A Few of My Favorite Things

Summer's winding to a close, and sadly, my amazing internship with Global Goods Partners is wrapping up. I've really enjoyed my time at GGP, and learned so much about their mission as well as about the operations of non-profits in general. I've been exposed to fascinating new experiences, from attending the Cecilia Attias Dialogue for Action to spending a day at the GGP warehouse. I've loved working on my own project—updating the website so our followers can get a better understanding of our partner organizations and their communities. And of course, I can't get enough of GGP products! Before I go, I thought I'd share a few that I absolutely love. I'm crazy about these Silk Bead Necklaces from Cambodia. I have the deep blue, but wish I could get my hands on all of the other stunning colors they come in. There's just something so luxurious about draping yourself in a silk necklace; I took one look and fell in love. They're a great pop of color to any outfit (casual or dressy)! Now, I'm very picky about bags; I have a tendency to find one classic piece that fits my style and wear it to pieces. Going through GGP's bag selection, I'm spoiled for choice! The Cotton Handbags from Guatemala would have to top my list for their elegant coloring and charming scarf detail. I'll leave you with one final piece which epitomizes what GGP is all about for me: the Eco-Friendly Cotton Grocery Bag. These lightweight bags are perfect as reusable grocery totes and fold up into compact zippered pouches. They're made by Friends International, a Cambodian organization that works with the parents of high-risk urban youth to create fun and socially responsible products (these bags are made from recycled cotton sarongs and newspaper comics). That's promoting eco-friendly practices at home and abroad: fashionable and responsible! I know what I'll be carrying my groceries in from now on. Here's to a great summer! Please visit the Global Goods Partners website to pick your favorites! My experience with GGP has been absolutely phenomenal and I hope you, too, can learn more about our partnerships around the world and the impact of your purchase.

All profits from this class will go to support organizations working on flood relief efforts in Pakistan. Cost is $40. Click to reserve your spot! Guerrilla Ice Cream serves bold, unique flavors and a dedication to social justice from their ice cream cart on the streets of New York. They donate 100% of their profits to support marginalized populations, in New York City and around the world.

Hey everyone! I’m Alexa, one of three interns here at GGP. It’s one of the last days in the office and we are all very sad to leave. I feel very lucky to have been an intern for Global Goods Partners this summer. With so many internships asking students to staple papers and make excel spreadsheets, I have been lucky enough to take on responsibilities of my own this summer. It’s been both refreshing and eye-opening. I’ve learned more in 3 months about one organization than I ever thought I could. Now, at the end of summer, I come to you with my favorite products;  and let me tell you, I have many. I would often come to the office and try on different GGP necklaces and/or parade around in different color scarves depending on my mood. These are my favorite scarves:

• Cotton Bus Style Shawl from Afghanistan

Of all the colors, the yellow one is to die for; the maroon embroidery is bold and detailed. The scarf is long and wide, so I can create a lot of volume around my neck to stay warm in the winter, or just toss it around my shoulders for the warmer days. Also, the material is so incredibly soft, I could wear it everyday.

• Hand Embroidered Afghan Scarf

I love this scarf for nearly the same reasons at the yellow one described above. The embroidery is so intricate that I feel quite special wearing it. I love scarves! In addition to being a scarf love, I happen to be a bangle queen. My friends always know when I’m coming down the hall, because I’m always jingling. They’re great accessories! Below are some of my favorite bangles from GGP—which was very hard to do!!

• Painted Bangles from India
• Eco-friendly Wood Bangles from India

Last, but certainly not least, the the Circular Tagua Necklace and from Columbia. From the first day I entered the office, I’ve always had my eye on it; it has a green/blue color that changes with the light. Also, the craftsmanship of this necklace is incredible. You can wear it at a variety of lengths and with so many outfits—casual t-shirt with jeans or a simple black dress, like I have in the office and out. Naturally, I’ve purchased all of these items. I simply cannot resist accessories and jewelry. But, furthermore, I have realized that in addition to purchasing such unique and truly exquisite pieces, I am helping women around the world live a better life. I have now become a much more socially conscious consumer, with many thanks to Global Goods Partners. Be sure to check out the website to find your favorite items! Also, Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to learn about upcoming events and discounts!

Did you know that for every $3 cup of coffee, only 3 cents goes to the farmer who grew the coffee beans? Our Tuesday, August 10th event at Birch Coffee was a great success.  A number of GGP supporters came to curl up on couches and comfy chairs, sip a latte and learn about the global coffee trade from the documentary “Black Gold.” The documentary illustrates the plight of Ethiopian coffee growers where the coffee trade constitutes 67% of the country’s export revenues. This film includes perspectives from large corporations, e.g. Starbucks, and small, fair trade, community-based organizations of Ethiopian farmers. Ultimately, this film demonstrates how a fair trade business model provides an opportunity out of both economic abuse and market uncertainty. Global Goods Partners chose this film as it relates to our objective and mission statement. GGP strongly supports the fair trade values brought to light in “Black Gold” and works to provide an online fair trade marketplace to help artisans in developing countries all around the world. This alternative avenue helps these artisans to fight poverty and social injustices. Our supporters were moved by “Black Gold”—starting up an impromptu discussion on Ethiopian coffee politics after the film was finished.  This film definitely makes a coffee drinker more consciously aware of the labor and worldwide effects of drinking one cup of coffee. GGP was delighted at the support of the fair trade community on Tuesday and is looking forward to doing more screenings in the future! Did you know that Africa currently makes up only 1% of world trade? If that number was increased by just 1 percentage point, it would put $70 billion into Africa’s economy, which is 5 times the amount the continent currently receives in foreign aid. We can increase this number by purchasing fair trade! Whether it be coffee, honey, jewelry, scarves, and more, become a socially conscious consumer!  Check out the products of Global Goods Partners ; your purchase makes an impact around the world.  Learn more on our website! Be sure to become a Fan on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for all the updates and future events!

Last night--Wednesday, August 4th--Global Goods Partners screened "Child Brides: Stolen Lives" as part of our summer film series. This event was co-sponsored by Engel Entertainment who produced the film for the PBS series “NOW.” PBS premiered the screening in October 2007; since then, it has reached a wide audience and was nominated for an Emmy award. The film explores child marriage in Guatemala, India, and Niger, and documents the work of people campaigning to end this centuries-old practice. Read "Child Marriage: What We Know" to learn about who's affected and the effects of child marriage. Global Goods Partners chose this film as it relates to our mission statement and partnerships. With artisan partnerships in Guatemala and India, we feel a strong connection to the women featured in the documentary. These women face incredible challenges unbeknownst to many in the Western world; child marriage is an issue among the challenges that women artisans must overcome in order to earn an income. Global Goods Partners provides an alternative opportunity for these women to fight poverty and social injustices by supporting community-based organizations and an online marketplace for their handcrafted goods to be sold. We were ecstatic to see so many supporters out for the documentary screening at Bluestockings! We hope the film educated our attendees on the reality of this horrible practice and served as a call to action to create awareness and find solutions. A special thank you to Susan Lee from Engel Entertainment who came to speak about the making of the film. The Q&A  session after the film (pictured above) with Susan and Catherine Shimony, a co-founder of GGP, yielded great conversations regarding the variety of challenges of international development.  Despite all the barriers, the consensus reached by our two speakers was simple, yet powerful: to combat issues affecting women in developing nations, we need to focus on education. A special thanks to Bluestockings: Fair Trade Bookstore and Cafe for being such gracious hosts, and of course to our wonderful supporters who continue to inspire us to do what we do! We hope to see you all at our second film screening on Tuesday, August 10^th at Birch Coffee from 7-9. We will screen “Black Gold,” a critically acclaimed documentary that focuses on the global coffee trade.

Be sure to check out additional pictures from the event on our Facebook and follow us on Twitter for all updates!