PSJ (Peace and Social Justice) action has long been a part of Unitarianism in Auckland. A small active group of members decided that they wanted to do more than talk about issues, they felt they needed to walk that talk. To do this, they decided to start building a special Peace and Social Justice Fund, and from 2006 onwards regular pledging by these members began. The aim has been to focus efforts where the PSJ group felt they could make a real difference.
The Help a Kid to Camp campaign for Glen Taylor School is a request for sponsorship to enable students in this decile 1a school to attend a school camp on Kawau Island in May this year.
The Quiz on wheels had too few participants to proceed today (Saturday 20th March 2021). We will offer it again later in the year.
The Quiz is a team game, there are questions and quests for all ages. Learn something of the history of Northcote/Birkenhead, be wowed by its beauty, and be moved by the love stories that feature along the way. The quest will take about two hours, and we will finish with a shared afternoon tea at one of the lovely beaches. If it is too cold and wet for that, Rachel and Clay have offered their home, as our tea party spot. Details will be given on the day.
This talk is an introduction to one story (there are many) of how the ancient arts of weaving and embroidery are being revived amongst the artisans of Gujarat and West Bengal in India. The story is told through my eyes, which were opened on a Traditional Textiles tour to India in 2019.
I joined Joji’s Jacob’s Traditional Textiles of India Tour in October 2019. It was dazzling!
India: drenched in colour, the vibrancy of the people, the fascinating accommodation including the 19th century Itachuna Rajbari in West Bengal, or the luxurious Taj Mahal hotel in Lucknow the Terracotta Temples, the idol makers workshops in Kolkata, the stunning traditional weaving and embroideries, the breath-taking ancient step wells whose stories are carved into the stone walls and pillars. And…the Chambal River ride alive with crocodiles and gharials. All of these will linger long in my memory.
But today, I want to talk about one of the major reasons for my choosing this tour over the many others, that was the social justice emphasis on supporting the revival of the ancient weaving and embroidery arts by the artisans of India, that were almost lost due the deliberate, brutal repressive policies of the British East India Company and later the British Raj.
