German Connections
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Prof. Dr. Annemarie Schimmel (April 7, 1922 - January 26, 2003) was a well known and very influential German scholar who wrote over 500 books and left deep impression on the people of Pakistan.
Annemarie Schimmel received a doctorate in Islamic languages and civilization from the University of Berlin at the age of nineteen. At twenty-three, she became a professor of Arabic and Islamic studies at the University of Marburg (Germany), where she earned a second doctorate in the history of religions. A turning point in her life came in 1954 when she was appointed Professor of the History of Religion at the University of Ankara (Turkey). There she spent five years teaching in Turkish and immersing herself in the culture and mystical tradition of the country. She was a faculty member at Harvard University from 1967 to 1992 and became Professor Emeritus upon her retirement. She was also an honorary professor at the University of Bonn. She published more than 50 books on Islamic literature, mysticism and culture, and translated Persian, Urdu, Arabic, Sindhi and Turkish poetry and literature into English and German.
For her work on Islam, sufism or mysticism and Allama Muhammad Iqbal, the government of Pakistan honored her with Hilal-e-Imtiaz. She was showered with many other awards from many countries of the world, including the prestigious Peace Prize of the German book trade.
Similarly, Dr. Ruth Katherina Martha Pfau (77 years), commonly known in Pakistan as Leprosy Lady is the founder of the Marie Adelaide Leprosy Centre Karachi and leprosy adviser to federal government. She has spent more than half of her life helping the leprosy patients in Pakistan, a country that is now her own.
“The intensity with which she has worked towards the alleviation of suffering in the northern areas of Pakistan has not changed since the day it began. Subsequently, she moved her efforts to the northern areas of Pakistan, basing herself in Muzaffarabad. Since the Oct 8 earthquake, she has been focusing all her efforts on providing for those still suffering from the disaster,” reads a citation.
The government of Pakistan has conferred Sitari-e-Quaid-i-Azam upon Dr. Ruth Pfau to recognize her selfless work for people in our country.
Annemarie Schimmel had been working in Pakistan in the field of Literature, Dr Ruth Pfau works in Medicine and the third German lady Dr. Senta Maria Anna Siller is working in rural areas of Pakistan to create additional income through self help projects.
Dr. Senta Maria Anna Siller (71 years) studied Graphic Design at the School of Art in Berlin. She did her MA in Archaeology, Philosophy and Education and received a degree of doctorate in History of Arts from the Technical University of Berlin. She served as lecturer and later as Deputy Head of an Art School in Berlin.
Earlier, she earned her first money with silhouettes and illustrations, which along with design became her passion for life. Besides bringing up four children, she continued various activities as a designer (for exhibitions and fairs, children’s cloths, toys and book illustrations) and ran a textile company before she came to Pakistan for the first time in 1965.
After having left civil service and design consultancy, Dr. Senta Siller became honorary manager of self help project in rural Pakistan in 1993 [also in Cameroon (in 1998) and in Colombia (in 1999)]. Main country of her activities is Pakistan from where she is networking with other projects in different countries.
Dr. Senta Siller has organized over five hundred exhibitions, shows and events for income generation for women in rural areas. The focus of her work is “Income generation as a tool of help for self help, poverty alleviation on grass root’s level by ethnic applied arts, the future is in the rural areas and how income generation is necessary there, production of internationally marketable unique and thematic handicraft, eco technology for the independence from central solutions, and the use of communication and information solutions giving chances and opportunities to the people in the rural areas and promotion of rich traditional culture of Pakistan.”
Civil servant appointed for life, Dr. Senta Siller has been conferred different awards like “Floriade” (the Netherlands), “Gestaltetes Spielgut” (Creative Toys-German Toy Industry), “Bundesverdienstkreuz” (highest civil order of merit of the Federal Republic of Germany) to name a few. Pakistan recognizes her relentless and untiring work in the field of income generation for rural women through self help projects.
Making difference in lives of others is a great accomplishment. I am returning back a part of what life has bestowed upon me,” says Dr. Senta Siller.
Labels: Dr. Senta Siller
posted by Doll @ 9:37 AM,
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Vote For Thatta Kedona
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
'Dolls of the World' lovers please vote for Thatta Kedona here...
posted by Doll @ 11:47 AM,
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One Product – One Village
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
The village project of the NGO A.F.A. in TGD with its Image Brand of TOY VILLAGE represents an income-generation method for the village population, which is based upon the traditional culture of the area.
The main local buyers are diplomats, experts and managers of international companies as well as tourists and other travelers.
The products are being successfully marketed within the country and even have excellent reputation in foreign countries. There are customers in USA, Canada, Japan, Australia, Nuezeland, EU und the UAE as well as collectors in ethnological Museums in Stuttgart, Cologne, Hamburg, Leipzig and Berlin.
The village NGO has in the meantime integrated members from six other villages. Furthermore, it has sub-contractors in other parts of the country through six other NGO’s from Karachi, Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Karimabad.
New products are being developed in order to integrate further women from other villages into the project.
It is very important to proceed in a particular way for such a project to be successful:
- The products are not to be manufactured in large quantities so that the producers do not lose their traditional roots and move to the cities.
- Quality control must be ensured with the help of trained staff.
- The marketing must proceed hand in hand due to the specific way of production which again requires trained staff.
For developing new products in other villages (One Product – One Village) specially qualified staff is needed which is also ready to work together with the village population. Members of city culture may be more qualified but the preparedness to work in the village and to develop with the local residents is morec important –this point is apparently the most difficult to overcome in order to achieve success.
Labels: Thatta Kedona
posted by Doll @ 7:49 PM,
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This is Pakistan - Slide Show
posted by Doll @ 8:00 AM,
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Shoemoney Shows the Money
Monday, January 22, 2007
Like anyone interested in Affiliate Marketing (who is not), I have been reading Jeremy Schoemaker at Shoemoney and elsewhere (and listening to his radio show) for some time now; much before I was to write this sponsored post. He is an established guru in the field, knows procedures and techniques and willingly shares his experiences at ShoeMoney for the benefit of everyone.Jeremy Schoemaker aka shoemoney has come a long way since he started writing simple programs in 1980s. Shoemoney talks about many things: from complex affiliate issues to ringtone industry (he has been called master of ringtones) to favorite plug ins and much more for the benefit of both marketers as well as publishers. Shoemoney is making it possible for the marketers to get closer to the affiliates and is improving communication between them. His opinion on the subject is valued and he is in a position to make calculated predictions about the industry (one of his predictions about mybloglog getting bought out has already been proved true).
Stay tuned at Shoemoney to lean a thing or two about Affiliate Marketing or to see how his predictions are coming over the year or to fine out how he blogs “in boxers but code in the nude.”
Technorati Tags: Shoemoney, Jeremy Schoemaker, Affiliate Marketing
posted by Doll @ 10:22 AM,
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Pride of Doll Makers
Saturday, January 20, 2007
Tag: Doll Makers
Labels: Dolls
posted by Doll @ 8:51 AM,
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Dolls of the World
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Proof of this is found in the escavations in South America, the Subcontinent, Japan, Italy, Greece, and other sites all over the world. Made out of sa number pof materials like wood, wax, clay, cloth etc. They were not only a toy but used also as religious symbols and cult items for example as miniaturized images of persons.
Even today they are used by many people as fetish. Today, the experts are not sure what was the first purpose of the dolls; as a toy, out of which the cult figure developed or the cult figure which became a toy. Over and above toys with educational value, dolls are realistic documentation of past and present times and therefore important source of our knowledge about the games, life, living and work conditions and economy. They are important cultural carriers.
Dr Senta Siller established different projects in Pakistan, Cameroun, Columbia, etc in which small but long-term progress was made towards development of rural areas, help towards self-sustained development, discouragement of urbanization by way of income generating projects in the rural areas through production of certain types of handicraft items. Dolls are manufactured here lovingly and clothed in traditional dresses and accessories. Fabric design and types of clothing are revived and take an important place in daily life.
The women project established by Dr Siller in 1993 in the pakistani province of Punjab, which has in the meanwhile also added a men centre, has 120 women members and it is generating income. The women here work not on full-time basis but in a traditional way so that family and field work is not compromised and festivals of different types, common in villages, can be celebrated as usual. The village Thatta Ghulamka Dhiroka has about 1200 residents. The villagers established the NGO Anjuman-e-Falah-e-Aama in 1991, which co-operates with the DGFK e.V. (German Society for Promotion of Culture). The Anjuman itself co-operates with six further projects in the country.
Three co-operatives (Akwatinuighah, Akaankang, HandiCraft CAT) are functioning since 1998 in Bamenda, the capital of the North-West Provinz in Cameroun, which is located near the border to Nigeria. Also this NGO co-operates with the DGFK, Germany. Bamenda has about 60000 residents living on seven hills, who speak eight different languages. Apart from the men of CAT, over 100 women manufacture a variety of handicrafts.
The co-operative Tantomejor was established in 1999 in Saboya and it works in the meanwhile with three other initiatives. Saboya has about 6000 residents near Chiquinquira, the capital of Departemento Boyaca.
Labels: Dolls of the World
posted by Doll @ 8:03 AM,
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Dr. Senta Siller
Dr. Norbert Pintsch
