| STAY CONNECTED TO THE MOVEMENT |
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| Jobs in Fair Trade |
Work with FTRN:
Interns - Now recruiting for summer positions, in DC or remotely, on media, campaign coord. & program
development. For more information on interning with FTRN, check out the FTRN internships.
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| Find & Post Fair Trade Events |
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May 2009 |
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Biggest & Best World Fair Trade Day Expected This May!
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FUN ways to invite others to your WFTD Break!
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 Pass
along this rockin' WFTD video to friends and coworkers to help us reach a
world record of over 55,000 participants in World Fair Trade Day. Much thanks to volunteers Rory Finnin and Anne Lally for creating this welcoming piece.
If you or your neighbors can't attend an existing WFTD event, take a pledge to have a Fair Trade Break wherever you are. Sign & forward this Pledge Action to friends to make sure you all get counted.  Get in the rhythm of a music break by using tips from this video or Drum Circle Guide from JAMTOWN. It's you who makes World Fair Trade Day
what it is every year - a growing, global movement of artisans, farmers, and
those of us who enjoy their products every day, celebrating Fair Trade, and
creating a dignified life for us all. Thank you!
Now go get
'em! 55,000 for Fair Trade.
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Media Coverage of Fair Trade is Blossoming This Spring!
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Check out the growing media attention for Fair Trade and World Fair Trade Day:  Chicago ABC7 News has agreed to a TV segment on WFTD on May 2nd. One of the top BBQ authors in the U.S. will be blogging on May 4th to support WFTD. Find a creative Fair Trade recipe from Steven Raichlen, the author of The Barbecue Bible and host of Primal Grill on PBS, on his blog. The WFTD campaign has secured lots of local media coverage, such as articles in papers from Vermont,
Kalamazoo (MI), San Diego, & Saratoga Springs (NY), and a full feature piece in
Mindful Metropolis magazine in Chicago. Chicago Public Radio also has committed to air a spot on May 1st. View recent articles on our Facebook page.
The News Hour with Jim Lehrer featured Pura Vida coffee helping
its bean growers in Central America improve their lives. See the video. National Public Radio reported on how Fair Trade Markets are Growing Quickly. Listen to the story.
If you need assistance crafting a pitch
or to find the appropriate person to pitch, contact Megy at 312-560-2715 or
email her at Megy@KarydesConsulting.com.
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Rwandan Cooperative Helps Business, Environment and Women's Employment
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 Founded in 2000, The
Dukunde Kawa Cooperative (Musasa) cultivates its high quality coffee near a
mountain gorilla habitat in central Rwanda. The coop produces high-end coffee for
the international market and employs a predominantly female workforce.
In 2003, the
cooperative built a washing station with funds provided by the Rwandan Ministry
of Defense. In exchange for this support, Dukunde Kawa now donates 10 percent of its net profits annually to fund the
construction of other washing stations throughout Rwanda.
Fair Trade has enabled the Dukunde Kawa Cooperative to
establish various social and productive programs including a tree
rehabilitation initative, long-term credit programs for coop members, new
homes, and bicycles to ease the transportation of coffee cherries to the
central station. Learn more.
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Awards Rolling In to Fair Trade Businesses
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Equal Exchange has received four awards for its Social & Environmental Practices since March 1! They were honored with the Social Innovation Award, given out jointly by the Financial Times and JustMeans.Com, a Green Business Award was given by the City of Boston to their new café, and the Aaron Feuerstein Spirituality and Business Award was bestowed by the Symposium on Spirituality, Values, and Business. They were also named one of the World's Most Democratic Workplaces for the third consecutive year by WorldBlu, a non-profit specializing in organizational democracy.
Café Campesino was honored as Small Business of the Year on Feb. 5 by the Americus -Sumter County (GA) Chamber of Commerce.
In addition to these external awards, the Fair Trade Federation handed out four awards to fully committed Fair Trade businesses. The companies honored at the April FTF Conference were:
One World Projects
Recycled Tire Purse - Best Product Design (pictured at left)
Equal Exchange
Interfaith Program - Best Public Education Program
Global Goods Partners and Ikamva Labantu in South Africa - Most Positive Change Created in a Producer Community
SERRV - Outstanding Service to the Fair Trade Community
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| Fair Trade News |
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TOOL TO TRACE COFFEE BACK TO ITS SOURCE
Cooperative Coffees launched an online tool that
provides copies of contracts, invoices, and background information about each cup of coffee, its farmer coop and their communities. Visit the "Total Transparency Tool."
NEW WEB RESOURCE FOR ARTISANS
SERRV launched a new web site for use by artisans around the world. Check out the resources and connections helping them with business operations, product design, sustainability and more at Artisan Work.
VIDEO GAME FOR FAIR TRADE ADVOCACY
Divine Chocolate got over
50,000 people to help keep Fair Trade on the agenda at the G20 by playing the Egg a Politician game.
2ND FAIR TRADE WINE AT SAM'S CLUB
Sam's
Club implements its Simple Steps to Saving Green™ with the addition of a second Fair Trade Certified™ wine
in stores nationwide.
FAIR TRADE TOWNS WELCOMES NATIONAL COORDINATOR
TransFair
USA is pleased to welcome Bill Linstead Goldsmith as the new Fair Trade Towns
coordinator.
U.S. STUDENTS CONNECT WITH FOREIGN NATIONALS THROUGH FAIR TRADE
 Junior College students and Global Village teamed up to educate the public about Fair Trade at an International Fair in Peoria, IL. People from different countries
were excited to see & purchase items from their countries of origin while meeting the volunteer students.
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At FTRN, our work is not done until Fair Trade is practiced in every household.
Businesses Kizuri and Ganesh Himal Trading in Spokane, WA, love WFTD so much that they are challenging ALL Retail
Stores and Wholesalers who carry Fair Trade products to donate 10% of their
sales from their WFTD events to FTRN. Join Made By Hand in Delaware, Ten Thousand Villages in
Goshen, IN, and Just Goods in South Bend, IN! Email info@ftrn.org to pledge 10% towards making WFTD even better next year!
Please make a contribution today to help us continue to develop the materials that are essential in effecting people-powered change for Fair Trade.
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