This event takes place at The Textile Museum (2320 S St, NW, Washington, DC).
Sustaining cultural traditions and fostering economic growth in developing nations are two complex and often contradictory challenges—and this program provides firsthand insight into tying these efforts together. Visiting Washington, D.C. to participate in the 2011 Smithsonian Folklife Festival program "The Peace Corps: Fifty Years of Promoting World Peace and Friendship," weavers from Tonga and Peru will demonstrate their techniques and answer questions between 12 and 1 p.m. Following this drop-in period, a panel of returned Peace Corps volunteers and international development professionals will illuminate the role of textiles in craft and artisan business development, both touching on challenges and sharing stories of their personal successes. The
panel features: Kevin Healy, a returned volunteer and former USAID employee; Julia Zagar, a returned volunteer who founded a textile co-op in Peru and now owns Zagar Gallery in Philadelphia; Elena Borquist Noyes, a currently serving volunteer who is working with Tongan weavers to market their crafts; and Brittany Noetzel, US Country Director for Amani ya Juu, a sewing and training program for marginalized women based in East Africa. Click here for more information. Free; no reservations required.