Weaving Empowerment: Grassroot Movement in Nepal

Take a brief tour of the exhibition Nepalese Seasons: Rain and Ritual with our in-house curator Elena Pakhoutova and learn about the tradition of carpet weaving in Nepal through a demonstration and discussion of the craft. The program will also feature a panel discussion moderated by Ellie Windham of Grassroot Movement in Nepal (GMIN) about their project to empower rural Nepali women through carpet weaving at their Vocational Training Center (VTC) in Dang, Nepal. GMIN’s cofounder and board member Sonam Ukyab will be joined by Tom DeMarco, manager of Odegard Carpets and founder of Kooches Carpets, and a representative from GoodWeave International, a nonprofit that reduces child labor in the carpet industry in Nepal, India, and Afghanistan.

Support for this program has been provided by Grassroot movement in Nepal, Odegard Carpet and GoodWeave International.

About the Speakers

Grassroot Movement in Nepal (GMIN) is a nonprofit organization that supports and initiates grassroot movements focused on bringing sustainable social and environmental change in Nepal. Founded by energetic and dedicated individuals who want to see changes made from a local level in Nepal, GMIN is based in New York City. GMIN uses local knowledge and collective intelligence to address the pressing issues of Nepalese society.

First introduced in 1987, Odegard Carpets revolutionized the world of hand-knotted contemporary carpets. With unrivaled commitment to quality and sophisticated design, Odegard has been at the leading edge of modern carpet production for decades. All Odegard Carpets are unique, starting with carefully selected Himalayan wool, which is hand-carded and hand-spun by Tibetan and Nepalese craftspeople, using centuries-old techniques. Every Odegard Carpet produced in Nepal carries the GoodWeave label, the best possible assurance that no child labor was used. For over twenty years, GoodWeave has developed powerful strategies such as harnessing market forces; cleaning up supply chains; rescuing and rehabilitating child laborers; and ensuring decent work and vocational training for adult workers. This work has helped reduce child labor by eighty percent across the carpet industry.