I’ve read about this project some time ago and I was very impressed by the concept and the simplicity of turning something horrifying, as the war was for these people, into a peace message.
This kind of project is really speaking about how many things you can do for people who need help and who want change for the better.
Craftworks Cambodia Project is about lots of elements combined in one way of living and working.
It is about using local resources, form a community, give work and training to unemployed, ultimately change an entire paradigm that kept o whole nation in fear and despair.
After two decades of war, one in every 250 Cambodians is disabled and the proportion of amputees – one in every 384 people – is the highest in the world. The Cambodian countryside is littered with bomb casings. In such a scenery there is a place where the jewellery are hand made from bombshells that helps transform the scars of war into the beauty of peace.
“This symbolic jewellery takes the scars of a country’s horrific history and turns them into something beautiful while at the same time offering a more positive future for the artisans, as well as the direct victims of landmines. The jewellery shows a creative reaction to violent conflict, a way of reminding us of the impressive strength that lies within so many” as is stated on the project page.
I find captivating the way these people found to overcome and reborn from such a painful past and I hope all of us have the power and will to overcome our small or big traumatic events from our lives.
3 things I have learned reading about this amazing project:
1. BE BRAVE
Nothing in this world is bigger than your will and hope.
2. Stay UNITED
Sometimes it takes the force of an entire nation to realize and act upon its scars.
3. TRANSFORM
It is not enough to bring into surface your wound. If you want to overcome a situation you need to have the power to transform it into a different outcome.
If you have stories that you find them an inspirational source for all of us, please leave a message on the contact form.
Let’s work together towards a better world!
Stay strong,
Magda
