Cultural IP : Whose Responsibility?

In a panel discussion organized by Creative Dignity and FICCI FLO, on National Handloom day we unpacked the question - "Cultural IP - Whose Responsibility?"
As digitization and demand for cultural products increase globally, we have been seeing repeated examples of imitations and craft washing in the mainstream. This discussion aims to delve deeper into safeguards for our cultural capital and community knowledge, as well as preparing the handmade sector for future opportunities.
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#culturalIP #culturalcapital #communityknowledge #handmade #creativedignity #craftwashing
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The term Cultural IP was coined in 1993 by Irene Daes, an academic, diplomat, and United Nations expert best known for her work with the United Nations Working Group on Indigenous Populations (1984-2001) promoting the cause of the world's indigenous peoples, during which time she authored many United Nations reports on Indigenous rights issues and was a driving force behind the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. It was in a paper called “Our Culture Our Future”.
Cultural Intellectual Property and Cultural Intellectual Property Rights are terms raised awareness of by @culturalintellectualproperty a worldwide movement supporting the recognition of cultural intellectual property rights® for craftsmen and women who are the custodians and transmitters of traditional garments, traditional designs, and traditional manufacturing techniques.
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The Panelists :
1. Dr. Ismail Mohammad Khatri - is credited to be the man behind the successful revival of Ajrakh printing using natural dyes. After the calamity in Kutch - he pioneered resettling a large section of the Muslim Khatri community involved in Ajrakh printing from Dhamadka their former home village to Ajrakhpur.
He was was awarded an honorary doctorate by a UK university for his astute approach to business, craftsmanship and innovation without tipping the balance to reckless experimentation.
2. David Abraham - is one half of the much-loved fashion label Abraham & Thakore. A textile designer from NID, David with Rakesh Thakore is known to craft contemporary fashion that are defined beyond seasons. The design sensibility has strong respect for material, form and craft and reflects the way we live in urban India, creating fashion and textiles rooted in our Indian identity yet with a contemporary and international take.
3. Ravi Kiran - an engineer by training, chose to work in the field of textiles. He worked in few garment factories and realized his true calling was more towards handcrafted textiles. Keeping this in mind he started a company called “Barometre” in 1998 and learned hands-on while building the brand. In 2011 he formed ‘metaphor racha’ with a clear understanding to work with local craftsmen be it spinners, weavers, dyers, printers and tailors, and bring the deserving craftsmen to fore-front. He strongly advocates transparency in business, fair price, pride in labor and equal opportunity of growth for everyone involved. He considers himself fortunate to work with various Khadi weavers and weaving societies in Karnataka and being the bridge between rural crafts and the urban need.
4. Shwetasree Majumder - is an alumnus of the National Law School, Bangalore. Once the youngest equity partner in a large Indian IP firm, she founded Fidus Law Chambers in 2008. Shwetasree concentrates her practice in litigation, enforcement and counseling in intellectual property, technology, advertising and trade secrets matters across a broad spectrum of industries.