MANOKWARI (November 28, 2019) – the Board of Central National Handicraft Council Grace Claudia P. Batubara ensured that our handicraft which made by the people from Papua could go International. According to her, Papua’s handicraft has a unique and specific, also had been recognized by UNESCO.

“Papua’s handicraft is interesting. Even the UNESCO has recognized it. Are they can stand out on the world-level? Why not. I thought that we are one step closer to go international,” Grace said, after the speech on the opening building, gallery launch, and the Opening of Work Meeting of National Area of Handicraft Council of West Papua Province, in Manokwari, Thursday (28/11/2019).

The wife of Social Minister Juliari P. Batubara also attended in this event, representing the Chairman of Central National Handicraft Council for the period of 2019-2024 Wury Ma’ruf Amin who could not attended in. “she delivers the apologize for not coming and she assigned me to fully represent her in this event,” Grace said.

The mother of two children delivered her appreciation towards the handicraft from Papua. Even though she bought one of the handicrafts, which was a replica of Cendrawasih bird. “Yes, I like it. Papua is located in the edge point of the country. this is a beautiful city. Cendrawasih is also has beautiful feather, etc. I will put it as a display in my official residence. I want all 34 provinces has their own handicraft,” she said.

The progress of handicraft in West Papua, Grace said, could not be separated with the chairman of National Area of Handicraft Council in West Papua Yuliana Mandacan. She was very persistent on empowerment towards the craftsman to make them learn and visited Batik Tulis Paras in Jogja to improve their product’s quality which was based on Technology and the culture’s legacy in West Papua.

“By exploring the design motives and the color which has meaning and philosophy is pour down into the form of handicraft art based on the leather with canting machine technique, which is called batik klowong, so the specific characteristic of West Papua’s batik contains local wisdom,” she said.

Grace hoped that by the inauguration of National Area of Handicraft Council Building in West Papua would become the first to succeed  on the handicraft’s products and also the craftsman’s welfare in West Papua.

National Handicraft Council was a non-profit organization which gathered all of the art lover to cover and develop the product and improve their business, also to improve the businessman’s welfare, which most of them was part of Small and Medium Enterprise(UKM).

Based on the realization on the importance of handicraft’s quality, it would need a place of public’s participation on national level which functioned to help and act as the government’s partner in educated and developed the handicraft, also this would push forward the establishment of National Handicraft Council.

The Head of Dharma Wanita of the MoSA Icuk Sukartina Hartono Laras, and several structural and functional officials from the MoSA was accompanied Mrs. Grace P. Batubara.

Acting Head of Public Relations Bureau
The Indonesian Ministry of Social Affairs