INCENTIVE TO THE PRODUCTIVE SECTOR

São José Liberto receives a miriti course for creating souvenirs with regional identity

Registrations are via WhatsApp: (91) 98126-8355, from master Pirias, and the goal is to encourage the use of local raw materials and generate income with environmental practices

By Aldirene Gama (SEDEME)

08/07/2025 08h44

Fostering the creative economy as a strategy for sustainable development is among the guidelines of the Secretariat of Economic Development, Mining and Energy (Sedeme), which reaffirms this commitment by supporting another edition of the miriti craft workshop — fiber extracted from the Amazon palm known as miritizeiro or buriti (Mauritia flexuosa).

The workshop will be held on July 25, from 10 AM to 6 PM, at the auditorium of Espaço São José Liberto, in Belém. The target audience is artisans and entrepreneurs from the region. To participate in the course, simply register by phone or WhatsApp: (91) 98126-8355.

The focus of this edition will be the production of handmade miniatures that represent the cultural wealth of Pará, transforming miriti into sustainable souvenirs with regional identity. The goal is to encourage the use of local raw materials, strengthen the creative economy, and promote income generation aligned with environmental practices, fostering the productive inclusion of artisan groups and valuing traditional knowledge as a competitive differential in the market.

The activity will be taught by artisan Josias Plácido Alcântara Silva, popularly known as Master Pirias, originally from Abaetetuba — considered the world capital of miriti toys, in the Lower Tocantins region.

With extensive experience in handling the fiber, Master Pirias will share techniques such as cutting, sanding, modeling, gluing, painting, and customization, promoting the transmission of knowledge between generations.

He explains that the course focuses on creating sustainable, personalized, and creative corporate gifts, aligned with the theme of COP30: “This workshop integrates actions to value Amazonian handicrafts. During the course, I make a point of highlighting to participants the history and cultural importance of miriti in Abaetetuba, our homeland and the cradle of this tradition. In addition, I share techniques and strategies so that the miniatures can be presented and marketed as artisanal products that reflect our culture, with identity and added value. Participating in this workshop is to rescue ancestral knowledge and give voice to our culture at COP30,” emphasizes Master Pirias.

Workshop - Participants will use simple hand tools — utility knife, scissors, glue, brush, paints — in addition to the miriti itself, which will be provided by the organization.

The director of Industry, Commerce and Services Development (DDCIS/Sedeme), Sherry Brom Rodrigues, highlights the importance of investing in the creative economy as a vector for entrepreneurship, job and income generation, as well as contributing to the preservation of local culture and sustainable socioeconomic development in the Pará territory: “Our main goal is to increase the visibility of local products, creating growth opportunities for entrepreneurs and reaffirming the State's commitment to sustainable development and the appreciation of the creative economy and regional raw materials.”