Thatta Kedona

Dolls of the World

2012-02-14T09:19:00.001+05:00

Monika Kuppler and Her Work

2012-02-14T08:00:00.001+05:00

Volunteers are doing wonderful job passing skills to those who need it. It is like “repaying what I have been bestowed upon” said one of the volunteers who visited Thatta Ghulamka Dheroka.

Monika Kuppler (on the left in top image) has been passing along this the best way. She is very energetic and keen – working hard with local girls and women in Women’s Art Center Monika. Monika is here for the fourth time. She conducts pottery workshop with groups of women and starts every time where she had left the previous time. That has resulted in stream of new products and enhanced skills. What is more, once she had brought her daughter Sophie Kuppler - another very bright student and volunteer who conducted English language classes). She has also conducted another workshop with paper.

Special Training - Sabine and Halima at WAC

2012-02-10T13:24:00.000+05:00

Bloggy Fusion

2012-02-10T13:23:00.000+05:00

From here

Aid for Development

2012-02-08T11:30:00.000+05:00

The amounts allocated in the federal budget for development aid say it all, namely that too much is being done and too little at the same time. How can that be, -only one thing can be true? And still, both are correct because for one it is too much and for the other too little.

Now, how does it look for the actively engaged people in development aid? They are mostly not thoroughly acquainted with the problems of the developing countries because they constantly make comparisons between their home and the project country und therefore very quickly develop a certain way of thinking, namely to develop themselves so much in the normally three years of participation in an overseas project, that they can build a small house of their own at home.

To these actively engaged persons also belong the diplomats, who –given the bad experiences- have to posess certain qualities, namely: be gladly in the home country and be in a position to use the German language in the foreign country. Now what does that mean? – foreign languages are learn t only later during the training process for the official post. Those posted in the foreign countries appear to hate their mother countries and therefore wake up early in the morning. Since they love security and safety of their official premises, they leave these only on arrival and departure and otherwise they are too busy in the table work or are participating in enormously important conferences and are therefore totally overloaded to even think of taking out time for not so important matters. To these not so important matters also belong the development aid projects. Their activity is mostly limited to finding paragraphs which speak against a project and to ensure employment at the base station for processing the incoming project proposals.

A pleasant side-effect is the official therapy. At home subjected to otherwise long and tedious therapy, these officials obtain official and free psychological treatment in which they are required to look after the visitors and applicants in a friendly manner and thereby ascertain their importance, which can be summed up to be zero. This strengthens the officer and makes him resistant to inter human contact.

The projects most successful are the ones in which the families involved in the project are well looked after; that’s also a sort of development aid.

Employees of the population and immigration offices are called human smugglers. They have improved their image in the meanwhile quite a lot and now offer complete immigration packages. The concerned family has to pay a certain amount of money and with that it gets a guarantee that one person from the family will get an entry visa to the desired country even without any knowledge of the language of the host country. A lot of advertisement is done in this context; the diplomatic representation or the embassy on its part does not keep one eye closed here. On the contrary, they keep their eyes wide open on their work tables and avoid in case travel in such a dangerous country.

In short: how bad it would be if these officials of the foreign ministry and the ministry for development aid were not there? - The country would have additional unemployed persons, not much but still. Moreover, the expensive therapy costs are saved by way of the residence in the foreign country, where aggressions and humanly mistakes can be let out without anyone making a fuss!

Arab Boy

2012-02-08T08:05:00.000+05:00

One baby One Tree

2012-02-06T09:34:00.003+05:00

Friends of Thatta Kedona already know about our beautiful tradition of "one child one tree" that is practiced in Toys Village since last decade. A-e-F-e-A presents one fruit tree on the birth of a baby and one flower tree to a newly married couple. Results: almost every household in Toys Village has a fruit and flower trees in their yards. And it looks so good. Here are some of the impressions from tree distribution ceremony in BHU.

Thatta Kedona at BBC

2012-02-06T09:31:00.000+05:00

Listen Arjum Wajid from (BBC World Service) Interview; Download.

Fine Art of Block Printing

2012-02-04T09:20:00.002+05:00

Young Aslam displays his art work (bedspreads sheets, table cloth, wall hangings, a melee of colour and an extravaganza of design) in Thatta Kedona show room at Lahore under the approving gaze of Dr. Senta Siller. Aslam needs no coaxing to display the finished pieces. As quickly as he spreads his art pieces, he rattles off the names. Persian 1, Persian 11, Masjid Wazir Khan, the palm tree, peacock palm, dancing parrots, the elephant tram and six peacocks, also naming the prestigious places where these designs are in use at the moment.

Aslam represents fourth generation of the family carrying forward the art of block printing that is at the verge on extinction. Block printing represents an age when mastery over art was the struggle of a life time of hard labour and Aslam does not seem to forget this philosophy even thought he has ambitious to innovate and diversify the art of his forefathers in a big way.

Jhando, the master craftsman exported hand painted and printed cottons and silks and velvets to agencies in London and New York. An international nomenclature some seventy years ago and now Calico Prints in Lahore is representing the family name and craft which once enjoyed international repute. Aslam is carrying the tradition further.

Indeed today Aslam with his skill of colour and stroke work, epitomizes an art technique which Jhando had carried to the pinnacle of perfection. Jhando -- the legendary great grandfather of Aslam -- was of course a figure of epic stature so to say. It was he who left to the family a collection of over twenty two thousand blocks drawn from diverse cultures like Muslim, Mughal and Punjabi cultures and Hindu mythology. The grandfather was illustrious too to be sure with his collection of awards and accolades kept zealously safe even today in velveteen cases.

Block printing is a very fine art that has matured over time. So intricate are the patterns that a single motif may need anything from two to twelve blocks to complete the details. Different block motifs cater to different colours in the same pattern. All this requires dexterity of hand to prevent them from running the other. The grand finale of course is the intricate brush work. Fashioned from local needs these indigenous brushes with all their quaintness high light of the motifs.

It goes without saying that Aslam’s exotic collection that I saw at Thatta Kedona is a treat for eye. Ironically, block printing is a cultural heritage reduced to penury under the influence of a mechanized industrial society and bulk production phenomenon. Yet one has to see it to believe the richness of this art from which even in its quaintness excels the grandeur of modern printing.

Preservation of the craft is a very noble passion but there is a difference in the preservation methodologies and objectives. “It is different to preserve the ancient cultural heritage for the sack of its perpetuation as an art and to do it for commercial purposes,” says Dr. Norbert Pintsch. Thatta Kedona is trying to patronize in order to preserve this (and many more) arts for the sack of those arts in their own original contexts.

Broadcasting in Rural Areas

2012-02-02T10:32:00.000+05:00

Click to enlarge

About Autonomous Bio-molecular and Poly-crystalline Organisms in Construction Structures

2012-02-01T08:57:00.001+05:00

Prof Dr Norbert Pintsch (M.CE., M.Arch., MBA), Lahore

The term Housing 1) was discussed in some of our recent articles and we referred there to the Cultural Model 2), in which the human effort is actively promoted, -the traditional one as well as the so called traditional one.

Although it was not possible to completely avoid the conflict between religion and science, still we were able to describe in one go a new cultural formula 3).

The Inter-dependencies 4) between the individual areas can be epoch-making, for example currently the economy.

Is an individual area so important, it can be compared with a cold star in the astronomical terminology.

In our example this would mean that the economy does continue to play its role but not in its current ly known form.

The history of science amply proves that followers of a certain surviving form or method cannot be easily convinced through arguments. As the Nobel-prize winning scientist Max-Planck once said, the next generations will be "normally" working with things that today appear to be cimpossible or non-sensical. This should mean that it takes only one generation to make unthinkable quite normal.

The technology is extremely dependent upon the economy and therefore economic considerations appear always to play a role, which however is only short-term and short-sighted and actually based upon a postponement of the problems and actually assumes the problems of Resource-wastage, environmental pollution and destruction of cultural values 5), which however also requires the ability to recognize these losses. One cannot and does not want to recognize something which one cannot see !

A holistic 6) way of looking at things is the necessity here. A view of the situation in totality, which is hardly possible in the current era of times pressures, which prevent reflection on the real causes and contemplative view of things.

We understand ourselves as logical and systematic thinkers, but actually cannot afford to be such because it would be "philosophically" simply too laborious. This means, we would gladly like to think logically and systematically, but cannot do it because a "philosophical" consideration requires too much effort.

Buckminster Fuller 7) and Frei Otto 8), both well-known construction designers of the 20th century created -possibly unknowingly- the basis for self-organizing physical-chemical constructional structures, which should enable us in current times to work towards a new form of construction.

A salient feature thereby would be return back from the current form of economy, something which originated in the 19th century, was "euro-centered" and functioning fantastically, but also very limited, because one cannot construct without money. The current construction is characterized through short-term considerations because long-term considerations are considered "un-economical".

Now, such processes should be seen not as "either-or" alternatives but rather as "as well as" options.

Traditional, conventional and industrial construction solutions will continue to exist and one will try to derive new ideas from them.

To these new ideas belong for example the concept of valuation of land, which originated in the western world and which was never so important in the traditional cultures.

To these ideas belongs also the cooking culture , which has become obsolete with the development of the foodstuff industry.

To these ideas also belongs the possibility of computer regulated toilets 9), which show a way away from metabolic disposal towards raw-material production.

The unintended effects of general human behaviour lead in this way to a change in climate, how else could the climatic changes have taken place in pre-historical times, - ample proof that there exist influences, which over a period of time steer and accellerate the structures quicker and in an unpleasant way.

The subject of Housing under extreme climatic and environmental conditions 10) therefore becomes important in a hitherto unknown way found only in science-fiction novels in which a scenario of space stations and colonizations on other planets is discussed.

Not only in this context but also the developing changes ask for a new way and a new approach.

Examples here are available for example in the previous Soviet Union through the construction of the so-called "Koslow-Productio-Lines" 11) leading to totally uniform apartment complexes.

The term Mobile Parks is well known from the mightiest economic power of the last century. The Metabolism-Project 12) in the bay of Tokyo; and also the development and establishment of the Container-Hotels 13) in the current times may be seen in the same context.

The loss of traditional craftsmanship or the application of robots in the production process, all such developments are signs of severe change.

Growing populations in the cities, combined with the necessary high costs cassociated with the required technical infra-structure, the sinking amounts of collected taxes in the urban regions and many other factors are signals which also indicate a change in the urban envirionment.14)

Human Transpiration and Aspiration as well as Metabolism 15) appear to be more appropriate in a closed system whereas in the modern designed urban world they only have a very superficial importance.

Should we compare the changes between city and semi-urban lifestyles and rural lifestyles, gross differences are immediately recognizable in -for example- toilets, cooking practices, etc.

The construction is carried out technologically and therefore under economic aspects, the basic concept has however has remained unchanged.

Considering the above aspects one can recognize a certain soft tendency towards independent construction organisms, more visible in the area of Bionics.16) Biomolecular17) and polycristalline18) Structures will permanently change the way we live. The currently available technical infra-structure in buildings, cities, regions will be confronted with enormous challenges in such a scenario.

In future, under the current economic Dogma, a piece of land, a factory, a product, will not be able to produced in a logical way. All states, which have taken over the western systems are limiting themselves enormously and they will not be able to cope with the problems in future.

The first examples of integrated Production lines19) already exist, but they are not given due importance and the current production systems considered the only possibility.

The areas discussed here amply show a critical appraisal of the deficiencies and point to the necessity of a development of holistic view of things and appropriate action.

A transformation is already taking place, in which elements of traditional cultures (technical as well as general) are appraised anew and lead to the closed system, behind which follow changes in social customs in areas like Kitchen, bath, living, working etc.

In private as well as in public life, the technical infrastructure paves the way for autonomous construction organisms, which are more directed towards the nature (biomolecular and polycristalline).

Literature / Remarks:

1) Housing

see:TechnoBiz

December 2006, p.54,55,56,

July 2007, p.31, December 2007, p.50-54

May 2009, p. 49-51

2) Cultural Model

3) Cultural formula

C = f ( N* + c* ( PRE <-> paste))

4) Inter-dependencies

Contrary to the term Inter-dependence, the term Dependence indicates a relationship without an opposite dependence. The socalled western eonomy in its originating countries influences all facets of life including the culture. Its main strength lies in creating restrictions, which does not work if you are operating globally.

5) Postponement of the problems, problems of Resource-wastage, environmental pollution, destruction of cultural values

Results of the western system

6) Holistic

a holistic approach

7) Richard Buckminster Fuller

(July 12, 1895 – July 1, 1983) was an American architect, author, designer, inventor, and futurist.

and

8) Frei Paul Otto

(31 May 1925) is a German architect and structure engineer.

9) computer regulated toilets

affects directly the medical-therapeutic area as well as the technical infra-structure and metabolism.

10) Housing under extrem Climate- and Environment-conditions

The waveband between the traditional nature-oriented holistic system and the closed system.

11) Koslow-Strassen

Frol Romanovich Kozlov (18 August 1908 - January 30, 1965) was a Soviet statesman, Hero of Socialist Labour Movement (1961).

responsible under Chrutschow for the Industrial.Complex, and with that for the finished part construction lines.

12) Metabolism-Project

Japanese movement (1959: Kisho Kurokawa, Kiyonori Kikutake, Fumihiko Maki, Sachio Otaka und Noboin Kawazoe) with the vision of a city of the future inhabited by a large population and characterized by large scale, flexible and extensible structures that enable an organic growth process. But Metabolism is the set of chemical reactions that occur in living organisms to maintain life too. The SUME (Sustainable Urban Metabolism for Europe) was established with the vison and goal to create new basics for long-term sustained development of cities in Europe.

13) Container-Hotels

Replace more expensive long-term advantage with cheap short.term advantage as a result of the western-oriented system.

14) Graphs

15) Transpiration and Aspiration and Metabolism:

Absorption of diverse body gases for the purpose of reprocessing and reusing.

16) Bionics

Bionics (also known as biometics, bio-inspiration, biognosis, biomimicry, or bionical creativity engineering) is the application of biological methods and systems found in nature to the study and design of engineering systems and modern technology.

17) Biomoleculare structure

Through expansion of definition and meaning, bio-chemical processes are integrated into construction concepts leading to a deviation from the conventional-industrial path of development.

18) Polycristalline structure

Through expansion of definition and meaning, solid-body structures from nature are transformed and introduced into construction methods.

The combination of structures from the "living" and "dead" matter leads to the necessary solutions in closed systems in construction environment and introduces a new form of resource utilization and infra-structure, which has to find its place in the present time.

19) Integrierte Produktionsanlagen

A piece of land – a factory ./. combination of different production with reciprocal usage benefits

Thatta Kedona Dolls with Chief Minister Punjab

2012-01-27T11:35:00.001+05:00

Aamir Rafique from Thatta Kedona and the Secretary Foundation for Promotion of Academic Collaboration met Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif and presented Thatta Kedona dolls. Here are some of the pictures of the occasion.

Dr Karola Groch's Role in Basic Health Unit at Dolls Village

2012-01-27T08:34:00.001+05:00

Dr Karola / DGFK with staff from Basic Health Unit,

an institution from AFA (NGO)

in village Thatta Ghulamka Dhiroka

Dr Karola Groch - the Medical Doctor – was in Thatta Ghulamka Dheroka (aka Dolls Village) for more than 10 times. She has played a very memorable role in the development of Basic Health Unit (BHU) in the Village. She plans to visit the Dolls Village once again. This time she will also take 1 baby – 1 tree.

The I baby I tree is a cherished tradition is a Anjuman-e-Falah-e-Aama - NGO founded 1991 – in wich one flower tree is given to family that haves a baby and also one fruit tree to the every newlywed couple.

Handicraft development is the most important activity in the Dolls Village as it generate some additional income for the families living there. Life in rural areas is far cheaper than the urban centers and a little money for rustic people can go a long way in improving their social life. And every volunteer that comes to the village adds to the possibilities of creating more ncome for more families.

The volunteers and friends of TGD have become an institution by themselves. Presently they together with Dr Senta Siller participate in bazaar in ethnological museums: Here are some glimpses of the veteran volunteers

Related: Women at Their Best

Thatta Kedona Activities

2012-01-24T08:47:00.000+05:00

Dolls of the World

2012-01-21T18:44:00.000+05:00

Cultural Construction

2012-01-18T09:33:00.000+05:00

The term Housing was discussed in some of our recent articles and we referred there to the Cultural Model, in which the human effort is actively promoted, -the traditional one as well as the socalled traditional one.

Although it was not possible to completely avoid the conflict between religion and science, still we were able to describe in one go a new cultural formula. The Inter-dependencies between the individual areas can be epoch-making, for example currently the economy. Is an individual area so important, it can be compared with a cold star in the astronomical terminology. In our example this would mean that the economy does continue to play its role but not in its current ly known form.

The history of science amply proves that followers of a certain surviving form or method cannot be easily convinced through arguments. As the Nobel-prize winning scientist Max-Planck once said, the next generations will be "normally" working with things that today appear to be impossible or non-sensical. This should mean that it takes only one generation to make unthinkable quite normal.

The technology is extremely dependent upon the economy and therefore economic considerations appear always to play a role, which however is only short-term and short-sighted and actually based upon a postponement of the problems and actually assumes the problems of Resource-wastage, environmental pollution and destruction of cultural values, which however also requires the ability to recognize these losses. One cannot and does not want to recognize something which one cannot see!

A holistic way of looking at things is the necessity here. A view of the situation in totality, which is hardly possible in the current era of times pressures, which prevent reflection on the real causes and contemplative view of things.

Read the article in Techno Biz

Artist of Thatta Kedona

2012-01-13T14:03:00.000+05:00

In Pictures

2012-01-10T09:20:00.000+05:00

Best mud hut in Thatta Ghulamka Dgeroka

Best exterior

Best brick house

Thatta Kedona stall

Growing with Thatta Kedona

Meeting

Volunteers at work

Some of those who work togather to make all that happen

More images in daily zeitgeist down the sidebar.

Sports tickets

2012-01-10T09:18:00.000+05:00

Ticket America specializes in obtaining desirable seats for high-demand and sold-out events. All those who are interested in california golden bears football tickets, cincinnati bearcats football tickets or clemson tigers football tickets must have a look and see what is on the offer and how.

And Again: Topic NGO

2012-01-06T09:16:00.000+05:00

Omar M. Ali, Njini King Caro, Ricardo Koslez and Norbert Pintsch

Money is not there for its own sake, but for the sake of the society.
Time is NOT money.
Time is for the benefit of the society.
LIFE is not there to suppress other members of the society, but to serve them.
Development does not mean Consumption, Job-Searching and Leisure Activity any more, rather the quest for the highest form of luxury: the voluntary surrender and drawing of individual boundaries for the good of the society.

Again and again we come across good reasons for pointing out the differences between the NON-Government Organizations and the Government organizations and companies!

NGOs work without a fixed budget and financial planning. This means their existence is not secured fund the highest level of attention is required to navigate the small boat in stormy waters of everyday situations.

The members are not employees with a fixed description of their duties, rather they are to be accepted as they are, which requires a lot of patience on the part of the management. The members of an NGO should not be dependent upon their earning from the NGO, which should only make up the additional income. They should be working to earn their bread, but should watch out that they do not become dependent upon the NGO. This strange concept, strange because about 100% of NGOs are not such in nature and follow approximately the direction shown by F Bergmann, the philosopher and consultant of the US American automobile industry, in his publication The New Work.

Project work for money,
Work according to individual capabilities and
Work for and in the society

These are the three pillars of his system, which corresponds to the new economic orientation in the 21st century.

The reality even in these so-called NGO’s characterized by:

Allowances,
Official residences,
Official cars with driver and similar facilities,

In fact killing the NGO by exploiting it to the last drop, still emphasizes the following qualities:

Responsibility,
Carefulness,
Ownership,

Also a certain level of selflessness, which is still found in the roots of the traditional cultures, is necessary, but seldom available.

In present times, we are quite used to hearing terms like teamwork and performance, in a certain way qualities of the previous cultures, which have been lost under western influence.

Welfare organizations and individuals, who submit to the means of modern economics (tax reduction, donation receipts, money investments) are nothing more than the extended arm of a Faust; the master of the Faust would like to do good, but risk and lose nothing.

The pardon writings of the middle-age Christians were supposed to help the owner to enter paradise, at least leave a good conscience.

Thatta Kedona, Pakistan

2012-01-05T20:26:00.000+05:00

Thatta Kedona has its own website now. Have a look:

VILLAGE DEVELOPMENT PROJECT

Thatta Ghulamka Dhiroka, Distr. Okara, Punjab

Anjuman-e-Falah-e-Aama (NGO)

Women Art Centre (WAC)

Men Centre (TTTC)

Basic Health Unit (BHU)

Village Museum

Internet Radio Station

Thatta Ghulamka Dheroka

2012-01-05T12:55:00.000+05:00

Pakistan House Potsdam

2012-01-02T11:46:00.000+05:00

Eröffnung des Pakistan House Potsdam, Mai 2001

Eröffnung des Pakistan House Potsdam, Mai 2001 Humeira Hassan, Charge d´ Affaires / Pak. Botschaft und Prof. Dr. Norbert Pintsch / PHP

ALLGEMEINES: Das (PHP) ist die einzige pakistanische Einrichtung in den neuen Bundesländern, das die Arbeit des Deutsch-Pakistanischen Forums, wie auch der Deutsch-Pakistanischen Gesellschaft unterstützt und gerne Interessenten informiert. Das PHP dient für Projektbesprechungen und Projektvorbereitungen; ebenso zur Projektinformation in einem Showroom. Das etwa 235-Jahre alten Punjab-Tor im Hofbereich (unterstützt durch Federation of Pakistan, Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Karachi u.a.) bildet mit den Grundmauern des PHP ein etwa 500 Jahre altes interessantes Ensemble mit anregender Atmosphäre, auch für offizielle Anlässe. Die offizielle Einweihung fand im Mai 2001 anlässlich des 3. Deutsch-Pakistanischen Dialogs in Berlin, unter Mitwirkung von: H.E. Humaira Hasan / Pakistan Embassy statt.

KOOPERATIONEN: Das Pakistan House Potsdam ist die bisher einzige Einrichtung im deutschsprachigen Raum die über die pakistanische NGO (Anjuman-e-Falah-e-Aama) und die deutsche NGO (Deutsche Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Kultur) speziell mit unterschiedlichen Institutionen in Pakistan kooperiert, u.z.:

Moh. Nawaz, Harappa

Aksic, Muzaffarabad

Punjab Kaliko Printing, Lahore

Threadnet, Karimabad

Nomad Gallery, Islamabad

Munira Alam, Peshawar

Better Tomorrow Welfare Organization, Rawalpindi

Al-Falah-House, Karachi

Sungi Development Foundation, Haripur

Behbud Association of Pakistan, Islamabad.

GRUNDLAGE: Basis für die Kooperation ist die 1998 in der Stadthalle Bonn, von der Pakistanischen Botschaft in Bonn und dem Export Promotion Bureau in Karachi organisierte - Ausstellung HANDICRAFT FROM PAKISTAN die einen Überblick zur Arbeit aller oben genannten Projekte gab.

LEITUNG: Pakistan House Potsdam

Amjad Ali, Prof. Dr. Pintsch,

Dr. Senta Siller für die Deutsche Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Kultur e.V. Berlin, Potsdam.

ANSCHRIFT / KONTAKT: Pakistan House Potsdam

Charlottenstraße 121

14467 Potsdam

Tel. u. Fax.: ++49 331 20 10 881

email: pakistanhouse33@hotmail.com

Besuche nur nach Vereinbarung

Pakistan House Moves On

2012-01-01T14:37:00.000+05:00

Dolls from Thatta Kedona wish you happy new year.

Thatta Ghulamka Dheroka - Star of the Punjab

2011-12-22T19:15:00.003+05:00

Dolls Have Always Been There

2011-12-21T22:42:00.000+05:00

Students in Thatta Ghulaka Dheroka

2011-12-21T18:23:00.000+05:00

Thatta Kedona, in addition to producing dolls, toys and other cultural handicrafts has been a center of leaning since its inception over a decade ago. Students from different universities have been visiting Thatta Ghulaka Dheroka for research, orientation and or for sightseeing.

This time a group of 55 students from Lahore College for Women University (-Dept for modern languages, -Dept for Home-Economic and Dept for Ceramic) visited the Dolls Village on Mar 28, 2010.

Group arrived in university buses. In the villages they explored cultural complex, Women Art Center where they were briefed about activities of AFA and TTTC (including pottery workshop and Appropriate Technology) by Farooq Ahmed and Ms Farzana. They also visited localy designed Mud House.

In addition to the village walk, students were taken around on Tonga

Stay tuned, students from Beacons House University are also visiting the Dolls Village in the first week of April.

BNU University Students in Thatta Ghulamka Dheroka

2011-12-21T09:12:00.000+05:00

Students from different universities visit Thatta Ghulamka Dheroka for researh, learning and excursion. Here students from Beaconhouse National University are being briefed by Farooq Ahmed of Thatta Kedona in WAC in the Village.

Development of Mud Housing Project

2011-12-20T10:36:00.000+05:00

History

The MHP was initiated through SPARC (local NGO) in 2010, but it has a history, which began in 1990 in a village development project (Thatta Kedona) in the district of Okara (Gogera) in southern Punjab.

The mud construction has a long tradition (Harappa) in this region and it is still used extensively in the rural areas. However it has not developed further due to the influences of the city culture. Double storeyed mud constructions are however found very seldom. This although mud housing has many positive-construction biological properties and it is much more energy efficient than constructions of baked bricks and steel concrete.

Purpose of the Project

Purpose of the MHP is to emphasize the usefulness and importance of mud construction in city development.

Usefulness

An attempt is being made in cooperation with architecture students of PU, COMSATS, BNU, NCA and a constructor (Thekedar) from Harappa-Museum to develop solutions on the basis of a traditional mud hut, which would ultimately lead to a change in urban development strategies.

Implementation

As a start, construction was started at the premises of the Peersada Cultural Complex; the mud construction serves as accomodation for the handicraft workers.

In cooperation with SPARC and the DGFK (german NGO's), support through the SES (Senior Expert Service) in Bonn and the German embassy in Islamabad was obtained.

Current Importance

The MHP has gained additional importance due to the consequences of the recent floodings in Pakistan.

Short term aims

Help is necessary. Financial means are to be used effectively, local solutions are to be found, the daily requirements (e.g. hot water, cooking, etc.) are to be considered. Possibilities of using Appropriate Technology are to be explored.

Long term aims

The MHP should be understood as the initial flame and its aim to urgently establish a facility for experimental construction, which requires availability of suitable piece of land.

For various reasons, the implementation has to done in steps. The first steps have been taken.

With Dr. Senta Siller

2011-12-14T09:20:00.000+05:00

With Dr. Senta Siller and Ilyas on the bank of Lower Jhelum Canal near my village Mong.

Development of Housing Concepts

2011-12-14T06:19:00.000+05:00

By Dr. Norbert Pintsch and Ghayyoor Obaid

Extreme Housing

A pre-condition for development of future-oriented housing concepts is the capability to be open and to question what is currently available.

Introduction

This long-term project of the IPC has its roots in the beginning of the 60's of the last century, which was characterized by continuously improving technological possibilities and enormous changes in the psychological and social behavior. These refer apart from raising of children, family life and way of cooking, practical methods of production and problems of intimate areas (discontinuation of shower and WC-paper) and clothing (different forms of fashion) also to furnishings and fixtures, which follow different compulsions. Similarly, the designs are more function oriented and therefore differ totally from the traditionally known and usual forms of design.

Development of Housing Concepts

The ruins of tomorrow are being constructed today! The more designed a building, the lesser is its half-value perio4 i.e. its Transcience and modernity! The projects described here are different from the conventional ones and more similar to structures in other, non-western cultures, for example a classical west-african compound in its design is not positioned on square or rectangular spaces but according to organically formed areas.

The experiences for the Extreme-Housing, described in the following two projects, are based upon a study of housing concepts in other cultures. The question in these projects is not, whether they are likeable in the present circumstances but rather how one can adjust oneself in a new environment. A precondition for that however is the awareness, how much of the currently available is relevant to the circumstances, which have still to come.

Current wishes and life-styles for forest walks, swimming fun, grill parties, golf, summer festivals etc. do not fit into these project forms because they correspond to conventional urban lifestyles. A pre-condition for development of future-oriented housing concepts is the capability to be open and to question what is currently available. There is still a long way to go till the general population realizes how to make use of technological advances in the best way.

The project city of Dubai is a good example of the limits of usual way of thinking in such projects: destruction of resources, harm to climate etc. These are the typical characteristics associated with conventionally designed projects, which are flitted with extravagant consumer-oriented installations, but from developmental point of view are just non-plus-ultra of the western standards; one is not gladly ready to accept that the project actually confines the development.

In the icelandic “Tube-Project” the technical capabilities of of local tunnel construction companies is put to use to construct pipes of 10 mtr diameter at a height of 275m in the volcanic region of Basalt. A unit will consist of two pipes, which are connected to each other through another through another horizontal pipe and a lift which transports which transport people from ground level. The imposing structure of the pipes offers a splendid view on the port and the airport, a factor, which influenced the developers comparable to the builders and investors of the Dubai model and which played a decisive role in the decision for this project.

The infrastructure is totally autonomous. The technology of the Savoniusrotors is used on the permanently windy platforms of the mountain plateau as well as the rain water, which is collected in containers and used in households, the waste disposal is managed through composting.

“Tower-Project” is based on studies of the 60's of the last century, which have their own history of development in the projects for the “new” humans of the social prognosis. The population development played an important role at that time, which can be seen in context of developments in space travel. Through science and research, a number of assumptions from vague concepts made it into the real.world. Without naming any literature references or research reports, let us confine to naming some key words the changes that have taken place, without referring to problems associated with them.

Reduced Individuality
Faeces and Urine collectors for processing
Reduced ownership
Changes in schooling and education
Changes in health related areas
Changes in life parts (facilities for certain age groups)
Gene manipulation in the biology (related to humans)
Brain manipulation in communication and Information Technology
Integrated production units (Termination of separate industrial areas in the economy)
Changes in way of furnishing (different from classical furnishing)
Changes in cooking methods.

The utopian looking changes may displease, but a look into the present time shows, that these changes are not registered as being unusual and are not seen in context.

Fast-food und soft-drinks
General uniformity, so-called International Design
Internet
“Harry-Potter” as synonymous for “spiritual” mass product
Gene manipulated foodstuffs
Directed influence on brain functions g.. Madness to remain young
Less employment
Tourism in an unreal world
Loss of religious values and its replacement by consume and event oriented lifestyle
Computer aided activities for body, memoiy and sences training and so on and so forth

Generally it can be established, that thje socalled progress is putting together of temporary solutionsw to the problems: there have been problems whenever humansintelligence. Only in very remote and faraway places is this development no so grave. Development extremists and progressw believers, mostly from urban city culture, refer to it as development emergency!

The “Tower-Project” is based upon the experiences of older, non-western cultures and is the answer to the conventional destruction of resources and the general unawareness about the - erroneous development in the western civilization.

In the beginning it is suggested for suburban areas, the diameter of such complexes is dependent upon the strength of the ground to provide room for 100000 residents, at the same time the project is also a link to the extra-terrestrial world.

It is well known, that each solution in the Greek-western culture causes two new problems. In the 150 or so years since the begin of the industrial era therefore theoretically 300 problems have been created. In the industrialized countries one success of the development is very limited. Free economy destroys resources, Society and Culture!

Ramla's Journey of Hope

2011-12-12T10:24:00.000+05:00

Ramla Akhtar

I'm in Punjab. Making micro-documentaries. As part of the Hope Express project... which the team decided to convert into a short films/ mini documentaries project - rather than a train journey project. So I grabbed my brother's Sony Handycam, and decided to film whatever inspires me on an unplanned journey.

I went to PakPattan from Aug 3-6, returned to Lahore and stayed a night at the beautiful and gifted fashion entrepreneur Maria B's. Met S A J Shirazi, a traveler n prolific blogger/ writer.

He pointed me to Thatta Ghulam da Dheroka, where the Thatta Khedona brand hand dolls originate from. I let go of an obsession to 'go up North' and hopped on a car, bus, rickshaw, van and finally a taxi to get here yesterday.

Back to Lahore today and wondering what next? Don't want to stay in one place for too long! Hope to settle in a new place in Lahore or go elsewhere - I have a mental plan to return to Karachi by August 18. Let's see where Allah takes me next between today & then!

My wonderfully caring hosts at PakPattan (Dastgir of Sabri Langar Khana) & Lahore (Afia & family) have made an uncertain journey very comfortable!

Alhamdolillah!

I miss going North, but right now, carrying the message of a benevolent transformation across to people, while watching the Face of God wherever I turn, seem to take precedence as an intent!

Allah does best!

Dolls from Thatta Kedona in Vienna

2011-12-12T10:04:00.000+05:00

Vienna: Dr.Senta Siller - the initiator of the unique self help project in the village Thatta Ghulamka Dheroka - with Mrs. Eva Zeman, a member of the Austro-Pakistan Society.

Skin Painting

2011-12-12T08:30:00.000+05:00

Art seems to have been important to almost all human societies since before recorded history. Art expressions have been, and still are, used to record, to explain, to interpret, to predict, to gain awareness, and to express those things cultures find important,” wrote by Turner Rogers, an associate professor of art education at the University of South Alabama.

This assertion is truer in case of Pakistan where some of the medieval arts have originated, and have not only been preserved but are practiced till date. The history of Pakistani arts and crafts – Kashi work, painting of skin, woodworks and painting on wood items -- goes back to medieval period.

Among the various arts that are practiced in Pakistan, skin painting has attained a higher state of refinement and Pakistan is famous this art around the world. The use of foliage or branches and leaves of trees and superb richness of colours (mainly blue) in skin painting is an evidence of Persian influence. As Persian arts themselves have been under Chinese Mongol influence, therefore some historians are of the view that skin painting had originally come from Kashghar China. Over a period of centuries Pakistani work has matured and developed a unique and distinctive style of its own. The finest quality work is done on the camel skin in southern Punjab (Multan, Bahawalpur, Dera Ghazi Khan) and several products are exported.

The tedious technique of shaping the camel skin crafts and decorating them with indegenously prepared lacquer colours is an age old tradition that has withstood the test of time. This is a part of our ancient cultural heritage and needs to be preserved. Not only that, there is always a room to bring into the art new innovations, endow it with fresh spirit and set the science as its guide. The range of possibilities in the field of ceramics is very vast. The whole world is there to appreciate the work.

How to preserve the craft for our next generations?

Fine Art of Woodwork

2011-12-10T10:44:00.000+05:00

Engraved woodwork - the name is enough to collectors, travellers and cautiously curious dreaming. Antiquity is the first message of the ancient art. And, woodwork executed in villages of Pakistan is a collector's delight that needs to be preserved.

During the Mughal era, Pakistan produced many intelligent personalities and talented artisans who occupied positions in the Mughal courts. Artisans of Pakistan have instinctive good taste and they have achieved a distinctive excellence in woodwork. They are said to have been employed during the construction of Taj Mahal at Agra and Golden Temple at Amritsar. Special types of furniture and decorative items with brightly lacquered woodcarvings and coloured woodwork are still made here and famous all over the world. Gujrat, Chaniot and Multan are particularly famous for woodwork.

What this internationally acclaimed craft of the country needs is an institutional patronization and extensive efforts for preservation. Made in Pakistan wood items are found at different antique shops and but this art seem to be fading away in the face of the factory made items. It can be a potent source of earning for village artisans if attention is paid to and earnest efforts are made. Sadly, the trained incompetents responsible for export promotion of art and culture do not see this and the unique potentials and its cultural importance yet.

Directions to TGD

2011-12-08T19:15:00.000+05:00

Located on the offside, between Okara und Faisalabad, 45 Minutes eastward of Harappa.

100 % EXPERIENCE OF RURAL LIFE IN THE PUNJAB,- A PROGRAMME OF ABSOLUTE CONTRASTS !

NO Swimming Pool - NO Alcohol - NO Buffet - NO Bus - N O ...!

Pre-condition for Participation: Covered skin, Respect for the traditional culture !

- Last war of freedom in the Punjab in 1857, Murder of Lord Berkeley by
the Kharel tribe of TGD
- Region of the best buffaloes of the world as well as cattle thieves;
- AFA / TGD at the EXPO 2000 in Hannover and EXPO 2005 in Aichi
- AFA / TGD silver medal for the dolls project IWSA/UNESCO 2004
- “TV-Programme”: channel ONE-sunset, channel TWO-moonshine and stars

Handicraft production of dolls in traditional dresses of provinces and minorities at the Women Centre

Models of Rickshaws and other metal toys at the Men Centre.

Best time for visits: March and October (as there is no air-conditioner in summer and no heating in winter)

Local Boarding and Lodging is available for visitors @ Pak. Rs. 250 per person per day.

Registration for Transport Lahore - Village:

M.Ilyas, AFA, Showroom Lahore, 0303-7 35 69 86

Registration for Self-Transport: Mr Farooq Ahmad, AFA, Man. Director Men Centre 0300-417 43 60

Mrs Farzana Zahoor, AFA, Man. Director Women Centre 0321-697 21 05

Other Information here and in this site.

Technology and Culture

2011-12-07T11:51:00.000+05:00

Norbert R.O. Pintsch

What has technology to do with culture? a question asked by many professional technology fans. A more exact consideration will however reveal, that culture is the larger dimension and technology is just a part of it. In different eras, some areas have been more influencial and in others less. This way of considering things in itself testifies to a technical way of looking at things. Technical way of thinking is characterized by representation in a manner, the roots of which are to be found in mathematical calculations. There, where abstract thought cannot be explained due to missing power of imagination, we make use of drawings in order to achieve clarity in understanding. It probably never happens that a development process runs as a straight line, rather it is more like a chaotic structure in which now and then a certain regularity becomes visible, which is lost once again after a certain period of time to once again appear as a logical pattern at a later time (see illustration below).

Cycles and developments are gladly represented by parabolic curves. Either something develops itself to a climax to later on once again fall to a flat level or a tendency is shown for something to rise and sink (see illustration Below left).

This form of diagram often gives the impression of a continuous process of development in a wave form. A break from this cycle is displeasing. And still, recognizing a break in pattern, we still arrive at a hyperbolic diagram, which apparently reflects the reality more precisely. It helps us to follow well the development of the economic element of the culture: a "positive" development reaches its climax, to break at a maximum point and fall to the ground. Even in a positive icreasing tendency, the negative image has to be overcome, in order to arrive at a zero line from where to grow into the positive once again (see illustration above right).

The economic impact of virtual money is well recognizable, when we consider it from a mathematical perspective.

Well known from the game theory is the chess model: the Persian king allows his boredom to be covered by development of games. The developer of chess pleased the king so much, that he was given one free wish. The developer only wanted 1 corn on the first field, 2 on the second, 4 on the third and so on.

The king soon lost his laugh (see formula) because required number of corn were not available any more..

Z = Sum _N=0^N=63(2^N)

"Sum of N=0 till N=63

over 2 times N. As x^0=1, the summation begins with a corn.

The result:

On field 64 there are 9,223,372,036,854,775,808 pieces of corn,

written in a compact way:

9.22E+18 (corn).

The sum of all corns from field 1 till 64 is:

18,446,744,073,709,551,616, written exponentially as 1.84E+19 (corn).

Contrary to chess game, the virtual money economy has unlimited number of fields.

Take the case of Issa. If he had given his son 1 Rupee for investment, after a period of 2000 years and using the interest rate formula, the quantity of total money in circulation today would not suffice to pay him out. Apart from that, Issa would still have an immense transport problem (see calculation).

K_N = K_0 ( 1.0 + p )**N

N = Number of years (these are all the years from 0 till 2000, i.e. total 2001),

K_N = Capital after N years,

p = Percentage / 100, at 5% means p=0.05.

The result:

K_N(N=2001) = 25.106.573.148.442.298.897.434.214.700.000.000.000.000,00 prs,

said differently:

2.51e+40 PKR.

The interest alone in the year 2000 would be:

1.195.551.102.306.776.137.973.057.843.000.000.000.000,00 PKR, i.e. 1.20e+39 prs.

If paid in 500 PKR note of 1.12gm each, this would be a mass of 5.6224 * 10^34 kg, i.e. 9412079817.9 times the mass of earth.***

Both the examples in respect of the virtual economy confirm the correctness if the hyperbolic diagram (according to KP Friebe****) indicating the necessity of the break-up. The reality confirms the correctness of the assumption. The increase in numbers is so massive, that only break-ups, i.e. the impoverishment of one group of players in real life keeps the process going on. An indication of and outdated system, not repairable any more.

The possibility to represent the social development as described above by way of a formula is therefore understandable and is shown as follows (see Formula with Legend).

C = f {N* + c * [ PRE < - > paste ] }

C = Culture

N* = Nature

c* = Civilization

P = Philosophy

R = Religion

E = Education

< - > = Inter-dependencies

p = Politics

a = Art

s = Science

t = Technology

e = Economy

It is said that a diagram says more than a thousand words. An indication at the same time, how much more can be read out of a diagram.

A diagram is supposed to clarify and simplify. Changes are possible only if we are conscious of the volume of simplification, otherwise uniformity remains. Consolation remains the fact however, that even a uniform process will be followed by a large number of people.

***A similar example is described by Douglas Adams in his novel "The restaurant at the end of the universe" / "The hitchhikers guide to the galaxy".

**** KP Friebe is a German cross thinker, who was lately director of a technology foundation in Germany.

***** Culture originates out of the developing nature and the civilization, which is characterized by ideal and material elements and their inter-action.

Fingre Dolls

2011-12-07T08:51:00.000+05:00

Dolls of the World

2011-12-02T12:35:00.000+05:00

{Urdu Text - Click to Enlarg}

Link Love

2011-11-30T22:17:00.001+05:00

Social media for business at Logic is Variable

Bridges at Doodh Patti

Pottry at Dolls Village

Artisans at Thatta Kedona

I ask the Impossible at Light Within
Housing at SPARC

You are Invited at Fine art of Blogging

Socities at Lahore School

Rugby at World Cup Log

Thatta Kedona Artisans

2011-11-30T08:55:00.000+05:00

Dolls Makers

Tin Toys Makers

Special Products

2011-11-29T10:05:00.000+05:00

Thatta Kedona makes following ethic dolls (boys and girls):

Makrani
Sindhi
Beluchi
Punjabi
Bride and Groom
Kalashi
Hunza
Balti
Kuchi
Hazara

Cultural toys

2011-11-29T09:16:00.002+05:00

Signs of the past

2011-11-29T09:14:00.000+05:00

Foreign volenters who come to Thatta Ghulamka Dheroka - The Dolls and Toys Village - sure visit Harrapa to see where the civilization started many centuries ago. Here German volunteer Gundula is visiting Harrapa with Dr. Norbert Pintsch.

Sim Sim Hamara

2011-11-28T16:23:00.000+05:00

Sim Sim Hamara is the Pakistani adaptation of the engaging educational children’s program Sesame Street, created by Rafi Peer Theatre workshop in collaboration with Sesame Workshop, and funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). This will be an early education resource for large number of Pakistani children who lack access to formal educational opportunities – Reuters Photo Series.

Pond Project

2011-11-28T08:05:00.000+05:00

Buffalo pond is already functioning in the village. The Goal of the project is connect the (gray water) canals in different bazaars with the pond, so that grey water can run in the pond. On a special mark, the water will be pumped into the regional canal, and fresh water will be brought into the pond from the regional canal.

Upgate: Canals for grey water from several bazaars can already flow in the clean buffalos’ pond, which is now walled and have another pump house in one corner. Canal from the pond to the regional canal, with exchange possibility between clean and grey water, is helpful for the farmers’ buffalos.

International COMSAT Workshop on Environmentally Sustainable Development

2011-11-18T13:28:00.001+05:00

Dr. Norbert Pintsch explaining current projects being developed at TTTC at COMSAT One Day Workshop on Renewable Energy and Sanitation (Dry Toilet System) held on October 25, 2007 in Abbotabad (More pictures in Photo Stream down the sidebar).

Churail in the Village

2011-11-17T22:47:00.001+05:00

Ramla Akhtar

The lives of the residents of this village changed 15 years when a German art teacher took up her student Amjad's invite and visited his village: Thatta Ghulam da Dheroka.

An enterprising spirit, she asked the villagers about their craft. The women showed her hand-made rag dolls. The art teacher, Dr Senta Siller, told the villagers she could teach them to make refined hand-made dolls.

Thus spun off a social enterprise in this 200-house strong village that has changed the way of life and living here. Women have a school. The village has a road. They experimented with alternative energy very early on, and now are undertaking community energy & food projects.

The women from this conservative village now go on study tours with the Germans. The villagers have learned about sanitation, childcare, and eco-friendly living. Cleanliness is rewarded here.

Above all, these changes were brought within the system, without breaking down the structure violently.

The whole village participates in the making of the dolls, which represent the four provinces of Pakistan. The original doll is called, "Churail."

Volunteers in TGD

2011-11-17T09:26:00.000+05:00

With Love From the Toy Village

2011-11-04T12:36:00.000+05:00

Janitorial supplies

2011-11-04T12:35:00.000+05:00

Knowing your job and doing it good is not enough when it comes to art of cleaning. As a cleaning professional, you need to have right cleaning products and you need to know how to use them good for everything from mopping to floor polishing to window cleaning. More than everything else, cleaning professionals need to understand how their work affects others.

Simply put, cleaning is the set of actions – choosing right janitorial product (Cleaning Mop, Kentucky Mop, Liberty Mop, to Vacuum Cleaners) for right job, cleaning (trash removal, dusting, vacuuming or mopping) and disposal and beyond that are done in routine in and around living spaces.

An ordinary cleaning worker mostly is engaged in the general factors like removal and disposal but a professional (janitorial services providers and or managers of cleaning companies) need to look at cleaning beyond as a process. Cleaning professional, however, look at these tasks as the process of locating, identifying, containing, removing and properly disposing of unwanted substances from an environment – anything from a floor or shelf to a window in multi story office building complex. Professional cleaners understand how water and or air act as natural cleaning agents or how time is a critical element. Temperature also is an important factor in cleaning process, especially as it affects the solvents that break down pollutants.

Cleaning process is not a rocket science, but it is an exercise that is certainly based on science. No one can deliver without understanding the science behind fine art of cleaning.

Housing Philosophy

2011-11-03T10:52:00.000+05:00

By Dr. Norbert Pintsch

We have already discussed and illustrated Technology and Economy in connection with extreme housing in in parts 1 and 2. Here we discuss the area of Philosophy and the Religion in order to complete the whole picture.

First of all a note on, perhaps surprising, aspects of Religion:

The basis of thinking of believers as well as non-believers is identical. If non-believers are of the opinion, they are free of religious limitations and think clearly on scientific lines, so this shows actually their incapacity to admit the influence of religion on our way of thinking.
One should accept this fact in order to understand the errors in the usual way of thinking, giving a shocking dimension to the usual concepts of finding problem solutions.
In western systems, one is inclined in religious matters to make a comparison between bananas and Neem-tree, i.e. one compares, what is actually incomparable, e.g. a religion with a total life system. One can only compare in order to recognize the differences and after that again separate, because the incomparability becomes apparent,- a continuously changing process which should be quite clear.

The deficient knowledge in the totality approach and the appropriate actions lead to enormous deficits, which are completely covered up in consumption oriented and resource squandering actions. This situation leads to a fascinating situation, which fades away the sense of error.

In spiritual area, the co-called Knowledge of the Time in the internet is actually misunderstood as knowledge itself, even though experts have called it Pseudo-Knowledge,- the strenuous work of the real search must still be done. In material area, the selection of menu in a fast food restaurant is actually understood as general reality! Especially the field of designing helps towards increased consumption, without questioning usefulness of the products at all.

Especially in technology and research-oriented areas, the increasing exploration attempts are mostly considered in themselves as development.

Illlustration 1 shows the various systems ôf the methods in which we proceed: We try to bring order to chaos and begin to recognize the matter, we try to incorporate the gained knowledge into a pattern, the pattern becomes a reality on which new theories are constructed. In this way the distance to reality keeps getting larger and larger and with that also the quantity of the basic fault, which is to be seen in the context of a fiction-reality comparison.

But the reality is actually different and the correct way would be to move away from the effort to bring order and move towards the reality and then again create a new order. This organizing and re-organizing is a permanent process which should be done deliberately.

Would the system “Life” function like the industrial, research and economic systems, one would need “the whole surface of Asia for an amoeba”!

The understanding of known and above all unknown senses is defeated due to erroneous total understanding and can only be compared with the often quoted spiritual dullness of the middle ages in Europe

The enormous discrepancies between the claim and the reality, whereby we are aware of the error multiplications of the previous generations, can be clearly seen in a production comparison between human and machines:

In the first case, production is carried out in a compact and integrated manner.

In the second case the work process reminds of the sorting efforts of early childhood: everything which doesn’t match a toy is put away separately. The development of Extreme Housing does not make such a development unnecessary, rather senseless; this aspect shows the real position of the so-called development.

Loss of knowledge or ignorance, the problems between belief and thinking as well as between thinking and knowledge may be largely seen as intellectual trickery and of absolute uselessness, however they have still not lost their importance. The only thing lost appears to be the importance of the necessity to look into the matter more deeply.

It is not new in the history of mankind to attribute all things improper not on natural factors or their personifications but rather on to an unknown, indescribable single power. One has always tried to focus on a single point even before the start of the civic calendar. If one keeps following this method consequently, the way of thinking internalizes to such an extent, that the secondary and tertiary users of the method become incapable of realizing the reality.

As a consequence of this knowledge, a pseudo-reality is created, which due to the monotheistic influence, leads to thinking and acting in a manner, which is characterized today as success and problem-oriented approach, without actually regulating anything! This is because the capability to manage something is connected to the ability to perceive something. Only that exists, which can also be proved,- what cannot be proved, doesn’t exist at all.

Paradox are scientific claims, which cannot prove their subject.

The conflict potential in the cultural system is expressed in technology, in economy, etc. but the basic problem lies in the one-sidedness, one-level of thinking, in the loss of cultural identity, in the loss of values in general. If the distance between technology and economy to philosophy and religion becomes larger (see illustration 2), this leads inevitably to conflicts.

War & Peace,- Facility Management* and similar terms as income generating concepts and more

The desire for peace is an ancient dream of humankind. To be silent and to have peace appears to be much sought, although silence is not the same thing as peace. There is the socalled silence before the storm and we have also heard of the silence of the grave.

War is something inhuman, it is said. At the same time we know, that wars can sometimes be necessary in order to maintain peace. Through wars, such elements which are detrimental to peace are atlast removed after a long process of trying to come to a peaceful solution. War and peace are not limited to economic or scientific factors but they take place almost in all areas of the western and west-oriented world. In the field of philosophy and religion, this is not noticed due to lack of information and in the field of technology and economy, one is unaware of its potential ! By pushing the problems to the consumer level, to which also sport belongs, and the fad of terms like smartest, best, strongest, a war loses its impression of cruelty.

Peace is only possible, if a basis for understanding is available, a platform from which one can argument. This basis is provided generally by theory. As in case of individuals, where one party is never totally innocent and rather both parties carry a part of the blame, so is it also valid for large organizations.

If it comes to intentional war-like situation between large organizations with loss of lives, it affects the individual person much more than the anonymous mass of the large organization.

It should not come to war if human beings actually possess the much praised capacity to understand other viewpoints, generally considered as the most important criteria of differentiation between humans and other living beings, without knowing, how other organisms behave. The distribution of insects in a field can mean the beauty of flower fields for the short-term understanding of the human being, whereas it means the ultimate for the micro-organism.

The path of conflicts can mean for some people new work opportunities and incomes*, whereas one does not really recognize a danger in it, that ist until one suddenly finds himself in the middle of the war, which one did not want at all.

We had called intellect as a medium of communication. The intellect does not function like a machine, but is rather hormone controlled. Although there are a number of diverse scientific theories and function models about the causes of conflicts, these can normally be explained quite clearly afterwards as to what has led to the conflict, between individuals or between large organizations, -but at that point it is normally too late: the problems are already created and they are compounded in different forms and at different levels.

In times of general confusion, such conflicts can take place so subtly, that the involved parties do not even realize that they are part of the conflict; because destruction does not necessarily occur through brutal force, but also through negative influence on a value system, which leads to reactions from opposite sides. In this manner apparently beneficial development as understood by one person can create feelings of fear and with that aggression in the other person, without both of them actually understanding the real cause.

Conflicts do not emerge out of nothing; they are either automatic or cultural additions to the human orientation system; if the system is influenced through pseudo- theories, the basis of understanding with the other party is lost, a further input to the existing confusion!

Due to this pro or anti position, the conflict moves from one level into another, sometimes coming to agreement, but reaching another level again and again, till it comes to conflict one day (see illustration 3). That is why we often hear, that conflicts occur between individuals due to their inability to speak to one another. An anecdote makes clear such situation, which may also apply to organizations: in the first marriage year the man speaks and the woman listens, in the second marriage year, the woman speaks and the man listens, in the third marriage year the neighbors listen,- in case of large organizations, we can add the factors of self interest, wishes and aims of auxiliary organizations too.

In a phase of escalation, the physical force is not the only measure, against it, but even together with it, psychological force can also be applied, -in both cases, one is far away from creating an understanding, although the intellect has been used with all its possibilities. In such conflicts, there is an end to the relevant system (the death), a change to the relevant system till agreement, but never can we speak of resolved conflicts, even though it may look like that. This leads us to the knowledge, that development cannot take place, if there is only silence and peace and there is no war, which creates fear and leads to readjustment.

The changes to the relevant system refer to very different factors, which take many forms of influence: general disturbance, misuse of rules, demonizing the other side, etc.

The changes and the partly sub-conscious factors of influence take place in current times more and more on a technological level. To these belong not only discussions about human rights, where one party insists they are present and must be valid all over the world and the other party does not share this opinion because of cultural differences. Complex applications in security area also belong to it, so that in case of a conflict, which –it is stressed- nobody wants, what one achieves for its own side, keeping human lives intact. This argument is sold quite well at least to its own people. Even if the described situation appears to be a distant possibility, a civil application of the Facility Management (see illustration 4) is nothing more than a shifting of values, of the influence, of the opposite effects of income generating measures and of the loss of incomes from work. Thanks to, or should one say, due to missing knowledge and the time to reflect, we arrive in current times to the mentioned forms of confusions. For this reason we should utilize, at least from time to time, the possibility to balance out the fundamental deficits, this requires however an appropriate realization. If this realization is not there, it must lead to conflicts, at the end of which a little understanding, a spark, –like a wonder- finds its way into the human understanding.

Sometimes this spark even helps the human generation develop further,- if there are more -one can assume that there is nothing for free-, the peace is obtained on the shoulders of other unlucky people of other regions. If one would attempt to verbalize this tragedy, it would mean the end of comfortableness for the peace preachers. Strangely, there is something old enough from the middle ages, which represents an important factor to promote peace on an individual level: the love; in large organizations, the only possibility to avoid conflict is permanent dialogue, which should take place even if unresolvable limitations stand in the way. This is because the other option to the desire for a certain social order is the reality of chaos (see illustration 5).

* The considerations are based upon a model of CULTURE, in which although discussed in different dimensions from various authors, it still holds, that different cultures still have certain commonalities like a written or verbal form of dealing with each other, some sort of method for material exchanges, some form of activity to pull out of the daily routines, etc.

** As a precaution, we may point out that there are cultural systems, which have a total approach to their subjects but they are often misunderstood from outsiders as religion,- this is an important cause for many misunderstandings. There is a difference whether we consider the founder of a religion as a rhetoric personality or as a communal politician, who carries the responsibility of creating order among the chaos of human inter-action.

Technology and economic-oriented persons can gain knowledge about spiritual problems by the following authors:

Paton:Ueber Nicht-Wissen
Skrates:Ueber Un-Wissenheit zu spielen, um beim Gespraechspartner die Vernunft ans Tageslicht zu bringen (Maeautik)
Drewermann: Ueber Glauben & Denken, Denken & Wissen

Explore Rural Areas

2011-11-02T22:12:00.000+05:00

Strong travel movements characterize our times. The infrastructure, good connections by land, water and air make travel easy and suggest that everything is easily available everywhere. The values of the traditional culture however are increasingly forgotten in this scenario, although it is these values, which give the city dweller – the local one as well as foreigners a new outlook and possibilities to show off people and places. Which is why it is recomded tha conveniences of city life be transfered to villages.

Tourists, visitors an travelers, for example to the Punjabi village Thatta Ghulamka Dhiroka are best recommended to leave back their city ideas and thereby become more open for understanding the rural life and its rich, traditional culture. If the come with urban attitudes, the visitors will start pitying the village dwellers for the deficient possibilities. Currently the villagers there do not need gymnastic studios like the city dwellers, the dusty path from one village to another is sufficient for walking practice instead of taking rounds in an oval stadium, and so on.

The so-called conveniences of city life must be financed. The drainage water must be disposed of somewhere, cultural and other institutions must be filled with life.

While making a journey to a village, one should leave behind expectations of necessities of life, like multiple course meals, air-conditioned rooms, luxurious bathrooms, swimming pools, the list goes on because with such fixed ideas one cannot learn anything about the culture in the rural areas.

We have already reported on the tragedy of the traditional culture -- the absence of assessment possibilities of the economic impact only when the traditional values do not exist any more. Do we give them the due value which is at that point of time is probably too late?

An eventual help here is the reference to the increasing environmental sensitivities in populations in industrialized countries. The protection of the nature, the earth, the water is a luxury, which must be financed very expensively, with the side effect that one is not able to compete with countries that over exploit their resources.

Hunza Doll

2011-11-02T09:47:00.000+05:00

Ramla on Bringing Change

2011-11-01T21:54:00.000+05:00

Ramla Akhtar

The lives of the residents of this village changed 15 years when a German art teacher took up her student Amjad's invite and visited his village: Thatta Ghulam da Dheroka.

An enterprising spirit, she asked the villagers about their craft. The women showed her hand-made rag dolls. The art teacher, Dr Senta Siller, told the villagers she could teach them to make refined hand-made dolls.

Thus spun off a social enterprise in this 200-house strong village that has changed the way of life and living here. Women have a school. The village has a road. They experimented with alternative energy very early on, and now are undertaking community energy & food projects.

The women from this conservative village now go on study tours with the Germans. The villagers have learned about sanitation, childcare, and eco-friendly living. Cleanliness is rewarded here.

Above all, these changes were brought within the system, without breaking down the structure violently.

The whole village participates in the making of the dolls, which represent the four provinces of Pakistan. The original doll is called, "Churail." This is my peek into their lives.

Social Development Patterns

2011-11-01T06:55:00.002+05:00

(Click image to enlarge)
CAT, Centre for Appropriate Technology, Bamenda
www.camcatbam.com

Natural system, Open System or Closed System; what is your choice?

European projects

2011-10-31T17:31:00.000+05:00

Dohla From Punjab

2011-10-31T11:54:00.000+05:00

Dolls, Toys and More

2011-10-28T00:52:00.001+05:00

Download Dolls, Toys and More (pdf) here

Dolls, Toys and More - Book Project

2011-10-23T14:51:00.000+05:00

Darstellung eines Selbsthilfe-Projektes im laendlichen Raum,-Eine Einkommenschaffende, Massnahme

Beitraege, 1990 – 2010

Mit 50 farbiegn Abbildungen
ISBN Feroszons, Lahore
Printed by Summit, Lahore

INHALT: Seite
Vorwort
NN, German Embassy, Islamabad 05
Khalid Javaid, Executive Director Lok Virsa, Islamabad 07

Einfuehrung 09
SAJ Shirazi

Thatta Ghulamka Dhiroka 12
Anjuman-e-Falah-e-Aama (NGO 14
Voluntaere / Darstellung der Projektteile 16
Women Centre 18
Men Centre 24
Basic Health Unit, One Birth-One Tree 26
Local Experience and Urban Knowledge 28
Drop Irrigation 33
Drinking Water 34
Appropriate Technology and Workshops 38
Radio Station 40
Training in Boys and Girls School 42
Women Summer School 44
Cultural Complex 46
Village Museum 50
Preservation of Cultural Heritage 54
Marketing and Distribution 60
Soft Tourism 62
Local Network 64
International Cooperation (NGOs and Clients) 68
Awards etc. 75
Village Toys in Punjab 81
Nachwort 125
Project Description in Short (Urdu, Enlish, Arabic, Spanish, French, Greek

eMail: thattakedona1@hotmail.com
www.thattakedona.blogspot.com

Punjab Heritage

2011-10-22T20:29:00.000+05:00

“Thatta Kedona” is quite different in nature as compared to other NGO's or similar institutions: Help and support is provided to the people within the countryside, because “if the villagers earn some money, they are not forced to move to the cities, which are already overburdened with many problems”.

The agricultural activity in the village is not sufficient and therefore it is necessary to provide opportunities for additional income in the villages. This can be done by promoting the traditional culture and its conversion into handicrafts. The approach must always be understood in its totality and implemented properly.

The income generated through agriculture may be minimal, it may infact be just sufficient to meets the needs of basic food and simple shelter, but the cost of living in the village is definitely cheaper than the city; the push into the cities enables only the least of the migrants the promised benefits. The steadily increasing productivity of the urban industrial work place ruins not only the rural work place, but specially the life in the city; industrial production and global economics require increase in consumer base and destruction of resources, - in totality therefore not a great concept for the future.

“Thatta Kedona” propagates instead of a a mild effort rather Help Towards Self-Help, “Thatta Kedona” is not an instrument for development and financing of individual family interests nor is it an attemp at religious, political or educational infiltration !

“Thatta Kedona” does not exist with the help of donations or charity of the city dwellers, who may derive satisfaction from a good deed, -this is not compatible with the concept of Help Towards Self-Help: Donations and Alms help only superficially and encourage dependence, -a danger, which was already recognized by the founder of Pakistan and who warned against it.

In the so often propagated Global World, it is of much importance within a state to support Self-Help efforts on one hand to direct the population according to the available resources. If this does not happen, the increasing consumer behaviour kills the initiatives, which becomes known not in the beginning but at a much later stage, when reforms become impossible to implement.

The city culture is international and the problems in the cities worldwide similar, the traditional culture of diverse regions is something special and needs to be protected and supported, - Thatta Kedona is a metaphore for a change in the way of thinking: The future lies in the countryside !

Dulhan

2011-10-21T10:49:00.000+05:00

MORA

2011-10-21T08:00:00.000+05:00

Owners of mud houses, who are ready to maintain their mud-houses, have joined hands in TGD for participating in the conservation project of an NGO (SPARC) from Lahore, which has been supporting the conservation of mud-houses by giving away small money prizes.

As part of a publication and and an active project with students in Lahore and other cooperation partners, physical data is now being recorded and selected objects of mud-based architecture are being documented.

Thatta Kedona in Pak German Forum

2011-10-20T08:20:00.001+05:00

Double Click to enlarge

Women Art Center

2011-10-18T08:24:00.000+05:00

Volunteer at Work in TTTC - Solar Oven

2011-10-18T08:02:00.000+05:00

Happy Birthday - Dr. Senta Maria Anna Siller

2011-10-17T13:53:00.000+05:00

On the occasion of the birthday of Dr. Siller Siller, I on my own behalf and on the behalf of all friends of Thatta Kedona, take the opportunity to thank her heartily for her exemplary and untiring efforts towards the cause.

Happy Birthday to Dr. Senta Maria Anna Siller – the honorable Mother of Dolls who is recipient of Floriade (the Netherlands), Gestaltetes Spielgut (Creative Toys – German Toys Industry), Bundesverdienstkreuz (highest civil order of merit of the Federal Republic of Germany) and many more honors.

We recommend Dr. Senta Maria Anna Siller for Pakistan President's Award for Pride of Performance.

Environment Workshop

2011-10-17T08:51:00.000+05:00

One Product – One Village

2011-10-17T07:49:00.000+05:00

By Dr. Norbert Pintsch

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.

Volunteer at Work in WAC - Tailor Workshop

2011-10-16T08:59:00.000+05:00

Dolls Village

2011-10-15T21:18:00.001+05:00

This article appeared in daily the Nation

Village Thatta Ghulamka Dheroka - a cluster of mud and brick houses - looks like any typical Pakistani village. The fact is that awareness, community work and use of appropriate technology has changed the village all together. Influence from Indus civilization from nearby Harappa and modern techniques brought by use of appropriate technology can be seen in the village together.

The toys and handicrafts made in the village are on display in international museums, prestigious galleries and showrooms in Pakistan and abroad. Thatta Ghulamka Dheroka (TGD) got an international fame when village project Thatta Kedona (meaning toy from Thatta) was selected as one of the 767 worldwide projects presented in the "Themepark" at global expo in Hannover (Germany) as an example of thinking of twenty first century. The toys and handicrafts from TGD show how culture goes beyond simple work of art and becomes collaboration among applied and natural sciences as well as other forces that affect our lives.

Thatta Kedona is a project, first of its kind, in rural area where handmade quality toys are crafted using all indigenous materials and traditional designs based on cultural and folklore themes. The workmanship of the dolls and toys has acclaimed international recognition through their participation in numerous international events, exhibitions, fairs and displays. These toys are the embodiment of dreams, hopes and most of all self-reliance of the hands, which breathe a part of their own soul into them.

How all this started? It was just a coincidence that in 1992, Professor Dr. Norbert Pintsch and Dr. Senta Siller, two German volunteers, visited TGD that is situated in backwater of Punjab some 80 kilometers from Lahore and 40 kilometers from Harappa. Both Germans were impressed by the natural and simple rural life in the village and decided to work for the rural community.

Chain of events started; community based Woman Art Centre with an aim to involve local womenfolk in productive, creative and healthy income generating activities opened in TGD in 1992. At the same time, Dr. Norbert Pintsch – an architect by profession - established Technology Transfer and Training Centre (TTTC) for men. These activities created awareness and built confidence among the village folks and they started making dolls and toys on self-help biases that are marketed all over the world and earnings come to the villagers who make them.

Thatta Kedona is a holistic project. Handicraft is in the spot on the stage but the project has a cultural philosophy. In addition to active use of appropriate technology, work in all other fields {education, agriculture, hydrogeology (drinking water project), public health, economy (marketing, distribution), tourism and communication} is in practice.

TTTC is concentrating on improved agricultural techniques and creating other suitable jobs for men right in the village – all carpenters, blacksmiths and tailors are profitably involved in production of toys. "The goals of the project are self-help activities at a grass roots levels, holistic village development, empowerment of women, income generation, literacy and vocational training, says Dr. Norbert Pintsch – an untiring worker who is fondly called Chaudhry Norbert in the village. The philosophy working behind this selfless work is "preservation of cultural heritage, reduction of migration to cities by generating additional income in the village as the future lies is in the rural areas," he adds.

Dolls from TGD in authentic attires of the specific tribes, communities and areas and thematic toys tempt tourists and diplomats. Foreigners collect these dolls as a souvenir of the time they spent in Pakistan. "During last ten years, TGD tin rickshaws have travelled to so many different countries. Tin “Tin rickshaws sit in the ambassadors' residences not only in Islamabad, but accompany them to the next and second next postings. I have met TGD dolls in the Japanese ambassador's home in Jakarta and also in the German embassy in Damascus," tells Dr. Norbert Pintsch with pride and pleasure. "Part of the artists goes where ever the toys go," says Razia a young artist from the village. Each toy has a small plate attached carrying the name of its maker.

Thatta Kedona, in addition to producing dolls, toys and other cultural handicrafts has been a centre of learning since its inception. Students from different universities have been visiting Thatta Ghulaka Dheroka for research, orientation and or for sightseeing. Last month (April 2010), three groups of students from two different universities in Lahore visited the village and “spent time relating to the traditional culture in its most original form,” said Saima Khan, a student from one of the universities.

Work of Dr. Norbert Pintsch and other volunteers that come here has not only moved the people of area but also raised a spacious and simple building for the Women Art Centre and TTTC. Now there are as many as 120 women from the age of 24 to 40 working in both the centers making dolls dressed in regional (Punjabi, Sindhi, Pathan, Balochi, Kashmiri and Kalash) embroider costumes, miniatures, hand knitted shawls, tin rickshaws and trucks and other toys and earning their living. They are making their own lives better and strengthening their families. "They (women) are moving towards true equality and independence" says a doll maker who has twelve year of schooling, is married in this village and working in the Centre.

Village TGD is changing in the process. The relative prosperity is visible. TGD was the first village in Punjab to have its own solar power house a decade ago and it is still working. Villagers are putting their children, particularly the girls in school. The Woman Art Centre is also playing a part in the well being of the villagers. The Centre has provided furniture and educational training aids to the two government primary schools (one for girls and the other for boys) in village and has also opened a well equipped basic health care centre. Books are distributed among students every year. Fruit and flower trees are given to residents for their court yards and they are encouraged to grow their own kitchen gardens. Best of all, an annual quality of life competition is held in the village when best mud houses and brick houses are selected in different categories. Owners of mud houses have lucrative incentives (thanks to SPARC) and they keep their homes in spanking condition and well maintained all the year. This alone has changed the look of the entire village. The Dolls Village has entered a new era with the start of the Internet Radio Project in the beginning of 2010. The idea of the Internet Radio originated from influx of visitors and their interests since early 90s. Now the local and focused information can be spread effectively with the Internet-Radio.

This seems to be one of the very convincing evidence of what a community can do together; lack of resources notwithstanding. No?

Volunteer at Work in WAC - Silk Painting Workshop

2011-10-15T09:01:00.000+05:00

Punjab Colors

2011-10-15T08:26:00.000+05:00

Dolls, Toys and More

2011-10-13T20:53:00.004+05:00

Thatta Kedona Awards

2011-10-13T09:39:00.003+05:00

Thatta Kedona visitors and volunteers

2011-10-13T09:37:00.000+05:00

Previous: Thatta Kedona volunteers

Handicraft Workshops 1993-2010

2011-10-13T09:34:00.000+05:00

Deutsch-Pakistanisches Forum, Berlin

2011-10-13T08:43:00.000+05:00

Seit der Gründung des Deutsch-Pakistanischen Forums im Jahr 1960, wurden im Rahmen der "Gelben Reihe" in unregelmaessigen Abstaenden 11 Baende zu unterschiedlichen Themen veröffentlicht, die aber gegenwaertig nicht digital vorliegen. Die Sonderschrift mit Grussworten anlaesslich des 50. Jahrestages der Gruendung der Islamischen Republik Pakistans liegt digital vor. Nur wenige Druckexemplare sind noch vorhanden. Bei Bedarf wenden Sie sich an das DPF.

Anlässlich des 60. Jahrestages der Gründung der Islamischen Republik Pakistans hat das Deutsch-Pakistanische Forum jeweils einen weiteren Band, mit Grussworten des Bundesaussenministers, des Botschafter Pakistans in Deutschland und des deutschen Botschafter in Pakistan, sowie des Präsidenten des Deutsch-Pakistanischen Forums. Die digitale Version des Buches wurde geringfuegig ueberarbietet. Bei Interesse an einem Druckexemplar wenden Sie sich an das DPF.

Download PDF Festschrift 50 Jahre Pakistan

Thatta Kedona Agriculture, Construction and Water Projects

2011-10-13T08:40:00.001+05:00

Poupées du Monde (French)

2011-10-12T08:04:00.001+05:00

Poupées du monde

Les poupées ont toujours existé. La preuve en est qu'elles ont été découvertes dans des fouilles en Amérique du Sud, dans le Sous-continent, au Japon, en Italie, en Grèce, et sur d'autres sites partout dans le monde. Faites de matériaux très divers tels que le bois, la cire, l'argile, le tissu, etc., elles n'étaient pas seulement un jouet mais étaient aussi utilisées comme des symboles religieux et des objets de cultes : par exemple comme des représentations miniatures de personnes.

Encore de nos jours, elles sont utilisées par de nombreuses personnes comme des fétiches. Aujourd'hui, les experts ne sont pas certains de l'usage premier des poupées : un jouet duquel furent développés des objets de cultes ou une figure de culte qui est devenue un jouet.

Au-delà de leur signification comme jouet avec une fonction éducative, les poupées sont des documents concrets des époques passées et présentes, et sont donc des sources substantielles de connaissance sur les jeux, la vie, les conditions de travail et de vie et l'économie des temps passés. Ce sont alors d'importants vecteurs culturels.

Le Docteur Senta Siller a établi différents projets au Pakistan, au Cameroun, en Colombie, etc., dans lesquels des programmes légers mais à long-terme ont été mis en place pour le développement des zones rurales, durable et autonome, et le découragement de l'urbanisation par des projets permettant de générer des revenus dans les zones rurales, à travers la production de certains types d'objets artisanaux. Les poupées sont ici fabriquées soigneusement et revêtues d'habits et d'accessoires traditionnels. La conception du design et des différents types de vêtements sont renouvellés et prennent désormais une place importante dans la vie quotidienne.

Poupées du Pakistan

Le projet pour femmes, auquel depuis lors s'est ajouté un centre pour hommes, établi par le Dr Siller en 1993 dans la province pakistanaise du Punjab, comporte 120 femmes et génère déjà des revenus. Les femmes ici ne travaillent pas sur une base de plein-temps mais d'une façon traditionnelle pour ne pas compromettre la vie familiale et le travail dans les champs ; les différents festivals, souvent communs à plusieurs villages, peuvent également être célébrés selon l'usage. Le village de Thatta Ghulamka Dhiroka a 1200 habitants environ, les villageois y ont créé l'ONG Anjuman-e-Falah-e-Aama en 1991, qui coopère avec le DGFK e. V. (Association allemande pour la promotion de la culture). Anjuman elle-même, coopère avec six autres projets dans le pays.

Poupées du Cameroun

Trois coopératives (Akwatinuighah, Akaakang, HandiCraft CAT) sont en fonctionnement depuis 1998 à Bamedia, la capitale de la Province du Nord-Ouest du Cameroun, qui est située près de la frontière avec le Nigéria. Cette ONG coopère aussi avec le DGFK allemand. Bamenda comporte environ 60 000 habitants, répartis sur sept collines, qui parlent huit langues différentes. A part les hommes de CAT, plus de 100 femmes fabriquent une grande variété d'objets artisanaux.

Poupées de Colombie

La coopérative Tantomejor a été établie en 1999 à Saboya et fonctionne simultanément avec trois autres initiatives. Saboya a environ 6 000 habitants et est situé près de Chiquinquira, la capitale du département de Boyaca, au nord de Bogota. Cette ONG reçoit également la coopération du DGFK. Plus d'une centaine de femmes sont engagées dans la fabrication d'objets artisanaux.

Related: English Versio

A New Social Movement

2011-10-11T08:05:00.000+05:00

Dr. Senta Siller

There is nothing that does not or has not already existed; but there are things that are frequent because they are carried out frequently (graffiti in university library).

The first encounter with people in a traditional Punjabi village in Pakistan took place in the autumn of 1990 at the invitation of a former student. There are over twenty thousand such villages in the densely populated Punjab province of Pakistan. To put it generally, the first impression was the following: a poor village, a poor region with no roads, no sewers, no schools, no electricity, no toilets. Shooting a documentary film, setting up a public health service, establishing an NGO, building an NGO-financed school were the first measures towards creating a village development project, which was followed from 1993 on by projects that generated income for the rural population. Ten years of Pakistani-German co-operation at NGO level have provided a clear view and have increasingly shown that Pakistan is a rich country with traditional, cultural, natural and social resources.

Bases

Bi-lateral agreements between countries have in the past ensured economic developments and changes. This is not the place to judge the extent to which something did or did not make sense. It is, however, a fact that in many cases the majority of the population in an assisted country has not benefited from the envisaged and anticipated changes, but instead distribution of the benefits has been from top to bottom. Even if hardly anything perceptible arrived at the "bottom," this is particularly where there were and are the most drastic consequences, most neither anticipated or desired.

The forms of support - probably occasionally even well meant are an underlying output of urban cultures, which due to an absence of knowledge and a lack of ability to judge its significance, restrict rural culture at best and at worst even cause it permanent damage. It is difficult to imagine a stop to this practice; nonetheless it is at the grass-roots level, in the countryside, where traditional cultures still thrive that resources are redefined and used in projects. The approach necessary for this differs greatly from standard approaches.

Development phases

Project development in Thatta Ghulamka Dhiroka can be divided into five phases:

1991 - Amjad's Village: Establishment of first contacts, creation of a documentary film, first showing in Germany, fund raising for a school for boys, first private health center to provide medical care for the villagers.
1993 - Thatta Kedona: activating the village women and resumption of the tradition of making dolls. Parallel to this, training is given Ð virtually from the very beginning a successful attempt is made to generate income for women living in rural areas.
1995 - Village Toys from Pakistan: Initially the hand-crafted dolls are offered and sold on the local market at bazaars. Ethnological research results are brought in and ethnic dolls are dressed in the traditional costumes of the various provinces and minorities. A new women’s center is set up and powered by photovoltaic energy. The first invitations abroad follow.
1998 - Handicrafts from Pakistan: Together with the Export Promotion Bureau, handicraft products are exhibited abroad for the first time with other NGOs. First orders placed by foreign customers follow. Young village men are brought in and, independently of the women, make tin toys and ecotechnological products. Invitations from foreign women’s groups lead to a network for the project Dolls of the World. An international network joins the local network of domestic NGOs; the women’s group initiated by the Pakistani village NGO also works with other NGOs in Cameroon and Columbia. Health assistants are trained and a health center set up in order to improve the health of the villagers.
2001 - Gogera Development Program: Growing numbers of people from elsewhere in Pakistan as well as foreigners visit TGD in order to find out about the project and the example of life in the village. This requires involvement of the region in the project. The pre-Pakistan history is an important factor here.

Approach

Preliminary work: A fundamental prerequisite of work in local NGOs of countries not orientated towards the West is not political or religious convictions and economic strength, but primarily social infrastructure. This means links with the members of a local NGO. A sense of welcome, receptiveness to external influences as well as economic necessity are the prerequisites of successful activities on both sides Ð that of the local population and that of those invited.
Criteria for volunteers: They need to have the following: eyes that are open, ears that listen, cultural openness and the voluntary nature of work lead to independence; gentleness and resilience are needed; non-pursuits of religious, political or business aims are a prerequisite for successful coaching.

Volunteers in the field (young, middle-aged, old) and honorary nature of work

Three forms of involvement have evolved in the course of time. Work should be in an honorary capacity. The advantage of this is a certain degree of independence; this independence opens up the possibility of adopting unconventional approaches. However, independence also means neglecting certain areas of the culture in question such as politics, religion Ð as well as preconceived models for solutions and approaches to work.

The three forms of involvement relate to age and circumstances and are also to be seen in connection with the respective financing: One, senior citizens with professional and job experience, and independence of external pressure can be deployed in a useful way. Age groups, which in their own countries are only of interest in terms of the national economy, have the opportunity to implement the concepts and ideas of NGOs. Two, middle-aged persons who are interested have the possibility of taking time out and shaping developments in a completely different environment, with the added side-effect of starting afresh with new insights upon return to their own country. And three, young persons are as a rule either just starting their careers or still undergoing training. In sharp contrast to their previous concepts of trades and jobs, existing professional ideas and goals are now being reinforced and new aspects and insights are shaping their attitudes to life and work.

Theoretical training is frequently accorded a higher status in Western countries even though it is well-known that particularly the combination of practical experience and theoretical insights makes it possible to change or strengthen structures.

NGO members sent abroad

The prerequisites for useful deployment abroad on the part of NGO members are knowledge of the project, i.e. those concerned need to be well-informed about the effect, function and activities of the NGO in question. Thanks to Western influences, this refers to an ISO certification, which is nothing more than saying that the right hand is supposed to know what the left hand is doing and why.

Project work reflects life in individual businesses, etc. This is why it can never be pre-determined, but must be capable of reacting flexibly within certain parameters to problems that occur in actual practice. Knowledge of structures and possible ways of reacting as well as dependencies help NGO members to engage in activities outside their own countries.

In view of the contacts that have been developed, the United Arab Emirates, Germany, Iceland, and the United States should be mentioned in the case of Pakistan. NGO members were able to gather experience in the United Arab Emirates (Dubai Shopping Festival), Germany (Import Shop Berlin) Iceland (International Week and Workshop). Further activities are possible and are being processed.

Integrated approach

The best way of describing the present organization structure is as "international NGO co-operation with sales markets in the project countries as well as in industrialized countries.” It requires a cohesive view within the project and the networking of projects. Use of the technological means of urban culture (e-mail, etc.) is of vital assistance in this connection.

The experiences with a Pakistani-German NGO initiative upon which these remarks are based show the accuracy of what has been said. The Pakistani NGO is part of a network which by now also includes Cameroon, Colombia, the United Arab Emirates, and Iceland; customers are in North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand; IT makes it possible to find markets, however it will never be possible to compete with the production figures of an international company; marketing remains extremely tough and is dependent on assistance of a wide variety of kinds, and, unfortunately, no consideration is given to the benefits not in money’s worth (dissemination of living culture, schooling of individual taste versus industrial products and uniformity in many areas of life: food and beverages, film and television, dance, music and painting education and upbringing, changed perception of colors, forms, etc.).

It is easy for critics to dismiss the possibilities that have been outlined, but is actually the microcosm of a village development that reveals the problems of a macro economy.

Summary

It was Max Weber who coined the term of the responsible citizen. He has always existed even if forms of government have been different. A wealth of experience leads to wisdom, something has been experienced in actual fact, lived in reality. An abundance of theory in projects in rural areas is only grist to the mill of city dwellers.

Dr. Senta Siller, Voluntary Director, Women Art Center TGD

DUKKER PROJEKT

2011-10-10T09:51:00.000+05:00

Alverdens dukker - Dukker fra hele verden.

Man har altid haft dukker. Der er fundet dukker i udgravninger i Sydamerika, Japan, Italien, Grækenland og mange andre steder i hele verden. De er lavet af så forskellige materialer træ, voks, ler og stof, og de var ikke kun legetøj, de blev ofte brugt som religiøse symboler i form af små mennesker. Endnu i dag bliver de af mange folkeslag brugt som feticher. Eksperterne er ikke enige om, hvad det oprindelige formål med dukkerne var. Var de legetøj, der udviklede sig til kultgenstande eller var de kultgenstande, der blev til legetøj?

Udover at være legetøj med pædagogisk formål er dukker en realistisk dokumentation for, hvordan man til forskellige tider og på forskellige steder har anskuet verden. Dukkerne er en vigtig kilde til vores viden om, hvordan man har levet og arbejdet, leget og handlet og er dermed vigtige kulturbærere.

Dr Senta Siller har startet dukkeprojekter i blandt andet Pakistan, Cameroun og Columbia. Disse projekter har sat en selvforstærkende udvikling i gang ved at give kvinderne mulighed for at tjene penge på deres håndarbejder, et lille men væsentligt bidrag til at udvikle landområderne og standse udvandringen til de store byer. Dukkerne er håndlavede og deres tøj og andet tilbehør er kopier af egnens originale dragter og brugsgenstande. De gamle mønstre og moder får på denne måde nyt liv og en vigtig plads i hverdagen.

Dukker fra Pakistan

Kvindeprojektet i landsbyen Thatta Ghulamka Dhiroka i den pakistanske provins Punjab blev startet af Senta Siller i 1993 og giver 120 kvinder et indkomstgivende arbejde. Det er hen ad vejen suppleret med et tilsvarende projekt for mænd. Kvinderne arbejder ikke 8 timer dagligt i dukkeprojektet; de har stadig tid til at passe deres egen familie og husholdning samt varetage de gøremål i landsbyen, som kvinderne traditionelt tager sig af. Thatta Ghulamka Dhiroka har cirka 1200 indbyggere. De stiftede i 1991 kooperativet Anjuman-e-Falah-e-Aama, som samarbejder med Deutsche Gesellschaft zu Förderung der Kultur (DGFK). Anjuman samarbejder med yderligere 6 projekter i Pakistan.

Dukker fra Cameroun

Siden 1998 er der startet 3 kooperativer (Akwatinuigha, Akaankang og HandiCraft CAT) i Bamenda, hovedstaden i Nordvestprovinsen i Cameroun, som ligger tæt på grænsen til Nigeria. Disse kooperativer samarbejder også med DGFK. Bamenda har omkring 6000 indbyggere, som bor på 7 høje og taler 8 forskellige sprog. Udover de mænd, der arbejder i HandiCraft CAT projektet, er mere end 100 kvinder engageret i fremstilling af forskellige kunsthåndværksprodukter.

Dukker fra Columbia

Kooperativet Tanto Mejor blev startet i 1999 i Saboya og samarbejder med 3 andre projekter. Saboya er en landsby med cirka 6000 indbyggere i nærheden af Chiquinquira, hovedstaden i departementet Boyaca nord for Bogota. DGFK samarbejder også med dette kooperativ, der beskæftiger mere end 100 kvinder med fremstilling af forskelligt kunsthåndværk.

Thatta Ghulamka Dgeroka - Quality of Life

2011-10-08T08:58:00.000+05:00

Best mud hut in Thatta Ghulamka Dgeroka

Best exterior

Best brick house

Thatta Kedona stall

Growing with Thatta Kedona

Meeting

Volunteers at work

Some of those who work togather to make all that happen

More images in daily zeitgeist down the sidebar.

Dr. Norbert Pintsch Online

2011-10-07T14:07:00.001+05:00

Search Dr. Norbert Pintsch and it will show over 3,150 results. They are all pointing to different activities, some time unrelated to each other. One wonders what Dr. Norbert Pintsch is upto. We took a chance to ask him about some aspects of his work and life. Here are excerpts from the interview.

Question: Hello Dr. Norbert Pintsch, you have a very strong presence on the Internet. You are very visible on the Web through your activities in different fields - films, articles, construction projects, interviews, illustrations, exhibitions, sounds, lectures and much more. Internet scouting and some research about you shows a lot on you and your work. As the Norwegian writer Henrik Ibsen once wrote regarding a request for an interview, don’t have time, am very busy and can also not give a lecture. May we ask you a few questions?

Dr. Norbert: I am not Henrik Ibsen. So you may begin! For your information, nothing is possible alone; I have had good luck of being able to work together with some very good people.

Question: What remuneration do you receive for your honorary work?

Dr. Norbert: Of course nothing!

Question: Does it mean, you don’t need any money?

Dr. Norbert: Here we are talking about self-help projects, which mean that all attention, help and resources are directed towards the organizers and the participants. Therefore money is needed!

Question: Don’t you also want to make your own life comfortable through such projects?

Dr. Norbert: Well, I bear my own cost of living and as far as food and other basic needs are concerned, I have now come over these. I have passed the stage. There were times when consumption (cars, cloths, and all that) played an important part in my life. No more.

Question: An now?

Dr. Norbert: Now, material goods are no more interesting. I am quite satisfied with simple food. In Pakistan these include ready cooked soups, in Cameroun peanuts and pepper soup, in Columbia brew with rice, in Iceland dry fish with coffee, in Israel I am happy with a simple Fallafel, in Criti. I am happy to receive sheep cheese, bread and olive oil…

Question: Do you make up the loss back in Germany?

Dr. Norbert: I don’t know why, but the fact is that in Germany I like to eat porridge oats with milk and sugar; you have to believe me. When one has lived through a lot, you learn to value time, avoid luxuries, which pose health risk and also work consistently towards the goal.

Question: Does this also apply to your attair? People say you would be hard to recognize if you would wear colors?

Dr. Norbert: Well you know it is an effort to think about suitable clothing every day. Even before my food habits developed in a particular direction as I described earlier, I loved the black color. Wearing black also has family reasons: in a large family things become easier when they are organized, as for example the black color, which I wear now, other family members reserved their own favourite colours for themselves. Moreover, black is simply practical, it is also a color of profession, for example lawyers, architects, graphic designers, priests, rabbis. Black is also suitable for funerals, christening, weddings. You will agree, it saves a lot of time and makes life simpler!

Question: You mean you will wear black even in the Amazons, or in the Sahara or in the mountains?

Dr. Norbert: This is what you mean, and you may be wrong!

Question: Is all this due to a weak zest for life!

Dr. Norbert: Well you are again missing the point! I try only to save valuable time...

Question: Is everything is so important?

Dr. Norbert: Not, everything is not important but I like to involve myself with things in which I am interested. Would I be interested in Golf, I would play golf. So I basically lead a life of an asset less millionaire.

Question: Please explain more, what do you mean?

Dr. Norbert: I enjoy my 25 hours a day and 400 days in the year! I simply don’t have time for superficial things, I mean, I have the time, but I don’t waste it! There is a logical relationship between my clothing, my food and the work. And you don’t need to agree with me!

Question: Does your work have any logical coherence? It looks rather multi directional on the internet?

Dr. Norbert: Seen from outside it may give that impression, but internally it follows a specific logic - practice and theory, exemplary work in the practice (in project supervision) and in the theory an attempt to bridge the gap between holistic and closed systems through a cultural model. Perhaps this explanation is helpful!

Question: Do you still have your flying licence?

Dr. Norbert: Yes, and it can sometimes be helpful in projects.

Question: Can one bear with you privately?

Dr. Norbert: This you must ask my wife, she is much better than me!

Thank you very much for your time!

GiantsWheel- TTTC New Product

2011-10-07T12:04:00.000+05:00

Traditional Cultures

2011-10-05T09:25:00.000+05:00

The most important factors for the current development were laid in the 19th century. The rejection of thinking and acting as a community meant for the technology an enormous increase in the industrial production because the division of work led to higher productivity and new professions and it appeared on the face of it to increase the standard of living in western cultures (for example the Taylorism as introduced in Ford automobile factories etc.)

Analysis of the society by political and economic thinkers led to development theories, which could not foresee the effects of these policies as evidenced today. The cardinal error by these theorists was the euro-centristic model, i.e. nobody took the happenings in other cultures into consideration.

In Smith's economic system, the free market functioned globally, as long as global meant regionally and maximum on a national level.

In Marx's political system the democracy functions internationally, as long as the power base is centrally located. This concept is also found in antique Greek city-state models on a local basis.

In both cases, there appears to be consensus on one point, i.e. that "multiple behavioral models (Artenvielfalt)" are not acceptable in these theories. But this is probably precisely the decisive error.
With this sketch, we would now like to analyze the present situation.

It is the market factors in a democratically functioning society, which determines the general welfare of the people.

Since the market -in the traditional sense- neither takes into consideration the environment nor the traditional cultures, which are present in rural areas and production of goods leads to certain uniformity because of cost-reduction methods. Every effort must be undertaken, so that the (B.E.P.) does not fall short of targets under any circumstances. The multi-national concerns attempt by adding more products to their production programs to offer a variety of models: since all parties participating in the market work in similar way, but the demand in the market is relatively fixed and not able to be increased arbitrarily, it is clear where the wastage of resources is taking place.

The winner is the one, who has the largest potential of human resources as long as these can be controlled politically.

The intentions and the wishes of so-called democratic countries are understandable, if they exert all possible pressure on others to accept their form of governance.

If this effort does not succeed, their system -let us call it "western system"- would collapse together with all parties involved in it.

There are incredible factors, which remain unconsidered by the members of the City-Culture, they being the innovators and carriers of the enormous misunderstandings and the cardinal errors:

a) There are very different cultures

b) These cultures have developed over a long period of time in inter-action with the climate and the environment.

c) Each culture has its own set of rights and should be the subject of research to shed light on this enormous richness.

Of course much of the matter has been lost due to the way of thinking and the actions undertaken up till now, but exactly this is the task before us; to track down these materials.

Misuse of environment and resources are hardly a subject of discussion in economic appraisals. Similarly, the richness of traditional cultures, which still exist at least in part in the rural areas, which are typically described as "under-developed" is not mentioned in these appraisals. There is no code or value allocated to them. Only when the value has been destroyed, the damage becomes visible. The extent of destroyed traditional cultures is quite evident in the number of museums, i.e. as soon as the traditional cultures began to be considered as money making measures for the institutions, they received recognition as a valid market factor, but in effect became still more unstable.

As the international flow of money is not directed towards local industry and national states, there is a trend towards uniformity through optimization and standardization. This uniformity can be concealed through various designs and requires increased consumption of goods. In order to increase the consumption, the consumers (all consumers of the world unite!!) require financial means, which are actually not available to the majority of population.

A special sort of market is created at the place where traditional cultures are promoted. Members of the community have a chance to participate, if they consider it a possibility to maintain their basic requirements, i.e. a form of satisfaction of most basic material needs must remain intact.

Traditional culture

2011-10-05T09:24:00.006+05:00

Rural Heritage

2011-10-03T07:04:00.000+05:00

Thatta Ghulamka Dhiroka - The Toy Village - is the name of the village in Punjab, about which a lot has been written, about its unique and special concept, Thatta Kedona is the name under which the handicraft products of the village and institutions connected to it within and outside the country are marketed.

“Thatta Kedona” is quite different in nature as compared to other NGO's or similar institutions: Help and support is provided to the people within the countryside, because “if the villagers earn some money, they are not forced to move to the cities, which are already overburdened with many problems”.

The agricultural activity in the village is not sufficient and therefore it is necessary to provide opportunities for additional income in the villages. This can be done by promoting the traditional culture and its conversion into handicrafts. The approach must always be understood in its totality and implemented properly.

The income generated through agriculture may be minimal, it may infact be just sufficient to meets the needs of basic food and simple shelter, but the cost of living in the village is definitely cheaper than the city; the push into the cities enables only the least of the migrants the promised benefits. The steadily increasing productivity of the urban industrial work place ruins not only the rural work place, but specially the life in the city; industrial production and global economics require increase in consumer base and destruction of resources, - in totality therefore not a great concept for the future.

“Thatta Kedona” propagates instead of a a mild effort rather Help Towards Self-Help, “Thatta Kedona” is not an instrument for development and financing of individual family interests nor is it an attempt at religious, political or educational infiltration !

“Thatta Kedona” does not exist with the help of donations or charity of the city dwellers, who may derive satisfaction from a good deed, -this is not compatible with the concept of Help Towards Self-Help: Donations and Alms help only superficially and encourage dependence, -a danger, which was already recognized by the founder of Pakistan and who warned against it.

In the so often propagated Global World, it is of much importance within a state to support Self-Help efforts on one hand to direct the population according to the available resources. If this does not happen, the increasing consumer behaviour kills the initiatives, which becomes known not in the beginning but at a much later stage, when reforms become impossible to implement.

The city culture is international and the problems in the cities worldwide similar, the traditional culture of diverse regions is something special and needs to be protected and supported, - Thatta Kedona is a metaphore for a change in the way of thinking: The future lies in the countryside !

Ten Years' Development – An Overview

2011-09-30T12:04:00.000+05:00

Ten years ago Thatta Kedona project started aiming to fight poverty and to support poor women living in the countryside in the district Okara. The products of Thatta Kedona project have earned a great reputation both inside and outside Pakistan, thanks to the voluntary efforts of designer and scientist Dr. Senta Siller. The main products are handcrafted dolls dressed in the garments of the different provinces of Pakistan and of minority groups such as the Kalashi and the Makrani.

In the past ten years there has been much talk in both national and international organizations, and in smaller circles, about supporting women living in the countryside. The key words in these discussions were 'women empowerment' 'tender training.' A lot has been written about this.

Women in the cities were encouraged but what happened in the countryside, where most of the population lives? In the village of Thatta Ghulamka Dhiroka situated near Okara in the backwaters of Punjab, the local NGO has been successful in working practically on the small things in life and improving the situation of village women rather than leading discussions about urban culture and international theories. The pointing questions were: What can be done when a husband dies and the widow has to support their children on her own? What can be done when a wife is banished and needs to support herself and her children? What can be done, when heavy illness causes enormous difficulties in a family's well being? What can be done, when general conditions in the countryside deteriorate and lead people to migrate? What can be done to improve life in the countryside, to support the traditional culture, which is the wealth of a country and to change the socio-economic situation for the long-term?

For ten years now, practical improvements to life in the countryside have been implemented step by step by the village project, without prior spectacular theoretical announcements. Today, the arts and crafts project is one of twelve projects, in which the villagers are working together with Dr Siller and other voluntary workers.

State bodies have often praised the project and promised support - empty words as yet! A general acknowledgement of this work would not just be a good advertisement for official bodies, but they could use the village project in other parts of the country as an example of achieving step-by-step improvements in other parts of the country.

The words 'long-term effects' are always keenly used; where are the examples of long-term improvements, the illustrious development projects resulting from bilateral agreements? At present, the term 'success' is used in relation to industries and measured according to the masses. The small steps and achievements of the village project are no less relevant. They are culture-friendly and still economic. Why are they neglected by official politics? Because they are not spectacular!

The simple listing of economic enterprises along the N5 only looks at the existing facilities on 500 meters on both sides of the road. It points out the enormous developments without evaluating them. Parts of the original population living along the N5 road have moved to Lahore and have to comply with urban culture. More and more machines are used for farming, more and more tractors are driving to the sugar cane plantations and with the increase in electronic media, singing in the villages and conversations amongst villagers are disappearing.

Ways of living and the use of local materials such as clay are changing through the introduction of technology. A metal container is now exchanged with one made of plastic, clay buildings that are adjustable to the climate are being swapped for brick buildings. Now is the time to show the possibilities of the rich traditional culture and make its worth seen through its people, otherwise it will be very difficult and expensive to repair and to reduce the mistakes made by the classic industrial countries.

In the meantime worldwide urban culture is expanding and working with industrial principles. Parents send their children to school to have them educated, since this has been the right thing to do up until now, and it can't be wrong in either the present or the future. A good education calms the conscience and pays off in the form of well-designed documents and certificates: University of Lahore, College for Management, Institute for Management Sciences, Academy for Fashion and Technology, College for Information and Technology, University for Management Sciences, Institute of Education Management, and so on. How can one imagine that a well-educated person won't be able to find work later on? In the meantime one can live well from the educational funds.

These worldwide accumulations of mistakes can be discussed further at another time. It is not possible to reduce them, but looking at general perceptions of the environment can create an uncomfortable process of realization. Even areas that seem beyond these issues, such as that of the arts, are part of the, perhaps unintended, process of industrialization and its system of education and values. Whatever is taught is done so in a scientific manner, so that the skills of the past that are normally passed from father to son, are examined and taught academically as part of a curriculum.

The result can't be more than a flat generalization, which is spiced according to region and season and presented as a new discipline, maybe, institute for the acquisition of questionability and existential orientations?

Life as it is

2011-09-28T12:50:00.000+05:00

Dawn.com

Working women

2011-09-27T09:09:00.002+05:00

The position of women in our society is characterized by multiple roles. A woman is a mother, wife, sister, and daughter; may be all at the same time. In some cases women are working persons as well. What do men – fathers, brothers, husband or other male family members -- think about women working away from home? In our society, women's options to pursue a career or stay home largely rest with the male members who generally decide about it under the influences like particular family situations, family and social background and the financial needs.

Women are seen working in corporate Pakistan largely doing jobs which have traditionally been labelled as women's work like clerical, secretarial, catering, teaching, public relations and front desk, medical practitioners and other health related jobs, labourers in production units and to some extent in human resources and marketing fields, notwithstanding exception that can be found in almost any discipline; far and few.

In many cases women work more than their men do. Since time immemorial, women have great responsibility for unpaid and invisible physical work as well: bearing and rearing children, housework -- here is a lot to be done at home -- and caring for the sick and elderly and rural women working with men in agricultural fields and animal husbandry.

Broad scouting reveals this: Men want to come back home from work to waiting women. Men feel 'threatened' by women in leadership roles at workplace. They find problems in finding a way to balance the needs of housework with the demands of activities of working women.

Our society so far does not offer equal opportunities in terms of reconciliation of work and life for women. Dr. Agha Haroon, an educationist says, "In traditional society like ours, male members tell their female wards to work or what to do instead of asking them if they want to or what they want to do? Earlier in life even the subjects for the girl students are chosen by parents as per their perceptions rather than seeing the aptitudes of female students. Which is why one finds women interested, for example, in Information Technology doing courses in Home Economics and that is one of the reasons that some women do not excel in careers if and when they joinwork?"

On the other hand, "We do not find enough employable females," says Asad Raza, Manager Human Resources in an equal opportunity multinational service organization, "and even those who are employed with us are seen under the guardianship of their fathers, brothers and husbands or some other male family member."

Generally, equality for women is considered as important area of human resource development and is strongly recommended at the workplace, but only in theory. Continuously tightening economic compulsions today seem to set clear limits for male members to decide for women to work or stay home. The tilt having been towards working and earning some additional income. Waqar Mehdi says, "My wife works because my income is not enough to make the ends meet. My aged mother has to look after our two years old baby when I and my wife are away and I have to pick and drop her to and from work every day. We have been thinking that she should leave the job and stay home to look after the baby for some time. Only she is waiting for her promotion that is due any moment. She will leave the moment she gets the higher grade."

Some time women are allowed to work for the 'waiting period' -- after completion of their education and before they are married off. "My daughter graduated from University of the Punjab and is working in a bank now. It is good job with potential for growth. But will she be able to continue her job after marriage depends upon her husband," says Karim Dad.

"Our baho betian (wives and daughters) do not work," seems the attitude of a major segment of our society. Proponents of this attitude think that work is only for the monitory benefits and has nothing to do with personal fulfilment or enrichment in life. Some even find it hard to allow their female children in higher educations.

Decision to work as per one's own liking should be a personal preference. Every one should be entitled to work not only for monitory rewards but also for tapping personal potential in whatever one is good at. Ideally, there should be no gender or other barriers. In the absence of any policy for human resource development at national level, corporate sector should open up to women workforce and provide more women friendly opportunities. Male members should also allow their wards to join the workforce, customs, traditions, and unproven myths notwithstanding.

Gross Behnitz

2011-09-27T09:07:00.002+05:00

Publications

2011-09-24T09:10:00.000+05:00

Volunteer at Work in TTTC - Tiles Protection

2011-09-24T08:55:00.001+05:00

Thatta Kedona Links

2011-09-23T13:38:00.000+05:00

AC-CRITI-PROJECT.COM
action five e.V Bonn
Built Heritage
Cameroon Centre for Appropriate Technology
DGFK
Die Induskultur (German)
Dolls of the World - Sonopses of a Book Dorrit Yacoby Museum
Dorrit-Yacoby-Museum Slide Show
Greenland Project International Dolls Museum , Flateyri
Joachim PoLzer's [docfilmunit]
Lahore Museum
Landgut Borsig
Light Within
Plot of a Documentary Tangled Thread
Tanto Mejor Por La Paz, Saboya
Thatta Kedona at ATP
Thatta Kedona at Asian Smiles
Thatta Kedona at Crystal Clear
Thatta Kedona at Desicritics
Thatta Kedona at Education by Sistrunk
Thatta Kedona at Metro Blog
Thatta Kedona at Teeth Maestro
Thatta Kedona at The Organic Brew
Thatta Kedona's photo stream
Tum jo chaho to sunno
SVP
Daily KhabarNama Dolls Village
Ny Mafia

Oh Okara

2011-09-22T10:46:00.003+05:00

The agricultural city derives its name from a tree known as 'Okaan'. During British period once Lahore - Multan railway line was being laid, there was a jungle of Okaan at this place, hence the name. Few van (salvadora) trees _ at the verge of extinction are also found in this part of the country. At the time of partition, one out of two textile mills that came as the share of Pakistan is in Okara. The city was declared district headquarters in 1982.

In 1930, Okara was famous agricultural market in the area. Presently, the Sabzi Mandi (fruit and vegetable market) handles sale of largest quantity of potatoes than any other market in the country. Muhammad Sarwar who is an arhti in Sabzi Mandi says, "Even the sheds are not being constructed.” The committee has engaged only four ill-equipped sanitary workers for cleaning the market premises. We have employed our own sweepers and watchmen". Similarly, the Grain Market (with eight gates) is also situated in the city. It does not have any drainage system and water keeps on standing in the form of ponds.

But, the city now lacks grace. Keeping the sources of pollution in view, vehicles remain the second biggest pollutants in the world. The heavy traffic on the National Highway passing through thickly populated urban areas of Okara emits poisonous smoke and the air. In addition over 29000 rickshaws, wagons, buses, and trucks registered with traffic authorities are also plying in the city.

The city situated astride the busiest national highway faces a severe pollution problem. Karachi - Peshawar main railway line also passes through the city. Besides goods' trains 24 electric powered passenger trains pass over the main line daily.

Completion of Jinnah Park was very festive for the residents of Okara but now it gives a repulsive look rather than that of a recreational place. On entering the majestic gate one realizes that the park is not being maintained. Result: polythene bags and wrappers are scattered everywhere, the grass has never been mowed, there are no flowers, and benches are broken and dusty.

A rehriwalla who sells 'Dahi Bhallay' in front of the park says, "on the average, I used to do the business worth rupees 1500/- per day when the park was newly completed and all the lantern shaped lights were illuminating but now my sale has reduced to mere four to five hundred rupees a day. No body comes here after the last light".

Socially Okara is not very lively place. People (who can afford) go to Lahore to celebrate the 'seasons'. Yet it is the only district headquarters in Punjab to have its own Arts Council. As per the law the Arts Councils are supposed to be in divisional Headquarters and Okara falls under Lahore division, thanks to one of the ex Chief Ministers Punjab who belongs to the area.

"All the great issues of small city remain unresolved and limited public resources are being sanctioned for mere show, without any love for the land, "says a social activist Zulfiqar Bajwa. " There is no single authority to oversee the growth of the city having excellent rail and road links with the rest of the country and ideally suited for live stock production and agronomic industries, "he says.

Abbreviations

2011-09-22T08:40:00.000+05:00

AeFeA (or AFA) - Anjuman-e-Falah-e-Aama

BHU - Basic Health Unit

DOW - Dolls of the World

TTTC - Technical Transfer and Training Center

TGD – Thatta Ghulamka Dheroka

WAC - Women Arts Center

Prof Dr Norbert Pintsch back in Pakistan

2011-09-21T10:43:00.002+05:00

Dr. Norbert Pintsch is back in Pakistan and will be here till Oct 35, 2011

Urbanization

2011-09-21T10:40:00.003+05:00

“Future lies in rural areas,” Dr. Norbert Pintsch

Human beings like other organisms, have always polluted their environment with the byproducts of their action. As an organism man creates waste. As a social creature, he removes things from his environment and adds residue to it. So long as population density has been low on the planet, the environment was able to accommodate these alterations. Now with the world population about 8.5 billion people and increasing by 220,000 each day, the concentration of population in cities and resulting deterioration of environment is sounding alarms. The situation is urban Pakistan is worst.

The process of economic development over last 58 years has brought number of changes. One of the most critical dimensions of the process is urbanization of rural society. As the development has taken place primarily from agricultural to industrial economy, large scale rural to urban migration has taken place, changing the face of our cities as well as villages. The concentration of more and more people into urban areas is regarded as one of the major environmental threat today. The process is expected to escalate in Pakistan though many of our cities have already reached the point where further population concentration (by natural birth or migration) may jeopardize the delivery of basic civic services to all.

Urbanization process has effected all parts of country: villages, towns and cities in one-way or the other. The intensity of impact is most critical in the larger cities. Karachi, Lahore, Faislabad, Gujranwala, Multan, Rawalpindi, Hyderabad, Sarghoda and Peshawar are suffering from environmental degradation and quantifiable deficiencies in basic civic services. The civic bodies are badly failing to manage these problems.

Solid waste management has become one of the serious urban nightmares in Pakistan. The municipalities equipped with centuries old and outdated methods inefficiently lift only 60 percent of the municipal waste generated in our cities. In the absence of professionalism and proper waste disposal systems, most of the garbage lifted from the cities is crudely dumped in open spaces nearby. These dumps attract mosquitoes, rats, cockroaches, houseflies, ticks flees as well as stray dogs and birds like vultures and crows. Carried by the vectors, bacterium thriving in rotten and moist garbage is spreading all sorts of diseases. Other 40 percent waste is simply not picked up and keeps rotting in streets or illegal filth depots inside the cities. As the society prospers, its trash -- mainly hazardous plastic, metals packaging and pathogenic non-biodegradable rubbish -- is growing exponentially.

Karachi the mega city with population estimated over 11 millions, alone is generating 6000 tons of waster per day. Solid waste management department of Karachi Metropolitan Corporation is trying to keep the city clean with fleet of vehicles and an army of sweepers in its roll. Result: “The effects of environmental degradation due to the waste left inside Karachi are slowly poisoning the city”, notes an epidemiologist.

Sewerage systems only in portions of the cities are crumbling. Apart from being old they were basically designed for lesser population without catering for the future growth. Remaining population depends for waste disposal on septic tanks, soak pits or over flows into open drain. As a result of improper disposal of human waste (in many areas there is no disposal) from the housing environment a large number of children are suffering from or are vulnerable to the attacks of different diseases. The effluents from industrial units and tanneries working unchecked in the residential areas -- with high concentration of pollutants are adding to the problems. Kasur, Multan and Sialkot are typical examples of the case in point.

One major problems of urbanization in Pakistan is the eating up of green and open spaces -- so important for ecological balance -- by concrete structures of ever expanding cities. Only 25 years back Lahore and Faislabad had several patches of agricultural land. Today, there is no arable land with in the limits of these cities. In Peshawar 2700 hectares of agricultural land were lost between 1965 and 1985. Multan had many mango orchards (Ram jis Bagh, Abidanwalla Bagh, Qasim Bagh, Langhe Khan Bagh, Hazori Bagh, Dewanwalla Bagh and Mirza Jan Bagh) inside the city. They all have been converted into plazas and industrial units. There is no open space in cities as small as Mandi Baha Ud Din that was declared district headquarters only in 1993.

The fresh water supply in our cities is dwindling as the cities are expanding. Access to the clean water is available to about 77 percent of the urban population. Only 30 percent have the luxury of piped water supply and the rest are being served by stand posts or public taps. Per capita water consumption in urban areas in bare minimum to sustain human life. Even the (finite) subsoil water reserves are decreasing due to high pumping rate. In most of the cities water pipe lines run next to the sewer lines there for, contaminating the drinking water.

Air governs the quality of our environment. The air in our cities is so polluted that it can be smelled and seen everywhere. When the wind is still, the fumes of vehicles, industrial concerns, smoke from garbage piles put of fire as well as airborne particles to dirt and pollen can be seen hung about any city. Only in Lahore 800,000 vehicles are responsible (apart form the noise pollution) for contaminating the environment by emitting poisonous gasses. Breathing has become a health hazard in soot-choked cities like Gujranwala where tar coal drums, electric wires and old tyres are burnt inside the residential areas in order to separate the iron.

There is an acute shortage of houses in the cities and the real estate prices are skyrocketing. The demand for the land is growing and the supply is limited. Since the land is essential for urban growth, devising equitable and efficient land development policies is one of the major challenges facing planners and policy makers, who do not seem to be aware of the seriousness of the problem. The number of slum and katchi abadi dwellers is on the increase.

In the typical city street, the road is potholed by PTCL or WASA excavations, electric generators and transformers carry a dangerous web of cable overhead. Shops encroach onto the roadways. Vendors have covered the open drains and advertisements and ugly looking neon signs are covering every available surface.
Historic buildings disappear without regret and even the protected monuments are suffering from vandalism. The roads are full of illegal speed breakers, all different in sizes and shapes. The old trees are being cut without a second thought. There is no body to oversee the overall growth of cities and to coordinate the work of city development agencies.

It is ideal if the human beings are dispersed evenly around the countryside. But people have been coming to cities for better economic and educational opportunities and better quality of life. It is about time that policy makers should think hard and plant to check the current demographic trend. This can be done, though it has yet not started to begin in Pakistan.

This is one of the reasons why one can believe that future lies in rural areas.

DUKKER PROJEKT

2011-09-15T08:20:00.000+05:00

6Alverdens dukker - Dukker fra hele verden.

Man har altid haft dukker. Der er fundet dukker i udgravninger i Sydamerika, Japan, Italien, Grækenland og mange andre steder i hele verden. De er lavet af så forskellige materialer træ, voks, ler og stof, og de var ikke kun legetøj, de blev ofte brugt som religiøse symboler i form af små mennesker. Endnu i dag bliver de af mange folkeslag brugt som feticher. Eksperterne er ikke enige om, hvad det oprindelige formål med dukkerne var. Var de legetøj, der udviklede sig til kultgenstande eller var de kultgenstande, der blev til legetøj?

Udover at være legetøj med pædagogisk formål er dukker en realistisk dokumentation for, hvordan man til forskellige tider og på forskellige steder har anskuet verden. Dukkerne er en vigtig kilde til vores viden om, hvordan man har levet og arbejdet, leget og handlet og er dermed vigtige kulturbærere.

Dr Senta Siller har startet dukkeprojekter i blandt andet Pakistan, Cameroun og Columbia. Disse projekter har sat en selvforstærkende udvikling i gang ved at give kvinderne mulighed for at tjene penge på deres håndarbejder, et lille men væsentligt bidrag til at udvikle landområderne og standse udvandringen til de store byer. Dukkerne er håndlavede og deres tøj og andet tilbehør er kopier af egnens originale dragter og brugsgenstande. De gamle mønstre og moder får på denne måde nyt liv og en vigtig plads i hverdagen.

Dukker fra Pakistan

Kvindeprojektet i landsbyen Thatta Ghulamka Dhiroka i den pakistanske provins Punjab blev startet af Senta Siller i 1993 og giver 120 kvinder et indkomstgivende arbejde. Det er hen ad vejen suppleret med et tilsvarende projekt for mænd. Kvinderne arbejder ikke 8 timer dagligt i dukkeprojektet; de har stadig tid til at passe deres egen familie og husholdning samt varetage de gøremål i landsbyen, som kvinderne traditionelt tager sig af. Thatta Ghulamka Dhiroka har cirka 1200 indbyggere. De stiftede i 1991 kooperativet Anjuman-e-Falah-e-Aama, som samarbejder med Deutsche Gesellschaft zu Förderung der Kultur (DGFK). Anjuman samarbejder med yderligere 6 projekter i Pakistan.

Dukker fra Cameroun

Siden 1998 er der startet 3 kooperativer (Akwatinuigha, Akaankang og HandiCraft CAT) i Bamenda, hovedstaden i Nordvestprovinsen i Cameroun, som ligger tæt på grænsen til Nigeria. Disse kooperativer samarbejder også med DGFK. Bamenda har omkring 6000 indbyggere, som bor på 7 høje og taler 8 forskellige sprog. Udover de mænd, der arbejder i HandiCraft CAT projektet, er mere end 100 kvinder engageret i fremstilling af forskellige kunsthåndværksprodukter.

Dukker fra Columbia

Kooperativet Tanto Mejor blev startet i 1999 i Saboya og samarbejder med 3 andre projekter. Saboya er en landsby med cirka 6000 indbyggere i nærheden af Chiquinquira, hovedstaden i departementet Boyaca nord for Bogota. DGFK samarbejder også med dette kooperativ, der beskæftiger mere end 100 kvinder med fremstilling af forskelligt kunsthåndværk.