Buying Fair Trade from the Hands of Local Craftswomen

Israel offers such an incredible potpourri of cultures. They all seem to melt together through Rachel Oren’s Ethnicware.There you can find one-of-a-kind cushions handcrafted by Bukarians, Ethiopian embroidery, a Bedouin bag… so many treasures and delights.We love the driftwood bowl, but imagine that it’s been imported from India.No matter, Green Prophet thinks it’s a good thing to support local craftswomen, wherever they live.On the site Tchotskes, where we first saw this link, they say buying locally is a mitzva. Can’t argue with that.Here are some words and rationale for Ethnicware, from Ms. Oren herself: Ethnicware Limited was created with a view to offering and selling to overseas markets a wide range of home furnishings, hand-crafted in Israel by the diverse ethnic groups and religious factions living together in this country.It is my aim, by bringing together these various groups and creating a dialogue and cooperation between them to contribute somewhat to alleviating the estrangement and the animosity and bridging the vast differences in Israeli society.The goal of ethnicware Limited is to represent Israeli artists – Ethiopian Jews, Caucasian Jews, Israeli born Zabars, Israeli Arabs, Bedouins, Druse and other ethnic minorities, who produce unique and original handicrafts, which would compete successfully with similar articles from around the globe.The items are exquisitely crafted and highly fashion orientated, though maintaining a close affinity with their origins. The range includes textile crafts – handlooms, embroideries, fabric combinations, Arab embroidery, woodcrafts, glass blowing, works in iron, artistic ceramics and clay, hand-painted beads, glass, etc.A part of the crafts are unique, one of a kind objects of art, whilst others are manufactured in limited quantities. Products will be sold on the net through the website, as well as through direct sales in Israel and abroad. The collections will change every season and whilst the number of artists we represent will grow, the range we will offer will steadily expand.The company also aims to promote its products via a special television program portraying the artists and their crafts, as well as through a line of printed items – calendars, greeting cards, etc.I sincerely hope that Ethnicware Limited will help to bring peace and understanding within Israel and between its neighbors.Green Prophet says, In shalla. ::Ethnicware via Tschochkes (that’s a hard one to spell.)

Author: Karin Kloosterman

Karin Kloosterman is an award-winning journalist, innovation strategist, and founder of Green Prophet, one of the Middle East’s pioneering sustainability platforms. She has ranked in the Top 10 of Verizon innovation competitions, participated in NASA-linked challenges, and spoken worldwide on climate, food security, and future resilience. With an IoT technology patent, features in Canada’s National Post, and leadership inside teams building next-generation agricultural and planetary systems — including Mars-farming concepts — Karin operates at the intersection of storytelling, science, and systems change. She doesn’t report on the future – she helps design it. Reach out directly to [email protected]