Goa Livelihoods Forum (GOA LIVELIHOODS FORUM) has scripted the Kunbi White Paper. The objective is to help strengthen the Kunbi narrative, reaffirm its strong cultural link with Goa, showcase its uniqueness and establish livelihoods connect with the weavers for the sustainability of the entire Kunbi eco-system.Bringing back a lost weave is a multidimensional journey that links artisanal skill, customs, bridging rural-urban divide and fashion.The hon’ble CM of Goa, Shri Promod Sawant believes that” in the near future, the Kunbi saree should be synonymous with Goa, like cashew nuts”. After detailed primary and secondary research, the GOA LIVELIHOODS FORUM team realizes that the Kunbi has a commercial market. Kunbi has a wide market, and it needs to be much wider. The white paper is a dynamic document and GOA LIVELIHOODS FORUM invites all stakeholders to keep supplementing and updating the white paper by expecting stakeholders to invest in the Kunbi saree, create more artisans in this field and provide them with advance training. All of us, as a collective should develop and forward the document to the government and the private sector for support to Goa Kunbi sector.
GOA LIVELIHOODS FORUM is working in collaboration with the communities and organizations to align in positioning Kunbi saree as the pride of Goa.
For the market to spread, local artists and designers’ help needs to be taken to create new lines of garments other than Sarees in order to reach a larger range so it’s not limited to just occasional saree wearers. It is important to initiate people who are not familiar with the handloom weaving communities into the culture. The Kunbi community requires spaces with looms and raw materials, training under the guidance of Master Weavers, diversified marketing avenues and financial incentives to seed their enterprises and make them sustainable enterprises. Our dream is to enable more and more successful Kunbi entrepreneurs. Kunbi can be accorded the right positioning in the world of high fashion or the high-end saree market.
This white paper might be the first of its kind by a nonprofit think tank in Goa,but more importantly it is a mirror for all of us.
It’s important to relate theory with practice, modernity with tradition, and support Kunbi’s re-emergence which will be fascinating.
Let us all join hands and passion to reignite a past reality with new fuel.The weave disappeared from Goa from mid-19th century till 1961.
Because Kunbi is the only symbol of Goa’s weaving heritage, it is not only a saree, it is the story of Goa’s Soil.
Can we have a Kunbi Forum here?
GOA LIVELIHOODS FORUM would be happy to host the Forum and provide the secretariate.
Those interested, please give your names and coordinates.