From Cambodia With Love
The World Humanitarian Summit (WHS) kicks off this weekend in Istanbul. Its purpose is to stand up for common humanity and take action to prevent and reduce human suffering around the world.
In 2012, UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, announced his five-year action plan, commenting that, ‘waves of change are surging around us. If we navigate wisely, we can create a more secure and sustainable future for all.’ The Summit’s aim is to help steer that process, especially with regards to issues such as conflict prevention, respect of international law, and protecting and investing in the most vulnerable members of our global community.
Empathy Action is at the World Humanitarian Summit to support these goals as well as to highlight our work in building empathy, raising awareness and encouraging compassionate action.
This year we have worked with the World Humanitarian Summit and a group of artisans in Cambodia to provide all 6000 participants of the Summit with a special gift which they will find in their welcome packs – a keyring.
The keyrings are made from recycled artillery shells. Still emerging from the dark shadow cast by the Khmer Rouge, who ruled ruthlessly from 1975 to 1979, Cambodia is a country in great need of financial and social recovery. The sale of these bespoke keyrings and other such items helps provide employment and skills-training in a country whose economy still lags well behind some of its Asian neighbours.
We believe that compassionate, community action lies at the heart of many solutions that help alleviate human suffering. It has been a great privilege to work with our Cambodian partners and the WHS to bring these fairly traded crafts to the summit and, in so doing, to promote the work of social enterprise in development.
Investing in the skills of local producers working in marginalised communities is a central aim of Empathy Action, and one which we encourage all who we come into contact with to engage in.
To find out more about the communities we partner with and to see how we can work with your organisation to provide bespoke, ethically sourced crafts, please do contact us.