First Andean Crafts Meeting Popular, contemporary, and indigenous art: talent, beauty and creativity toward a more dignified future

(Bogota, September 25, 2002).– From October 9, Plaza of the Artisanos in Simón Bolívar Park, Bogota, will be decked out to celebrate the colors and symbolism of popular, contemporary and indigenous crafts, with the opening of the First Andean Crafts Meeting. The event brings together over 200 craftspeople from Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela, main partners of CAF, institution which offers – through this initiative – a concrete example of regional integration and sustainable development, the pillars of its corporate mission.

"This event is not just another crafts fair – CAF director of external relations Ana Mercedes Botero said - it is a cultural encounter which promotes sustainable human development, with the aim not only of raising the standard of living in the region through the economic component which is a source of employment and self-employment, but even more due to the social impact of strengthening the social fabric of the community."

Sustainability versus transitional improvements Asked about the importance of backing crafts, Ana Mercedes Botero said in the specific case of this sector, CAF’s objective is continuous improvement of quality and productivity which will increase its competitiveness with a view to the FTAA in 2005.

"Based on an integrated approach, and with backing from foreign trade ministries and banks in the five Andean countries and NGOs, the objective is to form networks of institutions which support the transformation of thousands of craftspeople into promoters of their own development through actions and policies that include training - particularly in design and innovation - and improved coordination with the market," CAF director said.

Despite the region’s cultural wealth, most of our craftspeople live in subsistence conditions, mainly in the rural sector with the deficiencies in infrastructure typical of such areas. “We have the talent and human capital, but we suffer from problems and barriers caused by deficient production capacity and poor marketing.”

In this respect, this meeting is the starting point for implementing a series of activities by CAF and Artesanías de Colombia to promote the formation of clusters of craftspeople in the Andean countries. Clusters are spaces which group enterprises or companies from the same industrial sector which then work closely with their suppliers, and gain better access to inputs, services, technology and information. These relations stimulate improvements in the quality of products, reduce transaction costs, and allow enterprises to benefit from the advantages of a climate of continuous emulation and learning, and develop capacity for innovation through exchange of knowledge.

In pursuit of a more harmonious relationship with market requirements, CAF is financing training workshops throughout the Andean region, jointly with national foreign trade banks. In Bolivia, Ceprobol contributed to organizing the meeting by financing and operating training workshops in several cities of the country, and partially financed the international buyers’ mission which will be at the event.

Crucible of artistic expressions The items on exhibit at the meeting – the collective of work of recognized craftspeople from each country – are product of an exhaustive inventory designed to be the best and most representative showcase of the creativity of Andean peoples and are a first step to opening the way to a rightfully more dignified future for this sector.

The participating craftspeople represent a national tradition which creates its own identity and coalesces into a strong integrationist pillar, with the aim of joining forces to solve the problems which are common to all, as is their main competitive advantage: human capital which is revealed in the variety, creativity and artistic skills which can be appreciated from October 9 to 20 in Plaza de los Artesanos.

The meeting will be opened by First Lady of Colombia Lina Moreno of Uribe, CAF President & CEO Enrique García, and Colombian Foreign Trade Minister Jorge Humberto Botero, with the presence of First Vice President Raúl Diez Canseco of Peru, country which has given priority to the crafts sector on its development agenda.