India’s Crafts Sector Photo Credit: Jaipur Rugs Foundation 26 The crafts sector in India has vast potential to improve livelihood opportunities, generate additional income and strengthen the purchasing power of rural communities. For this potential to be fully realized, the gaps, overlaps and challenges in the value chain must be overcome to create an ecosystem that enables crafts to thrive. The different stakeholders involved need to come together to build what we call the four cornerstones of artisan sustainability. Non profits have a particularly important role in such a program. Based on Dasra’s research, interviews with experts in the crafts sector and advisory committee discussions, Crafting a Livelihood suggests four key actions with the potential to transform artisans’ livelihood in India. The four cornerstones are: 1. Handholding the Artisan through the Value Chain Any investment in improving the craft ecosystem as a whole must pay particular attention to strengthening the individual artisans and enterprises engaged in production. Since challenges faced by artisans are pushing them into other dailywage earning jobs, concerted efforts are needed to upgrade the current piecemeal nature of production. Crafts promotion efforts should focus on making artisans aware of the value of their skill, which would make them take greater pride in their work and encourage the second generation to enter the sector. Further, it is essential to help artisans continuously upgrade their skills and product offerings. This requires design inputs and skills development efforts. 2. Increasing Demand for Crafts and Strengthening Market Linkages There is an urgent need to revive consumers’ interest in crafts and make crafts relevant to increasingly urban lifestyles. Efforts are needed to sensitize the emerging middle class consumer to the history and value of crafts in India to ensure a robust domestic market. Strengthening branding efforts and introducing geographical indicators such as a â€Å"Handmade in India† classification, will enable Indian crafts to compete in increasingly global markets. Crafts can be branded on the national, regional or local, and enterprise level. On the national or regional level, some countries are known or even famous for their excellence in handicrafts, or in specific crafts. The branding of a country’s handicraft image depends on the public perception of that country’s culture and handicraft skills. Countries that, for different reasons, de-emphasize their indigenous culture and traditions and focus on their modernism create a much tougher environment for the promotion and export of their indigenous handicrafts. 21 Crafts lies well within the informal sector, bringing with it challenges of taking a completed product to market. Most artisans produce at relatively low volumes and at irregular intervals, creating few opportunities to market products at scale. New business models are needed that blend social and commercial goals to provide value added services to artisans particularly in aggregation of products and intermediary trade. As artisans are scattered across geographies, there is a need for players who can source products from them in a centralized fashion and introduce economies of scale into the supply chain. These intermediaries will provide the essential bridging Asartisansareoftenproducing formarketsthatarealiento them,theyneedsupport servicessuchastechnicaland designskillbuildingtohelp reachtheincreasinglyurban consumer. Theseinputswill increasetheirbargaining powerandbuildtheircapacity tosupplydifferentmarkets. Dasra’sfieldresearchhas shownthatbuildingthe capacityofartisansinthis mannercanresultinuptoa ten-foldincreasein incomes. 1. Handholding the Artisan through the Value Chain 2. Increasing Demand for Crafts and Strengthening Market Linkages AconsumersurveyinEurope revealedthat40%of consumerssurveyedwere willingtopayapremiumof 10%fororigin-guaranteed products. SalesofIndian craftsstandtoincrease 20 fromsuchefforts. 3. Strengthening the Decentralized Production Model 4. Building a Multi-Stakeholder Approach 7 28 services between small producers and the different markets where products can be sold and thereby smoothen seasonality of production. Creativeclustershavebeen identifiedasanimportant meansformicroandsmall enterprisestogrowstrongly throughmutualstimulation andleveragingofcommon knowledgeandmarkets. Typicallytheybenefitfrom lowerVAT,tariffsandexcise dutiesonhandmadeproducts. Creativec lustershavethe potentialtonotonlycreate productionefficienciesbut alsoprovideaplatformfor artisanstoaccesslocaland domesticmarkets. 3. Strengthening the Decentralized Production Model The fragmented supply chain, lack of organization and seasonal production characteristic of the craft sector need to be overcome to maximize production potential. Geographically scattered production, which is typical of the crafts sector, requires services at artisan’s doorsteps. Leveraging technology for information as well as for innovations in process will infuse efficiencies in craft production and enable artisans to produce more. Limited education and low exposure to the skills essential to running a business prevent artisans from scaling up their operations. Providing business support in areas such as quality control, standardized processes, inventory management, cashflow management and securing credit would help them create strong enterprises. To this effect, capacity building cooperatives and producer owned companies would ensure standardized systems and processes, quality control, and professionally run businesses that can access capital and enable them to compete in markets. Dasra’s field research has demonstrated a potential three- to five-fold increase in individual income through these efforts. Moreover, fragmentation in the value chain can be overcome with clusters such as Special Economic Zones (SEZs) for crafts. These are defined as a combination of production and distribution activities operating within a common structure, capable of promoting creativity, research applications and distribution systems. Historically, clusters in India have been created for production and bureaucratic efficiencies, ignoring their function as a sales platform. While the sales focus has been tried at Bhujodi in Kutch, creative clusters are generally the exception in India. ensitizes them to crafts, deepens their understanding of tradition in a way that they can implement in the mainstream. This fosters the perseveration of culture by continuously adapting it to modernity. Setting up academies for How to cite Crafting a Livelihood in India, Papers

The Case Study In Queensland

Introduction There was a time when Information Technology was considered as a secondary function in the organization. With globalization and spread of technology and computer system IT has emerged as an important organizational function. Information Technology is more than the support function in an organization because IT can help to solve business problems. Information Technology can also help decision makers to make business decision. There was a time when the cost of Information Technology was very high. That was the time when IT was being used primarily by large organizations only. With time the cost of technology has come down and with the emergence of concepts like Software as a Service, small and mid size organizations have also find it affordable and convenient to use Information Technology (George, 2008). The case study of Study in Queensland, presents a classical example where Information Technology and Information Systems could be used to resolve business problems. At present the operations are handled manually that wastes lot of time. It appears that expansion of firm would not be possible unless it adopts Information Management System. IT systems would certainly help to develop a platform where information can be shared in real time across multiple offices. One of the issues in current manual system is that staff misses some of the files. With the incorporation of Information Management System, soft copy of student files would be stored in an electronic medium. The file transfer would be easy and staff would be able to access the file from multiple locations without any delay. It would be correct to say the incorporation of such system would require changes in the current way of operations. Therefore change management would be an integral component in this project. The training of staff would be important to ensure that the true benefits from Information Management System could be realized. Analysis It is important that the firm should act swiftly in order to develop a responsive and effective Information Management System. It is also important that the existing business problems of the firm could be realized so that IT system can help to overcome these problems. It is also important that firm should involve its internal and external stakeholders in order to bring this change. Information Management System or any ERP system can help the firm to achieve operational excellency (Leidner, 2013). It is important that the business stakeholders of the firm should list down their requirements before any system is developed. It would not be incorrect to say that the requirement-gathering phase would be one of the most important phases in the entire project. Therefore Hui and Thia would play a critical role in the entire project. The leaders of the company that the leaders of the company should not consider this as an IT change. This change or transformation from manual processes to automated process, driven by Information System, should be considered as a major business change that would have an impact on the way business is done by the firm. It is correct that the Information System does come with initial cost. Therefore Hui and Thia should also perform the cost benefit analysis before any decision about Information Management System is being made. The firm is a small firm; hence it should go for the model of Software as a Service. It would help the firm to save the cost and it would also help to reduce the risks of expansion. It appears that Information Management System could help the firm to develop the strategy of expansion into multiple locations. Different questions of case study that would help Hui to take the decision can be discussed as below: Question 1: In order to help SIQ management, define what information systems are and briefly explain how information systems are important to future operations at SIQ. While answering this question, explore the different kinds of information systems that could be beneficial to any small business. Answer 1: Aninformation system(IS) is a system composed of people and computers that processes or interprets information. Information System can help SIQ to overcome business problems. Information System would help SIQ to streamline its business operations. It would also help in better management and effective governance. In a small organization, Information System could be used to collect data and process it according to the needs of the analyst, manager or business owner. There are various forms of Information System that are being used widely by small and mid size organizations. These systems are transactional processing systems, Customer relationship management systems, Business intelligence system, Knowledge management system etc. These types of Information Systems are being used by small and mid size organizations to manage their customers, to govern the staff and to streamline their operations. Small and mid size organizations use the Information System to share information among different departments. For example, the managers in Gold Cost can access the timesheet of employees in Sunnybank. Supervisor in different locations can handle the payroll and employee grievances. An ERP system has the capability of IT system that could be used for both internal and external operations. ERP (Employee Resource Planning) system can help small organizations to take fast and effective decisions. It also helps the management of small organizations to develop a rapport with customers. A high level of customer satisfaction can be achieved with Information Systems. Question 2: Identify and discuss the problems faced by SIQ and list these problems in order of priority. Answer 2: SIQ is small firm that handles its operations manually. The success of operations of SIQ depends a lot on the skills of its staff members. SIQ is competent to operate as a single location company but it would be difficult to manage operations across multiple locations. The problems faced by SIQ in order of priority can be discussed as: Student file management: In the current environment, the files of student are stored in manual form. As mentioned in the case study, a considerable amount of time is lost to search the file. This would be a major problem, once SIQ is expanded. The search would be difficult if SIQ has a very large database of students. Trust and reliability among customers (students): As reported in the case study, some of the student files get missed in the operations. This creates the question on the credibility of SIQ to manage customers. If it continues, SIQ would soon have a bad reputation in the market. The market is a competitive market and there are a number of large players in the market. SIQ would not be able to expand in multiple locations and get more customers if it is not able to establish trust with customers. Staff management: In the current environment of SIQ, it is difficult to perform the back tracking and study the performance of staff. The company lacks any internal mechanism of control that could be used to measure the performance of staff. At present the leave policies, staff requests etc. are managed by Hui and this would not be possible if SIQ handles its operations from multiple locations. The information sharing across multiple sites in manual operation is also a big challenge for SIQ. Question 3: What are the business requirements of SIQ? Which business processes should SIQ à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¨computerize and what benefits would that bring about for SIQ? Answer 3: In order to achieve the end objectives of Information System, it is important that SIQ could identify its business requirements and should match the business process with its business requirements. The business requirements of SIQ can be listed as: 1. SIQ should be able to expand its business in multiple locations. For SIQ to grow, it must open offices at the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Toowoomba and Sunnybank. This is an important business requirement that needs the incorporation of Information Technology at work place. 2. The management of SIQ is finding it difficult to manage its employees. The system is compromised with human errors. The customer reputation is getting disturbed with human errors. Customer management and customer relationship is an important business requirement for SIQ. 3. Hui was concerned about the security of student information. In order to expand, the files of student would change many hands in the current manual processes. Protecting the security of data is an important business requirement for SIQ. It can be said that SIQ should focus to computerize both its internal and external business process. Two of the most important business processes that SIQ should computerized in the first phase would be HR or employee management, and customer relationship management. The computerization of these two processes would bring efficiency at work place that would be a key input for SIQ to expand. Question 4: Which types of information system/s can help SIQ manage its business issues and fulfill à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¨business requirements? Explain in detail, how each information system that you propose will à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¨assist SIQs efficiency and contribute to the firms competitive advantage. Answer 4: Few of the important types of information systems that would help SIQ manage its business and fulfill business requirements would be customer relationship management, transaction processing system and knowledge management system. The contribution of each of these information systems with respect to operations of SIQ can be discussed as: 1. Customer relationship management: This information system would help SIQ to develop effective customer relationship. With this information system, SIQ can bridge the gap between customers expectations and management perception of customer expectation. It would ensure that customers complains can be minimized and customer satisfaction can be maximized (Maier, 2010). This in turn would contribute to the firms competitive advantage. 2. Transaction processing system: One of the major problems for SIQ is to manage its operations and daily transactions between employees and customers. This Information system would ensure that a balance could be achieved between operational effectiveness and responsiveness (Melville, 2010). 3. Knowledge management system: This information system would be used to govern internal employees. This system would ensure that HR policies could be communicated among staff from different locations. This system would also ensure that training and development programs could be used effectively to impart training to staff members across multiple locations. Question 5: How can business decision-making be improved as a result of the information systems / à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¨technologies that you are proposing? Answer 5: One of the goals and objectives of Information System is to help management to make effective decisions. Information systems would also help management to make fast and efficient decisions. One of the prerequisites for effective decision-making is plenty of information. The presence of information systems would ensure that the information is easily accessible to all the stakeholders. Information system would ensure that information could be shared at real time. With the incorporation of information system, different departments in an organization can communicate with each other without wasting any time. For example, customer executive at Gold Coast can tell the HR manager at Sunnybank about the functioning of operations in Gold Coast office. One of the important inputs for business managers to make decision-making is the access to all the facts and information before making any decision. The decision-making could be improved, as with Information System stakeholders would have access to all the information. The data could be used by managers and business leaders to make on the spot decisions. The incorporation of information management system would be useful in decision-making as the information can be easily collected and compiled with the help of Information systems. The data and information collected from information system would also be more accurate and more reliable. It would also help in decision making as the data and information could be collected for a larger window of time. Information system would also help to analyze the trend in the organization and the trend analysis would also help management to make effective and efficient decision. Question 6: How can the proposed new locations for SIQ connect effectively to each other? Explain how à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¨SIQ may utilize technologies such as the intranet, extranet, Internet and mobile applications à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¨to communicate with SIQs key stakeholders. Answer 6: The case study mentions that SIQ to grow must open offices at the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Toowoomba and Sunnybank. Information system would definitely help the offices in these locations to establish effective channels of communication. The technologies like Intranet, extranet and Internet would be used among offices in these locations to establish a network that could be accessed by officials and employees. With the penetration of Internet and mobile phones the communication channels have become more efficient. With the penetration of Internet, people in different locations can easily communicate with each other. SIQ should also establish its own network in the form of Intranet. The Intranet would be a local network in SIQ. It would be a secure network that would be used only the employees of SIQ and outside people would not have access to this network. The emails of SIQ would be configured over this network. The Intranet would be used as official channel of communication among all the members of SIQ. With Internet, the mobile phone penetration has also increased. The smart phones can be used by SIQ to remain connect 24X7. With Internet, Intranet and Mobile phones senior management would be able to access the data and information of the firm anytime and anywhere (Norton, 2008). Management would be able to work from home and remain connected with staff members. Users and staff would use the mobile applications in order to remain informed about the proceedings of the firm. It can be said that Internet and mobile phones would make the life easy for management and employees of SIQ. Question 7: What are the possible security, ethical and privacy issues that all stakeholders of SIQ need to à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¨be aware of? What systems could be implemented to address these issues? Answer 7: Some of the risks associated with the incorporation of Information system are the ethical and privacy concerns. Some of the possible security, ethical and privacy issues that all stakeholders of SIQ need to be aware of can be discussed as: Security issues: Any computer system or Information system comes with some security issues. Different computer systems are connected together over Internet and Intranet. The computer systems in a network are used to transfer information from one system to another. Hackers can read the transactions between computer systems and this possesses security issues (Nachmias, 2008). The security issues are one the most important issues associated with network of computer system and information systems. Ethical issues: There are certain ethical issues that are associated with the incorporation of information system. Most of these ethical issues are concerned with the privacy of individuals and workers working at SIQ. It is important that the management should make only ethical decisions while making professional decisions. Privacy issues: One of the most important concerns of information system is the privacy issue. It is believed that the privacy of individuals is compromised in the system driven by computer systems. It is important that the sensitive data and information should be kept confidential so that high standard of privacy can be maintained at SIQ. There are certain communication protocols that could be used by SIQ and other companies to avoid these issues. The information system at SIQ should be shared by firewalls and the computer systems and network should password protected. The information should be shared in an encrypted manner. Question 8: What change related issues is SIQ likely to encounter? How should SIQ manage this change à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¨process? Answer 8: The implementation of any Information system brings lot of issues of change management. The existing staffs at SIQ have a method to operate and certain guidelines to follow. The incorporation of information system would bring a fundamental change in the way operations are managed in the company. Information system would be a radical redesign and it is important that the existing staff of SIQ should support these radical changes. It is observed that employees often find themselves reluctant to change. Employees tend to comfortable with their positions and they would not want to change. To ensure that SIQ is able to implement the change without any issues, the motivation levels of staff members should be kept high. The change issues could only be managed if staff is provided confidence that the change is for their benefit. SIQ should educate the staff members about the numerous benefits of Information systems before initiating any change. It is also important that different employees should be made change agents. The issues of change management are handled best when employees are given responsibility to manage the changes (McLean, 2008). Employees should get a feeling of self-belongingness and the management of SIQ should value the opinion of staff members while implementing the change. The big picture that is expected from the change should be communicated to all the internal and external stakeholders of the firm. Conclusions and Recommendations The above paper discussed the incorporation of Information system for SIQ. The company wants to expand into multiple locations but it fears that the company would not be able to manage its operations through manual processes. It is strongly recommended that SIQ should opt for information system to manage its operations. The information system would enable SIQ to manage its employees and customers. Certain set of important recommendations for SIQ can be listed as: 1. It is recommended that SIQ should have an effective change management plan at place. It is believed that organizations are not able to realize the true benefits of Information system because change management is not effective at work place. The change management at SIQ should involve all the low levels staff members, mid level managers and top-level employees. 2. It is recommended that SIQ should plan to manage all the privacy issues and ethical issues. It is important that the privacy of employees should be one of the most important concerns for management. It is recommended that SIQ should realize the need of its staff members before initiating any change. 3. It is recommended that SIQ should bring this change in a phased out manner. It is recommended that SIQ should focus on different modules of information systems in a phased out manner. 4. It is also recommended that SIQ should also involve all the external stakeholders at the time of requirement gathering. The planning of change would be developed based on the input of all the internal and external stakeholders. 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