[owm] One World Market puts its faith in fair wages on display

[Laura Wendell]

One World Market puts its faith in fair wages on display

By FLO JOHNSTON, Correspondent

The annual Oriental rug event is on tap next week at One World Market, 
811 Ninth St. High-quality Persian, Bokhara and tribal rugs made by 
fairly paid adult artisans in Pakistan will be available for sale in a 
variety of sizes and colors during the five-day event.

The rugs, handmade in Pakistani homes, are marketed by Jakciss Oriental 
Rugs in Lahore, Pakistan. Jakciss, which employs more than 700 families 
from 100 villages throughout the country, was started in the late 1960s 
by a Pakistani Baptist pastor, Chaman Masih, as a job-creation project 
for Christians in the villages. But Jakciss now employs Muslims as well, 
with Muslims making up more than 60 percent of its work force.

Amir Chaman, a member of the founder's family, will bring 300 rugs to 
the Durham event and will be in the Ninth Street store all day Wednesday 
through Sunday. On Thursday, he will lead a free Introduction to 
Oriental Rugs Seminar at 7 p.m. The seminar demonstrates the ancient art 
of Oriental rug making. It will offer a broad overview for anyone 
considering an Oriental rug purchase.

"He will talk about the creation of the patterns and ancient designs," 
said Laura Wendell, store manager.

"But each artist often adds their own variations. Tribal rugs adhere 
more to ancient design. Persian-style rugs have a broader framework for 
the pattern and the artists themselves get the pattern from a master rug 
maker or come up with their own."

The artisans are paid for each rug based on the number of knots per 
square inch and the amount of time it requires to produce the rug, 
Wendell said.

Before Jakciss, these Pakistani weavers would complete a rug, travel to 
the city and attempt to sell the rug to one of many exporters. They 
often went from one to another trying to get a fair price for their 
work, Wendell said, and just as often they were forced to sell for less 
than the cost of the raw materials.

"Fair prices allow artisans to provide their families with food, health 
care, education and improved housing," Wendell said.

The difference that such trade practices can make in the lives of people 
was illustrated by the response of these Pakistani artisans to the 
7.6-magnitude earthquake that struck northern Pakistan last October, 
Wendell said.

These artisans passed on the benefits of their wages by providing relief 
supplies and by adopting 12 families and providing them temporary 
housing and food until they could get back on their feet.

Make reservations for the seminar by calling One World Market at (919) 
286-2457.

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