Wichi Communities: decent work in their own land
The aim is to train indigenous communities living under extreme poverty conditions on craftsmen production and fair trade guidelines, to be incorporated into the fair and equitable global trade network. Propose a decent work to them jointly with environmental protection, thus strengthening their identity and right to remain in their lands.
About You
Section 1: About You
First Name
Sebastián Marcelo
Last Name
Homps
Website
Country
Argentina, B
Section 2: About Your Organization
Is your initiative connected to an established organization?
Organization Name
Asociación Civil Promoción Indígena - Arte y Esperanza
Organization Website
Organization Phone
(5411) 4707 - 0613
Organization Address
Pedro de Mendoza 589, San Isidro
Organization Country
Argentina, B
How long has this organization been operating?
More than 5 years
Is your organization a
Non‐profit/NGO/citizen sector organization
Your idea
Name your project.
Wichi Communities: decent work in their own land
Describe Your Idea
The aim is to train indigenous communities living under extreme poverty conditions on craftsmen production and fair trade guidelines, to be incorporated into the fair and equitable global trade network. Propose a decent work to them jointly with environmental protection, thus strengthening their identity and right to remain in their lands.
Country your work focuses on
Argentina, A
Innovation
What makes your idea unique?
Wichi communities in Argentina living in the province of Salta constitute one of the poorest groups in the country. In this context communities have found a job in selling handicrafts but still undergo exploitation situations.
Innovative contributions.
a) Provide training not only on handicrafts productions (and supply tools) but also put emphasis on fair trade standards, the organization of craftsmen and the understanding of their rights.
b) Contribute with new designs and innovative transformations of traditional products jointly with the Industrial Design Course of Study of University of Buenos Aires (highly competitive products in the market).
c) Incorporate craftsmen to a fair trade global network, thus developing a genuine link between geographically distant locations. This will be carried out by selling the products in the three stores owned by the Association, in national and international fairs and exports, as well as by spreading their reality and needs through the media.
d) Reduce the need to abandon their land and their family environments to get a job, by transforming the sale of handicrafts into a decent job that does not damage the cultural rhythm of the group. Training on their rights and the improvement of their economic situation strengthens them to claim for their lands.
e) Protection of the environment through a better use of natural resources (wood and vegetable fiber) by the optimization of the collection and use of these resources and by providing productions with an added value.
Do you have a patent for this idea?
Impact
This Entry is about (Issues)
Tell us about the social impact of your innovation. Please include both numbers and stories as evidence of this impact
Our association has been working with indigenous communities in the north of the Salta province for more than 23 years – first in a volunteer manner and then as a civil association. This support has been growing and strengthening, which meant the possibility to work with an increased number of communities, by mainly providing assistance with the difficulties face by them in the commercialization of their handicrafts productions. At present there is significant number of handicrafts received, by assisting 36 different groups from various indigenous peoples in Argentina.
During the years devoted to providing this assistance, many of the Wichi craft families are already self sufficient and are able to sell their quality products to several organizations, in fairs, etc. without abandoning their lands. In the communities within the initiative this process is just starting and it is necessary to strengthen it and go together with it. Trust and mutual respect connections have already been established with craft men and women and young people, key to a joint work. Since these communities are the most isolated in the region, they undergo grater poverty conditions and impact of the work is slow but by no means unimportant, because there are families organized around the handicrafts productions and belong the most supportive and organized communities. Handicrafts quality was at first very basic, both in women and men. After they were trained level has improved but it is necessary to improve it even more to introduce new techniques and designs.
Problem
Main problems faced:
Handicrafts productions require diversifying the supply and reach quality standards. The market is becoming more demanding and consumerist; it is necessary to achieve with the contributions from the Design Course of Study (with whom there has been established a cooperation agreement) a high level in the functionality of the piece, thus achieving an innovative object, useful and with an excellent design.
Wholesalers often buy the handicrafts in bulk and for a small amount. Thus forces craftsmen and women to use much more raw material and mass production, implying a reduction in the quality of the product and a damage to the environment.
There are still migrations in search of a stable income, which produce the abandonment of the land which belong to them and break off family and community structures. Handicraft productions losses its importance, mainly among young people, because it is not considered a decent job able to generate a stable income.
The distance of the communities with Buenos Aires and transport costs it is difficult for us to be present in the field with the required continuity and to send the handicrafts productions.
Actions
Mainly training sessions will be organized and addressed to craft men and women and young people from the Wichi communities including the delivery of tools to be used with raw materials. A rotating fund to buy handicrafts produced during the course will be applied to promote participation, as an application assessment methodology of the worked contents and as a guarantee to a stable income.
Innovative ways to work with raw material will be introduced and experimental workshops on raw material will be carried out. New design will be incorporated to the handicrafts productions.
New designs will be published on the Association's Website.
Participation in fairs and Workshops on indigenous topics such as the land p[property, environment protection, fair trade, etc in order to make craftsmen and women and young people aware about their rights and importance to join the Fair trade network. This will enable to guarantee a handicraft production sale format sustained over time so that it becomes into a genuine offer of a decent job.
Results
• Development of skills in handicrafts production, achieving quality and designs standards required by the market.
• Tools delivered with the corresponding training, thus managing to optimize times, resources and improved quality.
• Introduction of 20 new handicrafts designs.
• Sustained purchase (by the Rotating Fund) of the productions
• Placement of productions in the local and international market, in the framework of Global Fair Trade Network.
• Progressive reduction of migration in search of income, reaffirming their rights on their lands.
• Knowledge gained about a better use of natural resources and reduction of indiscriminate use.
At completion it is expected that:
Participants acquire self determination and get organized as a group which produces and sells quality handicrafts, with the tools required to enter into the market by themselves, by finding a legitimate work source. It enables the occupation of their territories with an improvement in the living conditions.
How many people will your project serve annually?
101‐1000
What is the average monthly household income in your target community, in US Dollars?
Less than $50
Does your project seek to have an impact on public policy?
Yes
If so, how?
Asociación Promoción Indígena - Arte y Esperanza keeps a constant dialogue with the National Ministry of Social Development through the Institute of Indigenous affairs. We will mainly articulate with them to reinforce the objective of communitarian development and reduction of poverty conditions in these areas. We will mainly encourage the design of appropriate actions to generate a sustained work in these isolated communities which will enable them to remain in their land, without losing their right over it because they abandon it to migrate in search of income. We will provide said institute with the experience of our projects and we will give priority to joint work aimed at an improvement of the living conditions of indigenous peoples.
Sustainability
What stage is your project in?
Operating for 1‐5 years
Does your organization have a board of directors or an advisory board?
Yes
Does your organization have any non monetary partnerships with NGOs?
Yes
Does your organization have any non monetary partnerships with businesses?
Yes
Does your organization have any non monetary partnerships with government?
Yes
Please tell us more about how partnerships could be critical to the success of your innovation.
The Relationship with social organization in the field where the innovation is being applied allow to carry out a joint work in terms of monitoring and support to generated processes in the field.
In order to develop an international network of fair trade, it is necessary to establish partnerships with national and international organizations. Thus we have been reinforcing the relationships with several organizations that carry out their work in compliance with fair and equitable and supportive trade and in addition to the Association’s stores, cooperation strategies are establish which open new markets for handicrafts.
Companies’ donations enable to provide involved communities with supplies which improve their living conditions.
The relationship with state organizations is essential to introduce the topic in the public agenda and to generate public policies. We have also obtained financing by public entities.
We would like to learn more about how your initiative is financially supported. Please explain your business plan/revenue model
Asociación Promoción Indígena – Arte y Esperanza Civil Organization is a non-profit organization.
As time went by we have aimed at providing sustainability to the project and this has been achieved by the sale of handicrafts in our 3 fair trade stores which generate revenues in a permanent manner. Although at present these stores are self sustaining, its opening and operation required economic contributions outside the Association.
Our main axis, jointly with the commercialization of handicrafts from communities to the indigenous promotion that we will carry out through workshops, fairs, media, etc, which does not create significant income.
That is why the successful execution of our projects depends, in part, on financial contributions from international organizations and other organizations which support our cause. Funds received enable us to continue with our periodical visits to communities (very expensive due to the distance) to have purchase funds over time and it allows implementing new initiatives and innovative ideas to solve deficiencies detected in the current projects. Although the association count on honorary work from staff and volunteers involved in the task, it is difficult to maintain the work under said conditions in the long term.
The Story
What was the defining moment that led you to this innovation?
Asociación Promoción Indígena -Arte y Esperanza is mainly aimed at supporting and encouraging the acknowledgement of indigenous peoples in the Argentine Republic and at motivating supportive and effective actions to enforce indigenous peoples’ rights. The association was founded in 2001 by members of the volunteer group called Promoción Indígena” who already had significant experience with indigenous populations in Gran Chaco. Since then, the association has been deepening its relationship with indigenous peoples and with several groups of craftsmen/women, native men and women by assisting them with the difficulties experiences during the commercialization of the products.
At present “ARTE Y ESPERANZA accompanies 36 communities, belonging to eight different ethnics and several groups of craftsmen/women with problems in the commercialization stage. This means social and financial support to more than 500 families from Kolla, Wichi, Qom-Toba, Mbya-Guaraní, Pilagá, Chané, Diaguita Calchaquí and Mapuche communities. Likewise it also developed inter institutional relationships in the territory within the frame a long story of commitment with indigenous populations in the region. One of the Association’s key focus in the work with indigenous communities is the accompaniment carried out aimed at strengthening and promoting the respect for their cultures and ways of living. In this regard, we have been establishing a direct contact with several indigenous communities, thus developing a mutual understating and a joint work in the framework of the protection of the rights, dignity like indigenous peoples and the acknowledgement of their own processes in connection with their cultural, social and economic development. Within this aim, the organization has generated and developed several projects. One of the projects with greater permanence and development is the non profit commercialization of handicrafts produced by indigenous communities under fair trade conditions. Thanks to the support of Cáritas in the country, Populorum Progressio Foundation, the Italian cooperative called Chico Mendes and thanks to the Tulipano-Ceibo social promotion project (financed by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs) the organization at present has three fair trade stores.
These examples of projects managed by our Association guarantee the sustainability of the project implemented and its impact in the long term to promote the social and economic development of indigenous populations in the north of Argentina.
Tell us about the social innovator—the person—behind this idea.
Sebastián Homps is a 28 years old member of the Arte y Esperanza Association. He is about to get his degree in Publicity in Universidad del Salvador (only his thesis is pending). Before that he attended the university course of study on social communication, in the same university. He started to be in contact with reality of indigenous communities in Argentina when he was 3 years old. He is the son of the founders of the Association, and at present he works in the social sector to search for methods and creative programs that solve or improve the problems and realities of small producers and minority groups. He is interested in using his time to achieve a sustainable activity that is profitable and sustainable over time, applicable to indigenous communities so that these communities do not have to move to other land nor abandon their cultures.
He is highly committed with his work and with the reality of the indigenous communities. On many occasions he has traveled to the initiative's area that provided him with an exhaustive knowledge of the various situations which are faced and show the extreme vulnerability of these communities.
At present he is in charge of the communication department of the Arte y Esperanza Association, spreading the reality and the cultural wealth of indigenous peoples. He also works as Executive Director for Amigos de la Patagonia Association, where he coordinates groups and workshops to promote environmental education.
How did you first hear about Changemakers?
Personal contact at Changemakers
If through another source, please provide the information.
Mr. Jon Camfield visited one the Association's stores.
Additional
Which (if any) of the following strategies apply to your organization or company (check as many as apply)
Please explain how your work furthers one or many of the above strategies (if you selected “other”, please explain your strategy)
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