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:

Bay Area Fair Trade Coalition

New York Fair Trade Coalition

Fair Trade Los Angeles

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!

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.

The Portland Ten Thousand Villages store and Swahili-Imports are co-hosting a special World Fair Trade Day celebration in the Pearl District.

WHAT: World Fair Trade Day – Focus on Africa

Games, music, refreshments and education about the art and culture of Africa and the benefits of fair trade

WHEN: Saturday, May 10, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. & Sunday, May 11, noon to 5 p.m.

WHERE: Ten Thousand Villages, 914 NW Everett; Swahili, 128 NW 12^th, in Portland’s Pearl District

Pearl District stores celebrate Africa and fair trade, May 10 and 11

Portland – Two Pearl District retailers are teaming up to shine the spotlight on African art and culture – and the importance of fair trade to protect the environment and support emerging economies. Ten Thousand Villages and Swahili have planned a weekend of family activities – from a treasure hunt to the African board game Mancala, Saturday and Sunday, May 10 and 11.

The event is from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, and from noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Ten Thousand Villages is located at 914 NW Everett. Swahili is at 128 NW 12^th.

On Saturday, from 6 to 7 p.m., Ten Thousand Villages will host a drumming circle. Participants are invited to bring their own drums or play those available at the store and learn the basics of African drumming.

In addition to providing refreshments, games and music, both stores will donate a portion of their sales that weekend to two Oregon-based nonprofits that support important programs in Africa: The Harambee Centre and the Makindu Children’s Program.

World Fair Trade Day is May 10. The stores, both dedicated to fair trade, want to help Oregonians understand how their shopping dollars can help protect the fragile environments of emerging countries while improving the lives of families across the globe. Fair trade favors hand production and organic agriculture, while providing living wages and enduring partnerships that help local economies thrive.

Ten Thousand Villages is a fair trade non-profit that carries crafts, house wares, jewelry, toys, instruments and other hand-made products from around the world. It also features fine Oriental carpets from Pakistan and furniture from Indonesia. It is located at 914 NW Everett.

Swahili is a leading fair trade importer of contemporary crafts from a variety of African countries. Its products include beautiful hand-woven textiles, jewelry, carvings, and products made of recycled glass and other materials. It is located at 128 NW 12^th.

For information about events at either store, call Ten Thousand Villages at (503) 231-8832 or Swahili at (503) 295-1225. For more information about World Fair Trade Day, visit wftday.org/.

They are an inspiration to all fair traders with a dedicated mission that proves to everyone that through our support of fair trade enterprises, compassion for people, culture and the earth come first!Ganesh Himal is helping fund a project in the village of Besari, located in the rugged, mountainous Dhading District of Central Nepal. This project is bringing a long-awaited health clinic to this remote region.

Visit the Besari Health Clinic for more detailed information about this project and to learn how you can make a tax-deductable donation to help them reach their goal. Ganesh Himal has already met 3/4 of their fundraising goals ($12,000), but we can make this fair trade goal a reality! Denise and Ric hope to be celebrating the opening of this new facility in March 2009.

Thanks Denise and Ric for your work to promote and help establish fair trade in the Pacific Northwest!!

Click here to read a great article about Ganesh Himal online.

6:30 – 9:30, Wykoff Auditorium, Seattle University

Round table discussion with Larry Lohmann, author of “Carbon Trading: A Critical Conversation On Climate Change, Privatization And Power”

Also with representatives from these co-sponsoring organizations:

Tom Goldtooth, Indigenous Environmental Network

Linda VerNooy, NetGreen

JP Kemmick, Cascade Climate Network / Power Shift

Preston Hardison, Tulalip Natural Resource Department

Jessica Coven, Climate Solutions

Morgan Ahouse, Global Citizen Journey/Sierra Club

Running Grass, Three Circles Consulting—Facilitator

Sponsored by the Community Alliance & Peacemaking Project

A project of the Potlatch Fund

Social businesses are different than any other form of business; they are neither for-profit making companies nor do they receive tax-exempt status like non-profit organizations. Muhammad states that, in many ways, social businesses are the wave of the future, where this new kind of business can be introduced into the marketplace “with the objective of making a difference in the world.” Social business still work with investors, but they do not receive dividends like for-profit companies. This makes a big difference in the business’ bottom-line. In a for-profit company, their primary objective is maximizing profits and giving investors large returns or dividends. In a social business, profit is “ploughed back into the company to expand its outreach and improve the quality of its product or service.”

Muhammad is not just known for winning the Nobel Peace Prize for his work with micro-banking and the President of the wonderful Grameen Foundation, but he is co-founder of the largest social business known in the world, Grameen Danone. This social business was created by a joint-venture between Danone (France-based yogurt company) and Grameen Bank. This social business brings healthy, fortified yogurt to rural Bangladesh communities. The concept behind this social business was not only to provide additional nutrition to youth of Bangladesh that are in dire need of such assistance, but creating a business that works with the local community to achieve their success. For example, Grameen-Danone works with local dairy farmers who provide the factory with high quality milk and employs “yogurt ladies” who distribute yogurt to local villages and markets. This form of social enterprise has brought welcome development income from micro-enterprise to many local village populations surrounding Grameen-Danone factories. In social business the end goal is a social goal and that is the biggest difference between social business and for-profit businesses.

For some reason, fair trade was not mentioned as an already widely recognized social business in concept. Maybe Muhammad is waiting for his third book to integrate fair trade’s principles into the mix?! Fair trade certainly matches the concepts behind Muhammad’s social business ideals.

It took me a while to sample my way through the chocolate section in the local grocery store, but I finally found what I was craving: Endangered Species Chocolate (ESC). It’s smooth and rich, and has the perfect balance of bitter cocoa flavor and sweetness. Oh, and I wouldn’t have given it any attention it if it wasn’t certified organic. Not all varieties are, but there are enough to find a favorite and try a new one from time to time - organic dark chocolate with goji berries, pecans, and maca, for example.

Until summer 2006, all of ESC’s cocoa had also been fair trade certified by TransFair. Since then, ESC pledged to follow the same standards, but give the money previously spent on certification directly to the farmers of the Conocado Co-op in the Dominican Republic, who harvest the organic cocoa. The main mission of ESC though is - quite obviously - to raise awareness and support for the thousands of animals that are critically close to extinction. Some of the more photogenic ones are featured on the recycled paper wrappers, and 10% (!) of the company’s net profits are given to organizations like Chimp Haven and the Ocean Conservancy who protect species and their habitat.

The only aspect that leaves a bad aftertaste is that the ESC’s core value “reverence for life” is modeled and named after Albert Schweitzer’s philosophy. Although I understand what ESC is getting at, colonialist statements like “the African is indeed my brother, but my junior brother” make Schweitzer an unfortunate choice for a company that practices and promotes global fair trade.

Still, their actions and their attitude seem genuine and thorough - so if you’ve been looking for delicious chocolate, made by a company that shows respect for nature and for the communities it works with, you should keep your eyes open for some lions, bats, and monkeys on the shelves.