Many Textures, One World | Veneeta Singha 2010
Social entrepreneurship is among the most well-entrenched forms of commerce in Nepal. Too often, the resources that drive entrepreneurship are unwisely utilized and inexplicably mismanaged. With these situational practices in mind, one can see the emergence of and necessity for a substantive review of key local exemplars such as natural Nepali paper and traditional textiles. Inevitably, an expansive review can be instrumental in building a sustainable strategy for, in this case, textile manufacture and marketing as well as a conservation vision for Nepali paper. Resource management approaches and challenges which surface alongside this endeavor could reveal the historic ideals and innovative processes which have helped build and diffuse our local products and services.
In assessing a commoditized distinctiveness, we are often faced with a plethora of choices and complexity. "Still waters run deep." Given the chequered state of our resources and heritage, this might be as good a time as any to assess and lend support to some that require reinvestments of time, effort and thought. The papyrus has come a long way and so too, the parchment. On a whole new level, the cloth has often lost its place and value to the cut. Time-tested and proven in utility as they may be, they are not infinite in supply or even abundant. Some may argue that we have gained in technology what we have lost in tangibles. Some, like me, bemoan the loss and degradation of artistry, design, craftsmanship, material and socio-cultural values.
Many social enterprises underscore and continually exhibit the need for self-reliance and preservation of our tangible resources and intangible heritage. How can we explore the history and potential of traditional paper and textiles through reviews that bring to the fore the origin, hidden functions and forms of these resources? The core idea and rationale is that assessments emphasize the importance of paper and textiles as indispensable resource use exemplars. However, in so doing, is the 'push' for a more sustainable approach to their preservation and manufacture?
Nepal can boast of a rich tradition in both textile and paper. Bringing together similar utilitarian resources and livelihood products from different parts of the world would give the time-tested principle of social enterprise itself a well-deserved impetus as well as a reaffirming look into the vocations, customs and practices that are symbols and outcomes of wise resource management.
Natural Resource Management is a vital lifeline in any conservation drive and search for innovative and sustainable manufacturing. The environment has also made significant inroads in reaching many national agendas as well as key international organizations and public dialogues. As an essential good, paper too has found a place in the spotlight. A quick survey of the marketplaces in Kathmandu reveals a selective array of paper products. This is evidence of the recognition that a balance in the demand and supply dynamics must be achieved as a means to ensure its continued survival in a competitive environment. Essential paper manufacturing practices and their influence on quality, supply, design and range are, however, far from reaching their rightful place in key manufacturing systems. Amalgamation and reviews of scattered and isolated manufacturing models and resource use trends could go a long way in ensuring a well-grounded approach to conserving paper and textiles as definitively Nepali.
While paper is often assimilated in many conservation efforts, preservation does not figure prominently enough in our daily lives and milieu. Bringing a two-fold dimension here, assessments of resource practices could be invaluable in advocating competitive use, allocation and generation advantages in the public domain.
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