FAIR TRADE PHOTO CONTEST IN FULL SWING: VOTING NOW OPEN

Scores of beautiful and insightful photos are now competing in the third annual Fair Trade Photo Contest. The 12 winning photos will be featured in the 2012 Fair Trade Calendar. Vote for up to 5 Photos by July 16.
Please help share positive and diverse Fair Trade stories by encouraging your contacts to vote in the Fair Trade photo contest, and don’t forget to vote yourself!

The 12 winning Fair Trade photos will be featured in the 2012 Fair Trade Calendar, produced by FTRN and Fair Trade Federation.

Pre-order your calendars today: The 2012 Fair Trade calendar is available for pre-purchase now. The savings are big if you order early. Check out the pre-order early bird prices here. The more you get the more you save.

HOW CAN YOU CELEBRATE FREEDOM THIS JULY 4TH?

By making S’mores with Fair Trade chocolate!

Be part of the Fair Trade S’mores revolution.

Rock your picnic, barbeque or campfire with gooey, chocolatey Fair Trade s’mores.
Why? Because you’ll send a message to Hershey that it’s gotta get child and forced labor out of its cocoa. And you’ll enjoy your s’mores so much more with chocolate that frees kids from child labor and empowers cocoa farmers to free themselves from poverty.

During your s’more-fest, be sure to:
1.    Collect signatures on this petition asking Hershey to stop using child labor and become Fair Trade Certified
2.    Count the s’mores you eat and register them online
3.    Take pictures and videos of yourself with our s’mores poster and email the youtube link or your photos to fairtrade@globalexchange.org

Visit Global Exchange’s Fair Trade Campaign page for more s’mores event ideas and free resources.

Traditional block printing meets modern design

LEARN ABOUT BLOCK PRINTING TECHNIQUE WHILE SAVING IN SF THIS WEEKEND

Introducing Summer Saturday Savings! Every Saturday this summer July 2- Sept 3, 2011, the Global Exchange Fair Trade Store in San Francisco will be offering 15% OFF on featured clothing, scarves, tablecloths & kitchen ware, AND much more!

Kicking things off this Saturday, July 2nd, there will be free blockprinting demonstrations, a kids’ station, and customers will enjoy 15% off all summer dresses – just in time for that Fourth of July barbeque.

Learn about the traditional block printing technique used on many Fair Trade pieces this Saturday! Plus, enter a raffle by sharing what ‘independence’ means to you for chance to win a gift certificate to the Fair Trade store.

Event Details
Where: Global Exchange Fair Trade Store
4018 24th Street
When: 1pm-4pm Saturday July 2nd
More info: Call (415) 648-8068

HAVE YOU WATCHED KERRY KENNEDY’S FAIR TRADE RALLY SPEECH?

Check it out here:

Help the Raise the Bar Hershey folks reach their target of 1,500 video views. They’re aiming for1,500 views. You can help by sharing this link to it on your Facebook page and/or sending out this suggested tweet: Have you watched Kerry Kennedy’s #fairtrade rally speech yet? http://ow.ly/5svir via @gxfairtrade.

Michelle Obama, fashion modeling with spunk Photo credit: ecouterre.com

 

LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT

Here’s your roundup of Fair Trade news and updates:

Fair Trade Models from Human Rights Awards Gala 2010

FAIR TRADE MODELS TO APPEAR AT UPCOMING HUMAN RIGHTS AWARDS GALA

Global Exchange’s ninth annual Human Rights Awards Gala is happening next week (June 1st) at the historic Bimbo’s 365 Club in San Francisco. Since 2001, the Human Rights Awards Gala has brought together activists, supporters, and friends to recognize the efforts of exceptional individuals and organizations working for human rights around the world. Find out who we are honoring this year by visiting www.humanrightsaward.org.

There will be many Fair Trade aspects to the evening, including:

  • Fair Trade models: A bunch of us gals will be sporting Fair Trade outfits courtesy of Global Exchange Fair Trade Stores; dresses, scarves, jewelry and other accessories, and we (yes, we, I’m going for it!) will top our outfits off with a sash that reads “Ask Me About My Outfit”, an ice-breaking statement to encourage conversation amongst guests about Fair Trade.
  • Fair Trade ice-cream! Ben & Jerry’s Co-founders Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield will emcee the event, and word has it they’ll be sporting tuxedos. Sweet! Yours truly will be helping to dish out Fair Trade Certified Ben & Jerry’s ice cream to all who attend, following an organic dinner of deliciousness.
  • Silent Auction featuring Fair Trade gifts: Gourmet treats, handcrafted baskets & glassware and a whole lot more will be offered up for auction, all to benefit our human rights work.

If you’re in the Bay Area: We sure hope you come out next week to enjoy this exciting event!
To purchase tickets: Order online here
General event info: Visit www.humanrightsaward.org

If you’re not in the Bay Area: It would be great if you would help spread the word about the Human Rights Awards gala to your friends and family.
If you’re to ready spread the word, here are 3 easy ways to help:
1.    Share and Retweet this post using the buttons to the right;
2.    Send this Tweet out: Human Rights Awards Gala honors #pablosolon #javiersicilia Hosted by Ben & Jerry! Grab tix soon: http://ow.ly/512jQ #sf #sanfrancisco;
3.    Post this link to your Facebook Wall: www.humanrightsaward.org.

Thanks!

HERSHEY RALLY IN NEW YORK CITY 6/8

Have you heard about Raise the Bar Hershey Campaign’s upcoming rally in NYC’s Times Square, Wednesday June 8th at 10:30 AM?  Come join us in front of the Hershey Store and ask Hershey to make the switch to Fair Trade.

Who will be there: We are reaching out to local NYC social justice groups, students, schools and faith groups that care about this issue. Raise the Bar Hershey Campaign groups (Green America, Global Exchange, International Labor Rights Forum) and our other allies will be there as well.

For more information about the rally visit: www.raisethebarhershey.org/rally.

Global Exchange Fair Trade Campaign Director Adrienne Fitch Frankel making a Fair Trade s'more

WE WANT MORE FROM OUR S’MORES IS BACK!

Are you ready for some summer fun?  We Want More from our S’mores is back, to help you kick off your summer in a fun, Fair Trade fashion.  After all, what says summer more than s’mores?  It’s a classic, essential summer treat.
Please help the Raise the Bar Hershey Campaign reach the goal of making at least 1,500 Fair Trade s’mores.

Your delicious s’mores will help raise awareness and hold Hershey accountable for failing to eliminate child and forced labor from its supply chain and encourage the company to achieve Fair Trade certification.

How to participate
Plan your s’more event: Savor the chocolatey, gooey pleasure of Fair Trade s’mores anytime from Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day weekend.  Include Fair Trade s’mores in your barbeques and campfires this summer.  Or plan a We Want More from Our S’mores event with friends, family, coworkers, or the neighborhood. Check out these videos to see how much fun you’ll have.
Let the s’mores be counted! Count the s’mores you eat and register them online.
During your s’mores gathering, collect signatures on petitions asking Hershey to step up and become Fair Trade Certified.
Screen the Dark Side of Chocolate. Before or after you make your tasty Fair Trade s’mores, show this film to educate others about child labor in the cocoa fields and explain why it is so important to choose Fair Trade Certified chocolate.

More info about We Want More From our S’Mores Campaign: Visit our website

Fair Trade Federation's new Executive Director Renee Bowers Photo Credit: FTF

SHOUT OUT AND CONGRATS TO FAIR TRADE FEDERATION
Thanks Mary from the Fair Trade Federation (FTF) for spreading the word about our Fair Trade blog in the Spring Edition of Networks, FTF’s quarterly newsletter.

Published quarterly, Networks is the official newsletter of the Fair Trade Federation, the trade association that strengthens and promotes North America organizations fully committed to Fair Trade. You can sign up for this newsletter here.

Also, congratulations goes out to Renee Bowers, the Fair Trade Federation’s new Executive Director!

LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
Article: World Fair Trade Day-My History with the Movement
Petition: Change.org Asks Celebrity Chefs to Make Fair Trade S’mores
Video Link: Fair Trade or watch it here:

Graphic Credit: www.fairtweets.com

BEN & JERRY’S INTRODUCES FAIR TWEETS
In honor of World Fair Trade Day (May 14th), Ben & Jerry’s launched www.fairtweets.com.
As described on the website:

Put your unused Twitter characters to good use and help spread the word about Fair Trade. Every day, millions of Twitter characters go unused. That’s not very fair. But now you can tweet as you normally would, and we’ll turn any leftover characters into a message about Fair Trade. Now that’s fair. Fair Tweet From Wherever You Are Online. So go here to start tweeting.

Oh, and in case you haven’t heard yet, Ben Cohen & Jerry Greenfield are going to be our upcoming Human Rights Awards Gala emcees!

CRAFTING CHANGE: A FAIR TRADE ARTISAN TOUR COMES TO GLOBAL EXCHANGE
Crafting Change: A Fair Trade Artisan Tour makes two stops to Global Exchange this week during its Northwest tour, on Wed. May 11th in San Francisco and Sat. May 14th in Berkeley.

Hear Peruvian artisans Yody Moran and Sonia Anahue’s compelling stories of their turbulent lives and learn how Fair Trade has helped them achieve economic and social stability. Get free Fair Trade resources and learn how you can use your purchasing power to impact the world. Plus you’ll find Fair Trade crafts available for sale. More details here.

Photo Credit: www.fairtradetownsusa.org

GREEN FEST HEADS TO THE US’ NEWEST FAIR TRADE TOWN…CHICAGO!
Congrats Chicago for becoming a Fair Trade town. And just in time…this weekend the Green Festival is in Chicago! This great green event is a project of Global Exchange and Green America, now in its 10th year.

Blogger Nancy Jones, Executive Director of Chicago Fair Trade & member of the Fair Trade Towns USA National Steering Committee blogs:

“Imagine Chicago as a Fair Trade City!” That was the theme of a meeting three years ago when we first charted a course to reaching this goal. Now, we are realizing this achievement on Friday, May 6th, in Daley Plaza and much of our imagining has become a reality: a city council resolution, 300 outlets selling Fair Trade products, 260 institutions using Fair Trade. Read the complete blog post here.

Graphic Credit: www.justmeans.com

AN INTERNATIONAL CONVENING OF THOUGHT-LEADERS AND PRACTITIONERS WORKING ON ETHICAL CERTIFICATION
This event brings together 150 thought leaders from social enterprises, leading brands and certifying bodies for a day of thought-provoking panel discussions concerning the future of certification.

Attendees will discover trends that are reshaping the face of certification, engage in lively debate with academics and practitioners, examine innovative case studies and contribute to the discussion that will define certification in the 21st Century.
More info and registration here.

Consultant Colvin English -- Photo Credit: ArtisanWorks

ARTISANWORK TRADE SHOW ONLINE FORUM HAPPENING NOW
For those of you business people out there, ArtisanWork’s “Trade Show” On-line forum discussion runs from May 5th through May 19th, and will have the expert opinion of Mr. Colvin English from ByHand Consulting.

Mr. English will provide an overview on how trade shows can help grow your business and increase market access- two key elements in how Fair Trade organizations can achieve better market exposure.

Elizabeth O’Connell and former Global Exchange Fair Trade intern, Shelley Alingas

FAIR TRADE ACTIVISTS REPORT BACK ABOUT HERSHEY SHAREHOLDER MEETING

Happy almost Mothers Day! Here’s your roundup of Fair Trade news and updates:

CHECK OUT THE WINNERS OF THE HERSHEY BRAND JAMMING CONTEST
Contest entries mock Hershey’s refusal to crackdown on controversial labor practices.

The Raise the Bar, Hershey Campaign – sponsored by Global Exchange, Green America, and the International Labor Rights Forum – announced on April 28th, 2011 the winners of their “brand jamming” contest in order to bring attention to Hershey’s failure to crack down on child labor and other abuses in its cocoa supply chain.

The grand prize winner is Jason Pearson of San Clemente, CA for his mock advertisement Brand Jam, a one minute video that tells the real story of where Hershey’s cocoa comes from.

Why not watch it right now? It’s pretty awesome:

The announcement of the Hershey “brand jamming” winners coincided with Hershey’s Annual General Meeting for shareholders in Hershey, PA. Thousands of people nationwide voted to choose their favorite entries for best slogan, best video and best poster.

Here are the other winners:
Best Video: Behind the Hershey Smiles submitted by Aaron Thurman: Indianapolis, IN

Best Slogan: “Hershey: Sweet Chocolate. Bitter Story” submitted by Tyson Weems of Portland, ME
Best Poster: Children Behind Bars submitted by Jason Pearson of San Clemente, CA

Find out what the winners received and what the Raise the Bar Hershey campaign folks plan to do with the mock ads on the campaign website.

Oh, and by the way, there’s going to be a Raise the Bar Hershey Rally in NYC’s Times Square on June 8, 2011 at 10:30 am. More details to come.

TAKE A FAIR TRADE COFFEE BREAK ON WORLD FAIR TRADE DAY
World Fair Trade Day coordinating organization Fair Trade Resource Network (FTRN) and sponsors (including us!) are reaching out to inspire 100,000 people to take a break from our busy lives to increase awareness of Fair Trade, by taking a Fair Trade coffee (or chocolate or tea or music, etc) break.
Here are three ways you can participate:

  1. Enjoy a Fair Trade coffee break in the comfort of your own home or office, and register it on Global Exchange’s World Fair Trade Day Coffee Break page, so your participation can be counted.
  2. It’s even more fun if you organize a small or large coffee break in your workplace, school, or community. If you do, register your event on Global Exchange’s World Fair Trade Day Coffee Break page. If it’s open to the public please register on Fair Trade Resource Network’s webpage too.
  3. Attend a World Fair Trade Day event in your area. Dozens of Fair Tradetastic events nationwide are listed on FTRN’s website. Celebrate with Global Exchange at events in Berkeley, Chicago, San Diego, San Francisco, Shirlington, VA, and Washington, DC, listed at the end of this email.

MOTHERS DAY EVENT ON SUNDAY, MAY 8TH IN SAN FRANCISCO
If you’re in the Bay Area this weekend, stop by our San Francisco Store for an in-store event. Fair Trade treats, live music, and a wide selection of Fair Trade gifts made by mothers for mothers. Find out more details here.

 

CRAFTING CHANGE: A FAIR TRADE TOUR
Hear Peruvian artisans Yody Moran and Sonia Anahue’s compelling stories of their turbulent lives and learn how Fair Trade has helped them achieve economic and social stability.
Get free Fair Trade resources and learn how you can use your purchasing power to impact the world.
When: Wednesday, May 11, 7 pm
Where: Global Exchange, 2973 16th Street, 2nd Floor, San Francisco, CA
When: Saturday, May 14, 12:30-2:30pm
Where: Global Exchange Fair Trade store, 2840 College Avenue, Berkeley, CA
Brought to you by: Fair Trade Towns USA, Global Exchange, Green America, Partners for Just Trade
Also: Fair Trade crafts available for sale!
For more information CALL: 415 255 7296

100% FAIR TRADE STORE GOES 100% SOLAR!
How cool is this? Kimberly and Marco of Made By Hand International Cooperative sent out an exciting message earlier this week. The news? That their 100% Fair Trade retail store, Made By Hand International Cooperative located in South Bethany, Delaware, now runs 100% on solar energy! Thanks and congrats Kimberly and Marco for leading by example.

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In honor of Earth Day on April 22nd, San Francisco’s Global Exchange Store (map) is highlighting exceptional examples of recycled and sustainably harvested goods. Fair Trade Certification does not only signify living wage standards for artisans worldwide, it also means that strict environmental regulations are in place.  Fair trade discourages deforestation and the use of harmful chemicals, and encourages organic farming  techniques, recycling post-consumer waste, the use of sustainably harvested natural materials, and the protection of natural resources.

A family owned workshop in Cairo, Egypt produces glass vases, bowls, and votive candle holders from 100% recycled glass products. By sorting discarded glass bottles by color and melting and molding new shapes, this small fair trade company creates beautiful, functional, and environmentally friendly products.

Just in time for spring, we have new recycled magazine gifts from Vietnam! Made out of long strips of magazine that are first soaked in glue and then coiled by hand, a lively spiral pattern adorns boxes, frames, and bowls in all sizes. This project not only keeps paper out of landfills, it also provides employment for over 300 artists in South Vietnam, aiming to promote self-reliance among disadvantaged people through education and training. A percentage of profits are used to fund various social work projects in communities, dealing with social issues, clean water projects, vocational training equipment purchases, subsidized teacher wages and a scholarship fund for the artisans’ children.

While recycling keeps waste out of landfills, sustainably harvested goods – made out of natural materials – keeps materials like plastic and paper from ever being made in the first place. Fair trade celebrates products coming from nature, and what better way to celebrate Earth Day than with Mother Nature’s own gifts.

A women’s co-operative on the Atlantic coast of Nicaragua is taking advantage of an abundant local raw material – pine needles – to make beautiful, environmentally friendly, baskets. Starting in 1993 with a group of twelve women, it now employs over thirty women who make their living from weaving baskets. The sale of these baskets help to build a sustainable community in an extremely impoverished part of Nicaragua. These decorative baskets are a great example of a free renewable resource that can be crafted into a piece of art!

Ahimsa, or “cruelty-free” silk is wild silk that is cultivated on forest trees. The silk is spun after the silk worm has become a moth and flown out of the cocoon, which is often not the case for mass-produced silk. It is typical for silk farmers to kill silkworms by tossing cocoons into boiling water or hot ovens before they transform into moths, so that the silk cocoons will not be damaged. Ahimsa silk thread is spun from broken cocoons, which gives a slightly different texture than undamaged silk cocoons, but does not kill any living beings in the process.

Fair Trade Federation member Sevya is using ahimsa silk for their line of fair trade silk scarves (which you can see at San Francisco’s Global Exchange Store!). Sevya is not only helping to sustain the forests and ancient cultures that live in harmony with nature, but also sustaining the lives of those producing the scarves. Sevya works with non-profits in Jharkhand, India to develop training programs for low-caste and tribal women to use foot pedal and power operated spinning and reeling machines, self-help groups where the women save money weekly in a common pool, and micro-credit operations for the cultivators, spinners, and weavers.

We encourage you to deepen your commitment to the Fair Trade principle of environmental stewardship by consuming wisely. Think about the different resources used in creating all the things around us, and whether or not you can lessen your carbon footprint with your purchases. Celebrate this Earth Day by supporting the Fair Trade movement, and stop by a Global Exchange Fair Trade Store near you for recycled, natural, and sustainable handicrafts from around the world!

In honor of the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day on March 8th, Global Exchange is teaming up with farmer-owned chocolate company Divine Chocolate to celebrate the women of Divine’s farmer collective, Kuapa Kokoo. This Spring, Divine will be donating a portion of their sales to the Kuapa Kokoo’s Women’s Project; they’re teaching women cocoa farmers how to start small businesses, earn extra family income, and feel tremendous pride. You can show your support by purchasing Divine Chocolate 3.5 oz bars at the San Francisco Global Exchange Store (map) for the month of March, and we’ll give you $1.00 off!

Supporting Divine Chocolate and the Kuapa Kokoo cooperative is supporting real farmers, and not simply a chocolate company. Divine is the only Fair Trade chocolate company that is 45% owned by farmers. While being certified Fair Trade ensures that farmers receive a better price for their cocoa, company ownership gives farmers a share of Divine’s profits!

The partial liberalization of Ghana’s cocoa market in the early 1990s created a unique situation for cocoa farmers to organize in an industry where their voices were not being heard. Visionary farmer Nana Frimpong  Abrebrese organized a group of farmers to pool resources and set up a farmer’s co-op, which would trade its own cocoa, and thus manage the selling process more efficiently than the government cocoa agents. Kuapa Kokoo, which means “good cocoa growers,” was born.

In 1997, the reputable and fast-growing Kuapa Kokoo’s farmer collective had another idea. If they could manage a cocoa-farming cooperative, why not manage a chocolate company?

Divine Chocolate was born. Now a leading Fair Trade brand, Divine has given its farmers a secure source of Fair Trade income. Kuapa Kokoo invests in building schools, sinking wells and clean drinking water for villages, providing mobile medical clinics for farmers in remote growing regions, and fostering women’s income generation projects to help women earn additional income for their families when the cocoa season is over.

You can celebrate the women of Kuapa Kokoo this spring by purchasing Divine Chocolate at San Francisco’s Global Exchange Store! $1.00 off all 3.5 oz bars for the month of March.

The following is a cross-post from our People to People blog:

All Global Exchange members are invited to join us for a Fair Trade Store Holiday Celebration.

We’ll be staying open late for one night only, December 8th from 5PM – 8PM, giving members the chance to shop for gifts that make a difference while enjoying refreshments, mingling with like minded people, and saving 20%

That’s right…all Global Exchange members will receive 20% OFF their entire order during this holiday event!

Our Fair Trade stores offer shoppers a way to be a powerful force for social change. With unique treasures made by Fair Trade artisans and farmers in over 40 different countries to choose from, you should have no trouble finding something for everyone on your holiday list.

If you don’t live near any of our store locations: remember you can shop for Fair Trade gifts online right from your computer!

If you live near one of our stores, we hope you join us for this festive evening of:

  • Holiday cheer and refreshments
  • A free raffle
  • Mixing and mingling with other Global Exchange supporters and staff Conscious Shopping AND Saving…all while knowing your purchase goes to create a more open, fair world.

If you’re a Global Exchange member…be sure to bring your Global Exchange membership card or a printout of the email you received about this event and take 20% off your entire order – plus we’ll throw in a coupon for a free pint of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream! We’re celebrating Ben & Jerry’s decision to go 100% Fair Trade by 2013.

If you’re not a member yet but would like to be so you can enjoy this event and reap all the other rewards of Global Exchange membership, visit our membership page to join, and bring a printout of your receipt to receive your 20% discount. You can join 40,000+ other Global Exchange members for just $35!

When and Where:

When: Wednesday, December 8th 5PM – 8PM

Where: The following Store Locations:

Washington DC Fair Trade Store
Busboys and Poets
1025 5th St. (at K)
Washington, DC 20001 (map)
202/842-4525

Portland Fair Trade Store
2508 SE Hawthorne Blvd.
Portland, OR 97214 (map)
503/234-4049

San Francisco Fair Trade Store
4018 24th St.
San Francisco, CA 94114 (map)
415/648-8068

Berkeley Fair Trade Store
2840 College (at Russell)
Berkeley, CA 94705 (map)
510/548-0370

Hope to see you there!

The following is a cross-post from our People to People blog:

All Global Exchange members are invited to join us for a Fair Trade Store Holiday Celebration.

We’ll be staying open late for one night only, December 8th from 5PM – 8PM, giving members the chance to shop for gifts that make a difference while enjoying refreshments, mingling with like minded people, and saving 20%

That’s right…all Global Exchange members will receive 20% OFF their entire order during this holiday event!

Our Fair Trade stores offer shoppers a way to be a powerful force for social change. With unique treasures made by Fair Trade artisans and farmers in over 40 different countries to choose from, you should have no trouble finding something for everyone on your holiday list.

If you don’t live near any of our store locations: remember you can shop for Fair Trade gifts online right from your computer!

If you live near one of our stores, we hope you join us for this festive evening of:

  • Holiday cheer and refreshments
  • A free raffle
  • Mixing and mingling with other Global Exchange supporters and staff Conscious Shopping AND Saving…all while knowing your purchase goes to create a more open, fair world.

If you’re a Global Exchange member…be sure to bring your Global Exchange membership card or a printout of the email you received about this event and take 20% off your entire order – plus we’ll throw in a coupon for a free pint of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream! We’re celebrating Ben & Jerry’s decision to go 100% Fair Trade by 2013.

If you’re not a member yet but would like to be so you can enjoy this event and reap all the other rewards of Global Exchange membership, visit our membership page to join, and bring a printout of your receipt to receive your 20% discount. You can join 40,000+ other Global Exchange members for just $35!

When and Where:

When: Wednesday, December 8th 5PM – 8PM

Where: The following Store Locations:

Washington DC Fair Trade Store
Busboys and Poets
1025 5th St. (at K)
Washington, DC 20001 (map)
202/842-4525

Portland Fair Trade Store
2508 SE Hawthorne Blvd.
Portland, OR 97214 (map)
503/234-4049

San Francisco Fair Trade Store
4018 24th St.
San Francisco, CA 94114 (map)
415/648-8068

Berkeley Fair Trade Store
2840 College (at Russell)
Berkeley, CA 94705 (map)
510/548-0370

Hope to see you there!