Thatta Kedona

Culture is a Basic Need

Of the Power of the Small
Thursday, February 8, 2024

To preserve traditional cultural assets

by

Prof Dr Norbert Pintsch

No matter what is conceived or initiated, - more or less quickly the thought process moves to mass thinking and mass production; The motive in the background is to be able to participate in global events.

Even if such thought processes are understandable due to the global spree, still the preservation and support of small-scale and unspectacular projects are necessary.

It is not the globalization and digitization that represents the basis for the future, but the increasingly disappearing analog, the cultural asset that has emerged at some point - similar to the arctic seed vault in Spitzergen in the area of plants and horticulture.

It is urgently needed to support the delicate shoots of such projects is urgently needed, including the preservation of the environment.

The usual commercialization of such projects is counterproductive and destructive!

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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 1:38 PM, ,

Book by Amjad Ali
Thursday, June 8, 2023


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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 8:02 AM, ,

A little about ourselves DGFK-AFA Thatta Kedona
Thursday, February 2, 2023

On the occasion of the turn of the century

by Aaron Pinsker and Norbert Pintsch

The DGFK was founded almost fifty years ago. The practical engagement with cultures was implemented in many projects according to a model which used and demonstrated the various interdependencies in culture.

Projects emerged through initiatives, collaborations and activities, initially in Central Europe and after 1990 increasingly in other countries.

From around 2010, we started to collect results and examples into our own (DGFK) archive and assigned them to topics such as interviews, sounds, movies, slide shows, animations, books, posters, etc.

The year 2000 is a turning point in the DGFK, because at the end of 1999 analogue printing of the DGFK newsletter as well as of Indus-River, Sanaga Rivière, Rio Magdalena and Hekla was discontinued.

The reason for this was increasing digitization of media. This also led to increasing depth of the digital information, so that the DGFK established its own website, sponsored by a company, because one of our projects showed pilot character at the EXPO2000 show.

An eShop was installed for selling certain handicraft products from the projects, but ultimately it was abandoned as it did not appear to be suitable for the individually unique items.

In similar manner some websites were also removed because they were no longer necessary or technically obsolete (for example Internet radio projects). But they are stored in the archive and available to interested quarters.

The partner initiatives had their own websites, which were supplemented early on by flexible blogs:

Pakistan: 

www.thattakedona.com 

www.thattakedona.blogspot.com 

Kamerun:

www.camcatbam.com 

www.haatc.blogspot.com

Kolumbien:

www.tanto-mejor.com 

www.elcampomirando.blogspot.com 

Other project partners, some of them no longer active, are: 

www.dolls-project.com (Groenland), 

www.royalglobage.com (UAE), 

ac-criti-project.com (Griechenland), 

www.id-museum.com (Island).

With the help of DGFK, partner societies in other project countries were established, such as: 

www.sparc-project.blogspot.com (Pakistan),

www.spocabangladesh.blosspot.com (BanglaDesh),

www.spaetcolombia.blogspot.com (Kolumbien),

www.spathcameroon.blogspot.com (Kamerun), 

www.spaetcolombia.blogspot.com (Kolumbien), 

www.sutolsrilanka.blogspot.com (SriLanka), 

www.sodshnepal.blogspot.com (Nepal), 

www.semoliceland.blogspot.com (Island), 

www.spokupolonia.blogspot.com (Polen).

In the course of time, a plethora of active participants, supporters and partners entered into the projects and their names are duly collected in the DGFK archive or can be found in search engines: 

www.dgfk.info

If a name (for example (Karola Groch,Werner Schroeder, Monika Kuppler, Renate Perner,Marlis Bartkiewitz-Schmitt, u.a.)) is associated with a certain activity or a certain support organization, e.g. the SES, it can be found there too.

Some friends of the DGFK have separated and put their work in the context of a company or organization (e.g. Fronzeck, Heckes, Klapper, Polzer, Sauter, Christ, Borgmann, Stober) or chosen an art platform for their efforts. We do have one person, who has selflessly devoted all her energy and efforts towards the benefit of the general public around the globe (Siller).

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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 4:19 PM, ,

70 Years of Pakistan-German Relationship
Saturday, November 6, 2021

Come and join us at Alhamra Art Centre in Lahore to see the glimpses of Pak German Dosti and how it has evolved over past 74 years. Today is your day.



 



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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 8:52 AM, ,

Thatta Kedona and the Sisters
Saturday, September 4, 2021

A brief summary in seven points 

compiled by Omar M.Ali, Njini King Caro, Ricardo Coslez / idea: Norbert Pintsch

The dolls project has inspired people in other regions to take similar approaches, according to the motto of Direct Support at Site, subconsciously as a counter-model of the so-called humanitarian aid (as above, - which is ultimately self-help for the donor countries, their institutions and organizations) .

1. Story

When did it start? 

-Start in Pakistan 1993, -start in Cameroon 1998, -start in Colombia 1999, among others.

2. Themes

What were the themes or objectives? 

Combining tradition and the future, supporting the preservation of traditional culture, creating income-generating measures for people in the countryside, using local opportunities.

3. Practice and manufacture

What were the main target groups? 

Preferably women in family-friendly projects:

-Pakistan 120 women, Cameroon 60 women, Colombia 60 women.

4. Sales

Where were the unique items sold?

-Pakistan: Karimabad, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Peshavar, Faisalabad, Lahore, Karachi; Cameroon: Foyer du marine, Handicraft Center Bamenda; Colombia: Saboya, Chiquinquira.

Internationally in: USA (NY UN Gift Shop), UAE (Dubai Shopping Festival), Athens: Benaki Museum, Reykjavik: National Museum, Bogota: National Museum.

5. Museum bazaars

Where was the direct connection between ethnology and traditional culture? 

Berlin: Voelkerkundemuseum, Hamburg: Voelkerkundemuseum, Cologne: Rautenstrauch-Jost-Museum, Stuttgart: Linden-Museum, Leipzig: Grassi-Museum, Zuerich: Museum am Riethberg, Vienna: Voelkerkundemuseum.

6. Museum collections

Have the unique pieces been accepted into museums?

Museum in Herrnhut, International Puppet Museum in Iceland, Lok-Virsa in Islamabad, Children's Museum in Izmir, Dolls and Puppet Museum in Herisau. Between 1995 and 2015 more than 20000 unique dolls were made, which are in private collections in the USA and Canada, Europe, South Africa, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.

7. Internet information

Is there more information available on the internet?

www.ThattaKedona.com

https://www.facebook.com/ThattaKedona

www.camcatbam.com:

https://www.facebook.com/akangkangcraft

www.tantomejor.com:

https://bit.ly/3DLiPPE

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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 2:06 PM, ,

Voice Of America report on THATTA KEDONA
Monday, July 12, 2021

Thatta Ghulamka Dhiroka, a small Pakistani village in District Okara, is world-famous for its Handicrafts, especially the ethnic dolls. VOA Urdu reports how this excellent project, which had transformed this village by providing extra income to the women and enabling them to lead a better life is facing financial difficulties these days.

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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 11:59 AM, ,

Thatta Kedona Archive


Mr. Hans-Peter Detmer, a German journalist working at the German Broadcasting Service DW (Deutsche welle) visited the Pakistani village Thatta Ghulamka Dhiroka (District Okara) in 1999 and prepared this radio feature, which was originally broadcast in DW's German Programme. Later this radio feature was also translated in other DW languages, including Urdu. Here You can not only listen to this feature but also enjoy more than 200 pictures, showing the beauty of this wonderful village and its charming ethnic dolls.

"Thatta Kedona" is part of a wonderful development project in the village Thatta Ghulamka Dhiroka, District Okara, Punjab, Pakistan, also called Amjad's Village. This project was initiated in early 1990s by a German couple Dr. Senta Siller and her husband Dr. Norbert Pintsch. They were invited by their pakistani student Amjad Ali, who was born in this village and was a student of Lette Verein Berlin at that time. Since then the women and girls of the village are creating beautiful handicrafts, including the best pakistani ethnic dolls. These handicrafts are not only sold in big cities in different Arts and Crafts Exhibitions but also online. Part of the income generated by the sale of these toys is also used to run different health, education and environment related projects in the village. This whole development project is overseen by the local NGO AFA (Anjauman-e-Falah-e-Aama).

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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 11:39 AM, ,

Volunteers who make it possible
Friday, December 18, 2020

Village TGD is changing fast. 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.
Read more »

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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 10:17 AM, ,

Meeting of the friends of the SSDC of the AFA (NGO) in the LSE in LHE
Wednesday, April 1, 2020

In order to support the local initiative, it is very important to promote contact between the friends of the project in Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad. Prof Norbert Pintsch agreed to support all efforts in this regard. Furthermore, various efforts are needed to improve the support of various local organizations, e.g. SPARC in Pakistan, with the DGFK. That means to promote the internet dialogue, e.g. between SPARC and their partners in the FPAC, and the DGFK, but also to make suitable publications available in the national libraries.

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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 9:57 AM, ,

HECHT ART CATALOG
Wednesday, February 19, 2020



Friends of Thatta Kedona and residents of Dolls Village are very well familiar with Peter Hecht - an artist who was in the village in March and April 2019. Morals he helped create in the village are still there (also can be seen here). Detailed report about Hecht Art can be viewed here.

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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 9:17 AM, ,

Pakistan is a very attractive destination for tourism and a peaceful country: German artist Peter Hecht
Tuesday, July 30, 2019

"Before my trip to Pakistan, my friends had warned me, but despite all my fears, I decided to come to Pakistan. On my return, I will try to convey a positive image of Pakistan. "

Okara (Office Report) Pakistan is a very attractive country for tourism and it was a good decision to come to Pakistan. Pakistanis are very hospitable and hardworking. This is how the German artist, sculptor and musician Peter Hecht spoke to the delegation of journalists, who had come to visit the handicraft center in the village of Thatta Ghulamka near Okara.

The delegation included journalist and columnist Mazhar Rasheed Choudhry, senior journalist Rasheed Sajid and Choudhry Irfan Ejaz.

Peter Hecht, who resided for a month under the "Artists in Residence" program at Thatta Ghulamka, thanked the renowned broadcast journalist Amjad Ali and his staff.

Mr. Hecht has traveled through many countries. He mainly draws animals and birds. Mr. Hecht said that animals are a topic that interests all people. During his stay in the village he drew various birds and animals. As a trained farmer, he visited the livestock centers of the village and talked to the farmers about their problems.

He organized drawing workshops at various schools in the village and surrounding areas and worked with the children. Two such workshops were held at the Ahmad Jalal School Kids Campus in the city of Okara.

Peter Hecht was so taken with the hospitality and affection of the villagers that he had wet eyes when he thanked the villagers and said goodbye to them. He said he would want to come to this village one more time because he got so much love and affection he could not have imagined. He said that many of his compatriots had warned him against this trip and advised him not to travel because of poor security in Pakistan. But despite all fears, he decided to come to Pakistan and this decision proved to be the right one because he was received here with open arms.

Peter Hecht said he will try to convey a positive image of Pakistan on his return to Germany and persuade his friends and acquaintances to visit Pakistan as tourists.


(This article was published on March 30, 2019 in the newspaper "Aaftab" in Lahore)

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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 9:05 AM, ,

Anjuman-e-Falah-e-Aama Meet Up
Thursday, May 9, 2019

Thatta Kedona founding members and senior German volunteers meet and discuss what to do next in the Toy Village whenever they can and wherever it is possible. 


On 13 June 2019, there was one such meeting in Nauen / Gross Behnitz. Amjad Ali, the President of Anjuman-e-Falah-e-Aama met Dr Senta SILLER, DGFK and Dr Norbert Pintsch, FBTC, FPAC and reminisced about the past, present and future of Anjuman-e-Falah-e-Aama back in Thatta Ghulamka Dhiroka, Punjab, Pakistan.

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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 3:57 PM, ,

Artist-in-Residence program - a big success
Wednesday, April 10, 2019

The A-e-F-e-A (NGO) has taken a future-oriented path:

Artistic activity in the countryside, as a means for the promotion of a positive perception of projects, also for students as interested participants!


In cooperation with the DGFK and Cultura (two German NGOs), Peter Hecht, Draftsman, sculptor and musician, spent a month in TGD.
Read more »

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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 11:26 AM, ,

Building Practice over Time
Saturday, February 9, 2019

By Prof Dr Norbert Pintsch, IPC, FPAC

Notes on building in rural areas, incl. historic preservation

The protection against the wrongs of nature has always been the topic of construction.- yesterday, today and probably tomorrow!

In non-industrialized times, one used the available resources of the respective environment. Due to growing population and concentration, resources were increasingly used up and destroyed.

In the micro-area of ​​construction, dwellings are created, in the eyes of the builders, for a long period of time. This period was reduced over the course of the century, because the rule was meant to be generational; the growing elite built its buildings for many generations - meanwhile it has been reduced to one generation.
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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 9:16 AM, ,

Special Guests
Thursday, October 18, 2018

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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 4:25 PM, ,

Logicalness as a special feature of SSi projects
Wednesday, September 19, 2018

by Omar M. Ali & Norbert Pintsch

Again and again, questions arise about what is special in SSI projects.

We have therefore made a list of characteristics for everyone interested,

although:

-the specialty should actually be logically self-evident:
-Local help with local resources
-Avoidance of migration, - to the urban areas or foreign countries
-Help should be holistic, so the problem solutions are not simply shifted to later time
-An NGO should never be a family clan, but open to all active members
-Help from the outside requires participation of concerned persons from the inside
-An NGO should always work with an open mind and be more flexible than government or private companies, etc.
-Local leadership should work as selfless as volunteers from outside
-An NGO is not a government organization or company; its products must stay below the BE point otherwise it will not be like a genuine NGO
-The head of the NGO must be on moral high ground; not enrichen himself , be communicative and possess broad experience!

Then why should not such head of the NGO work in a GO or Pvt Ltd company and earn better money?

Because ........ the benefit of the general public counts more!

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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 1:33 PM, ,

News from AFA-project
Monday, January 1, 2018


Interview with Mr Ghayyoor Obaid concerning a foundation that supports the preservation of the SSDC (Senta Siller Design Centre) supported (expected again with Mr Iqbal from Harappa); so far this happened about another private initiative.

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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 9:43 AM, ,

A study tour - BNU students in Thatta Ghulamka
Friday, October 27, 2017

A large group of students from BNU (Beaconhouse National University) visited the village Thatta Ghulamka Dhiroka in district Okara on 24 October 2017. This study tour was headed by the Associate Professor Aarish Ali Sardar, who is currently teaching in the Dept. of Visual Communication Design at School of Visual Art & Design of Beaconhouse National University, Lahore, Pakistan.


These students wanted to closely study the handicrafts project “Thatta Kedona”, which was initiated back in 1993 by the German designer Dr. Senta Siller and her husband Dr. Norbert Pintsch.
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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 9:15 AM, ,

Blog-Cinema: Pakistan trilogy Two - "Commitment" (D 1991, 29 min) [Web Premiere]
Monday, April 14, 2014

Pakistan trilogy Two: "Commitment", D 1991, 29 min Production: DGFK. A film by Amjad Ali, Norbert Pintsch, Joachim Polzer and Senta Siller, analog video, SD, 4:3.
http://duskofdigital.wordpress.com/2014/04/12/blog-kino-pakistan-trilogie-zwei-engagement-d-1991-29-min-web-premiere/

The second part of Pakistan trilogy depicts examples of civic engagement (relatively affluent) citizens in the cities of Pubjab.

Anese Fatima Majid Khan, founder of the Foundation Esena girls high school, died in early April 2013 Your Funeral and Memorial page on Facebook.:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/In-memory-of-Begum-Anese-Majid-Khan/159213734241707

The Foundation Esena girls high school in Lahore lives and works on:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Esena-Foundation-girls-high-school/194512140592676

The first two parts of Pakistan trilogy born in 1991; Part One, entitled "Amjad's Village" on the home village of the German-wave journalist Amjad Ali can be found here:

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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 3:46 PM, ,

University Students Come to TGD

Once again students from the University of the Punjab University visited the village TGD in order to obtain an impression about the life in rural area. They spent time in the building of the NGO as well as traditional mud houses.


As usual, the FPAC sponsored the purchase of books and pencils for school children at the start of the school year in the village school. The FPAC promotes education in the rural areas with emphasis on TGD as well a project for students of civil engineering, who should not only learn theoretically about mud architecture but also work actively with mud in given structures. Here are some of the images of the event:
Read more »

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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 10:01 AM, ,


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