UNDP-DADAWA Culture-Based Development for Ethnic Minorities in China

　　After designated as National Goodwill Ambassador, Dadawa and UNDP China will jointly launch a two-year initiative titled “Culture-Based Development Goodwill Action for Ethnic Minorities in China”. The Goodwill Action consists of two components: “preservation and revival of the ethnic music” and “preservation and development of the ethnic handicrafts”. During 2009-2010, UNDP, Dadawa and her task force will be working with government agencies dealing with minority issues and other relevant partners including artists, cultural enterprises and the media in an effort to protect and revitalize the precious cultural wealth of minorities.

　　During the action “preservation and revival of ethnic music in China ” , which is planned to be launched in March 2009, Dadawa, in collaboration with the Red Creation Media Ltd., as well as prominent world musicians, will be conducting field visits to minority regions including Yunnan, Xinjiang, Tibet, Guizhou, Inner Mongolia, and Qinghai. The trip will focus on collecting and compiling traditional ethnic music, which will be presented in CD-format and through promotional events.

　　During the action “preservation and development of ethic minority handicrafts”, Dadawa will support the handicraft sector development in the minority regions mentioned, helping UNDP generate technical, marketing and branding support. Leveraging her network and resources in circle of arts, she will act as a platform to bring relevant stakeholders together such as designers, marketing and branding professionals, cultural enterprises and the media to help minority communities in developing brands and reaching wider and higher-end markets. For this goal to be realized, workshops and exhibitions will be held from May to August 2009 by Dadawa, UNDP and governmental agencies in minority regions, with the participation of multi-stakeholders.

　　To sum up, the two-year goodwill initiative “Culture-Based Development Goodwill Action for Ethnic Minorities in China” aims to explore ways to preserve the cultural richness of ethnic minorities in the midst of development, enhance communication between ethnic minority regions and the world, showcasing music and handicraft, and optimize the culture revival plan as an engine for development.