It's June 20th! Did you know it's World Refugee Day? Today, we celebrate the strength, bravery, and resilience of the 65.6 million refugees displaced worldwide: These men, women, and children who leave their homes and build themselves up again in a new land and culture. Check out how refugees from Burkina Faso, Syria, and the Thai-Burmese border are creating beautiful handmade products in pursuit of a brighter tomorrow.

Design for Peace

The Design for Peace project, led by Afrika Tiss and supported by UNHCR, provides income to Malian artisans living as refugees in neighboring Burkina Faso. UNHCR provides local artisans and refugees an opportunity to collaborate with Parisian designers and through this program, 200 refugee artisans can learn, design, share and experiment with techniques to develop a collection, inspired by their world and stories. The collaboration aims to employ and train artisans, allowing them to be self-reliant, build workshops and secure entry to international markets.

Design for Peace makes beautiful jewelry and leather products. Check them out below! 

Salaheddin

Salaheddin is dedicated to protecting vulnerable crafts and livelihoods by expanding market access for Syrian artisans who often give up their artisan activities for having no market to sell their products to. The organization supports families fleeing war by aiding with resettlement and relocation in Turkey and France. They plan to build a furnace in Brittany to create work opportunities such as glassmaking to support refugees.

Shop Salaheddin glasses and support Syrian refugees!

Borderline

Borderline is a fair trade collective that includes over a dozen women’s artisan member groups. Based in Mae Sot along the Thailand-Burma border, where thousands of Burmese refugees have sought safety from military and ethnic violence over the years, Borderline provides a secure space where artisans can market their products. Borderline works toward the ultimate goal of finding safe job opportunities for refugee women so that they may gain economic independence and improve their standards of living.

Shop journals and tote bags to support Borderline!

Leather Circle Earrings
Leather Oval Earrings
Gold Rod Earrings
Leather Jewelry Canister
Leather Cuff
Leather Catch All Bowls
Bumpy Glass Tumblers
Natural Dyed Fabric Journals
Natural Dyed Large Fabric Journals
Stripe Embroidered Tote Bag

Father's Day is upon us, and while we're all about championing the women of the world, we want to hand it to our dads, too. No need to feel the frustration of deciding between socks or ties for the father figures in our lives, we've got the perfect gifts that give back to purchase with pride.

Whether you want recycled tire products that give back to Cambodian communities, or cufflinks made from Vietnam-era aluminum bomb scrap, these sustainable and thoughtful picks will make this years' gifts all the more meaningful and useful for our fathers! 

Here's to appreciating our Fathers while also giving back!

Recycled Tire Tri-Fold Wallet
Embossed Leather Journals
Story Bomb Cufflinks 
Men's Leather Wrap Bracelets
Aqua Bumpy Glass Tumblers
Whiskey Horn Tumbler Set
Men's Recycled Tire Travel Kit
Men's Denim Bracelets 
Recycled Tire Card Holder
Men's Leather Braided Bracelet

It was Wednesday, May 17th and Yankee Stadium was filled with hues of purple to represent NYU's violet pride. Also, it was a glorious day in the sweltering heat. I could feel a great deal of sweat dripping down my cheeks. As we all sat wearing the same cap and gown waiting for Pharrell's commencement speech, I felt a mix of vibes. I was overwhelmed with happiness, but a little nervous and uncertain about my future. Mid-way through my worrying and transition-related anxiety, I heard the crowd cheering on Pharrell.

He took the stage gracefully and looked as youthful as ever; I still didn't understand how he possessed such amazing genes and how never appears to age. But what he said that resonated with me the most was about our roles as leaders in society and change-makers, to always remain a student in life, and his comments about uplifting women.

Pharrell's advice was truly moving. We (millennials) are the generation of change- makers, we are intentional in our actions, we live life with a purpose, and we navigate the world with confidence and optimism about the future. He wanted us to imagine the possibilities if women are not held back and when we could truly live in an equal, inclusive and equitable world for everyone left on the margins.

I was deeply grateful and honored to experience such a memorable moment; it was the culmination of all of our undergraduate careers. When he said, "your generation is unraveling deeply entrenched laws, principles, and misguided values that have held women back for far too long, and therefore, have held us all back the human race." In that instant I felt most proud of myself that I, a black women graduating from New York University would be the first women and not the last in my immediate family to graduate from college.

Photo credit: Billboard, Time

"Mind your manners," and "Never get on the back of a motorcycle," are just some of the things we hear from our moms, but as we lead up to Mother's Day, we couldn't help but think about all the great advice we've received from our moms.

Sit back and enjoy these gems.

Catherine: 
Mom's advice since I was a young girl. "When you try your best, you can't ask for anything more."

Josh:
"Lazy man works twice as hard."

Chrissy:
"At the end of hardship comes happiness." She always encouraged me to never give up and keep fighting.  In Korean, "fighting" (hwaiting) is a commonly used word of support and encouragement. She reminded me that with hard work comes great reward.

Jenn:
"A book holds a house of gold.  Knowledge is rich.  Health is money." I'm sure she quoted Confucius..

Johanna:
"The forest will answer you in the way you call to it." Meaning the way you treat others will dictate how they treat you, also related to how we treat the world. Very Finnish with the forest theme.

Steph:
My mum* always said, "God helps those who help themselves." Often in response to, "What's for dinner?" and, "Can you pass me that?" In a roundabout way, she taught me to put in the hard yards for what I wanted.
* Australian

Linda:
"If you are looking for something, start cleaning up”. I always took this literally and so when I lost something, like my wallet or keys, I would start picking things up and most of the time whatever it was that was lost I would find. One may also interpret that as "cleaning up" your mind, i.e. sorting through the noise to allow for more clarity in the decision making necessary to find what you are looking for.

Image credits: Huffington Post