Index

Brief history Objectives Activities Structure

Intercrafts Peru Members Commercial aspects

General information

Address:	Calle Victor Navarro Nº 339, urb. El Establo Mz. B Lote 13, San Martin de Porres, Lima - Perú
Phone & fax:	51-1-5677882 - CIAP Asociacion
	51-1-5684018 - Intercrafts Peru
E-mail:	ciapas@amauta.rcp.net.pe
Contacts:	Gedion Fernandez Nolasco: President Elvis Palomino: Officer
CIAP is member of:	International Federation For Alternative Trade - IFAT Grupo Red de Economias Solidarias del Perú Red Peruana de Comercio Justo y Consumo Etico

Brief history of CIAP

The Inter-Regional Centre of Artisans of Peru, CIAP, is a nonprofit association, comprised of handcraft producing associations and groups originating different regions of the country. CIAP was created with the purpose of catalyzing the commercialisation of handicrafts produced by their members, along with the objectives of improving living conditions of artisans and supporting the development of their communities. CIAP was created out of a division of another organisation, Inter-Communal Crafts of Peru (AIP). Out of the necessity to improve the socio-economic situation, AIP was founded by artisans in 1983 promoted by the organisation SERPAJ (The Service of Peace and Justice). They helped with the initial paperwork and the search for clients. In 1992, due to problems concerning the leadership and institutional policies, the organisation divided itself in two. Out of this division emerged what is today the Inter-Regional Centre of Peruvian Artisans. CIAP has functioned since 1992 and has consolidated itself as a representative organisation of a great number of artisans from different marginal and depressed regions in Peru. Providing continuous support for the base organisations, and fighting together in the new context of globalisation. CIAP has so far carried out actions that have achieved relative development of their members and the well being of their families. Since September 1996, due to a decline in orders from abroad, CIAP embarked on constant reorganisation and set up a long term Strategic Plan.Amongst the measures of reorganisation CIAP Comercial was founded, a commercial company designed to channel the exports in an effective way.

Objectives

• Defend and preserve the cultural identity of the Andes and the Amazon regions.
• Promote the organisation of artisans and the strengthening of existing ones.
• Bring about improvement in the living conditions of the artisans, their families and communities.
• Support complete development of the communities where the associations located.

Activities

CIAP’s main activity is the export of handcrafts produced by its members. This is done by the company CIAP Comercial.
Furthermore, CIAP as association carries out the following activities for the benefit of its members:

• Teaching and training. Administrative and commercial management, productive techniques, etc.
• Organisational support. Supervision, consultation and monitoring in order to improve the structures of the base organisations.
• Management of finances. Implementation and management of the rotary funds for the artisan members.
• Product management. Training and technical assistance are provided in order to develop products in the base organisations.
• National and international promotion and information.
• Social activities. Meetings, reunions, festivals, etc.
• Actividades sociales.- Encuentros, reuniones, fastivales, etc

Structure

Headquarters are is in Lima. The base organisations are located in marginal districts of Lima, Ayacucho, Huancayo, Cuzco, Puno, Pucallpa and Arequipa. The structure of CIAP allows for democratic participation of all the beneficiary artisans.
The General Assembly: The most important decisions are made in the General Assembly where the delegates of all base organisations participate. The Ordinary Assembly is held once per year, in February and its location rotates. Its purpose is to carry out the annual evaluation, to draw up the Annual Operative Plan and to determine the annual budget. The evaluation includes the management of the executive body as well as the performance and qualification of the base organisations.
The Executive Council: is formed by 6 members elected for a period of two years by the delegates of the leading organisations. It is responsible for the organisational performance of CIAP and the implementation of the Annual Operative Plan. The Executive Council meets once per month and extraordinarily in cases of emergency.
The Base Groups are 16 artisan communities organized in Associations.

Intercrafts Perú

Intercrafts Perú is a company that was especially created in order to channel the export of craft production of the associated organisations of CIAP and to promote exportable crafts.
The system of commercialisation allows for the maximum benefits for the artisans applying minimum costs in commercial operations and transferring many work steps such as quality control and packaging to the producer groups. CIAP, however, always aims to guarantee the quality of its products.
Intercrafts Peru is dependent on the policy decisions of CIAP, but it has a directive council composed of the representatives of the leading organisations of CIAP and a General Manager who is responsible for the administration and commerce.

Go to Intercrafts Peru

Members

The members or Base Groups are classified into three different levels.
Level A: Organisations which have very solid structures with their own legal status and with sufficient management capacity. The groups in this level carry out the quality control and packaging of their products themselves.
Level B: Organisations with solid structures and with an adequate management. They are not in the position to carry out the quality control of theirproducts.
Level C: These are groups of artisans that do not have a sufficiently strong solid structure as an organisation and are new groups in a trial period.
The placement of the groups is done in the General Ordinary Assembly using technical criteria according to the Internal Regulations. The main criteria of qualification are punctuality in carrying out the orders, determining quality of the products, informing CIAP, taking part in reunions and activities, achieving good relations between the managers and the members, maintaining social activities, complying to faithfulness to the principles, administrative management, etc.
At the moment CIAP is composed out of 16 Base Groups in which approximately 700 artisans work and with more than 2000 people being the beneficiaries.

Commercial aspects

The commercial cycle begins with the information on product development on the basis of magazines, colour guides, concept sheets, etc. The artisans produce samples which receive a code. Then pictures are taken for the catalogue. The catalogue is sent to clients and potential clients. When the orders arrive, they are distributed amongst all the groups according to the corresponding samples while fixing a sensible date before the shipment. The products are received at CIAP for quality control and packaging. All faulty products are returned to the groups. Groups belonging to level A hand in their products already packed. Documents for shipment are prepared and the merchandise is shipped. All these work steps are carried out by the commercial area of CIAP.
CIAP maintains itself exclusively with a percentage of its sales. This percentage is determined according to the annual budget and the projection of sales. The budget for 2004 is 15.8% of sales. 5.8% cover the activities of the association which includes training, technical assistance, reunions, payment, etc. 9.22% cover commercial costs such as wages, office costs, expenditure for customs, administrative papers, insurance, communication, postage of samples, etc.

Contacts to: ciapas@amauta.rcp.net.pe