GENOCIDE EDUCATION IN CAMBODIA:​ DC-Cam's Cham Silk Initiative: The Colors of Memory

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A Cham Silk Research and Study Tour:

A group of Cham women weavers from Koh Sotin district, Kampong Cham province joint A Cham Silk Research and Study Tour organized by the Documentation Center of Cambodia. In Phnom Penh, they met with Madame Ulku Kocaefe, Ambassador of Turkiye to report on the Cham Silk Initiative progress and discuss a long term strategic vision at the Embassy. To sustain the project, it is important to engage young generation and make this project competitive. Madame Ambassador encouraged the weavers to think about the entire process of silk products from silk making, weaving to finished goods and benefit young generation and attract outsiders to visit the community. To attract young girls, it is important to blend fashion design into this artwork as they grew up in this modern world. We need to also provide them some incentives so to attract them to come and work with the women. The meeting was concluded with a lively and hopeful discussion.

After the meeting, the women weavers were heading to visit the Silk Colors Training Center based in Samrong district, Takeo province funded by Maybank. The purpose of the visit was to widen their views and make their own products more unique.

The Cham women weavers learned about these opportunities and appreciated this initiative which benefits the local community. They then shared their weaving skills with the women supervisors there.

The women weavers felt more energized after this trip and had a long term vision about the future.

The DC-Cam's Cham Silk Initiative: The Colors of Memory started in 2020. The project was initiated by DC-Cam/the Queen Mother Library and supported by TIKA through the Embassy of Turkiye. It is involving research, education, and artwork. So far, the project produced about 170 sets of silk samput and 170 krama. The project was registered with the Ministry of Commerce and General Department of Taxation in July 2024.

Report by Min Sanas
Coordinator
July 17, 2024

Video by Hing Matiya
DC-Cam's Documentation Fellow
Takeo Documentation Center

Photo: https://photos.app.goo.gl/tD1nqPsuHsA...