Water Missions International (WMI) based here in Charleston, SC is a nonprofit, Christian engineering organization serving the water and sanitation needs of people in developing countries and disaster areas. WMI uses low-maintenance, appropriate water technologies for drinking water treatment and distribution, wastewater management, and storm water control.
This year, WMI is holding it's 3rd Annual Walk for Water, Saturday March 21st at 9 A.M.
I found this article through Reuters and although Cadbury is not so big here in the USA, there is still Cadbury chocolate here in the States. I know that some larger stores do stock this brand although I would guess that it will be a while before we saw Fairtrade bars on the shelves. Anyway, this I suppose is good news although I do have reservations about larger companies weighing in of the Fairtrade concept:
Saturday, May 9, 2009 is World Fair Trade Day this year, with the theme "Everything Is Better When It's Fair". The range of Fair Trade products has expanded from coffee, handcrafts, tea and chocolate to sugar, soccer balls, rice, wine & more. Fair Trade not only offers consumers the means by which to value the people who make our products, but also the opportunity to reduce our environmental footprint.
Well we have just about managed to survive another winter at the City Market and are looking forward to spring! There have been positive changes to the market since the City Market Preservation Trust took over management and more are yet to come. The market is a unique environment with a strong sense of community. Vendors seem to weather the storms together.
The World Economic Forum is an independent, international organization that is striving towards ‘entrepreneurship in the global public interest'. Those involved believe that economic progress without social development is not sustainable, while social development without economic progress is not feasible.
Our thoughts are with the people of Zimbabwe right now as they head into a weekend of tension and political upheavals. Citizens of Zimbabwe are getting tired of the political situation and weakened by the collapse of essential basic services. With MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai back home for fresh talks with Robert Mugabe, change is in the wind.
We always love getting in new products at Muenda-Fair Trade and we are pleased to be expanding our recycled products range. Due to the success of our Candy Wrapper purses and Paper Jewelry, we now stock bowls, bags, pencil holders, tissue boxes, and vases made out of recycled material. These fun gifts are very sturdy, colorful and washable!
These recycled products have been handmade by villagers living in the remote mountains of Nepal. They are made using discarded plastic wrappers and packaging brought in from the cities. Recycling programs have been introduced to encourage the recycling of non-biodegradable ‘trash’ into functional art, while educating about the importance of protecting the natural environment.
Producing baskets and mats in central Uganda has traditionally been women's work. Women made these items for use in homes. The National Association of Women Organizations in Uganda (NAWOU) has changed this practice into a powerful force fighting poverty.
The organization has a big crafts collection centre in the east African country's capital of
Kampala. Baskets, toys, mats and hand-made cotton cloth can be found there, among other things [like more recently paper beads]. The collection centre operates according to fair trade principles and is affiliated to the International Fair Trade Association (IFAT).
IFAT is a global network of organizations seeking to improve the livelihoods of "disadvantaged" producers by linking up fair trade organizations and advocating justice in global trade. Most of the crafts are sold in the U.S., with some exports going to Australia, New Zealand, Spain and the UK. According to Pamela Kyagera, marketing officer at the collection centre, fair trade has not only turned around the trade in crafts in Uganda but have ensured that women artisans benefit equally from their work.
A National Historic Landmark, the Old City Market first served the Charleston community in the early 1800’s. The property that houses the market was donated by the Pickneys, a wealthy family that insisted the land be used for the sole purpose of a city market. The construction of the main building, in Greek-revival style architecture, was completed by 1841 and is now home to the Daughters of the Confederacy Museum.
Working as a fair trade retailer means that we are living examples of fair trade principles. Some of our customers question, how is a business run 'fair trade'?
A fair trade business is one that is economically, ecologically and socially conscious. It guarantees a living wage to producers, works to sustain local environments and promotes sustainable development that fosters opportunity for growth, rather than perpetuating poverty.
The essence of Fair Trade is to pay producers (artisans and farmers) a wage to cover the
cost of sustainable production, plus the value of their work to enable them to enhance themselves, their families, and their communities. This is termed a 'living wage in the local context'. This is in contrast to many 'Sweatshops' and EPZ (Export Processing Zones') that favor 'profits' over health, minimum wage and job security, in many developing countries.
