ftrn.org is an information hub designed to grow the fair trade movement. together, we can create a market that values the people who make the food we eat and the goods we use.
TIP: If a story moves you, use the comment feature for that story to write a response. Dialogue is a key to growing the movement!
Starting in September 2009, check for weekly updates from Lead Blogger Zarah Patriana, Operations Manager of Global Exchange’s Online Store, and former FT Blogger for change.org.
In this section, learn the latest news about action campaigns, Fair Trade Town coalitions, and grassroots initiatives around the USA. From poverty to climate change to the green movement to economic downtowns, the push for Fair Trade reaches various aspects of today’s world. This blog explores what the Fair Trade movement is doing in our daily lives locally and globally.
Zarah Patriana has been a Fair Trade advocate for several years and is currently working at international human rights organization, Global Exchange. From her work with marginalized communities worldwide to get their products into the international market to her work with Change.org as a Fair Trade blogger to occasionally dressing up as a Fair Trade Certified banana, Zarah is always striving to educate and inform the public about a more just and sustainable trading system.
In case you missed it, it is Fair Trade Month. And in case you missed me, I apologize for the lack of posts but I have been a busy bee winning Fair Trade prizes (amongst other things).
This whole month, TransFairUSA has been counting down the Fair Trade days and all the ways you can get involved with spreading Fair Trade. In order to bring you up to speed, here’s the list so far:
Twenty one days of Fair Trade and counting. Stay tuned to the Fair Trade Month website as they continue to highlight Fair Trade days and Fair Trade ways we can all get involved.
by Adrienne Fitch-Frankel, Global Exchange‘s Fair Trade Campaign Director
This week, as Rosh Hashanah approaches, I am honored that Adrienne Fitch-Frankel, a self-described “nice Jewish girl,” is sharing the faith-based reasons behind her Fair Trade work. I got to know and respect Adrienne a bit as she created the Fair Trade Holiday project for Global Exchange. She‘s one of Fair Trade’s most energetic and creative activists so it is no surprise she ends this reflection (the first of two installments) with several inclusive action steps. ~ Jackie
The week this blog entry is being posted, Jewish people celebrate our holiest week of the year: the high holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Therefore, the question of how my faith background intersects with my role as Global Exchange‘s Fair Trade Campaign Director is especially present with me. For me, there is both a personal side to this question “How do our faith traditions move us personally?” and a pragmatic, campaign side to this question” How can our personal understanding of faith communities inform and improve our campaigns to promote Fair Trade?”
For me, on the most personal level, there is one single experience that fascinates me the most about the intersection of spirituality and social justice advocacy. Have you ever had an “ah-hah” moment about the roots of your passion for social justice advocacy when you participate in a religious custom or service? For me, as a secular Jew who participates in faith rituals mostly on religious holidays, the “ah-hah” moments happen every year when I attend services for the High Holidays, retell the Hanukkah story, or participate in the Passover Seder.
Of all the pieces I have written for Global Exchange‘s Fair Trade Campaign, one of my favorites is our Passover Seder insert, which is written in the lyrical language of the Passover Haggadah and draws a parallel between the Biblical story of slavery in Egypt and the slavery faced by the children who are forced to grow our cocoa. At Passover, we remember the time that the Jewish people suffered as slaves in Egypt and escaped. Global Exchange‘s Fair Trade campaign not only promotes Fair Trade cocoa, but also seeks to end child slavery in the cocoa fields, which is prohibited by the Fair Trade standards. An estimated 12,000 children are slaves in the cocoa fields of West Africa.
Thinking about this piece, and reflecting on faith and Fair Trade advocacy, I have been struck by the themes of personal responsibility for social justice advocacy that seem to emerge from our faith traditions. Parts of the Haggadah are written in the first person, as we say “when I was a slave in Egypt”, not “when they were slaves in Egypt.” The Passover Seder serves as a mandate to all generations to put ourselves firmly in the shoes of another, imagine what it would be like, and work to end the injustice around us today.
Thinking of this characteristic of the Haggadah, one hears echoes of other wisdom that comes from our faith communities, like the rule of treating our neighbor as we would wish to be treated ourselves. Or the famous poem of theologian and Lutheran pastor, Martin Niemaller, in which the voice in the poem laments that each time the Nazis came for another group, he or she did not speak up, and “Then they came for me, and by that time no one was left to speak up.” Or the expression “there but for the grace of God go I.”
Fair Trade is about walking in another person‘s shoes. We are all the farmer in Ethopia, the enslaved child in the cocoa fields of Ivory Coast, or that child‘s parents, sick with worry, the youth in a coffee-farming community hungering to go to school.
For all that we stand in the shoes of neighbors, we also stand in our own shoes. And we are blessed with resources and a sense of fairness and a moral compass that our faith traditions give us. The resources to change things are in our hands. If only each one of us recommits ourselves to using them.
When we choose the coffee or cocoa or crafts we will buy, we must treat our neighbors as we would wish to be treated ourselves. Not only that, but we must take action to transform the economy so that every one of our real neighbors in our community is also buying Fair Trade. We are the ones with the resources and the ability to speak out. We are all Moses.
I feel very blessed to bring a background of having been raised in a faith tradition to my work in Fair Trade, and not only because it is one of the original catalysts that inspired me to do this work. I believe that having a deep appreciation for the importance and potential of the contributions of faith communities in achieving social justice enables me to better serve in my role of supporting coffee- and cocoa-growing communities lift themselves out of poverty. For those of us who were raised and/or participate in a faith tradition, I think our background provides us a key component of both the “why?” and “how?” of compelling, effective, and dynamic social justice advocacy. To me, even though I work at a secular institution, this means that faith-based initiatives are absolutely a priority in Fair Trade advocacy.
During this special week and beyond, I would like to invite you to help spread Fair Trade faith-based programs (available at www.globalexchange.org/cocoa) all over the US, by participating, organizing your congregations, and telling friends nationwide:
Reverse Trick-or-Treating: Brings meaning and values to Halloween when kids give Fair Trade chocolate and information back to adults when they go trick-or-treating. Deadline to register is October 1 for congregations/schools and October 13 for individual families at www.reversetrickortreating.org.
Fair Trade Holiday Caroling: I love this program and I urge you to participate because (1) it revives a wonderful, warm tradition of giving a gift of merriment to our neighbors and friends during the holiday season, (2) it is a fabulous way to explain to your neighbors why you care about Fair Trade and why you hope they will, too, and (3) it gives the audience the opportunity to take immediate action, with a Fair Trade New Year‘s Resolution and coupons. http://www.globalexchange.org/campaigns/fairtrade/cocoa/caroling.html
Finally, I would like to invite you to join me in the cocoa fields, so that together we can learn about the lives of producers and even ask them their opinions on the role of faith in Fair Trade. I will be leading a delegation to Conacado in the Dominican Republic in May 26-June 6, 2010. Visit www.globalexchange.org/tours for more information.
I went to elementary school in the Midwest in the early ’90s. Every fall, we entered the school gymnasium to get pumped up for our annual fundraiser. This kick-off event was meant to energize us to sell, with lures of all the prizes we could win if we sold the most candy bars, tubs of popcorn, or wrapping paper. The philosophy was, “the more you sell, the more you’ll win random stuff you really don’t need!” Never did we talk about how what we were selling might impact people or places. Just get the most money, and you too could win a neon-pink kazoo keychain. Woo-hoo!
Fifteen years later, I’m so pleased to be a worker-owner at Equal Exchange, where we offer schools a different kind of fundraising. My co-worker, Virginia Berman, started the Equal Exchange Fundraising Program after getting requests from teachers and parents who wanted an alternative fundraiser. After three years, we’ve partnered with over 300 groups. And the momentum continues to grow every day.
So, what’s special about this fundraiser? Well, for one it offers totally yummy fairly traded and organic coffee, tea, chocolate, nuts and dried fruit. It’s stuff that people already eat and drink, so it doesn’t feel wasteful like typical fundraisers. Plus, it’s fairly traded, so you can feel good knowing your fundraising dollars are supporting small-scale farmer co-ops and their communities. Additionally, the products are organic. The farmers use sustainable farming methods, without all those nasty pesticides and fertilizers. It’s better for them, it’s better for you and your kids, and it’s better for our earth.
Equal Exchange also developed a Fair Trade and co-op economics curriculum to accompany the Fundraising Program, to teach children that their everyday choices can make a difference in the lives of others (it’s free to download on our web site). We really believe that change is on the horizon - and we need the help of future generations to make sure we are supporting farmers internationally, while also making efforts toward greening this planet of ours.
The bottom line? Your school fundraiser can make a difference worldwide while raising money for your own community. Sounds way better than a neon-pink kazoo keychain, if you ask me.
I don’t need to drink the Kool-Aid to know that Michelle Obama is incredible. Princeton University for undergrad, Harvard for Law School, former associate at a law firm, a former Executive Director at the University of Chicago Hospitals, former Associate Dean at University of Chicago, proud mother of two daughters, First Lady of the United States and how could we forget her impeccable fashion sense and those arms. A strong, intelligent woman with credentials to back it up.
Yes, I’m a big fan of Mrs. Obama. So, when I heard about the campaign appealing to the First Lady to Fair Trade the White House I was immediately on board. The goal of the campaign is simple:
We are a grassroots, nonpartisan coalition of Fair Trade organizations, vendors, and consumers whose goal is to cordially invite First Lady Michelle Obama to join the Fair Trade movement by declaring the White House a “Fair Trade Home.”
Michelle already has a good record going at greening the White House. She’s got the White House kitchen serving only organic foods, started a garden on the South Lawn, pushed for the opening of a Farmer’s Market near the Executive Mansion and even has a colony of bees at the Presidential home providing the First Family and company with honey. So, if one of the main messages here is to encourage ethical and sustainable consumption, methinks that getting Fair Trade into the White House is an easy next step.
Setting the example of having Fair Trade products in the White House would send the message to the general public that their purchasing habits can “alleviate poverty, reduce inequality, and create opportunities for people to help themselves.”
If anyone can set a good example, it would be Michelle Obama. As the Atlantic recently said about her influence on the people, “It’s like her outfits. When she wears a J. Crew dress, everyone goes out and buys it. It’s going to be the same thing with kale.”
And if she can get people to buy more kale, certainly she can get more people to go Fair Trade.
So, I urge you all to join the campaign to invite the First Lady to Fair Trade the White House and let people know that people producing a product are treated fairly, paid fairly and are being fair to the environment. Learn more or take action at http://www.fairtradewhitehouse.com/index.htm
Looking at the calendar, it dawned on me that Fair Trade Month is less than a month away. In case you didn’t know, October is designated Fair Trade Month and it is all about
[S]preading the word. It’s about letting your friends, family and coworkers know what a big difference Fair Trade makes in the lives of small farmers and farm workers throughout the world.
Fair Trade Month is hosted by TransFairUSA to promote awareness and sales of Fair Trade Certified products. This year, the goal is to reach even more people than before. The running theme is 31 Days, 31 Ways, 3100 Followers and 31000 Fans. Each day, there will be 31 different Fair Trade facts features, along with 31 ways to spread Fair Trade in your community - both local and online!
Jet on over to the Fair Trade Month website where you can find out about events going on in your city, or register your own event. You can even post photos, share videos and interact with Fair Traders across the country. Oh, sweet interactivity on the internets. The future is now. But once you’re done perusing the site, get out into your community and start planning an event. I know my Bay Area Fair Trade Coalition-San Francisco Chapter has already got our wheels turning on the big month - Reverse Trick-or-Treating anyone?
Labor Day is right around the corner so that means that the end of summer is nearly upon us. All summer long, my fellow Fair Traders and I have been taking part in the National S’mores Action and demanding more from our s’mores.
My s’mores event took place right around August 10th, when Hershey’s made the call to celebrate National S’mores Day while using their chocolate. Celebrate National S’mores Day I did but I used Fair Trade Certified chocolate instead. It was our day to make the call to Hershey’s and the rest of the cocoa industry to step up and do their part in ending poverty and putting a halt on abusive child labor in the cocoa industry.
Look at the action as being a big chocolatey petition, which could be the most delicious political action you might ever take. The goal is to register over 1,500 s’mores this summer to make a statement that we want our chocolate to be Fair Trade Certified.
So, as we countdown and bid farewell to summer grab those graham crackers, marshmallows and Fair Trade Certified chocolate and take action to and help say farewell to child slavery in the chocolate industry.
10 leading FT organizations in N. America are organizing a Fair Trade Futures conference, scheduled for September 10-12, 2010, that will bring together at least 751 current and prospective Fair Trade entrepreneurs, students, academics, interested non-governmental organizations, media representatives, producers, consumers, and activists. The first such conference, hosted in Chicago in 2005, attracted 750 attendees.
The aims of the upcoming meeting are to have participants:
Acquire and build their knowledge base as appropriate to their various roles (i.e. consumer, entrepreneur, student, development professional, etc.)
Leave with a clear and inspired understanding of how they can implement and increase their commitment to-and perhaps their passion for– to Fair Trade
Pledge to fulfill that commitment to change in large and small ways in their communities.
The organizers have contracted the Fair Trade Federation, and FTRN, to plan and host the event. Organizers will announce further details soon. For now, save the date: September 10-12, 2010!
Canada, Australia and New Zealand commit to certifying Cadbury Dairy Milk as Fairtrade by early 2010
Combined with Britain and Ireland, the five markets will quadruple Fairtrade benefits for cocoa farmers under Fairtrade terms
Today, Cadbury extends its commitment to Fairtrade by confirming that three more markets are to receive Fairtrade certification for the flagship Cadbury Dairy Milk brand by early 2010. This move in Canada, Australia and New Zealand will bring the independent FAIRTRADE Mark into millions more homes in five of Cadbury’s key chocolate markets.
Participate in the Third Annual Reverse Trick-or-Treating!
On Halloween night, schoolchildren, (& high school/college students, and adults) across the US and Canada will unite to help:
END poverty among cocoa farmers
END abusive child labor in the cocoa industry
PROMOTE Fair Trade
PROTECT the environment
by giving Fair Trade chocolate back to adults…while Trick-or-Treating door-to-door in their communities on Halloween.
The chocolate is attached to a card with information about social and environmental justice issues in the cocoa industry and how buying Fair Trade certified chocolate provides a solution.
Parents rave about how Reverse Trick-or-Treating transforms Halloween into a meaningful event when youth activists give back to their neighbors and to cocoa growing communities.
Reverse Trick-or-Treating kits are FREE
Thanks to the generous donations of Fair Trade chocolate companies
Equal Exchange, Alter Eco, Sweet Earth, and La Siembra (& others in Canada)
(Participants pay the cost of postage only.)
Participate as an individual or organize your classroom, school, congregation, youth group or social justice organization to participate by distributing multiple kits to participants!
DEADLINE TO REQUEST KITS:
Groups (schools, congregations, youth groups, etc): October 1
Individuals: October 13
Order yours TODAY! We always run out long before the deadline!
Join us, and together, we will reach nearly
a quarter million households this year!
Visit www.reversetrickortreating.org for more information!
If you choose not to request a kit, you can still participate by distributing flyers on Halloween! Visit the website for more information.
Reverse Trick-or-Treating is an initiative launched by the human rights organization Global Exchange in cooperation with Fair Trade company Equal Exchange and is a collaborative effort of countless children, youth, and adults supported by institutions including nonprofit organizations, faith-based organizations, Fair Trade companies, and schools.
Please forward this email broadly! Plus, please pass the information along to blogs, etc.
On September 12th, the Sixth Annual New England Culture Fest will bring together world music and culture, film, fashion and Fair Trade Advocacy to Lowell, Massachusetts Arts District. This festival includes a world class lineup of music from around the globe, the 2009 Fashionable Fair Runway Show, a Salsa Dance Party, the NECF’s Ethical Art & Biz Expo, The Second World Fair Trade Stories Film Archive, NECF Art Fence, Dance Crews and so much more.While enjoying the sights and sounds of this annual event, your involvement will also help raise funds for global Fair Trade economic empowerment projects. Find more information at Sixth Annual New England Culture Fest, Lowell MA Arts District, Middle St, September 12, 2009 2-10 pm.
By Ashley Symons, Equal Exchange
By Zarah Patriana
by Zarah Patriana