Commonwealth Partnerships for Economic and Environmental Resilience

CBWN and Artisanal Collective launch landmark collaboration to boost resilience unlocking transformative potential of women indigenous creative enterprises.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM, UNITED KINGDOM, October 13, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- CBWN and Artisanal Collective Forge Strategic Partnership to Boost Economic and Environmental Resilience Across the Commonwealth

The Commonwealth Businesswomen’s Network (CBWN) and Artisanal Collective have announced a landmark collaboration aimed at strengthening economic resilience and unlocking the transformative potential of women-led and Indigenous creative enterprises across all 56 Commonwealth member states.

The partnership will help drive the Commonwealth’s ambitious target of achieving US$2 trillion in intra-Commonwealth trade by 2030, creating new pathways for sustainable, inclusive development.
Combining CBWN’s institutional influence—accredited by all 56 Commonwealth governments—with Artisanal Collective’s ethically grounded, global network of Fair Trade–verified artisans, the collaboration provides a direct conduit from grassroots creative entrepreneurs to high-level policy advocacy. The result: a virtuous cycle of tangible economic impact and supportive policy reform.
“In today’s volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) world, we must forge innovative and adaptive strategies to ensure that economic growth is inclusive and resilient,” said Freda Miriklis, Chair of the Commonwealth Businesswomen’s Network. “This partnership aligns directly with the Commonwealth’s 2025–2030 strategic vision. By uniting our policy reach with the authenticity and vibrancy of the Artisanal Collective, we are not just building businesses—we are strengthening communities, advancing women, and championing the creative economy as a powerful engine for sustainable prosperity across our 56 member states.”

Charles Kao, Founder and Chairman of Artisanal Collective, added, “This collaboration ensures that the voices and needs of artisans are heard at the highest levels of trade policy. It reflects our shared commitment to equity, cultural preservation, and intergenerational well-being. Together, we will transform the perception of artisanal products from simply ‘ethical’ to profoundly ‘authentic’—a powerful differentiator in the global market.”

The partnership is anchored on three re-engineered strategic pillars designed for resilience in a VUCA world:
1. Digital Transformation as an Anti-Fragility Tool – Equipping women artisans with essential digital skills—from e-commerce to authenticity tools like digital product passports and QR codes—to thrive in volatile markets.

2. Creative Corridors as Resilient Trade Networks – Establishing digitally enabled networks that leverage the “Commonwealth Advantage” to simplify cross-border trade and promote Indigenous-to-Indigenous collaboration.

3. The Diaspora as a VUCA Shock Absorber – Mobilizing the 26 million–strong Commonwealth diaspora as a source of resilient capital, market access, and mentorship for artisanal entrepreneurs.

Timed to coincide with a growing global recognitFion of Indigenous economic rights, the initiative builds on progressive trade frameworks—such as the Australia-UK Free Trade Agreement, which protects Indigenous traditional knowledge and resale benefits for artists.
By incorporating Indigenous worldviews—including intergenerational planning and the Rights of Nature—the collaboration promotes business models that sustain both communities and ecosystems for future generations.
The partnership will leverage major upcoming events, including the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Antigua and Barbuda, to showcase its impact and mobilise further investment in the creative economy.

About the Commonwealth Businesswomen's Network (CBWN):
The Commonwealth Businesswomen's Network is an accredited organisation recognised by the 56 governments of the Commonwealth. Its mission is to strengthen the Commonwealth by building businesses and advancing women's economic empowerment and leadership. CBWN works across a single platform connecting member nations to foster inclusive and sustainable growth.
About Artisanal Collective:
Artisanal Collective is creating an AI-powered Empowerment Ecosystem that integrates training, market-matching, digital product passports, and dignified storytelling to bring artisans—primarily low-income women and Indigenous producers—into the global economy. Within three years, 360,000 artisans will be registered, 75,000 will be trading online, and 60,000 of the poorest artisans will triple their incomes. Artisans are not beneficiaries but shareholders in a regenerative economy.

https://artisanalcollective.org
Media contact: Arnelle Kendall: arnelle@arnellekendallinternational.com : Tel 561.789.8286
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charleskao1/
https://www.instagram.com/artisanalcollective_social/

Arnelle K Ossendryver
Arnelle Kendall International
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