1. Sundar Haath Craft Co-op
A bottom-up initiative in support of some of the most marginalized people in the world

2. Muhammad Yunus & the microloan program
Muhammad Yunus was a pioneer in the “from-below movement” with his Nobel Peace Prize winning microloan program.

3. From-Below Intent/ Top-Down Reality
Who is really benefitting in this global initiative? Microloan Banks? Not-for-profit aid agencies? Those in need?

4. Major Microloan Limitation Too much competition and not enough scale…

5. How the Sundar Haath Craft Co-op can overcome these challenges?
There would be an educational training program in arts, culture, and the business of handicrafts.
This would include:
Traditional culture
Scaled and co-operative production and manufacturing of crafts between leprosy colonies (for product diversification)
International focus (to bypass stigma in India and to expand their market)
Internet/web development
Marketing and sales
Individuals can find the aspects in the Co-op that they are most interested in and those that best suit them, and these skills will go with them wherever they go in life.
Educational funds are already provided by Aid Agencies and by the Indian government.

6. Who would fund this?
Aid agencies such as the Nippon Foundation already donate funds for craft materials, production equipment, and education, so the initial investment is already in place.
Coordination of transport infrastructure and international shipping will be a new challenge, but Aid agencies would probably help here for greater exposure.
Once foreign markets agree to purchase Sundar Haath products, the co-op will become adquately scaled and eventually economically self-supporting.

7. Isn’t this already being done?
There are many fair trade advocates who identify traditional handicrafts and market them to the West, but these groups operate as middle agencies and usually skim product profits.
The Sundar Haath Craft Co-op will not need middle agencies with sticky fingers.
Instead, their products will be sold directly to stores such as World Market. The prices for the crafts will be prearranged and consistent.

8. Oversupply of products
Microloan model
Microloan lenders
Oversupply of products
Result:
Flooded market for little or no profit, resulting in greater debt for the most marginalized.

9. Sticky fingers model Craft producers with adequate scale
Intermediary interests who skim $
Result:
Dependent producers with loss of profits and agency

10. Sundar Haath Craft Co-op Model
Co-op craft production
Direct Sales to foreign markets
Result:
Highest scale potential and maximum profits!

11. My pitch and the way you can help
Look for the Sundar Haath Craft Co-op brand, purchase the craft products as you otherwise would, and spread the story by telling your friends, family, and community! Your purchase creates the scale they need for economic and civic agency.
Sundar Haath Craft Co-op

12. Content References Image References Available Upon Request
Anderson, B. (1983). Imagined communities. New York: Verso. Bateman, M. (2014). “The rise and fall of Muhammad Yunus and the microcredit model.” International Development Studies 001: pp O’Sullivan, M. (2010). Supporting youth in the pursuit of a post-neo-liberal vision. In B. J. Porfilio and P. R. Carr (Eds.). Youth culture, education and resistance: Subverting the commercial ordering of life, (pp ). Rotterdam: Sense Publishers. Salazar, N. (2012). “The power of imagination in transnational mobilities.” Identities: Global Studies in Culture and Power 18(6): pp Samoff, J. (2013). Institutionalizing international influence. In R. Arnove, C. Torres, and S. Franz (Eds.), Comparative education: Dialectics of the global and the local, (pp ). Plymouth, UK: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers. Spring, J (2015). Globalization of education: An introduction (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.