GLOBALIZATION

Globalization 'gains' in textiles

Bangladesh was seen as a big loser from the end of the MFA

Severe damage predicted to hit several Asian nations after textile quotas ended at the start of the year has failed to materialise, a report says. The International Labour Organization (ILO) argues that - as foreseen - China and India are among the big winners.
But Bangladesh, which had been expected to be among the worst affected countries, saw exports rise in February and March 2005 after a fall in January.
But Europe and the US have lost jobs, and Africa has been hit hardest of all.
The report precedes a conference convened by the ILO in Geneva to discuss the future of the textile industry in the wake of the end of the Multi Fibre Agreement.
That agreement - which limited textile imports to rich countries - ended in January, leading to a free-for-all among developing countries.
The industry employs more than 40 million people worldwide, with revenues reaching $350bn (£200.1bn; 291.3bn euros).
Mixed picture
The UN organization's report - Promoting Fair Globalization in Textiles and Clothing in a Post-MFA Environment - describes what it calls a "more complex (picture) than had been expected".

Unesco heritage list adds Bedouin and Peru traditions

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Traditional Bedouin weaving and Peruvian healing prayers are among the elements of "intangible heritage" added to UNESCO's list for urgent safeguarding.

Delegates meeting on the Indonesian island of Bali have picked 11 new traditions to add to the agency's list.
UNESCO says intangible heritage includes traditions and skills passed on within cultures.
It believes this knowledge has value for societies.

Traditional Bedouin weaving from the UAE has been added to UNESCO's list

The traditions highlighted for protection include the Al-Sadu form of weaving practised by Bedouin women in rural parts of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Women gather together to spin and weave, occasionally chanting and reciting poetry.
The Eshuva sung prayers of Peru's indigenous Huachipaire people have also been added to the list. They are sung to summon nature spirits from the tropical forest to help in times of illness.
China, Indonesia, Iran, Vietnam, Brazil, Mauritania, Mongolia and Mali have also had elements of their heritage added to the list.
'Maintaining cultural diversity' The UN cultural agency's listing of world heritage sites is perhaps better known than its efforts to preserve intangible cultural heritage. The agency believes that traditions and skills can be "an important factor in maintaining cultural diversity in the face of growing globalization."
Five organisations were singled out for praise for how they safeguard traditions. They include Sportimonium which preserves traditional games in Flanders in Belgium, and Tanchaz, a Hungarian model of teaching folk dance and music.