Milena Velba Slurping Her Own Milk

Child

When someone goes to the city of Sucre for the first time I asked what it's worth visit there, my advice without thinking twice, always: ASUR.

ASUR (Anthropologists of the South Andean) is a cultural project and a process which Bolivians can feel proud. Has enabled over 25 years not only to present the extraordinary art of weaving from indigenous communities around Potolo, west of Sucre, but also restore and enhance the art and substantially while generating income for communities .

now appears that a short-lived governor of Chuquisaca, swelling of demagoguery and political opportunism, aims the House chaplain, the building where ASUR, workshops, museum and shop, be returned to government management, arguing that it is a foundation "private" and should be managed "by the beneficiaries" . This would mean the annihilation of a flagship project for the house where ASUR works for many years and is a national and international.

ASUR's story is a story of scientific curiosity and love of art. It all began in 1985 when the Chilean anthropologists Veronica Cereceda and Gabriel Martinez and the Bolivian anthropologist Ramiro Molina, toured communities 50 km from the city of Sucre, in search of women who had been able to produce wonderful fabrics appearing for years in the stock of international collectors.

What they found was pitiful, abject poverty, mortality and morbidity very high social disorganization and despair in communities, whose residents were gradually stripped of the most valuable thing they had: the tissues inherited from parents and grandparents, some centuries old, sold for four dollars in order to remain in a precarious survival.

Moreover, the new tissue produced and were neither as fine nor as creative as the old ones. The figures have been simplified and repeated, it showed the variety and complexity of some once had. The tradition was lost quickly, and textiles valuable traffic to foreign countries, would leave these communities in the last poverty, one in which all is lost, even identity.

From this finding arises ASUR and Veronica Cereceda becomes prime mover, with a dedication tireless and complete surrender. Nothing could predict the success of a rescue and recovery of an endangered tradition, but the bet was the commitment to the communities. In just two decades, has been achieved is worthy of admiration and praise.

Even for those who are not experts in the art of weaving, obvious that the works currently do Jalq'a community women are even better, richer in its design, the that formerly made. When comparing the tissue that exhibit in the museum of ASUR with which you can buy at the store, we see that this is a of the rare cases where the textile art is reborn like a phoenix to be even more imposing than before.

And this has been possible thanks to a strategic vision that seeks to empower indigenous communities in their culture and their management capacity, "adding, with their values \u200b\u200band knowledge, the construction of national identity. " ASUR has allowed these communities economically distressed by the limitations of their subsistence agricultural production, generate additional resources for the welfare of families. To do this, have set fair prices for the sale of fabrics, prices that reflect the time and dedication it requires hand-made, unique and personalized for each one of them.

addition to generating jobs in the process of artistic and craft production, and promote the internal strengthening of communities to deal with trade and tourism, ASUR's work has drawn attention to the cultural richness communities, has promoted research and contributed to increasing the monitoring of state agencies on the illegal export of ancient textiles that are national treasures. The list of books published with the seal of the Foundation ASUR is further proof of its efficiency and reliability the work done.

The ongoing project of revival of Indian textile art today includes more than a thousand women weavers Jalq'a Chayanta provinces and Oropeza, weaving with natural alpaca fleece and sheep, and Tarabuco, using wool sheep and cotton tissues.

ASUR has spawned other initiatives that benefit communities as a training project of 200 men weavers who produce new proposals, diversified, in carpets, rugs and carpets. Then there is the production of camel leather accessories with inserts textiles, and fine pottery workshop where they produce ceramic tableware and ornaments.

I am proud to have in my house several aqsus Jalq'a I gained in ASUR, khurus extraordinary representations of imaginary animals and unlikely , echoes of the underworld, saxra , we can not understand who we are outside this ancient culture. They are wonderful works of the imagination with deep anchorage in the culture and tradition, and apart from a very fine manual dexterity. For each of these works of art, weaving women used several months of work, depending on the size. So are proud to put their photos and their names beside the finished work.

ASUR Foundation honors and honors Bolivia Sucre, the capital. It would be unfortunate for the unwillingness of any officer who is passing through the power, he withdrew the right to occupy a property that suits your needs and those of visitors.