October is Fair Trade month! Yay!
For those of you who don’t know what fair trade is, stay tuned to be enlightened:
• “Create Opportunities for Economically and Socially Marginalized Producers – Fair Trade is a strategy for poverty alleviation and sustainable development.
• “Develop Transparent and Accountable Relationships– Fair Trade involves relationships that are open, fair, consistent, and respectful.
• “Build Capacity– Fair Trade is a means to develop producers’ independence.
• “Promote Fair Trade– Fair Trade encourages an understanding by all participants of their role in world trade. Members actively raise awareness about Fair Trade and the possibility of greater justice in the global economic system.
• “Pay Promptly and Fairly– Fair Trade empowers producers to set prices within the framework of the true costs of labor time, materials, sustainable growth, and related factors.
• “Support Safe and Empowering Working Conditions – Fair Trade means a safe and healthy working environment free of forced labor.
• “Ensure the Rights of Children – Fair Trade means that all children have the right to security, education, and play.
• “Cultivate Environmental Stewardship – Fair Trade seeks to offer current generations the ability to meet their needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
• “Respect Cultural Identity – Fair Trade celebrates the cultural diversity of communities, while seeking to create positive and equitable change.
(The information listed above comes directly off of the Fair Trade Federation Web site – http://www.fairtradefederation.org/ht/d/sp/i/197/pid/197 )
Students for Global Change is holding an Earth Fair festival on the 30th in Hewitt Union to celebrate Fair Trade. We’re going to have lots of carnival games, Halloween costume contests, candy and snacks, and live music. I am planning the event, so it’s going to take up a lot of my October. But, I love doing this kind of stuff. We want to bring in a lot of kids and families from the community as well as the campus community members.
I think the best part of fair trade is the chocolate. Organic, fair traded chocolate, especially the dark chocolate, is so rich and yummy! I could probably eat it every day . It’s got anti-oxidants; those are good for you!
I think it’s important to get involved with these types of things not only in college but in life. And by these types of things I mean community gatherings. This past weekend was the Oswego Pumpkin Festival, with cute little and cute big pumpkins. It’s a wonderful time to gather together and share in a warm, community experience. It’s nice to get a change from the rigors of everyday life and your everyday crowd. Going to community gatherings provides a new perspective on something that you may not have thought about before. It’s also a lot of fun.
I’d encourage everyone to get involved in some sort of community event on campus or off-campus. Whether it’s a Kidney Walk, Breast Cancer Walk, Relay for Life, Salvation Army clothes/food drive, soup kitchen volunteer, local music festival, sports game, whatever! Go to it with some friends and get a taste of the mixed generations and the lively atmosphere!
Our Earth Fair for S4GC is going to be 6-9 p.m. Friday, October 30th. It’s going to raise money for TransFair USA which certifies products in the U.S. as fair trade and follows the market process from conception to consumption! Free admittance – tickets for carnival games cost $0.50 and food costs individual prices.
GO out and enjoy some community fun!! Go enjoy the fall atmosphere 🙂