An earlier blog post (from Tuesday, June 29^th) alluded to the impact that young adults can have in this world. I came across an interesting perspective that really exemplifies how small choices amongst youngsters can make a huge difference. The campaigns do not include green farming, recycling, or fair trade coffee. The front runner of this potential social impact? Harry Potter.

You may be as shocked and/or intrigued as I was when I first came across this idea from the Helping Hands Rewards’ blog  posted nearly a year ago. Setting aside any evoked emotion, it is realistic to believe that the Harry Potter franchise can have an incredible influence beyond books, movies, and amusement parks. To do so, a focus needs to be placed on the dunk-a-roo’s of the wizarding world: Chocolate Frogs. For fellow Harry Potter followers, you may recall that these treats played a relatively important role in the first book, Sorcerer’s Stone, when Hermione connected Nicholas Flamel and Albus Dumbledore by utilizing the cards found with the Chocolate Frogs. The treats continued to play a nostalgic role throughout the remainder of the series. As the Harry Potter franchise started to grow beyond the books, companies started to produce and sell these candies, including at Dylan’s Candy Bar. This memento of the series, amongst others (e.g. Sorting hats at FAO Schwartz and wands from Warner Bros), validates the large number of Harry Potter supporters. Putting these facets together—Chocolate and a large clientele—socially conscious organizations started to see an opportunity for awareness.  Utilizing Fair Trade chocolate for this Harry Potter product (and others as noted in the Helping Hands Rewards blog), would get a huge audience involved in the fair trade movement by learning about the impact of their purchase. Supporting an endeavor like this is important amongst all non-profit organizations, especially those focusing on fair trade.  While it may start with chocolate, a greater knowledge about fair trade products may then yield to a wide range of products. Many may not even know that laptop cases, cell phone accessories, scarves, paperweights, and wallets can also be fair trade items. Become a socially conscious consumer today. Check out the Global Goods Products website to see the various products, all produced by fair trade!