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Articles of Interest
Crafting
Change: a Fair Trade Tour
by Carrie Hawthorne, Director of Partners for Just Trade
June 9, 2011
Following the
success of our first tour in the Midwest two
years ago, we partnered with Green America
again to organize a second tour, Crafting
Change. The tour visited 11 cities in
California, Oregon, and Washington and provided
an in-depth look at fair trading systems to
over 1,100 people.
Sonia Anahue, an artisan from the jewelry group Munay Rumi, shared how working at a Fair Trade cooperative has changed her life. Sonia left her village of six families at age 18 to work and continue her schooling in Cusco, three hours from home. The job she found was in a jewelry factory. There she worked 11 hours a day, six days a week which left little time to study. Additionally, Sonia earned only $50 a month but it was here that she realized she enjoyed, and was skilled at, working with her hands. Upon hearing that better opportunities existed in Lima, she decided to move to the capital and found work in a different jewelry factory. It exploited its workers in a similar fashion as the previous factory but it was here that she met her future Fair Trade colleagues, Sylvia and Eva. Because of increasingly suppressive conditions, they decided to form their own business in 2006. The three connected with Bridge of Hope and while sales during the first few years were slow, the technical support from Bridge of Hope and PJT provided them the foundation they needed for success; sales have increased 500-fold since their founding five years ago!
Fair Trade has not only improved Sonia’s income but has also opened up many opportunities, like the chance to visit the U.S. This visit was the first time Sonia presented in public and she exceeded expectations, inspiring audiences at every stop. The visit will have a positive impact not only on Sonia’s life but could prove to have a positive effect on her community, too. When asked what surprised her most about the U.S., Sonia replied “the amount of trees everywhere”. Over the two week visit, she began to contemplate how she might be able to help reforest the countryside surrounding her village.
Yody Moran Trillo, an artisan from El Mercurio knitting group in Huancavelica, was supposed to be on the tour but was taken ill at the last minute and not able to come. We were saddened she wasn’t able to make it but relieved that she is now in good health.
To watch our presentation at eBay visit http://bit.ly/ktMPay
To see pictures from the tour, check out our album on Facebook
Back >>
Overcoming Setbacks in Cameroon
by Christi Boyd, PC(USA) Mission Co-worker, Yaounde, Cameroon
March 3, 2010
“It’s too much for me to cope! They
are going to crush all of us, small
farmers.” Salomon was
overcome by the shocking blow he was dealt
earlier
in the day. That morning, Salomon had gone to
his field to continue planting pineapple shoots
now that the first rains had heralded in the
upcoming wet season. But to his great surprise
he had found the ground uprooted and the plants
piled up on the roadside.
As it turned out, the landowner, who had leased him the parcel only a couple of months earlier, had sold his property to the transnational fruit company implanted in this fertile region. Without title to the land or even a rental contract signed, Salomon and three of his peers who were confronted with the same situation were left no choice but to accept the compensation offered by the landlord, and his helping hand to transport the shoots elsewhere.
For Salomon, the experience made him relive the painful memories of an earlier expulsion in 2007, when he was forced off a different plot together with 15 other farmers. Bitter and for fear of not being able to control his emotions, Salomon didn’t want to elaborate on that experience except for saying that it had cost the lives of two of his children. Already in 1999 another group of 19 farmers had been evicted, allegedly without proper compensation measures. They were less fortunate than Salomon feels this time around: he doesn’t blame so much the landlord, and prefers to leave in good terms. But he is exasperated to see the transnational close in on the little land left for the community to farm. Besides, he says, the fruits that are disqualified for export are dumped on the local market for a quarter of the price the farmers receive for their crops. Soon this inequitable situation will make it impossible for the farmers to maintain their livelihood and leave their children as day laborers in the company’s plantations.
It’s what brought our Cameroonian Joining Hands partners of RELUFA* to focus on this particular community for the development of a Fair Trade dried fruit project. Not only would the activity help the afflicted farmers and the dryers improve their living standards, the product itself tells their story and that of the many producers worldwide whose livelihoods are being suffocated by foreign interests. Besides, RELUFA’s program goes beyond a mere commercial, albeit Fair Trade, activity. The network has started to offer the farmers legal assistance in their law suits, and through our micro-finance program Credit Against Poverty we have supported for some the educational needs of their children or their wives’ small enterprise, and for others the expansion of their agricultural activities.
The newest component of the
producers’ accompaniment by RELUFA is an
irrigation project for our Fair Fruit farmers.
During the 5-month long dry season, the yields
diminish greatly with some of the crops coming
to a near stand still. Research on appropriate
irrigation tools had led us to high quality
manual pumps manufactured in Nairobi. Jeff, my
husband and fellow PC(USA) Mission Co-worker,
had a meeting in Kenya earlier this month
provided a great opportunity to already
purchase and test one of the pumps. This is
how, last week, we held a first demonstration
for all farmers on how to set up and utilize
the pump and its accessories. The two
consecutive days we spent trying the system out
in their individual fields, each with its own
particular setting. Once the farmers held the
sprinkler in their otherwise un-irrigated
field, their initial skepticism made place for
pride and enthusiasm. The results will most
likely be even better with the larger but
heavier model we will introduce later
on.
Bolstered by RELUFA’s greater Trade Justice program, the hope that our Fair Fruit project brings to these marginalized farmers may be most tangible in Etienne’s story. A registered organic pineapple producer, who had seen his experimental field demolished in the 1999 eviction, Etienne has been passing on his expertise to the next generation of farmers but never since picked up the trade again himself. What a joy to learn that over the course of the last eight months and one row at the time, Etienne has been planting a new organic pineapple field eleven years after his ordeal. A true blessing to be shown around by him and be touched by his faith in a better future through our Fair Fruit project!
*RELUFA is the French acronym for Network Fighting Hunger in Cameroon
Back >>
Volunteer Visit with Munay Rumi
by Peggy Eng, Jewelry Designer & Fair Trade supporter, St. Louis, MO
August 10, 2009
Challenging. Gratifying. Thought provoking. Some of the words that come to mind about my recent experience working with Munay Rumi, a small group of jewelry artisans on the outskirts of Lima, Peru. Working together for just a couple of years, Munay Rumi had a good technical foundation but lacked in the area of design. Much of what they produced was commission work or similar to the mass-produced jewelry seen in the local markets.
Carrie Hawthorne, Executive
Director of Partners for Just Trade (PJT),
recognized Munay Rumi's commitment, potential,
and need for design input. After discussing her
thoughts with the group, she asked if I'd be
interested in helping them with design
development. I jumped at the chance. Bridge of
Hope, a Trade Partner of PJT based in Lima who
works with artisan groups throughout Peru,
would provide an interpreter and on-the-ground
support.
Looking through the group's portfolio I asked each person to single out a favorite piece and explain why he/she liked it. Using that as a starting point everyone began working on a new design, with instructions to avoid the familiar. They explored different shape combinations, repetition of form and line, contrasting texture and adding dimension (for a sculptural effect). We discussed the idea of building a cohesive group of designs into a collection and the importance of developing a signature style. They understood that, in order to grow into a sustainable business and attract return buyers, they needed to set themselves apart from the many other Peruvian jewelers and be able to continually add fresh new work to their inventory. Although the focus of our time together was on design we also touched on issues of functionality and construction. A successful piece of jewelry has both strong design and good craftsmanship.
They worked very hard. They kept the design flow going so that when they finished making one piece they could immediately start on another one. The results were terrific. In three
weeks they produced twenty one new
pieces, all quite different from their previous
work. They were also discussing ideas with each
other and offering feedback when a design
struggled from a drawing on paper to actuality
in metal (sometimes
unsuccessfully).
Their accomplishments are even more impressive considering that each person has a secondary job to fill in the income gap and their workshop space is small and minimally equipped. They maximize the use of the tools they do have and find creative solutions for the ones they don't. There's no ordering of materials and supplies for doorstep delivery. They must travel by bus into the city to purchase goods which sometimes turns into a long ordeal depending on the traffic. There is no such thing as ready-made precious metal. To have silver sheet and wire to work with they first take pure silver "grains", melt it, alloy it, pour an ingot, then roll it out into sheet or draw it down into wire.
Alexandra Buck and Katie Rains were not only my interpreters but facilitators and educators as well. They got me to the places I needed to go and helped me understand some of Peru's culture and the ways things work in that country. They made it easy for me to communicate with Munay Rumi and injected energy and enthusiasm into the work.
I would go back in a heartbeat.
Peggy Eng established a design studio in 1986 making one-of-a-kind and limited edition pieces of jewelry. Her work is sold nationally at galleries and wearable art boutiques. She has also been involved in Fair Trade for over fifteen years doing visual merchandising for Plowsharing Crafts, a retail, non-profit store located in St. Louis.
Back >>
The TRADE Act: Changing Lives the World Over
by PC(USA) Mission Co-Worker, Alexandra Buck, Lima, Peru
July24, 2009
It came out of nowhere. And now it has 106 sponsors and over 350 civil society sign-ons. The TRADE Act (House Resolution 3012), the Trade Reform, Accountability, Development, and Employment Act, is new legislation presented in the House on June 24th by Rep. Mike Machoud (D-Maine).
Based on the campaign promises of Barack Obama to reconsider Free Trade Agreements (FTA), this act is a manifestation of a larger national movement toward Fair Trade by civil society organizations (farmers, churches, labor unions, etc.), as well as local governments (currently 72 Congress people are vocal supporters of Fair Trade).
What could it do? It is designed to review all current trade agreements, like NAFTA and CAFTA and the US-PERU FTA. It will consider human rights, corruption, democratic governance and environmental protection, among other requisites. Then, the current trade agreements would be revised based on the gaps found. All future trade agreements would be written on these principles.
But what could it do, really? Supporters say this is the way to break the model of exploitative, violent trade pacts which have left countries with more poverty, environmental damage, and labor violations, and instead spur sustainable development.
What does this look like in Peru? Here, the FTA took affect February 1st, 2009. In the first six months, the Peruvian government passed Fast-Track legislation opening the Amazon to foreign investment as part of the implementation of this law. This led to violent conflicts between indigenous protestors, opposed to this foreign investment, and the national police, with over 30 people dead in Bagua, a city in Amazonian region in Northern Peru.
This is just one example of the many violent effects of Free Trade already taking place in Peru. The TRADE Act is designed to ameliorate the conditions of imbalance between the US and other countries that lead to these confrontations.
It is a step closer to Fair Trade, to trade with justice, solidarity, and, hopefully, peace.
What can you do? Read about the TRADE Act here, and if you like what is written, send a letter to your representative to sponsor the TRADE Act, get your local organizations to sign-on in support of the act and participate in Fair Trade every day, with what you buy and how you treat people.
Back >>
Resonating Change: a Resounding Success
by Carrie Hawthorne, Director of Partners for Just Trade
June 6, 2009
This is a dream come
true,” Ayde Riveros repeated various times
during
her first few days in the states. She and
fellow Peruvian artisan,
Evangelina Pizarro, toured throughout the
Midwest and Colorado,
accompanied by Carrie Hawthorne, PJT’s director
and Yochi Zakai, Green
America’s Fair Trade Program Coordinator. Resonating Change:
Connecting Communities through Fair Trade
visited 11 cities and spoke to over 1,300
individuals.
The message the artisans delivered was powerful: Fair Trade empowers individuals to overcome cultural, social and even personal barriers and improve their lives. Ayde and Eva's stories resonated with the audiences and helped people comprehend the imbalances that most Americans realize exist but haven’t necessarily digested. Audiences were particularly surprised to hear tales of labor abuse, such as Ayde working two weeks to knit four sweaters and never being paid, and Eva working 12 hour days, 6 days a week in a jewelry factory to be paid only $75 a month.
Ayde and Evangelina told crowds how their lives have changed for the better under Fair Trade. Ayde, who explains herself as always have been timid and afraid to speak in groups, is now not only able to participate in small groups but also proved to be an eloquent public speaker to large audiences on this tour. She and the other 45 knitters in her group, El Mercurio, are now able to tell their husbands “Men and women are equal and I have a right to make decisions in my household,” Ayde said. Eva spoke of the importance of being one’s own boss, “No longer am I exploited by someone else. I set my own hours and now have time to be a mother to my two daughters.”
The message delivered was powerful enough to spur individuals to action. The tour's May 9th visit to Mankato, MN was the primary event which turned an inter-church process into the Mankato Area Fair Trade Town Initiative. After the tour's stop in Fond du Lac, WI, one individual increased her participation with the local Fair Trade organization by joining their Board of Directors.
And while audience members were affected by Ayde and Evangelina’s stories, the artisans were also transformed by the tour. “Watching the artisans grow both personally and professionally in such a short time was remarkable,” Hawthorne said. Their first time out of Peru, the artisans continually repeated throughout the visit, "I have something to tell my grandchildren about."
Hawthorne,
who has lived and worked in developing
countries for over four years in
the past decade said, "It’s hard for us as
Americans to grasp all of
the new things that Ayde and Eva experienced
for the first time during
this visit. I had forgotten that even the
smallest things, like figuring
out how to get soap of the dispenser in public
restrooms or using a
seatbelt, could be so foreign and such a
challenge to figure out." Some
of the highlights of “firsts” that occurred
during the tour include:
public speaking, reading a book and writing in
a journal (PJT gave Ayde
and Eva each a book and journal at the start of
the tour), riding a
bike, riding on a boat, being the 77th floor of
a building (Ayde had
never been higher than the fourth floor),
visiting the zoo…and so much
more.
“Everyone was so kind and generous. They listened to us and treated us so well. It was an unforgettable trip,” Eva said.
To see pictures from the Resonating Change tour, view our online album.
If you would like to download a copy of the presentation given on Fair Trade during the tour, you can do so here.
Back >>
by Carrie Hawthorne, Director of Partners for Just Trade
June 9, 2011
Sonia Anahue, an artisan from the jewelry group Munay Rumi, shared how working at a Fair Trade cooperative has changed her life. Sonia left her village of six families at age 18 to work and continue her schooling in Cusco, three hours from home. The job she found was in a jewelry factory. There she worked 11 hours a day, six days a week which left little time to study. Additionally, Sonia earned only $50 a month but it was here that she realized she enjoyed, and was skilled at, working with her hands. Upon hearing that better opportunities existed in Lima, she decided to move to the capital and found work in a different jewelry factory. It exploited its workers in a similar fashion as the previous factory but it was here that she met her future Fair Trade colleagues, Sylvia and Eva. Because of increasingly suppressive conditions, they decided to form their own business in 2006. The three connected with Bridge of Hope and while sales during the first few years were slow, the technical support from Bridge of Hope and PJT provided them the foundation they needed for success; sales have increased 500-fold since their founding five years ago!
Fair Trade has not only improved Sonia’s income but has also opened up many opportunities, like the chance to visit the U.S. This visit was the first time Sonia presented in public and she exceeded expectations, inspiring audiences at every stop. The visit will have a positive impact not only on Sonia’s life but could prove to have a positive effect on her community, too. When asked what surprised her most about the U.S., Sonia replied “the amount of trees everywhere”. Over the two week visit, she began to contemplate how she might be able to help reforest the countryside surrounding her village.
Yody Moran Trillo, an artisan from El Mercurio knitting group in Huancavelica, was supposed to be on the tour but was taken ill at the last minute and not able to come. We were saddened she wasn’t able to make it but relieved that she is now in good health.
To watch our presentation at eBay visit http://bit.ly/ktMPay
To see pictures from the tour, check out our album on Facebook
Back >>
Overcoming Setbacks in Cameroon
by Christi Boyd, PC(USA) Mission Co-worker, Yaounde, Cameroon
March 3, 2010
As it turned out, the landowner, who had leased him the parcel only a couple of months earlier, had sold his property to the transnational fruit company implanted in this fertile region. Without title to the land or even a rental contract signed, Salomon and three of his peers who were confronted with the same situation were left no choice but to accept the compensation offered by the landlord, and his helping hand to transport the shoots elsewhere.
For Salomon, the experience made him relive the painful memories of an earlier expulsion in 2007, when he was forced off a different plot together with 15 other farmers. Bitter and for fear of not being able to control his emotions, Salomon didn’t want to elaborate on that experience except for saying that it had cost the lives of two of his children. Already in 1999 another group of 19 farmers had been evicted, allegedly without proper compensation measures. They were less fortunate than Salomon feels this time around: he doesn’t blame so much the landlord, and prefers to leave in good terms. But he is exasperated to see the transnational close in on the little land left for the community to farm. Besides, he says, the fruits that are disqualified for export are dumped on the local market for a quarter of the price the farmers receive for their crops. Soon this inequitable situation will make it impossible for the farmers to maintain their livelihood and leave their children as day laborers in the company’s plantations.
It’s what brought our Cameroonian Joining Hands partners of RELUFA* to focus on this particular community for the development of a Fair Trade dried fruit project. Not only would the activity help the afflicted farmers and the dryers improve their living standards, the product itself tells their story and that of the many producers worldwide whose livelihoods are being suffocated by foreign interests. Besides, RELUFA’s program goes beyond a mere commercial, albeit Fair Trade, activity. The network has started to offer the farmers legal assistance in their law suits, and through our micro-finance program Credit Against Poverty we have supported for some the educational needs of their children or their wives’ small enterprise, and for others the expansion of their agricultural activities.
Bolstered by RELUFA’s greater Trade Justice program, the hope that our Fair Fruit project brings to these marginalized farmers may be most tangible in Etienne’s story. A registered organic pineapple producer, who had seen his experimental field demolished in the 1999 eviction, Etienne has been passing on his expertise to the next generation of farmers but never since picked up the trade again himself. What a joy to learn that over the course of the last eight months and one row at the time, Etienne has been planting a new organic pineapple field eleven years after his ordeal. A true blessing to be shown around by him and be touched by his faith in a better future through our Fair Fruit project!
*RELUFA is the French acronym for Network Fighting Hunger in Cameroon
Back >>
Volunteer Visit with Munay Rumi
by Peggy Eng, Jewelry Designer & Fair Trade supporter, St. Louis, MO
August 10, 2009
Challenging. Gratifying. Thought provoking. Some of the words that come to mind about my recent experience working with Munay Rumi, a small group of jewelry artisans on the outskirts of Lima, Peru. Working together for just a couple of years, Munay Rumi had a good technical foundation but lacked in the area of design. Much of what they produced was commission work or similar to the mass-produced jewelry seen in the local markets.
Looking through the group's portfolio I asked each person to single out a favorite piece and explain why he/she liked it. Using that as a starting point everyone began working on a new design, with instructions to avoid the familiar. They explored different shape combinations, repetition of form and line, contrasting texture and adding dimension (for a sculptural effect). We discussed the idea of building a cohesive group of designs into a collection and the importance of developing a signature style. They understood that, in order to grow into a sustainable business and attract return buyers, they needed to set themselves apart from the many other Peruvian jewelers and be able to continually add fresh new work to their inventory. Although the focus of our time together was on design we also touched on issues of functionality and construction. A successful piece of jewelry has both strong design and good craftsmanship.
They worked very hard. They kept the design flow going so that when they finished making one piece they could immediately start on another one. The results were terrific. In three
Their accomplishments are even more impressive considering that each person has a secondary job to fill in the income gap and their workshop space is small and minimally equipped. They maximize the use of the tools they do have and find creative solutions for the ones they don't. There's no ordering of materials and supplies for doorstep delivery. They must travel by bus into the city to purchase goods which sometimes turns into a long ordeal depending on the traffic. There is no such thing as ready-made precious metal. To have silver sheet and wire to work with they first take pure silver "grains", melt it, alloy it, pour an ingot, then roll it out into sheet or draw it down into wire.
Alexandra Buck and Katie Rains were not only my interpreters but facilitators and educators as well. They got me to the places I needed to go and helped me understand some of Peru's culture and the ways things work in that country. They made it easy for me to communicate with Munay Rumi and injected energy and enthusiasm into the work.
I would go back in a heartbeat.
Peggy Eng established a design studio in 1986 making one-of-a-kind and limited edition pieces of jewelry. Her work is sold nationally at galleries and wearable art boutiques. She has also been involved in Fair Trade for over fifteen years doing visual merchandising for Plowsharing Crafts, a retail, non-profit store located in St. Louis.
Back >>
The TRADE Act: Changing Lives the World Over
by PC(USA) Mission Co-Worker, Alexandra Buck, Lima, Peru
July24, 2009
It came out of nowhere. And now it has 106 sponsors and over 350 civil society sign-ons. The TRADE Act (House Resolution 3012), the Trade Reform, Accountability, Development, and Employment Act, is new legislation presented in the House on June 24th by Rep. Mike Machoud (D-Maine).
Based on the campaign promises of Barack Obama to reconsider Free Trade Agreements (FTA), this act is a manifestation of a larger national movement toward Fair Trade by civil society organizations (farmers, churches, labor unions, etc.), as well as local governments (currently 72 Congress people are vocal supporters of Fair Trade).
What could it do? It is designed to review all current trade agreements, like NAFTA and CAFTA and the US-PERU FTA. It will consider human rights, corruption, democratic governance and environmental protection, among other requisites. Then, the current trade agreements would be revised based on the gaps found. All future trade agreements would be written on these principles.
But what could it do, really? Supporters say this is the way to break the model of exploitative, violent trade pacts which have left countries with more poverty, environmental damage, and labor violations, and instead spur sustainable development.
What does this look like in Peru? Here, the FTA took affect February 1st, 2009. In the first six months, the Peruvian government passed Fast-Track legislation opening the Amazon to foreign investment as part of the implementation of this law. This led to violent conflicts between indigenous protestors, opposed to this foreign investment, and the national police, with over 30 people dead in Bagua, a city in Amazonian region in Northern Peru.
This is just one example of the many violent effects of Free Trade already taking place in Peru. The TRADE Act is designed to ameliorate the conditions of imbalance between the US and other countries that lead to these confrontations.
It is a step closer to Fair Trade, to trade with justice, solidarity, and, hopefully, peace.
What can you do? Read about the TRADE Act here, and if you like what is written, send a letter to your representative to sponsor the TRADE Act, get your local organizations to sign-on in support of the act and participate in Fair Trade every day, with what you buy and how you treat people.
Back >>
Resonating Change: a Resounding Success
by Carrie Hawthorne, Director of Partners for Just Trade
June 6, 2009
The message the artisans delivered was powerful: Fair Trade empowers individuals to overcome cultural, social and even personal barriers and improve their lives. Ayde and Eva's stories resonated with the audiences and helped people comprehend the imbalances that most Americans realize exist but haven’t necessarily digested. Audiences were particularly surprised to hear tales of labor abuse, such as Ayde working two weeks to knit four sweaters and never being paid, and Eva working 12 hour days, 6 days a week in a jewelry factory to be paid only $75 a month.
Ayde and Evangelina told crowds how their lives have changed for the better under Fair Trade. Ayde, who explains herself as always have been timid and afraid to speak in groups, is now not only able to participate in small groups but also proved to be an eloquent public speaker to large audiences on this tour. She and the other 45 knitters in her group, El Mercurio, are now able to tell their husbands “Men and women are equal and I have a right to make decisions in my household,” Ayde said. Eva spoke of the importance of being one’s own boss, “No longer am I exploited by someone else. I set my own hours and now have time to be a mother to my two daughters.”
The message delivered was powerful enough to spur individuals to action. The tour's May 9th visit to Mankato, MN was the primary event which turned an inter-church process into the Mankato Area Fair Trade Town Initiative. After the tour's stop in Fond du Lac, WI, one individual increased her participation with the local Fair Trade organization by joining their Board of Directors.
And while audience members were affected by Ayde and Evangelina’s stories, the artisans were also transformed by the tour. “Watching the artisans grow both personally and professionally in such a short time was remarkable,” Hawthorne said. Their first time out of Peru, the artisans continually repeated throughout the visit, "I have something to tell my grandchildren about."
“Everyone was so kind and generous. They listened to us and treated us so well. It was an unforgettable trip,” Eva said.
To see pictures from the Resonating Change tour, view our online album.
If you would like to download a copy of the presentation given on Fair Trade during the tour, you can do so here.
Back >>