Launch of the Project "Professional Training and Culture on the Loom Route": UNESCO and partners promote Cultural Development in Catamarca, Argentina

This initiative in collaboration with the Federal Investment Council in the framework of the UNESCO - Alwaleed Philanthropies Project, seeks to enhance local artisan skills, modernize commercialization, and preserve the unique cultural heritage of the area. 

The main objective of the initiative, which began to take shape a year ago, is to empower local communities through professional training and the promotion of culture. The "Loom Route" training is expected to contribute significantly to the socioeconomic development of the region, generating new employment opportunities and resources, especially for women artisans, who play a crucial role in the cultural fabric of Catamarca. 

The main objective of this activity is to strengthen the skills of all relevant stakeholders through the training for artisans in commercialization, marketing, and promotion strategies and for officials in modernizing the traceability and certification system for products made with vicuña fiber to protect the veracity of the production chain. In addition, the initiative seeks to promote the recognition of the practice of “Chaku” as intangible cultural heritage.