Articles to inform and inspire >
Darién rainforest basket economy >
The history of Hösig Di basket making >
Baskets help protect Panamá’s environmental & cultural heritages >
Articles to Inform and Inspire
Television and the print media shrink our tiny planet and compress our global perspective until the daily struggles of the poor, starving and victimized take place in our living rooms. Through our travels we also come face to face with human suffering and the lack of the most basic necessities.
But nourished-body and soul-and dignity restored, individuals and communities can grasp opportunities to achieve self-sufficiency, to enhance the quality of their lives and not just to survive, but to thrive.
Thriving implies a strong economic foundation has been put in place. Fair trade sets in motion the process of economically viable interchanges for indigenous groups whose work might otherwise have been exploited. The Meares Collection represents the works of the most talented Wounaan and Emberá weavers, whose basket enterprise-fairly traded-bolsters not only individual, but also collective economies within the Darién Rainforest of Panamá.
Trading fairly assumes a responsibility in helping to alleviate poverty. One conducts business with integrity, respects the culture with which one is working and manifests compassion for the growth pains of the people who are learning to use their skills to better themselves.
This group of articles has been written to inform and inspire like-minded individuals and institutions who wish to build a notable collection of Hösig Di artworks originating from the hands of these courageous and talented people.