"10 Things I Hate About You" actress, Julia Stiles said: "I'm so happy to have found your website! I think it's a great humanitarian aid model; one that empowers local artisans and provides a resource for conscientious consumers here in the US to buy ethical gifts. I love buying GGP gifts online for friends and family!" If you would like to purchase ethical gifts like Julia, visit us at http://globalgoodspartners.org photo credit: www.thecinemasource.com

While searching through fair trade websites about the Futures Conference I happened upon Pauline Tiffen. Miss Tiffen spoke as a keynote speaker at the last Fair Trade Futures Conference. Aside from founding two fair trade companies, Cafédirect and The Day Chocolate Company, she was a founding member of the International Federation of Alternative Trade and is currently a Board Member and adviser of the North American Fair Trade Federation. In her talk entitled “Who Owns Fair Trade?” she spoke about the many victories and challenges that fair trade has experienced through the years. She spoke about her dream, years ago - to make fair trade products accessible. A dream conceived when anything marked with those two words required a trek to the “dirty old health store” in downtown somewhere or other. Fair trade has come a long way since. It seems like every social movement starts with a dream, evoked by some truth in the fabric of humanity. Fair Trade is a response to unjust economic systems. Systems in place which keep producers and sellers in developing countries subsisting at the low rungs of society. But aside from fair trade being a response, or more formally, a “process oriented” system that makes sure a product is made in a fair way Tippen says that it is also something deeply personal, subjective, and human. “Who cares about fair trade, she asks. Then with a giggle, “who cares about slightly less fair trade?” I contemplated this question and answered, “I do.” But what lengths will I go to ensure that the products I purchase are created in a fair manner?  I feel my heart slowly inflate whenever I find a fair trade logo on something I happen to like, but what of all the things in my closet that were made in sweat shops, by underpaid, poorly cared for, male, female, and even child workers? What pain and injustice has my mindless consumerism caused? I find my fair trade meaning in the stories – of the artisans, their histories and countries woven with their beautifully calloused hands into the threads of my vibrant scarf, my beaded necklaces, my Nelson Mandela doll… If you would like to listen to Pauline Tiffen, hear her here: http://vimeo.com/3593015. If you would like to register for the Fair Trade Futures Conference, sign up here: http://fairtradeconference.ning.com/. If you would like a place to purchase ethical gifts, you can find some here: http://globalgoodspartners.org/template/index.cfm.

Sometimes being a conscious consumer and shopping fair trade can be a bit of a challenge, particularly when it comes to the holidays. How will you find the perfect gift for mom, dad, grandma, brother without visualizing brutal images of sweat shop labor? Alas, there is a local solution for a global cause. If you happen to be in NYC on December 17th, stop by the Stephen Weiss Studio in Greenwich Village where Global Goods Partners will be hosting a Fair Trade Marketplace. Take care of all of the loved ones on your shopping list while perusing GGP's fine quality, handmade, global imports from Africa, Asia, the Americas and the Middle East. Considering the wide selection of items from accessories to home decor to pet and baby items,  your conscious consumerism need know no limit! What could be better that one-stop shopping that alleviates poverty, empowers women and promotes social justice? Doing so in a beautiful location in Greenwich Village, surrounded by a community of fair traders while learning more about sustainable community development! As a special bonus, there will be an interview and panel discussion with Global Good Partners' founders and a representative from Kandahar Treasure, one of its community-based organizations in Afghanistan. This panel will be facilitated by news and documentary producer Audrey Baker and it is sure to be an eye-opening discussion. For more information, check out: Hope to see you there!

In the U.S, years of tireless efforts by gender equality activists have elevated the rights of women by leaps and bounds. While the average U.S. woman's salary is still a fraction of that of her male counterparts, we are often incognizant of the degree to which a lack of income-earning opportunities is the reality for the majority of women in this world.  A recent article brilliantly demonstrates that this reality not only affects us, but unless reforms are made, our future food supply will be severely threatened. Studies show that women produce nearly 80% of the food supply yet own only 2% of the land. This statistic is indicative of the barriers women in much of the developing world face in taking ownership of their own economic fate. Unless something is done to address this injustice, limitations in food supply will surely arise and this will no longer be an issue that should concern us, it will be a concern for all of us. In response, the Rural Development Institute has recently launched the Global Center for Women's Land Rights in order to create global policy reform. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton addressed this issue at the G-8, sharing that the Obama Administration would include this issue as a key component of its international agricultural initiatives. She stressed the importance of investing in women as a means of creating lasting change. To learn more about an organization which is investing in women to alleviate poverty and promote sustainable economic development check out Global Goods Partners.

 

Last week, millions of U.S. children trick-or-treated for candy. In Indonesia, the Melati 12 go out in search of candy wrappers all year round. Sugary treats are the bane of dentistry in the U.S., but in Indonesia candy wrappers are the link to nutrition. How could this be?!? In Jakarta, Indonesia the Melati 12 earn a living by collecting what others discard. The Melati 12, in connection with Mercy Corps Indonesia, collect candy wrappers and laundry pouches. They transform trash into treasures and create sustainable livelihoods in the process. The discarded candy wrappers and laundry pouches escape the landfill and instead are given new life through masterful transformation into eyeglass cases, cell phone cases and durable bags. Take a look: http://www.globalgoodspartners.org/cart/results.cfm?cbo=4126 Aside from the sustainable livelihood that results from their craftsmanship and ingenuity, the Melati 12's work actually has 'health' benefits. The Melati 12 are aligned with a Mercy Corps Indonesia initiative dedicated to addressing improvements in nutrition and health for children under five, and promoting environmental campaigns such as improved water sanitation and waste management. Candy has never tasted sweeter!