With Spring just around the corner, here are some beach vacation fair trade favorites from around the world!

International Women's Day 2012

Today is March 8th - International Women's Day. It is a day of celebration and recognition of women from all four corners of the globe. For us at Global Goods Partners, this day is especially important because the spirit of our work and our vision for the future status of women is shared by all. Thank you to all our supporters who recognize the importance of our work and for ensuring the future of girls is bright, equal and rewarding. Message from UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on the Occasion of International Women's Day

A wrist full of bangles is all the rage at the moment.  Celebrities are sporting armfuls of these brightly colored accessories and it seems that the more substantial the stack, the hipper the look. But where do these pretty little arm accessories come from? To create just one of these wrist adornments is quite a process. Our bangles from Global Goods Partners are made in the village of Etikoppaka in southeast India where traditional wood lacquering techniques have been passed down for generations. First, wood from the local Ankudu tree is harvested and seasoned for six months. Artisans then place the wood on a lathe to construct a perfectly shaped bangle using a chisel. Next, the natural dyes used on our products are extracted from indigo, turmeric and saffron seeds.

The dyes are then ground into a powder and boiled before being mixed with lacquer; a natural resin.  This creates the lacquer sticks shown below.

Keeping with traditional techniques, the bangle is placed back in the spinning lathe and the lacquer sticks are applied with dried leaves from the Mogali plant. This colors the bangle evenly and leaves it with a beautiful glossy finish.

By purchasing one of these masterfully crafted bangles, you are not only empowering women around the world but also aiding in the continuance of this cultural handicraft. So layer up with some fair trade bangles. As far as we’re concerned – the more the merrier!

Viscose is a man-made plant cellusose that breathes like cotton and feels like nylon with silk-like qualites. Therein lies the mystical nature of viscose - it isn't totally natural, but neither is it totally synthetic. Made with the cellulose of wood pulp, it is the perfect blend of man and nature. Eco-fabric at its best, it is a regeneration of natural materials. Its style appeal? Aside from the fact that it can be made to look like wool, silk, cotton or linen, and is made like polyester, it is a fabric with its own unique characteristics. It is lower maintainence than cotton -  no need to tumble dry this textile. And becuase viscose requires lower tempreture water for washing, the enviormental impact is reduced compared to cotton. Addionally, it surpasses cotton in thermal protection, softness, static disspation, luster, and the list goes on. Viscose has made its mark in comtemporary fashion. Designers from Ferregamo to Mui Mui to H&M have incorporated this material into their collections. Spun to make both clothing and jewelery, this textile is popping up everywhere. [caption id="attachment_1351" align="alignleft" width="219" caption="Fall Leaves Necklace"][/caption] Global Goods Partners carries a selection of viscose products from around the world. Some shopper favorites include the Fabric Jewlery line from Mexico and Black and White scarf from India. [caption id="attachment_1350" align="alignright" width="228" caption="Black and White Scarf"][/caption] The future of fashion is undoubltely linked to viscose.

Working in the US with women from around the globe, we can sometimes feel a bit far away. So when we receive updates from our partners, it closes the gap and makes the whole world seem just a bit smaller. Global Goods Partners recently received an update from our artisan producer working on the Thai-Burmese border.  Women’s Education for Advancement and Empowerment (WEAVE) addresses the needs of Karen and Karenni women living in the refugee camps that have sprung up along the border. These two ethnic minority groups were targeted by the ruling military junta in Burma and over 148,000 refugees have fled from this ethnic persecution over the past few decades. As displaced people with no government to turn to, these refugees have had to rely on international aid agencies to survive. To break this cycle of relying on foreign aid,  WEAVE created income generating opportunities for the women living in these camps. The organization has built on the Karen and Karenni women’s existing weaving skills to produce beautiful products and to forge the way to a sustainable life. In addition to the these projects which provide steady paychecks for 180 women, WEAVE has also pioneered an Early Childhood Development project which provides technical and financial assistance to preschools in the refugee camps. In the 2011-2012 school year, over 3,000 children were able to attend school thanks to WEAVE’s support. A Women’s Study Program has also been implemented by WEAVE to educate women on both business and life skills  To date, 150 women have completed the 10-month program. Even though WEAVE has continued to expand over the years, recent events have threatened the fragile situation on the Thai-Burmese border.  Funding has been cut in the area and partner NGOs have withdrawn. Local partners have turned to WEAVE to alleviate the problems that with surely arise due to this decrease in funding. WEAVE has been encouraged to scale up existing income generation projects in the belief that the way to move forward is to increase self-sufficiency. We are proud that WEAVE's work has been recognized as an effective way to break the cycle of poverty and alleviate the stresses associated with living in refugee camps. Check out Global Goods Partners' products from WEAVE to support the organizations continued efforts in the Thai-Burma region. These beautiful scarves woven by the Karen and Karenni women are truly a gift that gives back.