JOANNE POWER COTTON

Weave 4 Peace  is a development and income generation initiative that trains refugee and ethnic women’s groups on the Thai-Myanmar border and in Myanmar to manage their own collective weaving and sewing commissions. The project involves the provision of hands-on training in: textile design, the engineering of textile-to-product, quality control, cost effectiveness in production and marketing of traditional textiles for an international and domestic marketplace.

Ethnic groups on the border of Thailand and Burma are characterised by great diversity.  The distinctions in traditional forms of dress and textiles reflect an identity associated with a particular group or ethnicity. In addition to having a development and income generation purpose, Weave 4 Peace aims to showcase and preserve the textile identity of all ethnic minority groups on the border of Thailand and Burma.  

Weave 4 Peace is a project Joanne began and continues to coordinate as Program Director of EEPPOC Australia Inc. Refugee-woven and sewn products can be purchased at the online store at http://www.eeppocaustralia.org. All proceeds of the sales of these products go towards the Fair Trade commission of weaving and sewing done by the refugees and the continual implementation of the Weave 4 Peace project. There will soon be a gallery of products below the slide presentation that will display products that can be purchased. Use the contact page and list the item number you wish to purchase.