2024 Annual DC Event

September 19, 2024

If you are receiving this email, you are a part of the Roots family. You may represent our local partners, individual donors, institutional funders, international organizations, government, academia, or the Haitian diaspora. All of us united in support for Haiti and for locally led solutions around the world.

To truly succeed in shifting power and resources to local communities, we must build one global community, linking all of us together in pursuit of our common cause. That’s what this year’s Annual Event in Washington, DC, was all about. We heard from DC City Councilmember Robert White and Uganda National NGO Forum Executive Director Moses Isooba, and honored three members of our network:

• the Movement for Community-led Development, global advocates for local aid
• Gwoup Konbit, a local implementer and our newest partner in Haiti
• Ayiti Community Trust, a principled funder for Haitian-led solutions

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DC CITY COUNCILMEMBER ROBERT WHITE

Special Remarks

“I live by a philosophy that you don’t have to have all the answers, you need to know and support the folks who have the answers. What Roots does to help the country, the people, of Haiti, is make sure they are getting funding and support to the folks on the ground, the organizations who know what needs to be done, that are doing the work.”

– Robert White, DC City Councilmember

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DR. MOSES ISOOBA

Keynote Address

“The current dominant international aid system is in hospice. When it dies and finally composts, we need to identify the congenital genes to avoid as we construct the new emergent system—such genes are power, privilege and money.”

– Dr. Moses Isooba, Executive Director of the Uganda National NGO Forum

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HONORING GWOUP KONBIT

Local Implementer

“Gwoup Konbit and its members continuously work to break the mold of the international aid structure, returning to historic, traditional roots of Haitian society–like konbit. And they represent an essential component of the community we’re building; a place to direct our energy and our support, where we can encourage others to direct their support, and we know that it will be put to good, effective use.”

– Dr. Gina Guillaume-Joseph, Roots Board Member

Gwoup Konbit was honored with the 2024 Commitment to Community Award for its outstanding commitment to implementing locally led, sustainable development in Haiti.

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HONORING AYITI COMMUNITY TRUST

Principled Funder

“Ayiti Community Trust isn’t a normal funder.  They understand that the relationship between funder and grantee must be a true partnership, built on mutual trust and respect. They understand that the future of Haiti is and should be up to Haitians. Responsible, principled funders like Ayiti Community Trust are essential to bringing the changes we need into reality.”

– Rudy Brioché. Roots Board Chair

Ayiti Community Trust was honored with the 2024 Commitment to Community Award for its outstanding commitment to supporting Haitian-led development with sustainable funding.

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HONORING THE MOVEMENT FOR
COMMUNITY-LED DEVELOPMENT

Global Advocate

“Gunjan Veda, Executive Director of MCLD, said this on our panel on Local Power & International Aid last April: ‘We are operating in a system that was not designed for community-led development. We are operating in a system that has very colonial roots. The aid system is a political design. And therefore, it was never designed to center community voices.’ Roots is proud to be working with the Movement for Community-led Development to change that reality.”

– Charlie Estes, Roots Strategic Initiatives & Communications Director

MCLD was honored with the 2024 Commitment to Community Award for its outstanding commitment to advocating for the global aid sector to shift power and funding to communities.

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FOOD, DRINK, MUSIC, & FUN!

In addition to being a meaningful and important night, it was also fun! Thanks to everyone who attended—find all the photos from the evening at https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBJRSE. Don’t forget to tag Roots when you post!