03/06/08
International Spring Fair in London
Indigenous Culture present in the United Kingdom
The Ambassador of Venezuela in the United Kingdom, Samuel Moncada at the Spring Fair
|
For the last 49 years Kensington Town Hall in London has played host to the prestigious International Spring Fair. This year beautiful original and unique pieces of Venezuelan indigenous handicraft generated a great deal of interest. At the event were representatives from every diplomatic mission based in the British capital city. Each country displayed for sale the best of its countries handicrafts and manufactured products.
On this occasion, the Venezuelan Embassy in the United Kingdom presented a significant display of hand made pieces from some of the ethnic indigenous communities that have lived in Venezuela since ancient times, like the piaroa, warao and yekuana tribes.
The multinational public had the chance to learn about and buy artefacts that form part of the daily existence of these |
ancient tribes, such as baskets, hammocks, ceremonial stools, crowns and other items that reveal their handmade abilities and display our valuable cultural heritage.
Robert Bayley, the Second Secretary from the Venezuelan Embassy in London, and organiser of the Venezuelan stall at the fair said, “This experience demonstrates that Venezuelan handicrafts are liked internationally. Many different people approached our stall, people from Africa, China, India, the Middle East and Europe, to ask questions about the artefacts we were displaying and buying them”.
The diplomatic official also explained how each one of the handmade pieces was identified and accompanied by a short description about how they were made and their ethnic origin, which helped the public to have a clearer idea of their origin and cultural context.
For his part, the Ambassador of Venezuela in the United Kingdom, Samuel Moncada who assisted the fair described it as “a miniature world, where it is possible to find handicraft, food, languages and traditions from all nationalities in one big room”. Similarly, he declared his satisfaction at the enormous public interest generated not only by the handmade artefacts but also for the distinct aspects of Venezuelan culture. “This is an ideal situation for exchanging cultural knowledge” indicated Moncada.
Venezuelan handicraft for a noble cause
The International Spring Fair is an organization that raises money for the ISS (UK), a charity dedicated to protecting the rights and wellbeing of children and families whose personal circumstances can be helped by the connection and collaboration between countries.
The money raised by the stalls from the different participating diplomatic missions will be given as a donation to help run schools around the world, which are in need of resources to continue their work.
This type of event demonstrates once again how nations can unite and co-exist in order to find solutions to problems. On a planet where conflict exists, where the great world powers want to impose their ways of relating onto others, this displays that other mechanisms of interchange do exist, which help benefit the minorities.
.
Wherever there is a noble cause, there you will find the Venezuelan nation, displaying the benefits that can be gained through solidarity and supporting other countries, without asking for anything in return.
