KADAM is a non-profit organisation established in 2006 in India, working to build resilient and sustainable communities through the preservation, promotion and revitalisation of traditional knowledge, crafts and livelihoods.
KADAM works closely with rural and artisan communities to safeguard living heritage while creating dignified and sustainable livelihood opportunities for practitioners. KADAM’s work focuses particularly on traditional crafts and knowledge systems rooted in natural and locally available materials, including natural fibres, grasses, bamboo, leaves and other plant-based resources. The organisation works across several regions of India and supports artisan communities through community mapping, documentation, skill assessment, capacity building and intergenerational transmission of traditional skills.
Its main activities include documenting and strengthening traditional craft practices; facilitating skills transmission through training and master-artisan-led learning; supporting artisan collectives; developing contemporary applications and products based on traditional knowledge; improving quality and production systems; promoting sustainable use of natural materials; and creating market linkages for artisan communities.
KADAM believes that safeguarding living heritage requires communities to remain active custodians and practitioners of their cultural knowledge. Its approach therefore seeks to strengthen the cultural, social, economic and environmental ecosystems that enable traditional practices to remain relevant, viable and transmissible to future generations.
Year of accreditation: 2026
Main domain(s) of the ngo’s activities: Knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe, Traditional craftsmanship
Main safeguarding measures: a) identification, documentation, research (including inventory-making), b) preservation, protection, c) promotion, enhancement, d) transmission, (non-) formal education, e) revitalization
Main country where the NGO works: India
