PRESS RELEASE

December 9, 2005

Ethno Network Fashion Show at the Executive Council of Vojvodina

The Community Revitalization through Democratic Action (CRDA) Program funded by the American people through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is supporting a set of activities targeting increased sales of handmade crafts and promotion of old antique crafts produced by ten groups from Vojvodina and Eastern Serbia where the CRDA program is being implemented by the America’s Development Foundation (ADF). The Groups currently count 300 members who are weaving by hand, knitting, crocheting and producing a variety of products characteristic of Serbian heritage and are all working under the logo Ethno-Network. Following the successes achieved at promotional events over the past months, ADF/CRDA is organizing an evening with the Ethno-Network in collaboration with the Assembly and the Executive Council of Vojvodina. The event that will take place on December 12, 2005 and will be officially opened by the President of the Vojvodina Assembly, Mr. Bojan Kostreš and ADF/CRDA Chief of Party, Mr. Jon Thiele. The program includes Serbian ethno music and the fashion show as the central event of the evening, to be immediately followed by a crafts exhibition and cocktail.

Some of the results achieved by Ethno network and ADF/CRDA during Fall months include new sales contracts with Jugoexport, cooperation with St. George as the top supplier of quality raw materials and growing interest to organize fashion shows and exhibitions throughout Serbia. In addition, participation at the Fashion Fair and SME Fair resulted in an outstanding promotion of the Ethno-Network in public and attracted attention of other stakeholders that would be interested to support and promote this resilient industry.

Moreover, as a result of good quality promotion and the success of the Fashion show in Madlenianum Theater in Zemun, Ethno Network was extended an offer to present its good work at the Embassy of Serbia and Montenegro in Budapest and in the Cultural Centre in Paris. The Fashion show in Zemun was attended by representatives of Vojvodina government and the event at the Executive Council reflects a genuine endeavor of provincial authorities to provide support to this outstanding self-employment initiative.

An Evening with the Ethno Network in the Executive Council is organized in an effort to improve the lives of low-income producers in the handicraft industry of Vojvodina and Eastern Serbia by restoring and rehabilitating local markets and providing access to the ones outside the country. This valuable initiative supports female artisans by developing their business skills and preserving their cultural heritage, through access to information, design and marketplace, and by providing resources needed to support all types of crafts, from concept to final sale.

Following the results and success of ADF/CRDA efforts to promote and market crafts produced by members of Ethno network, there has been growing interest to expand membership of the Ethno network and augment the ten groups that currently work under the auspices of ADF/CRDA. Therefore, ADF/CRDA will assist female artisans in organizing themselves into sustainable groups by running the membership drive in the existing groups and thus increase the quality and capacity of products marketed under the logo of Ethno network. ADF/CRA will work with other CRDA implementers and partner organizations to organize sales, exhibitions and media events to promote the handcrafts produced under the Ethno network umbrella.

ADF/CRDA efforts have a long-term goal to assist Serbian handicraft artisans with production, standardization and promotion of crafts nationally and internationally. The goal of these activities is to increase the income and improve living standards of mainly unemployed women producing traditional crafts.

Media representatives are invited to attend the Ethno-Network Fashion Show that will take place in the “Marble Hall” of the Vojvodina Executive Council (Bulevar Mihaila Pupina 16, Novi Sad) on Monday, December 12th at 7:00 p.m.

The Community Revitalization through Democratic Action (CRDA) program, funded by the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), is implemented in the Vojvodina region and in Eastern Serbia by America’s Development Foundation (ADF).

For general information about the CRDA program please contact Jelena Burgić at 021/ 522 277 or jelena@adf.org.yu.

OBAVEŠTENJE ZA MEDIJE

9. decembar 2005.

MODNA REVIJA ETNO MREŽE U IZVRŠNOM VEĆU VOJVODINE

Program “Revitalizacija društva putem demokratskog delovanja” (CRDA) kojeg finansira narod Amerike u saradnji sa Agencijom SAD za međunraodni razvoj (USAID) podržava niz aktivnosti koje za cilj imaju povećanu prodaju i promociju tradicionalnih rukotvorina koje proizvode deset grupa žena iz Vojvodine i istočne Srbije gde CRDA program realizuje Američka fondacija za razvoj (ADF). Ovih deset grupa trenutno broje 300 članica koje ručno tkaju, štrikaju, heklaju i proizvode rukotvorine karakteristične za kulturno nasleđe Srbije. Svi proizvodi su zaštićeni robnom markom “Etno mreža”. Oslanjajući se na uspehe ostvarene kroz promotivne aktivnosti tokom poslednjih šest meseci, ADF/CRDA program organizuje “Veče sa Etno mrežom” u saradnji sa Skupštinom i Izvršnim većem Vojvodine. Veče sa Etno mrežom održaće se 12. decembra 2005. godine, a svečano će ga otvoriti Predsednik Skupštine Vojvodine, gospodin Bojan Kostreš i direktor ADF/CRDA programa, gospodin Džon Tili. Program događaja obuhvata etno muziku Srbije i modnu reviju Etno mreže kao glavni događaj večeri, posle čega će uslediti izložba rukotvorina i koktel.

Neki od rezultata Etno mreže koji su ostvareni uz podršku ADF/CRDA programa tokom jeseni jesu potpisivanje uogovra o prodaji sa Jugoexportom, uspostavljanje saradnje sa modnom kućom St. George kao najvećim dobavljačem kvalitetnog repro materijala i sve veći interes za organizovanje modnih revija i izložbi u čitavoj Srbiji. Pored toga, učešće Etno mreže na Sajmu mode i Sajmu preduzetništva je za rezultat imalo izuzetnu promociju Etno mreže u javnosti i sve veću pažnju relevantnih ustanova i partnera koji su zainteresovani za pružanje podrške ovoj nedovoljno iskorišćenoj privrednoj aktivnosti.

Zahvaljujući kvalitetnoj promociji i uspehu Modne revije u zemunskom pozorištu “Madlenianum”, Etno mreža je dobila priliku i da prikaže svoj kvalitetni rad i u Ambasadi Srbije i Crne Gore u Budimpešti i u Kulturnom centru u Parizu. Predstavnici Skupštine i Izvršnog veća Vojvodine su prisustvovali događaju u Zemunu i modna revija u prostoru Izvršnog veća je rezultat istinskog nastojanja pokrajinskih vlasti da podrže ovu izuzetnu inicijativu za samozapošljavanje žena.

Veče sa Etno mrežom u Izvršnom veću je organizovano u naporu da se poboljša nizak standard proizvođača rukotvorina u Vojvodini i istočnoj Srbiji očuvanjem i revitalizacijom domaćeg tržišta i omogućavanjem pristupa tržištu u inostranstvu. Ova inicijativa podržava žene umetnice razvijanjem njihovih preduzetničkih sposobnosti i očuvanjem njihovog kulturnog nasleđa kroz lakši pristup informacijama, dizajnu i tržištu, kao i obezbeđivanjem resursa za podršku u izradi svih vrsta rukotvorina od koncepta do konačne prodaje.

Rezultati i uspeh podrške ADF/CRDA programa u promociji i marketingu rukotovrina koje proizvode članice Etno mreže izazvali su sve veći interes za proširenje članstva Etno mreže i priključenje novih grupa pored onih 10 koje trenutno rade pod okriljem Etno mreže. ADF/CRDA će, stoga, pružiti podršku ženama koje se bave proizvodnjom rukotvorina da se organizuju u održive grupe i tako povećaju kvalitet i kapacitet proizvodnje pod robnom markom Etno mreže. ADF/CRDA će takođe sarađivati sa partnerskim organizacijama koje realizuju CRDA program u drugim delovima Srbije u organizaciji prodaje, izložbi i medijskih događaja kako bi se promovisale rukotvorine proizvedene pod logoom Etno mreže.

Podrška ADF/CRDA programa ima dugoročni cilj da pomogne proizvodnju, standardizaciju i promociju rukotvorina u Srbiji na domaćem i međunarodnom tržištu. Cilj ovih aktivnosti jeste da se povećaju prihodi i poboljša životni standard većinom nezaposlenih žena koje se bave proizvodnjom tradicionalnih ruotvorina.

Predstavnici medija su pozvani da prisustvuju Modnoj reviji Etno mreže koja će se održati u “Mermernom holu” Izvršnog veća Vojvodine (Bulevar Mihaila Pupina 16, Novi Sad) u ponedeljak, 12. decembra u 19h.

Program “Revitalizacija društva putem demokratskog delovanja” (CRDA) finansira narod Amerike u saradnji sa Agencijom SAD za međunarodni razvoj (USAID). CRDA program u Vojvodini i 12 opština istočne Srbije realizuje Američka fondacija za razvoj (ADF).

Za opšte informacije o CRDA programu, molimo vas da kontaktirate Jelenu Burgić na 021/ 522 277 ili jelena@adf.org.yu.

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