Susie's blog

I have frequently been asked if Fair Trade is linked to loaning money to the poor. No, however there are similarities in the grassroots concept of empowering disadvantaged artisans. The idea of ‘microfinance' is to loan small amounts of money to ‘tiny' business owners and farmers to enable them to raise their incomes and quality of life.

From September 10-12, 2010, the Fair Trade Futures Conference will bring together entrepreneurs, students, advocates, faith community members, concerned citizens, interested individuals, and others in Boston, MA for the largest Fair Trade event in North American history!

The event will include seminars, workshops, site visits, discussions, social activities, and an exposition of 50+ Fair Trade vendors to educate and inspire about the holistic approach to business and pov

Five years ahead of the 2015 deadline to achieve the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDG), indication has emerged that a number of developing nations are far from getting there.

The UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon, in remarks to member states in a report on MDGs titled: Keeping the Promise, blames it on unmet commitments, inadequate resources and a lack of focus and accountability.

Muenda Fair Trade has been proud to support Global Mamas for 4 years now. Global Mamas is a non-profit and fair trade organization assisting women in Ghana, Africa to become economically independent. This organization also has a sister organization 'Women in Progress' that is an international volunteer organization that operates in Ghana.

I found this article whilst browsing the allAfrica website and was instantly intrigued. This is an opinion piece that expands on the theories of Jeffery Sachs who wrote 'The End of Poverty". For those, (like myself) who have an interest in the theories and solutions to poverty this is definitely worth a read:

'Jeffrey Sachs has become something of a force in international development circles over the past decade.

Rwanda will play global host to celebrations for the 2010 World Environment Day, observed annually on 5 June, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) announced today.

UNEP selected the Rwandan capital of Kigali as the epicentre for this year's festivities because of its environmental richness, including rare and economically-important species such as the mountain gorilla, as well as its pioneering transition to a 'green' economy.

World Fair Trade Day, May 8, 2010, is an international celebration and promotion of Fair Trade. Events will be held in over 80 countries.

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The annual Walk for Water in Charleston is inspired by millions of women and children who are responsible for making the daily trek to collect water for their families. During the walk, each participant has the opportunity to carry an empty water pail, which can be filled with water at the halfway point along the route then carried to the finish. The Walk for Water is a fun, educational experience that anyone can enjoy!

The Historic Charleston City Market has a direct connection to the people of Haiti, having housed refugees from Cape Francois, Sainte Domingue (Haiti) in 1793 in the Market Hall section between Meeting and Church Streets while the City Market was still under construction (please visit The Charleston History Advocate at charlestonarchive.org/ for the full history of the market's relationship to Haiti).