November 14th, 2025
Dear Friend,
We often talk about the incredible work our partners are doing in communities across Haiti. But Roots’ work extends around the world—particularly our efforts, alongside an extensive network of allies, to bring Haitian voices to global conversations and influence the international aid system to better support community-powered organizations.
As part of this mission, in the past month, Roots and our partners have participated in convenings around the world:
- The World Bank Civil Society Policy Forum in Washington, DC, on October 15th;
- The World Conference on Humanitarian Studies in Istanbul, Turkey, on October 17th;
- The Haitian Studies Association Conference in Pittsburgh, PA, on October 25th;
- and Opportunity Collaboration in Albufeira, Portugal, on November 2nd.
WORLD BANK CIVIL SOCIETY POLICY FORUM
On October 15th, Roots and Gwoup Konbit co-hosted a session at the World Bank Annual Meetings Civil Society Policy Forum titled “Strengthening Civil Society Through Indigenous Mutual Aid Practices.”
The CSPF is a part of the World Bank Group-International Monetary Fund Annual Meetings, providing an open space for Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) from all over the world to dialogue and exchange views with World Bank Group and IMF staff, their peers, government delegations, and other stakeholders on a wide range of topics.
Our panelists included:
- Louino Robillard, Co-Founder of Gwoup Konbit;
- Jessica Hsu, Anthropologist, Solidarity Activist, and Roots Research & Advocacy Manager;
- Courtenay Cabot-Venton, Executive Director of the Share Trust;
- and Luis Ruiz, Executive Director of the Oaxaca Community Foundation.
Our session was one of just 33 selected for the forum’s program out of more than 300 proposals submitted, and the only session held on Haiti this year.
INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN STUDIES ASSOCIATION
Louino Robillard flew straight from Washington, DC, to Istanbul, Turkey, to represent Gwoup Konbit at the World Conference on Humanitarian Studies, hosted by the International Humanitarian Studies Association.
He was invited by the University of Dublin and the University of Vermont, with support from Concern Worldwide, to speak about the role of Konbit in community research and development, highlighting the experience of Gwoup Konbit in promoting collective action and citizen participation in Haiti.
Robi discussed an ongoing research project on social capital in Cité Soleil, coordinated by a local team of Konbit leaders and conducted by and for the community itself. The goal of this research is to show that communities are the experts on their own realities.
HAITIAN STUDIES ASSOCIATION
Back in the US, Louino Robillard and Jessica Hsu, alongside Dr. Cassandra Jean Francois of Gwoup Konbit and Nadege Bellande Robertson of Lakou Tanama, led a plenary session at the Haitian Studies Association Conference in Pittsburgh on October 25th.
The plenary was titled “Healing & Repair,” and explored Gwoup Konbit’s adaptation of the practice of Konbit to promote collective healing, memory, and action.
OPPORTUNITY COLLABORATION
Jessica Hsu then flew to Portugal to participate in Opportunity Collaboration, a summit for leaders dedicated to building sustainable solutions to poverty and injustice.
She attended as an OC Weaver, a fellowship for “catalytic leaders who, by their actions and accomplishments, evidence pragmatic vision, passionate tenacity, multi-sectoral thinking, adaptive leadership skills, non-ideological activism and strong ethical grounding.”
OC is known as an “unconference,” prioritizing human relationships as the foundation for collaboration, with more than 450 attendees from around the world. In addition to non-traditional sessions on pressing topics, delegates were broken into leadership circles to have personal, more intimate conversations about current challenges and successes and provide a community of support.
Each of these convenings was a key opportunity to get our and our partners work in front of salient audiences, promote our philosophy of Development without Dependency, and develop new opportunities for collaboration, and we’re grateful for the support that makes that possible.
To explore more of our advocacy resources, visit rootsofdevelopment.org/dwd-knowledge-hub/.
To support our mission, visit rootsofdevelopment.org/donate.
Sincerely,
Chad Bissonnette
President & Co-Founder