Craft Making for a global market
Dr Neelam Raina is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Art & Design at Middlesex University, UK. Raina’s research explores the links between culture, conflict, poverty and development. Her doctoral research analyzed this from the perspective of Muslim women in post-conflict Kashmir and the role crafts plays in generating income for them. Dr Neelam simultaneously continues to work in Kashmir with women’s crafts groups, exploring the impact of skill based training on their income and in the long run on the quality of their lives. This work also feeds into development thinking with regards to post-disaster construction as well as the role that design plays in development. Her research interest lies within the understanding of the potential role of design in economic development of conflict areas, with a special focus on women.