CULTURAL INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
RIGHTS
INITIATIVE®
DATES FOR 2025 ARE OUT!
16 - 24 August 2025
Transylvania, România
Executive Program
For the first time in 2025 we will have CSA satellite Events in INDIA and Western Europe!
Details coming Soon
How to enroll in the 2025 CSA Executive Program?
Send us an expression of interest by filling in this form.
Participation fees vary depending on modular attendance or whole program attendance, and double or single-room occupancy. We'll provide you all the details by e-mail once we have your expression of interest.
Welcome to the first Academy Program in the world dedicated exclusively to Cultural Sustainability
From the author of TEDx Talk "Cultural Fashion: Transform the Fashion Industry from Villain to Hero" Monica Boța-Moisin, and the CIPRI® team, comes a unique cross-disciplinary approach that brings in-depth perspectives on Cultural Sustainability across 5 KNOWLEDGE PILLARS.
"Cultural Sustainability enables environmental and social sustainability through traditional and Indigenous methods of working in harmony with nature"
In 2023 the Cultural Intellectual Property Rights Initiative® joins forces with WhyWeCraft® to host the Executive Program face-to-face, for the first time, in Transylvania, Romania.
With its rich cultural context and diversity of tangible and intangible cultural heritage Romania is the ideal location for an immersive and multi-sensory learning experience in the charming villages of rural Transylvania.
Unique know-how will meet local craftsmanship and gastronomy in a safe space to ask difficult questions and engage in dynamic discussions around the challenges and opportunities of Cultural Sustainability.
The Executive Program of The Cultural Sustainability Academy - The Knowledge Hub for Cultural Sustainability® is designed to connect a variety of stakeholders, including fashion industry representatives, systems-change enablers and local community representatives, with like-minded people and equip them with actionable tools to integrate Cultural Sustainability into their practices. The Program inspires leaders to make Culturally Sustainable decisions and creates ethical pathways for direct partnerships with Indigenous Peoples, Ethnic Groups and Local Communities.
Each year the number of participans is limited to 10.
Three of these seats are reserved for leaders of Indigenous Peoples, Ethnic Groups and Local Communities.
Who is the Cultural Sustainability Academy for?
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Decision-making professionals who want to be innovative leaders in their industry
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Passionate advocates for ethical standards across a variety of industries whose activities have impact on people and the planet
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Altruistic mindsets who want to bring together philanthropy and creativity with business decisions and impact
CSA was beyond what I expected. The 5 pillars widened my perspective and understanding. The sessions just didn’t provide me with knowledge and practical tools but it also mentally trained me with the activities and assignments to think for design solutions and creative possibilities.
Umeshwari Parmar,
2021 Cohort Alumni
It was a privilege to be among the facilitators, they were all very inspiring. It was obvious how much they care about the topic, each pillar was constructed and conducted with a lot of care.
Jahnavee Baruah,
2021 Cohort Alumni
"The principle of interconnectedness that defines Cultural Sustainability practices creates important value with impact on livelihoods, lifestyles, production and consumption patterns, ecosystem well-being"
ACADEMY BRIEF
"Craftsmanship is about multifaceted value"
In Craftsmanship & Craft Innovation you will expand your knowledge of the intangible values embedded in the handcrafted product and the meaning it holds beyond aesthetics. Using Arjo Klamer’s Value-Based Approach as a theoretical framework for tracking the holistic journey of a Traditional Cultural Expression created based on Traditional Knowledge you will understand and challenge current misconceptions surrounding craft. You will explore a valuable perspective on craftsmanship as a tool for a green and equitable future, and be inspired to practically apply a Value-Based Approach to your business strategy.
"Holistic understanding leads to best practice"
In Research & Academia you will learn how to challenge conventional learning systems and apply ecological thinking to knowledge sharing and knowledge acquisition. Understanding the concepts of decolonisation and deinstitutionalisation of research will help remove the barrier between various knowledge types and learn how they can inspire and support more informed decision-making and problem-solving. Understanding the value of immersive experiences generates empathy revealing how your research, products or services impact the world around you.
"Traditional Knowledge Systems inform innovative Technology and design processes"
In Design & Technology you will be guided through translating the design process from ‘designing to consume’ to ‘designing to heal Mother Earth’. Through practical examples you will train to identify the possible synergies and interconnectedness between Traditional Knowledge and innovative technologies. You will learn how timelessness, traditional design principles and cultural information inspire design decisions resulting in functional beauty as a force for change.
"Communication and narrative are a result of well designed actions"
In Activism & Communication you will discover how designing ethical actions add value to your products and services. Applying supply chain mapping techniques, you will be encouraged to ask questions that challenge assumptions - to reveal your mission from a new perspective. You will be equipped with the practical knowledge you need to align transparency in your processes with your communication and narrative to create impactful connections between you and your audiences or consumers. We will go beyond the dichotomy ‘cultural misappropriation/cultural appreciation’ and understand the DNA of culturally sensitive communication.
"Laws, Rights, Tools and Best Practices require community action"
In Law & Cultural Heritage In Law & Cultural Heritage you will gain practical knowledge on how international law regulates aspects related to Craftsmanship, Biodiversity, Traditional Knowledge Systems, and Intangible Cultural Heritage. You will understand how different IP tools apply to your work and actions and where the conventional IP protection system fails to protect and nurture cultural assets. Unpacking complex legal terminology will familiarise you with the difference between the way WIPO and UNESCO protect cultural heritage. You will identify the gaps in this protection to develop your own tools for ethical practice. Interactive simulated scenarios will test your skills and help you develop your own guidebook for best practices.
Reflection Sessions
We create safe spaces for feedback and reflection. You to come along to discuss and brainstorm with your fellow students and the facilitators your thoughts, realisations, accomplishments and challenges in a safe, supportive and multidisciplinary environment.
Why do you need to learn about Cultural Sustainability?
Cultural Sustainability is everyone’s responsibility. The consequences of the business decisions of an individual impact Cultural Sustainability and the outcomes of prioritising its implementation embeds multifaceted value in products, unachievable through other methods.
Understanding Cultural Sustainability will transform your perspective on everything you do, professionally and personally, for the better!
"Cultural Sustainability Principles align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and help achieve them"
Benefits of the Cultural Sustainability Academy
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Membership of the CSA Alumni Network for life
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Graduation Certificate with hand-embroidered Cultural Sustainability Seal
At the Cultural Sustainability Academy we apply Cultural Sustainability principles at every opportunity. Connecting with and providing support to our Academy Alumni who implement learnings from the CSA in their projects is how we envisage strengthening our collective network.
As a Cultural Sustainability Academy Alumni you will receive a hand-woven artisan-created certificate with your name on it. For the 2021 Edition the artwork was facilitated by CIPRI Members United Artisans of Kutch and for our 2022 Edition the artwork was facilitated by our 2021 Academy Alumni Jahnavee Baruah who’s work with a craft collective in Assam, India, was inspired by and refined by the knowledge gained from the Cultural Sustainability Academy. The certificates for the 2023 edition were handcrafted by Katalin Kovacs and Elena Neagu, craft custodians at WhyWeCraf® Association.
PREVIOUSLY AT THE CULTURAL SUSTAINABILITY ACADEMY...
Bandana Tewari is an inspiring Sustainability Activist, world-known fashion journalist and Advisory Board Member of the Cultural Intellectual Property Rights Initiative® since 2018.
Nagaraja (Naga) Prakasam is a versatile and passionate social business angel investor with 27 years of global experience. He is an Advisory Board Member of the Cultural Intellectual Property Rights Initiative® since 2020.
Margaret Zinyu is a Designpreneur. Founder of Studio Predilection & URA Collective Weaving and Industrial Cooperative Society Ltd. Margaret is currently located in Kohima and is a senior member of the Tribal Design Forum, India’s only community of designers and creative professionals from various tribes of India that explores the role of design for the benefit of tribal communities in India.
Sudhir John Horo has worked as a communication and brand consultant with some of the world’s leading corporates, organizations and governments. He has designed outreach programmes for the Government of India for 54 countries across Africa and has played a key role in promoting India overseas through communication campaigns since 2006. He is the convenor of the Tribal Design Forum.
Daphne Zografos Johnsson is a Senior Legal Officer in the Traditional Knowledge Division of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). She has twenty years of experience researching and working in the area of intellectual property, traditional knowledge and traditional cultural experience.
Filep Motwary is the Editor at Large of Vogue Greece. Curator, two times author, fashion critic and photographer, File is one of the most knowleadgeable experts on upcoming deisgners in Europe and has interviewed over 450 leading experts from the world of fashion and the arts. His latest project is a series of films he has written and directed for the Cyprus Handicraft Service under the title #craftingcyprus.