The tradition of rearing silkworms and the crafts of reeling, weaving and crocheting, which have been handed over from generation to generation, are still practiced in Syria till TODAY.

Natural Silk IndustryNatural Silk IndustryApprenticeship under pressure

APPRENTICESHIP IS CONNECTED TO

TIMEAGECRAFT

INTERACTIONAPPRENTICE

EXPERIENCE CRAFT

PRACTICE LEARNINGSKILLS

SKILLSKNOW‐HOW

PRACTICEROLES

LEARNING

MASTER

KNOWLEDGE

KNOW HOWECONOMY CURRICULUM

PEDAGOGY

TRAINING

KNOWLEDGE PEDAGOGYCOMPETENCETRADE IS IN‐DEMAND

TRAINING GENERATIONSTRANSFERSOCIAL RECOGNITION

WHERE THE

WHERE THE SILKWORM IS A

WHERE THE SILKWORM IS A

WHERE THE SILKWORM IS A MASTER AS WELL AND THE MASTER

MASTER LIKE THE CRAFTSMAN WHO

CRAFTSMEN OF THIS MANUFACTURING AT PROCESS OF

CRAFTSMAN, WHO SOMETIMES

MANUFACTURING AT PROCESS OF KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER

BECOMES AN APPRENTICEC

Why is Silk a Syrian Cultural Heritage?

Ω Historical Roots,

from China to Syria: weaving in the 1st century AD in Palmyra, Cocoon production and cultivation in 7th AD,

1900 WW1 1930 WW218731840 1900 WW1 1930 WW218731840

75% local market, 40% to France, 90% to France, 99%, Lyon: start of decline, parachute in U.K

Ω Family Names from the great Craftsmen and Artisans in SilkΩ Family Names from the great Craftsmen and Artisans in Silk,

Ω Proverbs, names of local tools , festive and celebrations related to the industry and close tie to the life cycle of the silkworm,to the industry and close tie to the life cycle of the silkworm,

ΩTraditions and customs that emerged from the process of the

THE NATURAL SILK INDUSTRY: SPECIAL CHARECTERISTICS

Ω Labor intensive,Ω A cottage industry for cocoon cultivation: Manual reeling and g y gother yarn processing crafts were cottage industries in 2009

Ω A Family and a community based oneΩ Agricultural/IndustrialΩ Distribution of roles by gender , age and mobility: Engaging many people from different backgrounds and in an integratedmany people, from different backgrounds and in an integrated way,ΩVulnerability: there is a high risk while rearing the silkworms,y g gΩAllowing distribution of roles between rural and urban contexts, craftsmen, entrepreneurs and investors besides people interested in culture art agriculture and biologyculture, art, agriculture and biology,Ω Close to the hearts and physiological well being of the producers. They consider the worms as SOULS,

The Locally Produced Natural Silk Production Chain

AN INFORMATION EXCHANGE AMONG REARERS; PRACTICE ON THE JOB AND NON

Breeding and d i

The cocoon i d t

The raw silk i d t

The silk fabric

AN INFORMATION EXCHANGE AMONG REARERS; PRACTICE, ON THE JOB AND NON‐FORMAL TYPE OF APPRENTICESHIP AND MOSTLY IN FAMILIES

producingSilk Eggs

industry (sericulture)

industry (yarn)

fabric

industry

Know-howcraftsTraditions

Breeding and Silk Eggs Producing

The know‐how of the

Skills and Traditions of the Apprenticeship

An extinct one and is not currently i d i S i N i

delicate techniques require practice, patience and being

d i ll f practiced in Syria. No native eggs have been cultivated for 10 years. The reason behind that are the cheaper and better Japanese and

very academically aware of the procedures. It is too long to describe Preservers were cheaper and better Japanese and

Korean alternatives and disappearance of specialized people in this.

to describe. Preservers were reported in Antioch in 1992; Botros Hana Awad and his in this.

daughters and have had stopped that for a long time.

Men and women; more men back

Cocoon Industry

It requires intensive daily labor and

Traditions: Where everyone is a Master and an Apprentice

It requires intensive daily labor and care. It goes for the 4 to 5 weeks. Rearing and cultivation of cocoon

i ti d id f

Left in producing families which are becoming less. From1600 families in 1999 to nearly 50

require practice and a wide range of know‐how!

A i l ( d i )

families in 2009.97% drop of number of producers goes in line with the drop rate of cocoon

d ti f 38 t t l tA special space (warm and airy), different equipments varying from handmade, natural and traditional

production from 38 tons to only two. Most families have reared silkworms since the creation of the family and have their fathers and mothers who

ones to newly introduced plastic ones, A big amount of Mulberry foliageWomen for taking care of the worms, children for

have their fathers and mothers who reared silkworms

foliage. getting the foliage, grandparents for preparing the montages, fathers for chopping the mulberry leaves back

The raw silk industry (yarn)

The know‐how on reeling is di d i tl b i

Know‐ how and skills,

Know‐how of reeling on the Arab Wheel (doulab arabi), plus the equipments to accomplish that

sporadic and is currently being supported by the Ministry of Agriculture in Syria. equipments to accomplish that.

many equipments to fine‐tune the d d

Closure of last factory for reeling in 2008, which used to buy cocoons from farmersproduced raw yarns

The knowledge of throwing and re‐reeling using special tools such as

cocoons from farmers,However, what is more missing is the reeling tool‐making

the spinner (maghzel), the

Men for reeling, Men, women and children f t i th h l W f fifor turning the wheel. Women for fine‐tuning the threads (spinning, spooling and using the spindle)

Mawsara: transferring the silk skeins that were reeled to smaller portable ones,Masoura, spindle: combining and twisting, niddy-noddy (miselkeh) for small ones,

back

The Silk fabric industry

Manually extracted silk yarnsHandloom weavers (fathers

Skills

Manually extracted silk yarns can only be woven on a handloom, whilst the ones

and sons) learn the skills in families; however, crochet

k i id dhandloom, whilst the ones reeled in factories can be applied to machines. Thus,

work is widespread among women and is usually taking place in and out of the family

for the locally produced cocoon yarns, it is important t th kill f

place in and out of the family by outsourcing (this type of skill is not silk‐specific)

to preserve the skills of handlooms

p )

The closure of the last public factory for reeling to get then Machine‐made fabrics

Men for loom weaving, women for crocheting

back

Cocoon-related traditional products,

There has been neither a school nor a master teacher to carry this folkloric art through the centuries. Rather, elderly women have taught the zealous young girls in theirthe centuries. Rather, elderly women have taught the zealous young girls in their families. The tradition thus perseveres conventionally. Nevertheless, generations have lost interest in this exquisite art, threatening its extinction, Despite the pall of these lost decades, this exquisite unique craft managed to survive in few towns and villages carrying the head of family’s photo at the heart is what distinguishes it. Today, the few people who are carrying out his tradition do so with the hope that generations will inherit their treasured gift.

Institutions and the Silk Industry: Governmental and non-governmental

The Syrian council of ministers took a decision to:

‐Protect the silk industry as a craft and not as an industrial yactivity,

‐Exempt all crafts and businesses that use local silk yarn from t fittax on profits,

‐ Subsidize cocoon crops with 250 SYP for every produced kilogram of fresh cocoons in 2009‐2013 (100% of the price of g ( pthe market),

‐Reel silk yarns for farmers for free,

‐ Allocate shops in the crafts' markets tat are operated by the Ministry of Tourism to craftsmen who make silk products using local silk yarn,g y ,

Institutions and the Silk Industry: Governmental and non-governmental

The Ministry of Agriculture and Agricultural Reform,

‐issuing the subsidy (based on quantity of production and not quality)

‐The department of Silk at the Ministry gives consultation to farmers on rearing government nurseries sell whitefarmers on rearing, government nurseries sell white mulberry seeding for foreign varieties for very cheap prices,

‐ it gets the silk eggs to farmers every year,

The Ministy of tourism: the festival of Silk Road,

It announced for a vacant spot on the crafts market of Khan R t B h i H d did t i li tiRostom Basha in Hama and did not receive any application,

Other Microcredit initiatives for producers and other minorOther Microcredit initiatives for producers and other minor ones by NGOs and individuals,

Challenges/Threats facing the Apprenticeship

Economic Factor: Low profit/effort ratio of cocoon crop: A disappearance of the Silk craft as an income generating activity that contributes to the economic development and quality of life of people in rural areas,

•A general shift to planting Tobacco and other types of trees instead of rearing silkworms is practiced for extra income, (Cocoon cultivation counted for almost 70% of the agricultural income of the families that were studied in 2009,)of the agricultural income of the families that were studied in 2009,)

• Decrease of demand on the cocoons: Local Market is loosing its importance:, the closure of the public factory, imported silk thread, lack of marketing by the

d A M k ti G bl t t k t d d ith l i t d dproducers. A Marketing Gap: unable to meet market demands with newly introduced types of fabric,

available foreign trade statistics show `that production was consumed locally between 1990-2006 (except for few years where it was mostly exported)

A psychological Factor: for many reasons despair is spread among cultivators,

Loss of Experienced people: there is no initiative to save the skills and the crafts that are required to this industry

Challenges/Threats facing the Apprenticeship

•The newly introduced subsidy is not a well-developed measure as it is pausing a direct threat on the successful reeling craft (by offering an alternative) and degrading the quality of the thread,

•No national standard for the quality of the produced silk yarns,The flooding of cheap and low quality products into the markets,

• The inability of producers to access direct marketing channels, especially high end channels;

•The absence of institutional capacity building;

Th b f t l / tit th t i t t d ith th•The absence of a governmental agency/entity that is entrusted with the development of the sector and in an integrated way (not only the department of silk of the MoA)

•The absence of a national strategy for crafts development; the absence of cooperatives/associations; and the vulnerability of the small enterprises in the informal economy

Recommendations: Government (By Maya al Kateb)

A ll ti i d t t l ilk i d t ( h d l d) id

Establish a “Silk Office” under the Council of Ministers, that coordinates between

As a collective industry, natural silk industry (when developed) can open a wide door for socio-economic development (unlike modern economy industry),

Establish a Silk Office under the Council of Ministers, that coordinates between all relevant Ministries

Cancel the decision to reel for farmers for free (Ministry of Agriculture)

Market “Syrian Silk” (Ministry of Tourism): Encourage tourism offices to take their tours to places of production (Ministry of Tourism)

Recommendations: Government

Adopt a geographical indicator for ‘Syrian silk’Adopt a geographical indicator for Syrian silkImprove statistics methods at Ministry of Agriculture, related to White Mulberries

Register traditions and crafts related to silk production as elements of intangible cultural heritage in need of urgent safeguarding, document and promote them (in line with the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage which was ratified by Syria in 2005)of Intangible Cultural Heritage, which was ratified by Syria in 2005)

Minimize economic intervention: ‘no one is wiser than the market’Be extra transparent with beneficiaries

Recommendations: NGOs

SOME NOTES FIRST:SOME NOTES FIRST:

NGO intervention is very delicate as if done in the wrong way, it could do more damage than benefit on the long term

Minimal intervention for sustainability: ‘no one is wiser than the market’

Also, be very transparent with beneficiaries, as there is already a trust gap.

Recommendations: NGOs

Develop productsDevelop productsKnowledge and financial help Market Market products: but not blind marketing that would result in the decay of quality (sell stories; use constrains as strengths)quality (sell stories; use constrains as strengths)Market producers (incl. towards tour operators)Establish a network among producersProvide them with marketing materialsProvide them with marketing materialsConnect them to markets (including wholesalers)Market investment in the craft (esp. in ‘retail and marketing’)

Recommendations: Individuals

Save the industry by buying a product!Save the industry by buying a product!for your own use, or as a gift to a newly wed bride or newborn baby as an example

Tell your friends how happy you are with your purchase

Invest (as a business) in the marketing part of theInvest (as a business) in the marketing part of the production chain!

A d t h i t t!And, promote such investment!