Insights and perspectives by Stephen Rwagweri as a speaker in global impact discussion

Stephen Rwagweri

Stephen Rwagweri holds under represented insights and perspectives on deepening social impact and driving universal inclusion especially using artisanal sector which is globally an engine of livelihood, springboard of grassroots innovations and potential to drive inclusion that continues to be a subject of tokenism and blind spot in impact investing and policy discussion. His insights and perspectives are informed by a strong passion and a long career built on assembling innovative energies to drive universal inclusion. His over 20 years professional experience has involved research, reflection, designing and scaling innovations around culture and artisan heritage as a tool of inspiring resilience, driving equitable livelihood and universal inclusion while working with major development organizations including UNESCO, Commonwealth Foundation, HIVOS, CIDA among others.

He identifies undiscovered sector potentials to drive universal economic inclusion and ignite a reflection on unnoticed possibilities. Coming from a long career of working with the populations which are resigned in severe limitations and deprivation where himself belonged and ride a theory of change to resilience and equitable livelihood, he shares tactics of disrupting systemic despair and inspiring a belief in possibilities. He delivers his message through story telling using case studies and field data.

 He illustrates his case by unveiling hidden potential of artisanal sector as follows;

1. Artisanal sector globally is uniquely positioned to drive universal economic equity and inclusion.

It is socially and geographically universal human production sector, second to agriculture in providing for livelihoods at grassroots.

 It is the only production sector which can be adapted to literacy, physical and technical limitations and reclaim productivity among the incapacitated and disempowered groups like the elderly, persons with disabilities and the chronically ill who cannot afford the alternatives like agriculture which require more technical and physical fitness and vibrancy. It provides the first basic livelihood skills and remain a fallback when human technical and physical fitness and vibrancy fails.

Artisanal sector can be adapted to the most resource deprived like the refugees, the landless, the stateless and the displaced who cannot access land for agriculture and reclaim them to competitive productivity.

Artisanship is a production sector which integrates the highest content of social, spiritual and therapeutic values and hence able to uplift the wellbeing of people with physical discomfort.

 Artisanal sector is naturally adapted to driving gender balance and geographical equity as it is predominantly up to 90% an economy of female gender and survives in underserved geographies.

The artisanal business operate at the intersection of priority impact sectors and themes including improving livelihood at grassroots, advancing gender balance and women economic emancipation, job creation, promotion of women entrepreneurship, culture preservation and enhancing climate change resilience

 2. Artisanal sector can be a spring board to ignite social innovations at grassroots.

 Artisanal practices is a space that inspire human imaginations and creativity around all aspects of socio-economic life. And therefore, when this space is developed can ignite social innovations in diverse socioeconomic aspects among the population at grassroots

 3.       Maximum nature and human friendliness of artisanal value chain.

There is growing passionate connection between people and handmade products because, in addition to their practical utility, they also tell a human story, symbolize direct human touch and their processes of production and utilization do not launch any attack to human beings and nature through exploitation of labour, materials neither releasing emissions.