It turns out that there was no Diane, no Oscar and no Ralph at the Clinton Foundation meeting that took place in Manhattan this week to discuss strategies to create business opportunities for Haitian handicraft makers. I was told today I jumped the gun in reporting that they had been invited by former president Bill Clinton himself.
Back when I first learned there were whispers of inviting the heavy-hitting designers, plans to do so were more fluid than I understood. My apologies to Jen Marcy, the development officer from CHF International, with whom I had that early-stage chat.
A working group meeting did take place Tuesday, but I'm still working on getting all the details of what did happen during that closed-door meeting, including who was there. It wasn't apparently filled with superstars, but it was important, and I'm hoping organizers will decide to open the window for us in the coming days so we can start to understand the nuances of the tough but promising road ahead of them.
Forging business connections between producers in struggling countries and well-established entrepreneurs in North America is not an easy thing to do. But the prospect of increasing opportunities for talented Haitians to market their work seems critical to helping them "build back better." Hopefully that buzz-phrase comes into fruition.
In the meantime, here's a note from Erin Mote, manager of resource development of CHF International, on the organization's approach to helping in Haiti:
"Restoring livelihoods, whether through cash for work activities or providing market linkages to strong indigenous sectors - like handicrafts in Haiti - is at the core of our approach to working after a disaster. We believe that working with the Haitian government and guided by the Haitian government's plan for reconstruction, CHF International can help Haiti build back better - whether that is restoring indigenous capacity and markets or creating market linkages to new opportunities. At the heart of this approach and all of our efforts is the desire to build sustainable economic futures, which means that in every effort private sector involvement needs to make sense for both the country and the company. The best types of partnerships are those that create dual social and financial returns, rather then one time opportunities.
Prior to the earthquake, CHF has been working with artisans in Jacmel to improve their access to markets in the United States - including funding their participation in the 2009 Santa Fe International Folk Art Market.
This experience gave Jacmel's papier mâché artisans exposure to international markets and buyers, as well as training related to product development. CHF and USAID funded this component because we believe that major U.S. retailers who have shown a deep interest and commitment in sourcing from Haiti can have a significant impact on long term sustainable job creation - as we have seen demonstrated in the apparel sector. To make sure that these linkages were sustained, in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake we partnered once again with Santa Fe International Folk Art Market to distribute small grants to the artisans that allowed them to purchase raw materials given their livelihood disruption. The goal of this grant is to make sure that the Jacmel artisans have the ability to take their products once again to an internationally recognized market and gain the exposure and training that will be critical in growing their business in Haiti."