This past May, to commemorate World Fair Trade Day, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom proclaimed they are the 7th city in the US to make fair trade an important measure of the city’s sustainability and in line with other concerned, green and social justice-minded citizens.
This movement of fair trade cities is not only found on the West Coast, but New York City, Chicago and Boston have already proclaimed the same goals. What does this proclamation mean? Well, many of these cities have formed fair trade coalitions, or groups of conscious consumers that engage city hall with the tenets of fair trade in action. Through demonstrations, buying ethically and socially-minded goods and holding rallies in support of fair trade ideals, these cities have introduced to the general public the concepts behind our fair trade movement in the US.
For references to these coalitions in the US, please visit their websites:
San Diego Friends of Fair Trade
Chicago Committee on Fair Trade
South Jersey Fair Trade Alliance
Is Portland or Seattle destined to become the 8th member of this growing fair trade city movement? Let’s make it happen!
admin @ July 10, 2008
A new fair trade company, based in Gig Harbor, Washington is now importing fair trade textiles from India. Keeping up with traditional block printing techniques found in the western state of Rajisthan, India, near the Pakistani border.
Owner, Nikki Davidson, is helping fill a niche which has left our Pacific Northwest markets with very few, if any textiles…thanks to Jubilee traders fair trader consumers will have access to fantastic, brilliant patterns and colors of textiles created by fairly paid, Indian artisans!!
The art of hand-block printing has existed in Jaipur for generations and many of our artisans originally belonged to the traditional “chippa” or hand block printing caste.
The whole process, from printing to dyeing, is executed manually in small workshops and micro-enterprises. Proceeds from the sale of these linens directly support the livelihood of the artisans and their families.
To view more textiles, visit Ten Thousand Villages-Portland store or visit them Jubilee Online.
admin @ June 4, 2008