a Brief background of CHA:
In Cambodia today, there are tens of thousands of disabled persons trying to eke out a living in a country that is ill suited to handle these numbers.
CHA (Cambodian Handicraft Association for helping the Landmine and Polio disabled) was founded in January 2000, in response to this situation. It trains landmine and polio victims in tailoring, weaving and carving, and in running a small business.
b. Mission:
The mission of CHA project is to make life better for the handicapped. CHA, established in January 2000, is the working place for Landmine and Polio disabled Cambodians to improve their skills and learn more skills as well as train them in small business. Also, CHA helps the producers/trainees make a sustainable small business plan when they go back to their villages.
As importance as the workshop is the promoting of self-confidence, independence, and integration into Cambodian society. Moreover, CHA tries to increase the ability of disabled persons to be socially and economically progressive, and provide or support employment for Cambodian nationals with disabilities, primarily by mean of producing or marketing Cambodian silk crafts.
Besides, CHA tries to place the disabled into the mainstream and not segregate them from non-disabled persons, and help to broaden the scope of their lives. After proper training program is found and is successfully completed, CHA helps to locate jobs for them near their home villages. There isn't a lot of work forced to come to bigger villages or cities to find work, to CHA provides small business, profit shares and follow-up training in business managements.
c. Objectives: CHA members will share the following practices and objectives:
-To be either directly engaged in Fair Trade or indirectly involved through activities which promote and support Fair Trade.
-To be members who come together in solidarity and mutual cooperation to create an alternative and fairer way of doing business.
-To promote fair trade and social justice in the interest of the producers
-To trade with concern for the social, economic and environmental well being of marginalized producers in developing countries.
-To openly share financial information, management policies, business practices, product sources, production marketing and development programmed plans on a regular basis.
-To aim for adequate income for disabled producers to meet their basic needs, including health care, education and the capacity to save.
-To seek the greatest possible efficiency at the lowest cost while involving producers in decision-making and management as appropriate to each organization.
-To provide the opportunity for all individuals to grow and reach they're potential.
-To oppose discrimination and ensure equality of employment opportunities for both men and women who suffer form the exploitation of their labor and the effect of poverty and racial, cultural or gender bias.
-To promote development which improves the quality of life and which is sustainable for and responsible to both people.
-To manage resources sustainable and to protect the environment.
-To promote for trade by encouraging people to change consumption patterns based on issues of social justice and concern for the environment.
-To increase awareness of cultural and traditional value of Cambodia in order to promote intercultural understanding and respect.
-To participate in fair trade in order to establish or relationship within a framework of solidarity, trust and mutual respect.
-To agree to negotiate our differences through open and direct dialogue.
d. Organizational Background:
CHA is the major producers of handicrafts in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap in Cambodia. For the past several months, representatives from these and other organizations (AFS, KHPA) have been meeting to discuss the possibility of establishing and Association of Cambodian Handicraft Producers. In developing such an association, it is hoped that all producers would have increased access to the export market and that fair practices and policies will be put in place as Cambodia is exposed to the global market.
With the experience gained from participation in the Fair Trade Federation Annual Conference, and with the Global Exchange internships in the United States for one month, International Gift and House-ware at Queen Sirikit National Convention Center, Bangkok, Thailand for one week, Workshop on Fair Trade, Southeast Asian Craft Products in a Globalize Economy, Vientiane, Lao PDR for one week, Shopping's Day Grand, Community Services of Bangkok, Thailand for one week, Products Exhibition at Bazaar, New Delhi, India for one month, CHA staff will be able to form an association with better understanding of the reality of an export market and how they can protect the interests of the producers. As CHA representatives, we will represent also leadership of a group of disabled people, which is primarily made up of disabled men and women.
CHA staff will interact with representatives from successful producer associations and will be able to learn from them about the strengths and benefits gained from cooperatives and association in the promotion of crafts and in exporting crafts.