Ever ordered a chai tea latte or purchased a jacket marketed as a kimono? When it comes to mobilizing for an anti-racist economy, it is important to first address the ways in which we reinforce systems of oppression in our every day life. During this episode, we explore at what point cultural appreciation becomes appropriation. I had the opportunity to host this conversation earlier this month in collaboration with Chicago Fair Trade, NYC Fair Trade Coalition and Iowa City Fair Trade Coalition. I am excited to bring it to you now through this special episode featuring webinar highlights.

Interested in attending a future webinar? Keep an eye on Art of Citizenry!

My favorite part of hosting these conversations is of course the discussion. So, if you are interested, tune in till the end for the webinar Q&A led by Zachary Rochester as an added bonus.

Before we dive in, I want to welcome everyone to the conversation -- from the social entrepreneurs out there to fair trade advocates, thank you for taking the time to have these important conversations.

Navigating Cultural Appropriation in Social Impact

In the social impact world may it be fair trade home goods or sustainable fashion, cultural appropriation often furthers the very hegemonies brands, organizations, and consumers are seeking to address. This episode explores ways in which we appropriate cultures and communities and what we can do to address the problematic impact of appropriation, especially in the fair trade and social impact space. We focus the conversation on language, symbols and fashion through the lens of power and profit.

Resources about Cultural Appropriation

Interested in reading some of the resources I reference during the episode? Check out these links:

• [Reference Slides] Which is it? Cultural Appreciation or Appropriation by Manpreet Kalra
• [Resource Page] Crafting Inclusive Narratives by Manpreet Kalra
• [Book] So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
• [Article] How 'Namaste' Flew Away from Us by Kumari Devarajan
• [Article] An Open Letter to White Makers & Designer Who are Inspired by the Kimono and Japanese Culture by Emi Ito
• [Book] Who Owns Culture?: Appropriation and Authenticity in American Law by Susan  Scafidi

Thank You

This podcast is dedicated to creating a safe space to discuss and challenge topics surrounding how we each navigate our personal advantages and disadvantages. I want to thank Katherine Bissell Cordova and Andrea Dennis from Chicago Fair Trade along with Zachary Rochester from Iowa City Fair Trade Coalition for moderating.

I also want to thank everyone who attended the live webinar and the many of you who continue to support my work, I appreciate you and your dedication to keep learning. 

Finally, thank you for listening! Please subscribe, download, and leave a review for Art of Citizenry Podcast — I appreciate your love and support on this exciting journey! 

Also, if you want to connect, please feel free to follow me and share your thoughts with me on Instagram @manpreetkalra.

For more, you can find the full show notes of every episode at https://www.artofcitizenry.com/episodes

There are approximately 28 million people living in Nepal. Half of the population lives below the poverty line, earning less that $1.25 per day. With unemployment high, many leave the country as migrant workers. There are a lot of social enterprises and non-profits that go into countries wanting to make a difference. Doing good in an unequal world takes listening and being able to understand the nuance of why a society is the way it is.

In this episode, Tanja talks about her journey from working in fast fashion to slow fashion. She shares her personal reflections on what led her to start Mulxiply, and the challenges she both experienced and observed along the way. Tanja talks about the role of empathy when navigating within a culture other than your own and ways in which social enterprises can use empathy to build relationships and address colonial power dynamics.

In fast fashion, orders are given to the maker with set expectation and limited communication, but slow fashion is much more collaborative. For socially conscious designers like Tanja, the design process is as much about her vision as it is about the maker's.

Global inequities are staring us right in the face. At a time like this, the systemic inequities of society are magnified by the ways in which each country and community navigate crisis. Each individual experience is unique, but it has been especially difficult for those who are economically disadvantaged globally.

“It’s heart-breaking and gut-wrenching to see what’s happening on the borders right now in Nepal. Citizens who have been working abroad are trying to get home. It’s their right! Thousands have been on foot for days and are now stuck with no process for entering or quarantine, no water or food, etc. Thousands of men, women and children are stranded.”

— Tanja Cesh [read the full post here]

Please make the effort to support small businesses — you can follow Mulxiply on Instagram and shop Mulxiply’s contemporary collection online.

This podcast is dedicated to creating a safe space to discuss and challenge topics surrounding how we each navigate our personal advantages and disadvantages. I want to thank Tanja for being one of the first individuals I interviewed for this podcast — her energy and dedication is truly an inspiration!

Finally, thank you for listening! Please subscribe, download, and leave a review for Art of Citizenry Podcast on iTunes — I appreciate your love and support on this exciting journey!

Also, if you want to connect, please feel free to follow me and share your thoughts with me on Instagram @manpreetkalra.

For more, you can find the full show notes of every episode at https://www.artofcitizenry.com/episodes

Welcome and thank you for listening to Art of Citizenry podcast. 

This podcast explores the intersection of social justice, personal journeys, and power dynamics. I am Manpreet Kaur Kalra, your host and in-house storyteller. 

I want to take a moment to share with you the inspiration behind this podcast.

Over the years, I've traveled across six continents, spending extended periods of time in cities and villages around the world. As the stamps in my 52 page passport continued to multiply, so did my passion to do something impactful. My travels left me with a deep rooted desire to “do good” and be a part of a bigger change in how we create, sell and consume products. I started a small retail business. I wanted to better understand supply chains and how a sustainable business can do good. During that journey, I realized two things: the first, that impact does not scale like a business and secondly that sometimes doing good does more harm. Like so many other social entrepreneurs, what I failed to recognize at that moment was that my small business alone could not solve generations of structural inequity.

This podcast comes out of my experience as a social entrepreneur and advocate for inclusive brand narratives. Over the past few years, I have worked with purpose-driven businesses dedicated to producing things ethically. Through my work, I have seen the many ways in which doing good can create great impact, but I have also discovered the ways in which it can reinforce cultural stereotypes and colonial power dynamics.

Over the course of each episode, we will explore topics of social justice through the lens of identity and impact. This podcast is dedicated to creating a space for listeners to reflect and challenge themselves. Talking about difference is uncomfortable, but true change in the way you navigate through life can only happen if you are willing to navigate through discomfort. Doing good in an unequal world requires giving ourselves the space to reflect and approach inequity with humility.

Whether you are an aspiring social entrepreneur, an academic or social justice warrior, I hope this podcast gives you the opportunity to learn something new.

I look forward to you joining me as we explore the art of citizenry.

For more, you can find the full show notes of every episode at https://www.artofcitizenry.com/episodes