Tag Archives: afghanistan
Hidden secrets of Global Village
Hidden secrets of Global Village (Sadiq Shaban) / 12 February 2014 You are likely to take home a special piece that has a soul and sensory value, unlike anything. There is so much more to Global Village than meets the eye. As one of the region’s most visited cultural, entertainment and shopping destinations, Global Village tucks away some of the finest artifacts, relics and objets d’art from around the world. Some of the interesting products on display at the pavilions of the UAE and the UK at Global Village. — KT photos by Juidin Bernarrd and M. Sajjad Those with a knack for the exotic and curio will find exquisite handmade goods, authentic wooden statutes and hand-painted ceramics in several of the 30 pavilions dotting the 17-million-square-feet facility. But that is not all. From Jordanian shadow artists whose calligraphy is sure to leave you awe-struck to waterproof papier-mâché masks from Venice, it is the less-explored side of Global Village, which should set you thinking to take another trip. “Throughout Global Village, there are a plethora of handmade artifacts that are unique to each country’s pavilion. Visitors can find lots of authentic tribal shields and masks at the African Pavilion, as well as great mosaic handicrafts and lamps that are available from the Moroccan Pavilion. We want to make sure that when people come to Global Village, they get to experience products that are genuine and hold real cultural value to the country it comes from. Bringing authentic goods to Global Village makes the cultural experience we provide to visitors unique within the UAE and the Middle East,” Ahmed Hussain, Executive Director of Operations, Global Village, told Khaleej Times. Once you sashay into the African Pavilion and walk past psychedelic stalls, you cannot help notice some of the most striking hand-carved artifacts from Kenya, South Africa, Senegal, Madagascar and Gambia. Intricate designs on these products, lending them a touch of the peregrine, are often made on the finest types of wood such as ebony, mahogany, rosewood and soapstone. It is tough to take a pick from the vast variety of styles, often varying within the same context, but the African solid wood-carved tribal mask surely stands out. Worn during special events or situations that take place in the tribal communities, these souvenirs reflect the true soul of Africa. Similarly, you will find large wooden croc-figurines for sale along with uncountable designs that are meant to bring good energy, warding off bad spirits. The Tanzanian stall features stunning knife paintings, a unique form of art in which artists use knives to paint. This form of painting, which is quite a rarity, affords a close relationship between the artist and the painting surface. The displays have brilliant textures reflective of the spontaneous and dramatic movement of this art form. “We have been looking around in the African Pavilion and ended up buying an unusual stash of things like horns, knife paintings and vintage walking sticks — all of which carry the signatures of these innovative cultures. I visited the Mauritania, Angola and Nigeria stalls. Without doubt, the wood-carved products available here are priceless and the best part is that one can have them at very competitive prices,” said Sarmad Misgar, a Pakistani art collector visiting Global Village. In the Afghanistan Pavilion nearby, you can meander through piddly kiosks selling the latest crop of mountain almonds, pistachios, walnuts, dried white berries, apricots, figs and raisins. Soon you will come across the daintiest Afghan rugs in town. These eco-friendly carpets are made from colours derived from pomegranate, herbs and cinnamon in addition to other natural ingredients. The best quality Afghan wool and silk, one of the salesmen in a stall told Khaleej Times, is used in these oriental rugs, which are adorned with elongated human and animal figures. Usually woven in Shindand and Adraskan regions in Afghanistan’s Herat province, the rugs are available in warm tones and extraordinary patterns. An alcove in the European Pavilion transports you back to the 15th century Tudor England. The combined pavilions of France, the UK and Germany offers the service of History Land Studios, one of London’s best-known photo studios for old-time portraits. The branch in Global Village, the only one outside of the UK, helps you create your own history by dressing you in costumes from the 15th and 16th century England. You can also have your pictures taken in Victorian attire or the gangster Wild West style. “The History Land Studios is an experience of a lifetime. They have a splendid staff that ensure you are comfortable, styled and pampered royally before you get your portrait clicked,” Kenneth Raley, an English tourist visiting the pavilion, marvelled. The Indian Pavilion, owing to its sheer size (largest in Global Village with 300 stalls), has the feel of a traditional Asian bazaar. However, the must-visit cubbyhole in the sprawling enclosure is a corner shop that sells the splashiest collection of Punjabi juttis. Bargain hunters can haggle for a wide range of bright-coloured traditional footwear here. Embroidered with beautiful phulkari work, these shoes are made from genuine leather with multi-hued sequins and flamboyant threads. Curiously, there is no left or right foot distinction, because this party-wear is supposed to take the shape of the foot over a period of time. Available in flat soles, the sharp extended tips of these must-haves are dazzlingly embellished. In its 18th season now, Global Village has emerged not only as a great entertainment venue, one that has stolen the hearts of millions, but an ideal destination which showcases a selection of the world’s most contemporary designers, artists and craftsmen selling their products directly to public. From the enigmatical figurines ensconced in the various African shoppes to the satiny rugs in the Afghanistan Pavilion, Global Village is a track through some of the world’s most avant garde ideas. sadiq@khaleejtimes.com For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
Carpet and Art Oasis: Weaving their own future
Carpet and Art Oasis: Weaving their own future Sudeshna Sarkar & Ishtiaq Ali Mehkri / 21 January 2014 While Persian carpets enjoy a walkover in the industry, now new dark horses are coming up IT’S THE end of Saturday evening and exhausted festival-goers are leaving in their cars, giving the Carpet and Art Oasis a deserted look. The sprawling pavilion looks like something straight out of Arabian Nights . Everywhere there are carpets, rugs, tapestries and more carpets, in diverse colours and designs, on the floor, the walls, and stacked in little heaps. Then there are some more in intriguing glass-topped caskets that look like coffins at first glance. A tapestry at the Carpet and Art Oasis at Dubai Festival City The people around them speak in hushed whispers as befits either death or some work of great note. Indeed, it’s just that. On display is a priceless Persian carpet that took 14 years for its creation. The $6 million price tag is nothing compared to the immeasurable love, care and artistry that was lavished by three Iranian master weavers to craft a timeless work of art. These creations by the Azimzadeh Carpet company have captured the public imagination but then, Persian carpets have long been known to rule the roost in the industry. Tread with reverence Ishtiaq Ali Mehkri & Sudeshna Sarkar IN THE Central Asian republic of Turkmenistan, the Turkmen carpet is not just a carpet, it’s a way of life. A toddler takes his first tottering steps on the family carpet that is its pride, passed on from generation to generation. Girls store their dowry in carpet bags, and every day, the family prays on the prayer rug. Finally, when a Turkmen essays out on the final journey, the body is lovingly wrapped in a ritual carpet. This integral part of Turkmenistan life is woven from the wool of the delicate Saraja sheep that can be grown only in the bracing climate of Turkmenistan. “The government spent $1 billion to breed the sheep in Europe but they did not survive,” says Arslan Ahmedov, representing the Hatudzha Company. Tukmenhaly, the state-owned corporation, oversees the carpet industry and the export of carpets was allowed by the government only in 2012. Since then, Turkmen carpets have taken part in exhibitions at the Global Village in 2013. “We sold five tonnes,” says Ahmedov. “Of that three tonnes were bought by Russian buyers.” Turkmen carpets, made by women, boast a long antiquity. But because the brand is not as well-established as Persian carpets, Turkmen designs are often wrongly attributed to others. “People ask us, are you from Russia? Or are you from Turkey?” Ahmedov says. The Turkmen President, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, is said to take a special interest in the industry and is seeking to promote it. This is the first time that Turkmen carpets straight from Turkmenistan are taking part in the Carpet and Arts Oasis. To mark that, pride of place is given to a tapestry sporting a wonderful likeness of His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. “If the breed of Saraja sheep dies out, the art of Turkmenistan carpets will also vanish,” says Ahmedov. “Perhaps then the only place where you will see them will be in the museums.” sudeshna@khalejtimes.com mehkri@khaleejtimes.com Perhaps what is not so known is the emergence of new players with their own unique characteristics. The Fatema bint Mohammed bin Zayed Initiative (FBMI) is one of them. Started three years ago by Shaikha Fatema bint Mohammed bin Zayed, daughter of General Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, with Tanweer Investments, an Afghan carpet maker for three generations, FBMI is promoting Afghanistan’s carpet industry, where the weavers are mostly women, and giving it a global footfall. “We provide direct employment to over 4,000 women and the number is rising,” says Walied Jabarkhyl, FBMI’s executive director. “Plus indirect employment to another 20,000 like nomadic wool suppliers and farmers who provide the vegetables for the dyes.” Though a major export earner, Afghanistan’s carpet industry suffered due to lack of transport facilities. A landlocked mountainous land, its exports are mostly by road, through neighbouring Pakistan. When there are disturbances, the routes are disrupted, bringing exports to a standstill. Also, Afghan carpets have been bulk-sold with the “made in Pakistan” label, causing the Afghan government to lose revenue. But FBMI belongs to the new generation of entrepreneurs whose tools range from the computer to aircraft. It has strategic alliances with major airlines and the consignments are flown out to the UK, US, Brazil, China and Scandinavia. “Everything is from Afghanistan,” says a proud Jabarkhyl. “The wool comes from Afghan sheep, the designs are done in Afghanistan and the weavers are from Afghanistan.” Women weave FBMI’s carpets. Given Afghanistan’s conservative society, they work from home. The looms are set up in village houses and coordinators monitor the progress of work and collect the finished items. This way, the Taleban threat to women who venture out of their homes does not affect the workers, who can make their living from home. The factory in Kabul produces about 4,000 metres of carpet a month, using wool and silk, and the weavers are paid between $2-5 a day. It is a windfall in a country where people on average live on less than $1 a day. Designers and senior weavers earn more. As FBMI is a social project, it provides workers with vocational training as well as education so that a “weaver does not have to remain a weaver all her life”. It also provides medicare and makes education mandatory for workers’ children. About 7,000 children are currently being educated under the FBMI programme. In areas where water is hard to come by, FBMI constructs wells for its community of workers. In addition, it boasts an extraordinary feat that few carpet businesses can rival. It has set up looms inside the Women’s Prison in Kabul so that women prisoners can also earn money. From their village homes, Afghan women are keeping an eye on the world of sports. Soccer is the current favourite since of all sports it generates the highest business for them. Birth of a tradition THE CARPET and Art Oasis was started 19 years ago by Dubai Customs to complement the Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF). The current edition will run at Dubai Festival City till Feb 1. “(It) is one of the most remarkable events regularly scheduled for the Dubai Shopping Festival,” said Ahmed Butti Ahmed, Executive Chairman of Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation, Director General of Dubai Customs. “Dubai Customs is proud to organize the Carpet and Art Oasis that increasingly attracts larger crowds, giving DSF greater splendour as traders, rug lovers and visitors gather in to acquire some of the scarcest and most gorgeous handcrafted carpets.” Jabarkhyl rummages through mounds of carpets to drag out an assortment with some carpets as small as doormats. Each piece is the emblem of some famous football club. Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea — you name it, FBMI has it. “There are lots of football fanatics,” Jabarkhyl smiles. “But there is only one place where you can buy this novelty item. From us.” This is the third year that FBMI has been attending the Carpet and Art Oasis. Jabarkhyl says the response has been most encouraging: “It is one of the largest carpet fairs in the Middle East and we are the only representative from Afghanistan,” he says. “FBMI is now known to major floor designers and the footfall has been immense.” Besides the promotion in Dubai, FBMI has something more to cheer this month. Afghan carpets have created a buzz at Hannover’s Domotex 2014, the largest carpet and flooring exhibition in the world. This time, there was an AfghanMade initiative as a tribute to the Afghan carpet industry. Of the hundreds of designs pouring in, six were handcrafted in Afghanistan by FBMI and showcased at Domotex, giving viewers a glimpse of Afghanistan’s rich heritage. FBMI also won the Domotex Carpet Design Award 2014. Like Chinese tea or Indian spices, Afghan carpets are considered to be fit for kings. FBMI’s collection has a carpet designed in 1936 for the then Afghan king Mohammad Nadir Shah by weavers in North Afghanistan. Woven into the royal carpet is a couplet in Dari. It could also be the motto of the Afghan carpet industry: If you decide to work hard to complete a task/Then even thorns will turn into flowers. sudeshna@khalejtimes.com mehkri@khaleejtimes.com For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
US Army Looks To Renewables
17 July 2013 Elizabeth Block While the US continues to drag its feet on climate change in terms of national emissions legislation, its armed forces have been investing in renewable energy – on a very large scale. This article is taken from the May/June issue of Renewable Energy Focus magazine. To register to receive a digital copy click here . According to Pike Research , part of Navigant’s Energy Practice, the total capacity of US Department of Defense (DOD) renewable energy installations will quadruple by 2025 – from 80MW in 2013 to more than 3200MW by 2025. “US military spending on renewable energy programmes, including conservation measures, will reach almost $1.8 billion in 2025,” says research analyst Dexter Gauntlett. “This effort has the potential to not only transform the production, consumption, and transport of fuel and energy within the military; it will likely make the DOD one of the most important drivers of cleantech in the US.” Or, as Pike puts it in a new report : “As the largest single consumer of energy in the world, the US Department of Defense (DoD) is one of the most important drivers for the cleantech market today.” In fact, this is not a new development. According to a report by the Congressional Research Service energy specialist Anthony Andrews, Congress began mandating reductions in energy use by federal agencies back in the early 1970s. This was to be achieved by improving building efficiency and reducing fossil fuel use. This was followed by President Obama’s Executive Order of 2009 – mandating a 30% reduction in energy usage and other measures by federal agencies. Later, Net Zero, a 2010 policy introduced by the Army Energy Programme, decreed that on-site operations should use energy produced on-site, leading to use of solar at forward bases in Afghanistan, for example. In a related defence development, the Defense Advanced Projects Agency (DARPA) has been looking into renewable jet fuel. And in the 2011 documentary Carbon Nation, Colonel Dan Nolan, US Army (Ret) said: “Climate change in fact is a national security issue. This is no longer the purview of Birkenstock-wearing tree huggers. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.” Net Zero, similar to other military policies, is driven not by concern about climate change or green jobs but by the need for energy security – and fuel economy. While Net Zero is an army initiative, the other service branches, the US Air Force, Navy and Marines all have their own programmes and targets. As the Army says: “Today the Army faces significant threats to our energy and water supply requirements both home and abroad. Addressing energy security and sustainability is operationally necessary, financially prudent, and essential to mission accomplishment. The goal is to manage our installations not only on a net zero energy basis, but net zero water and waste as well.” In fact, military involvement in renewables should be seen as two separate but connected strands: efforts directly funded by government, usually via contracts with defence contractors, and independent efforts by the defence and aerospace industries, which depend on the armed forces’ procurement offices. The future As Chuck Hagel, the new US Secretary of Defense, is known for his opposition to Kyoto, a question was put to the DoD about continuity. Sharon Burke, Assistant Secretary of Defense for US Operational Energy Plans and Programmes, said: “Our commitment to giving our troops the best energy options remains unchanged. DoD missions require a significant and steady supply of energy, which is increasingly a requirement that can be exploited by our adversaries as a vulnerability. That’s why DoD’s investments in energy efficiency and renewable energy, including new investments in the FY14 budget, are focused on enhanced military capabilities, more mission success, and lower costs.” Meantime, and very importantly for our sector, it is not just defence industries. Some solar firms are in the picture, such as Solar City , which lists “military” among customer categories on its website, along with building companies and utilities. For example, late last year the US Army launched a major solar project for up to 4,7000 military homes at Fort Bliss, Texas, and the nearby White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, with Solar City and Balfour Beatty Communities LLC , part of Balfour Beatty plc, as partners. This is a 13.2MW project, part of Solar Strong, Solar City’s five-year plan for more than $1bn in solar projects for up to 120,000 military homes throughout the US. Local utility El Paso Electric is currently in discussions on the Fort Bliss and White Sands projects. Importantly, the various US directives have stimulated innovation. For example, the US has a Defense Innovation Marketplace – and this should not come as a surprise. We all know that we owe the internet to early US military efforts. Given the large sums involved, US military commitment to low carbon could be very good news for our sector. A full copy of the report can be found here . about: Elizabeth Block is a London-based writer specialising in renewable energy. A native of New York in the US, she has a background as a financial journalist, specialising in institutional investment. Continue reading
