AHPADA is a Non-Governmental Organization associated with ASEAN, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. It works to create an awareness of Southeast Asian craft products and its artisans, and acts as a regional forum for craft organizations and practitioners in the ASEAN member states to address issues concerning the revitalization, promotion and development of crafts.
AHPADA's activities include the organization of seminars and workshops to educate on Southeast Asian craft traditions and practice and to deliberate on heritage preservation, craft innovation and product development and promotion. It also organizes and participates in craft-related exhibitions and trade fairs. To be a leading authority in conserving Southeast Asian craft traditions and skills and in developing and promoting Southeast Asian handicrafts and artisans. To support ASEAN’s Strategic Plan on Culture and Arts 2016-2025 by facilitating intercultural contact and collaboration, engendering a sense of ownership for the cultural heritage of ASEAN, and leveraging on culture for inclusive and sustainable development.
CONSERVE
To ensure craft heritage, skills and material knowledge are documented and communicated, and that their continued practice is assured by cultivating the relevance of these skills.
DEVELOP
To establish a network of craft artisans, experts, government and non-governmental organizations, to enable knowledge and experience sharing and collective support to develop appropriate artisanal skills and products.
Promote
To promote and raise the awareness of these craft products through participation in seminars, exhibitions and trade fairs. To stimulate the creation of employment opportunities for artisan communities, many in rural areas, and to strengthen the status of craft artisans, within and beyond their communities.
Asean unity
To foster ASEAN unity within and outside the region through the promotion of its crafts with their long-lasting cultural threads that bind the region.
Significance of the crafts industry in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asian crafts have a rich history. From crafts produced for royal courts to folk art, from utilitarian to ritual items, they cover a diverse range of materials and production techniques in textiles, basketry, wood carving, stone carving, metalwork, lacquerware, weaponry and so on. They can be expressions of indigenous traditions or adaptations of external influences on this part of the world placed for centuries along the maritime silk and spice road.
The below are accolades that have been received by the region:
world craft cities, awarded by the World Crafts Council (1)
Sakon Nakhon, Thailand - Natural Indigo Dyeing
Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia - Batik
Khon Kaen, Thailand - Mudmee Ikat
Gianyar, Indonesia - Crafts
Kuching, Malaysia - Crafts
Pekalongan, Indonesia
Baguio City, Philippines
Sukhothai, Thailand
Chiangmai, Thailand
Seals/ Awards of Excellence for Handicrafts
Multiple Seals/ Awards of Excellence, awarded by UNESCO-AHPADA/ WCC–AHPADA, to craft products demonstrating quality, innovation and marketability in the following material categories - textiles, natural fibers, ceramics, wood, metal, stone and others (including natural materials not mentioned above as well as composite and recycled materials).
UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage
The following craft items together with their wider cultural significance are also recognized by UNESCO as the intangible cultural heritage of mankind: Keris (Indonesia), Wayang (Indonesia), Batik (Indonesia), Angklung (Indonesia), Noken Bag (Indonesia), Khon Masks Dance Drama (Thailand).
The crafts industry is a significant contributor to national economies in Southeast Asia – in Indonesia, the sector contributed USD 892 million of export sales in 2019. Made primarily by skilled hands using appropriate technologies, be they hand or mechanical, crafts products reflect the cultural psyche of a people. Craft production is usually the backbone of rural economies and support a large number of people working in the non-formal sector. As such, sustaining the livelihoods of craft artisans safeguards cultural traditions and identity as well as the viability of rural communities through the ability to generate economic gain from their skills, providing an important means of equitable sustainable development.
(1) The main objective of the World Crafts Council AISBL is to strengthen the status of crafts in cultural and economic life. The Council aims to promote fellowship among craftspersons by offering them encouragement, help, and advice. It fosters and assists cultural exchange through conferences, international visits, research study, lectures, workshops, exhibitions, and other activities. The WCC also seeks to foster wider knowledge and recognition of the craftspeople's work with due regard to the diversified cultural and national backgrounds and tradition of its members. In carrying out these principles, the Council shall consult with governments, national and international institutions, societies, and individuals.
(2) UNESCO's City of Crafts and Folk Arts project is part of the wider Creative Cities Network, founded in 2004, which designates cities worldwide that have made unique contributions to the field of crafts and folk arts.