The more I work in the aid business, the more I cannot help thinking that whilst increased aid is an important goal for the international community, what could make the real difference on the ground is trade. Allright I am not reinventing the wheel or anything here.... But just because I am saying something obvious it doesn't mean it is easy to reach.
Have a look at North-South trade flows and you will see what I mean. I am not evening thinking whether the terms of trade are fair or not, I am just reflecting on the quantity. Or lack of it.
That is why I think at some point in life I should seriously start my own business and try to bring together craftsmen from the so-called Global South (for those of you working in other sector that is how nowadays in the NGO world we refer to developing countries) into Western markets, in an effort to increase the trade flows between Northern and Southern hemispheres and to preserve old fashioned techniques.
Every time I travel outside the industrial world, I cannot help but think how many beautiful things human beings can do. From every day objects to fabrics and art pieces, I love to collect pretty much everything I can find in a market.
Every time I travel outside the industrial world, I cannot help but think how many beautiful things human beings can do. From every day objects to fabrics and art pieces, I love to collect pretty much everything I can find in a market.
That is one of the reason why I am a big fan of Emery & cie. Agnes Emery is a Brussels born architect who sells a wide range of beautiful products -from tiles to furniture- completely hand made in low or middle income countries. Not only she fosters local economies, she also defends a production method that is in danger of becoming extinct.
If you find yourself in downtown Brussels, you should definitely pay a visit to her shop, which looks like a home turn into an art gallery.
All photos via Emery & cie
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