Shasha
Location: Yunnan Minority Park, Kunming, China
Mission Statement
To preserve the traditional culture of minority peoples by means of handcraft development.
Background Information
Shasha is a non-profit organization founded by the artist Shasha 沙沙, former owner of the Old Villa restaurant in the Kunming artist colony Chuangku 创库. Located in the Yunnan Minority Village, the organisation is based on the One Village One Product (OVOP) concept. OVOP is a strategic regional development idea in which communities select a product from their own cultural tradition with high added value. One village, or in Shasha's case, one group of minority women select a competitive product and start a business of which the revenue is to improve the living standard of the village/group. The movement, which started in Japan in the 1980s comprises of hundreds of different local specialties, facilities, cultural items, revitalized regions and items related to the environment and is now gaining ground in China, Africa and South-America. Shasha.org also has its own fair-trade brand NPMT, which stands for "Nice People Meet Together" or 好人相逢！。
Activities of Organisation
Ms.Sha runs the educational centre from a traditional JinPo minority home in theYunnan Minority Village. Here you will find both the OVOP and NPMT exhibitioncenter, the training center and the NPMT designers Studio. The exhibition centerprovides an open platform for the presentation and discussion of the minorityhandcraft and OVOP philosophy.The learning center is where designers are invited, teachers are trained andscholars give workshops on everything from handcraft arts, technology, teambuilding and product quality control. The students come from minority villagesand are offered these courses in the hope of positively affecting their futures.The designer studio is where Shasha and her designer husband DuGao work.They invite artists and designers to volunteer and help design new products withminority handcrafts and traditional ecologically responsible materials.
Consensus Community Perspective
Shasha.org and its NPMT is a quintessential Consensus Community. Run by a few true enthusiasts for no profit but the communal good, makes it an organisation that deserves to be highlighted and put on the map for which Himalayan Consensus is delighted to support.
Contact Information
Address:
JinPo Village, Yunnan Minority Park
Kunming, China, 650228
Website: Visit this community's website