tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86213881376747956072024-03-13T09:51:28.319-07:00Journey for Fair TradeThis blog is the story of a journey with a purpose; a journey to present the voices of Fair Trade producers, artisans, weavers, farmers, and craftswomen and men. This blog examines the Fair Trade Organizations, NGOs, and Community-Based Organizations which support producers and introduce social change; it aims to develop local, national and regional Fair Trade networks; it encourages the advocates and supporters of Fair Trade; and it informs conscientious consumers.Mitch Teberg, MAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09103389961793260475noreply@blogger.comBlogger48125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8621388137674795607.post-11809679736135050922017-01-03T22:15:00.000-08:002017-01-03T23:03:35.318-08:00Welcome to Journey for Fair Trade<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Welcome to the Journey for Fair Trade Blog which was active from December 2010 - June 2012.<br />
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This blog is intended to be a resource for Fair Trade producers, networks, advocates and retailers. It aims to provide insights from the perspectives of local Fair Trade organizations and producers in SE Asia, and most importantly it examines the successes and strengths as well as the failures and areas for improvement in the Fair Trade movement.<br />
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I have developed this blog in five key areas listed below. For information and posts on Fair Trade in specific countries:<br />
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Cambodia: </h3>
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<a href="http://journeyforfairtrade.blogspot.com/2011/01/sound-of-silence.html" target="_blank">The Sound of Silence</a></div>
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Indonesia:</h3>
<a href="http://journeyforfairtrade.blogspot.com/2011/03/listening-to-voices-indonesia.html" target="_blank">Listening to the Voices, Indonesia</a><br />
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<a href="http://journeyforfairtrade.blogspot.com/2011/04/start-of-fair-trade-movement.html" target="_blank">The Start of a Fair Trade Movement in Yogyajakarta!</a></div>
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<a href="http://journeyforfairtrade.blogspot.com/2011/04/part-i-you-can-betray-principle.html" target="_blank">Coffee Part I - "You can betray a Principle"</a></div>
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<a href="http://journeyforfairtrade.blogspot.com/2011/04/coffee-part-ii-its-not-my-problem.html" target="_blank">Coffee Part II - "It's not my Problem"</a></div>
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<a href="http://journeyforfairtrade.blogspot.com/2011/04/coffee-part-iii-empowering-communities.html" target="_blank">Coffee Part III - Empowering Communities through Action</a></div>
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Phillipines:</h3>
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<a href="http://journeyforfairtrade.blogspot.com/2011/01/development-of-local-markets.html" target="_blank">Development of Local Markets</a></div>
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<a href="http://journeyforfairtrade.blogspot.com/2011/01/to-make-coffee-sustainable.html" target="_blank">To Make Coffee Sustainable</a></div>
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<a href="http://journeyforfairtrade.blogspot.com/2011/01/introducing-fair-trade-high-above.html" target="_blank">Introducing Fair Trade high above the Clouds</a></div>
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<a href="http://journeyforfairtrade.blogspot.com/2011/02/catalysts-for-social-change.html" target="_blank">Catalysts for Social Change</a></div>
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<a href="http://journeyforfairtrade.blogspot.com/2011/02/franchising-fair-trade.html" target="_blank">Franchising Fair Trade</a></div>
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<a href="http://journeyforfairtrade.blogspot.com/2011/02/defining-competitive-in-local-markets.html" target="_blank">Defining "Competitive" in Local Markets</a></div>
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Malaysia:</h3>
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<a href="http://journeyforfairtrade.blogspot.com/2011/05/celebrating-malaysian-fair-trade.html" target="_blank">Celebrating the Malaysian Fair Trade Initiative</a></div>
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<b>Vietnam: </b></h3>
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<a href="http://journeyforfairtrade.blogspot.com/2010/12/people-with-different-abilities.html" target="_blank">People with Different Abilities</a></div>
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<a href="http://journeyforfairtrade.blogspot.com/2010/12/fair-trade-applied-as-business-model-in.html" target="_blank">Fair Trade applied as a Business Model in Vietnam</a></div>
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Specific focus areas include:</div>
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Fair Trade Campaigns</h3>
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<a href="http://journeyforfairtrade.blogspot.com/2011/08/traidcrafts-spotlight-on-global-trade.html" target="_blank">Traidcraft's Spotlight on the Global Trade in Raw Materials</a></div>
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<a href="http://journeyforfairtrade.blogspot.com/2011/12/bloomberg-news-falsely-accuses.html" target="_blank">Bloomberg News Falsely Accuses Fairtrade of Child Labour</a></div>
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<a href="http://journeyforfairtrade.blogspot.com/2012/01/fairtrade-international-investigation.html" target="_blank">Fairtrade International Investigation Leads to Questions of Bloomberg's Journalistic Integrity</a></div>
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<a href="http://journeyforfairtrade.blogspot.com/2012/01/take-direct-action-with-bloomberg-media.html" target="_blank">Take Direct Action with Bloomberg Media!</a></div>
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<a href="http://journeyforfairtrade.blogspot.com/2012/01/bloomberg-responds-to-petition-campaign.html" target="_blank">Bloomberg Responds to Petition Campaign through Editorial</a></div>
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<a href="http://journeyforfairtrade.blogspot.com/2012/01/need-for-organic-fairtrade-cotton-in.html" target="_blank">The Need for Organic Fairtrade Cotton in Burkina Faso</a></div>
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Fair Trade Practices</h3>
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<a href="http://journeyforfairtrade.blogspot.com/2011/08/should-fair-trade-be-synonymous-with.html" target="_blank">Should Fair Trade be Synonymous with Organic?</a></div>
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<a href="http://journeyforfairtrade.blogspot.com/2011/11/what-is-fair-trade-interview-with.html" target="_blank">What is Fair Trade? An Interview with Helvetas Vietnam</a></div>
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Fair Trade Principles</h3>
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<a href="http://journeyforfairtrade.blogspot.com/2011/05/from-principles-to-practices-part-i.html" target="_blank">From Principles to Practices - Part I</a></div>
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<a href="http://journeyforfairtrade.blogspot.com/2011/06/from-principles-to-practices-part-ii.html" target="_blank">From Principles to Practices - Part II</a></div>
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<a href="http://journeyforfairtrade.blogspot.com/2011/06/from-principles-to-practices-part-iii.html" target="_blank">From Principles to Practices - Part III</a></div>
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<a href="http://journeyforfairtrade.blogspot.com/2011/06/our-values-our-fair-trade-principles.html" target="_blank">"Our Values, Our Fair Trade Principles"</a></div>
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<a href="http://journeyforfairtrade.blogspot.com/2011/07/how-do-fair-trade-retailers-adhere-to.html" target="_blank">How do Fair Trade Retailers Adhere to our Shared Principles?</a></div>
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Gender</h3>
<a href="http://journeyforfairtrade.blogspot.com/2011/03/international-womens-day-post.html" target="_blank">International Women's Day: What is Gender?</a><br />
<a href="http://journeyforfairtrade.blogspot.com/2011/03/gender-and-cultural-relativity.html" target="_blank">Gender and Cultural Relativity</a><br />
<a href="http://journeyforfairtrade.blogspot.com/2011/11/womens-empowerment-and-fair-trade.html" target="_blank">Women's Empowerment and Fair Trade</a><br />
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<a href="http://journeyforfairtrade.blogspot.com/2012/03/international-womens-day-gender-equity.html" target="_blank">International Women's Day: Gender Equity and Non-Discrimination</a></div>
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Human Rights</h3>
<a href="http://journeyforfairtrade.blogspot.com/2011/10/rights-based-approach-to-fair-trade.html" target="_blank">A Rights-Based Approach to Fair Trade: The Onus of Responsibility</a><br />
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<a href="http://journeyforfairtrade.blogspot.com/2011/10/rights-based-approach-to-fair-trade_20.html" target="_blank">A Rights-Based Approach to Fair Trade: Human Rights Framework</a></div>
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<a href="http://journeyforfairtrade.blogspot.com/2011/10/rights-based-approach-to-fair-trade_29.html" target="_blank">A Rights-Based Approach to Fair Trade: Understanding CEDAW</a></div>
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<a href="http://journeyforfairtrade.blogspot.com/2011/11/fair-trade-celebrates-human-rights-day.html" target="_blank">Fair Trade Celebrates Human Rights Day!!!</a></div>
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<i>For a more detailed breakdown of blog posts, please see below under "Labels" </i></h4>
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Mitch Teberg, MAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09103389961793260475noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8621388137674795607.post-41928177439302674932012-06-23T06:17:00.000-07:002012-06-23T10:34:29.770-07:00Fair Trade and the Tea Industry<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This post on the truth about tea is by guest blogger, Alex Zorach, Founder and Editor of <a href="http://ratetea.com/">RateTea</a> </div>
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The tea industry has a myriad of ethical, human rights, and environmental issues that parallel those of any industry involving the production of goods in less wealthy countries, imported into wealthier countries. An outstanding, in-depth summary of these issues can be found in <a href="http://somo.nl/publications-en/Publication_2548">Sustainability Issues in the Tea Sector</a>, a 2008 report from the the <a href="http://somo.nl/">SOMO Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations</a>; this report focuses on India, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Indonesia, Kenya and Malawi. China, another major producer, is not covered in this report, but has similar issues, on top of its own unique issues associated with its government that combines elements of capitalism and authoritarianism.
In this post I will explain some issues specific to the tea industry itself, and I will point the reader towards conscious decisions that can help people buying tea to make decisions that are more likely to shape the economic landscape in a way that helps tea producers and workers in the country where tea is produced.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_de0GYbCtrRhenOrZmD-ZW3Hsm87pflLUtKFC1C77MEFfkHt9RZviIPq_mDnuEi1-5RgkI0ZLDsn4z3pWuMqrg2zWT1bMvvOZJFbAb1lh-u7-JCt7kRk5baUupTR7eCMReArMNAQodNf4/s1600/matcha-tea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_de0GYbCtrRhenOrZmD-ZW3Hsm87pflLUtKFC1C77MEFfkHt9RZviIPq_mDnuEi1-5RgkI0ZLDsn4z3pWuMqrg2zWT1bMvvOZJFbAb1lh-u7-JCt7kRk5baUupTR7eCMReArMNAQodNf4/s400/matcha-tea.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b style="color: #f1c232;">How and why do profits concentrate mostly in wealthier countries?</b><span style="color: #f1c232;">
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The tea industry has a long supply chain, which involves growers, processing factories (which range from larger regional factories to tiny operations smaller than a single house), bulk tea auctions, importers, blenders, packers, marketers, and a variety of support industries. In conventional trade, the bulk of the profits go to the blending, packing, and marketing industries, which tend to reside mostly in wealthier Western countries.
People within the tea industry often describe the processes of blending, packing, and marketing in terms of "adding value", which I see as a euphemism masking the essential reality that the price of the product has been marked up considerably. Whether or not any value has truly been added, in terms of resulting in a better experience for tea drinkers, is a subjective question. A higher profit for the seller, and a greater portion of costs flowing into the wealthy country in which the tea is sold, results in a lower portion of the purchase price going to the original producer. Below I will show how a conscious shopper can partially address this issue, without sacrificing price or quality.
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<b style="color: #f1c232;">Tea vs. coffee: a few key differences:</b>
People often treat tea together with coffee, when thinking about the industries, because the two are both caffeinated beverages, and both drinks tend to be sold in the same stores, often side-by-side, and both industries involve labor-intensive picking, but there are some important distinctions between the two:
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<li style="text-align: left;">The tea plant is hardier with respect to cold than the coffee plant. Coffee requires a tropical climate, whereas tea grows and thrives in mild subtropical climates and at higher elevations in the tropics. This means, among other things, that there are many regions which can produce tea commercially, but cannot feasibly grow coffee.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">As a bulk commodity, tea tends to cost considerably less per cup than coffee. This has several implications; it opens the door to price gouging by businesses selling tea in the West (thus further concentrating profits in wealthy countries), but it also means that informed shoppers can buy remarkably high-quality tea for a reasonable price, and can comfortably afford products that have been produced in more ethically and environmentally sound ways.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">In many regions of the world, tea production pays considerably less per acre than coffee. People unfamiliar with the tea and coffee industries usually are surprised to learn that, climate-wise, tea can be commercially grown throughout much of South and Central America, and that the greater economic prosperity of these regions, rather than the climate, explains why most tea is produced in Asia and Africa.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Tea production has increased more than demand in recent years, leading to a fall in prices. This has created economic pressure that has led to falling wages for seasonal laborers engaged in tea production.</li>
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<b style="color: #f1c232;">Smallholders, small-scale tea producers, and seasonal labor wages:</b>
Small producers, called <i>smallholders</i>, have come to dominate tea production in Sri Lanka and Kenya. In Kenya, these smallholders mostly have tiny plots, with 90% of the total tea crop being grown on plots of 1 acre or less. In the activist culture in the U.S., people often have a tendency to assume "smaller is better", operating on the false premise that exploitative models are imposed by large, powerful corporations onto individuals, and that smaller operations will necessarily result in better working conditions. This is not necessarily true.
In Kenya, Sri Lanka, and India, small farmers are more easily able to evade labor laws and other laws governing tea plantations. According to SOMO's report, these small operations are viable in large part because they can pay less for labor, especially seasonal labor.
Some activists in Western countries may think of these models in terms of the tea estate owners exploiting their workers, but the owners themselves are often working within difficult economic constraints. I find it unempowering to think of these estate owners as exploiting their workers; I prefer to refrain from passing value judgements on people, and instead focus on the system that creates bad incentives and leaves people with little or no viable alternatives.
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<b style="color: #f1c232;">Fair Trade and other approaches:</b><span style="color: #f1c232;">
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Fair Trade, as administered by <a href="http://www.fairtrade.net/">FLO</a> and IFAT, is one of the major approaches to solve this problem. Fair Trade aims to addresses multiple issues at once, putting a minimum on the portion that goes to producers, creating traceability of the tea, and aiming to address. Fair Trade is not perfect; for a particularly scathing criticism of fair trade in the tea industry, you can watch <a href="http://digital.films.com/play/LSCQKZ">The Bitter Taste of Tea: A Journey into the World of Fair Trade</a>, an hour long program which shows how, in many cases, there is little difference between Fair Trade and non-Fair Trade operations. Another, weaker form of certification, is run by the <a href="http://www.ethicalteapartnership.org/">Ethical Tea Partnership (ETP)</a>, which has also been criticized on similar grounds; you can read an <a href="http://ratetea.com/topic/ethical-tea-partnership/64/">overview of the ETP and criticisms of it</a> that I wrote.
Some time ago, I conversed online with Sonam Paljor Lama, who has worked with tea estates in Darjeeling, and who briefly ran an online tea company selling tea directly from Darjeeling, and he validated the major concern expressed in the film, explaining that most workers travel frequently between estates seeking work, and that the conditions are likely to vary little regardless of whether or not the teas are Fair Trade certified. I am hopeful though that critiques of Fair Trade tea, coupled with increased transparency due to the information age, can to strengthen the Fair Trade certification system so that it can address more of these issues in the long-run.
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<b style="color: #f1c232;">My recommendations for buying tea:</b>
Other than buying <a href="http://ratetea.com/topic/fair-trade-tea/12/">Fair Trade certified tea</a>, there are other conscious decisions that tea drinkers and people shopping for tea in the West can do to influence where the money flows in the tea industry.
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<li><b style="color: #6aa84f;">Buy single origin tea, rather than blends</b> - Blending is a practice carried out primarily in wealthy countries. When you buy blended tea (a generic tea marked only as "tea", "green tea" or "orange pekoe black tea"), it is more likely that the teas that went into the blend were lower quality, and purchased for a lower price. With single-origin tea, it is more likely that a greater portion of the price you pay will reach the original producer. <b></b></li>
<li><b style="color: #6aa84f;">Buy loose-leaf tea, rather than tea bags</b> - The packaging of tea into tea bags, besides using energy and resources that are discarded, also tends to concentrate profit in wealthy countries. By buying loose-leaf tea, you not only reduce waste and resource usage, but you make it more likely that a greater portion of the price you are paying reaches the producers.</li>
<li><b style="color: #6aa84f;">Seek out quality</b> - The biggest economic pinch, driving the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Race_to_the_bottom">race to the bottom</a>, resulting in poor working conditions and environmental degradation, comes when producers sell tea as a bulk commodity. Unique and artisan teas can fetch a higher price for the producer. Kenya in particular, which has until recently produced mainly bulk tea for blending, is rapidly becoming a global leader in tea innovation, developing new cultivars of tea, as well as putting their own unique spin on traditional Chinese and Japanese styles of tea. Because the skill and art resides with the producer of artisan teas, the producer has greater agency and is able to command a higher share of profits than in the case of bulk commodity tea. Innovation also stands to help both producers and tea growing countries in the long-run, as growers develop cultivars better adapted to local conditions and more resilient in the face of climate change.</li>
<li><b style="color: #6aa84f;">Comparison shop, and buy reasonably priced tea</b> - One unfortunate side-effect of the Fair Trade movement is the idea that paying more for a tea is the best way to achieve ethical and environmental goals. But from the standpoint of a shopper concerned with the conditions for tea producers and pickers, the worst outcome is to spend a large amount of money on a low-quality tea on which a large markup has been charged, where the profit is mostly being taken by the final seller. Shopping around, and making sure that you are paying a reasonable price and getting good value, especially whenever you buy tea that is not fair trade certified, can help put a cap on the most obscene profits. Then, when you do splurge, make sure you are spending in accordance with your values.</li>
<li><b style="color: #6aa84f;">Buy direct sourced tea</b> - The tea industry is hardly transparent; retailers rarely reveal their sources of tea, and wholesalers rarely reveal their clients. A claim that a company directly sources their teas from a region of production is not a guarantee of this fact. But, I would recommend avoiding buying from companies that do not identify anything about the origin of their teas. Farmer-owned cooperatives with a retail presence, which may or may not be fair trade certified, can also be a good source of tea. A few tea gardens, like <a href="http://www.makaibari.com/">Makaibari Estate</a> in Darjeeling, India, have a web presence and sell some tea directly. Makaibari has been a global pioneer in organic and biodynamic tea production, as well as in Fair Trade and the empowerment of women. Companies shipping directly from a tea's region of production are becoming more common now both in China and India. One example of such a company is <a href="http://www.yunnansourcing.com/">Yunnan Sourcing</a>, specializing in Pu-erh and other teas from China's Yunnan province, which sells many products at a fraction of the price at which they are available from other retailers.</li>
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<i style="color: #f1c232;">Is it better to buy a box of organic certified tea bags, blended and mechanically processed, or a loose-leaf artisan tea from a small producer, directly sourced from a tea company that does not have Fair Trade certification?</i> I don't know the answer to this question. But I am personally not convinced that Fair Trade certified tea is always the better option; I think it is more productive to think holistically.
While I often seek out the Fair Trade label, and encourage others to do so, I would recommend for people to consider more factors than just Fair Trade certification alone in choosing which products to buy--not just with tea but with all products. The main danger is that we fall into thinking that Fair Trade instantly solves the social, economic, and environmental issues associated with trade between wealthier and less wealthy countries. It does not. The Fair Trade system is powerful, but is in need of continuous pressure to improve on reaching its goals, and is best combined with other approaches to tackle the underlying issues from as many angles as possible. </div>
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Alex Zorach, Founder and Editor of <a href="http://ratetea.com/">RateTea</a> </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Message from Journey for Fair Trade Blogger, Mitch Teberg:</b></span></div>
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The above posts presents the views and professional opinions of Alex Zorach, and do not represent my own research. In June, 2012, Alex approached me with his independent information website providing consumer information on sourcing tea. His site does not sell any products, nor does it contain any affiliate links. reviewing RateTea.com and considering Alex's unique insight to the tea industry, I invited him to contribute this post. As a Fair Trade advocate, I believe we can progressively improve Fair Trade when we review well-founded critiques and as consumers make demands on Fair Trade certification organizations to raise the bar for certification. Most importantly, it means to improve the monitoring of certified organizations. I invite consumers not only to comment below, but to take act an active role and contact <a href="http://www.fairtrade.net/">FLO</a> and <a href="http://www.ethicalteapartnership.org/">Ethical Tea Partnership (ETP)</a> directly with your concerns.<br />
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If you have a Fair Trade related issue, project, or perspective you would like to share as a guest blogger on Journey for Fair Trade, please feel free to contact me directly. On a personal note, my Journey for Fair Trade has come to it's
completion and after a period of rest, I have endeavored on yet another
journey... </div>
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From June, 2012, I have resided in Kabul, Afghanistan as a <a href="http://www.unv.org/" target="_blank">UN Volunteer</a> with the <a href="http://www.undp.org.af/" target="_blank">United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)</a>. I am working in the National Institution Building Project (<a href="http://www.undp.org.af/whoweare/undpinafghanistan/Projects/sbgs/prj_nibp.htm" target="_blank">NIBP</a>) which is an effort to improve the capacity of ministerial, provincial, and district level government officials to deliver government services to the Afghan people. As NATO troops begin departing prior to the 2014 deadline, the ability of government officials to provide social services will prove vital to Afghanistan's future and the success of their fledgling democracy as they face an insurgency committed to death and destruction; for it is far easier to destroy than to construct. For this reason, I have accepted a volunteer position as my personal contribution to the future of people who have suffered heavily under three decades of war. </div>
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My work here is only possible with the selfless ongoing support of my wife, Chou and our son, Thoreau residing in Vietnam while I am on assignment. </div>
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<b>Mitch Teberg, MA</b></div>
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Capacity
Development Advisor</div>
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National
Institution Building Project</div>
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United Nations
Development Programme</div>
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Shah Mahmood Ghazi
Watt</div>
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Kabul, Afghanistan</div>
<a href="http://www.undp.org.af/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"></span></a><a href="http://www.undp.org.af/">www.undp.org.af</a><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Follow us:</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">
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</div>Mitch Teberg, MAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09103389961793260475noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8621388137674795607.post-37144938671950455892012-03-08T03:48:00.001-08:002012-03-08T21:56:33.027-08:00International Women's Day: Gender Equity and Non-Discrimination<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Global Fair Trade Movement is founded on principles which can be viewed as a living document; a "life-form" that evolves and progresses with time. As members we are enabled to keep our movement relevant by periodically reflecting upon and revisiting these principles</span><span style="font-size: small;">. </span><span style="font-size: small;">In June of 2011,</span><span style="font-size: small;"> recognizing the importance of cultural influences, </span><span style="font-size: small;">the WFTO improved Principle 3 on Fair Trading Practices:</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Fair Trade recognizes, promotes and protects the cultural identity and traditional skills of small producers as reflected in their craft designs, food products and other related services.</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWjajbdBbrW-KVJa0wh9CQYdb5KTm4SvtLI_ZPz9WrkqaHvJmIIyroOAYu3qfv33HVxXq-HuzoLDWfA1VQGHAAzTJthBd4Fa7zTL_V22XezTK47S3OQGmRZHYSjc9xpl-Lit8VyGD0RA5u/s1600/International+Women%27s+Day+2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWjajbdBbrW-KVJa0wh9CQYdb5KTm4SvtLI_ZPz9WrkqaHvJmIIyroOAYu3qfv33HVxXq-HuzoLDWfA1VQGHAAzTJthBd4Fa7zTL_V22XezTK47S3OQGmRZHYSjc9xpl-Lit8VyGD0RA5u/s1600/International+Women%27s+Day+2012.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #f1c232; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>On this International Women's Day, I propose two essential changes to Principle Six: Commitment to Non Discrimination, Gender Equity and Freedom of Association. </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Firstly, we have identified Non-Discrimination as a principle we abide by, however there has been an oversight in defining the term itself. As it stands, Principle 6 simply states, <span style="color: #f1c232;">"</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">The organization does not discriminate in hiring, remuneration, access to training, promotion, termination or retirement based on race, caste, national origin, religion, disability, gender, sexual orientation, union membership, political affiliation, HIV/Aids status or age.</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">"</span> However, can we improve upon this single sentence; can we provide more clarity to answer the basic question: What is Discrimination? </span><span style="color: #f1c232;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">When an organization utilizes a Rights-Based Approach they recognize poverty as injustice and includes marginalization, discrimination, and exploitation as central causes of poverty.</span> To integrate a Rights-Based Approach is to strengthen our trade partners not only in trade relations, but in their quality of life; to enjoy the freedoms internationally recognized as inherent to all human beings. Isn't this what we want for our producers? </span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Admittedly many corporations around the world have incorporated policies to clearly define this issue and it is time the Fair Trade Movement does the same. However, we can do much better than a providing a corporate framework or </span><span style="font-size: small;">dictionary </span><span style="font-size: small;">definition of discrimination. If we integrate a Rights-Based Approach to Fair Trade, we don't need to look far in order to find a fitting definition which can be readily applied. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDN1xXvz-b561yRIXYfVCSbGEBwM2eYuq7jrbWuo1mE5zNfQ6-PvZjrjRAZQFe2TU0VdIF1qJ3VzXupLGsP7myKjd9fvhsxx6I_Amd5TgdesCfdv2OZB6dkQ8scwdTmA-IPh5xCebfUbnF/s1600/un-cedaw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDN1xXvz-b561yRIXYfVCSbGEBwM2eYuq7jrbWuo1mE5zNfQ6-PvZjrjRAZQFe2TU0VdIF1qJ3VzXupLGsP7myKjd9fvhsxx6I_Amd5TgdesCfdv2OZB6dkQ8scwdTmA-IPh5xCebfUbnF/s1600/un-cedaw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) is the convention with the most signatory nations of all the human rights treaties. Article 1 of this groundbreaking treaty presents a clear definition of discrimination which can easily be incorporated into our existing principles.</span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: x-large;"><i>"‘Discrimination against women’ shall mean any distinction, exclusion or restriction made on the basis of sex which has the effect or purpose of impairing or nullifying the recognition, enjoyment or exercise by women, irrespective of their marital status, on a basis of equality of men and women, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural, civil or any other field.”</i></span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: small;"> – United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women,<br />
Article 1</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcGBCvbX74SKuFraymvG9JvxXX2F7O7wb8oV3QhrAbzs1Ezw_6zCzK27aQlb-NRUDuLtmIoofiyWJoiwzElsn_0jMmGt3PGqkIXFZlAmbrr7uQfV85tkw1ZPmQJleM8VZmepIIZVMWJrYE/s1600/Gender-Equity.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcGBCvbX74SKuFraymvG9JvxXX2F7O7wb8oV3QhrAbzs1Ezw_6zCzK27aQlb-NRUDuLtmIoofiyWJoiwzElsn_0jMmGt3PGqkIXFZlAmbrr7uQfV85tkw1ZPmQJleM8VZmepIIZVMWJrYE/s320/Gender-Equity.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Let's break this down</span><span style="font-size: small;"> more carefully </span><span style="font-size: small;"> to clarify what this Article is stating; to examine to actions, conditions and impacts that define discrimination:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>The term “discrimination against women” shall mean </i></span></li>
<li style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><u>any distinction, exclusion or restriction</u></i><i> made on the basis of sex which has the </i></span></li>
<li style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><u>effect or purpose</u></i><i> of</i></span></li>
<li style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>impairing or nullifying the <u>recognition, enjoyment or exercise</u> by women, </i></span></li>
<li style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>irrespective of their marital status on a basis of equality of men and women, </i></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i><u>of human rights and fundamental freedoms</u></i><i> in the political, economic, social, cultural, civil or any other field. </i></span></li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">We can clearly see that this definition looks at impacts far beyond hiring, remuneration, access to training, promotion, termination or retirement. In fact, it looks at the restriction of women's human rights as a means to determine if an action is discriminatory. </span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">Discrimination defined in CEDAW is clear, and easy to understand. Unfortunately the wording of Fair Trade Principle 6 fails to recognize the many forms of </span><span style="font-size: small;">discrimination:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><ul><li><span style="font-size: small;">Direct or Indirect (Intended or Unintended) – Indirect includes a neutral law which has the effect of discriminating</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">In law (de jure) or in practice (de facto)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Present or Past/Structural, which is to say "historical discrimination"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">In all fields (civil, politcal, social, cultural, economic)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Inter-sectional / Multiple Discrimination</span></li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal"> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">By clarifying inter-sectional, CEDAW recognizes that groups of women suffer multiple discrimination based on additional grounds such as:</span></div><ul><li><span style="font-size: small;">Race or Ethnicity</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Religion</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Disability</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Age</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Class</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Sexuality</span></li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSA2y3j6npHcyvoTcVc1Om49B0VPdU4DnxdHkJH6KEkBHAVy-TrLg30ysBWT1vhjttX-jUtKQLaGAb78I155xYlRHGENkGzyuD8FXLsgi2FxrKvg1al5FW3ARTKIR-EyvTzRMQFymmRJhM/s1600/equity.gif" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSA2y3j6npHcyvoTcVc1Om49B0VPdU4DnxdHkJH6KEkBHAVy-TrLg30ysBWT1vhjttX-jUtKQLaGAb78I155xYlRHGENkGzyuD8FXLsgi2FxrKvg1al5FW3ARTKIR-EyvTzRMQFymmRJhM/s1600/equity.gif" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="color: #f1c232;">Why is incorporating this definition important? </span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Considering a majority of the global inhabitants (51%), and a majority of Fair Trade Producers are women who experience various forms of discrimination on a daily basis, the Fair Trade Movement must take a more active role in eliminating discrimination against women. We can also broaden this definition to include discrimination based on </span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">race, caste, national origin, religion, disability, sexual orientation, union membership, political affiliation, HIV/Aids status or age.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">For the sake of clarity, I propose rewording of the Principle of Non-Discrimination in such a way as to integrate a Rights-Based Approach to our work: </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #f1c232; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;">The organization does not discriminate in hiring, remuneration, access to training, promotion, termination or retirement.</span></i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><i>The term “discrimination” shall mean any distinction, exclusion or restriction made on the basis of sex, race, caste, national origin, religion, disability, gender, sexual orientation, union membership, political affiliation, HIV/Aids status or age which has the effect or purpose of impairing or nullifying the recognition, enjoyment or exercise by anyone, irrespective of their marital status on a basis of equality of men and women, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural, civil or any other field.</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">The second proposed change to our principle of Gender Equity is recognizing women's right to a <span style="color: #f1c232;">Paid Maternity Leave</span></span></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG7zJQkvxz4GDIij-sAGlHGw4AY0VeZc4IJrND3641TydyBjv1LQvrdbFmZjdcnRkHlANGILkv3TPnr_MOSz5m2RuPrW4yM6XeMLHo8LMS3bZgB0_uyF4v2H7_u1HOZ2bHXXrZVUZDgLCA/s1600/paid_maternity_leave.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG7zJQkvxz4GDIij-sAGlHGw4AY0VeZc4IJrND3641TydyBjv1LQvrdbFmZjdcnRkHlANGILkv3TPnr_MOSz5m2RuPrW4yM6XeMLHo8LMS3bZgB0_uyF4v2H7_u1HOZ2bHXXrZVUZDgLCA/s320/paid_maternity_leave.gif" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">As it stands, our Fair Trade principle on Gender Equity does not recognize this right. As a matter of fact, it only recognizes pregnant women in one sentence, <span style="color: #f1c232;">"</span><span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif";">The organization takes into account the special health and safety needs of pregnant women and breast-feeding mothers.</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">"</span> Initially this point may seem unnecessary, or a Western luxury, but when we view this from a Rights-Based perspective, <span style="color: #f1c232;">women are already entitled to a paid maternity leave and it is our collective duty to uphold this right</span>. If we, as a global movement believe that we stand for the rights of women, we must insist all Fair Trade producers, buyers, exporters, importers, wholesalers and retailers recognize women's right to a paid maternity leave. </span></div><br />
<div style="color: #f1c232; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women</span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #f1c232;"><span style="font-size: large;">Article 11</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">2. In order to prevent discrimination against women on the grounds of marriage or maternity and to ensure their effective right to work, States Parties shall take appropriate measures</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: small;">(a) To prohibit, subject to the imposition of sanctions, dismissal on the grounds of pregnancy or of maternity leave and discrimination in dismissals on the basis of marital status;</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: small;">(b) To introduce maternity leave with pay or with comparable social benefits without loss of former employment, seniority or social allowances;</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: small;">(c) To encourage the provision of the necessary supporting social services to enable parents to combine family obligations with work responsibilities and participation in public life, in particular through promoting the establishment and development of a network of child-care facilities;<span style="line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;">(d) To provide special protection to women during pregnancy in types of work proved to be harmful to them.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiquj1jkFJUqFRrbfUc2FKrkQIvtBtY9b4X5GZyABmAo4MCsCVL3uSxge1d3EmKeNu9JUyUWfLZ6KcWlfrtlg9QAHrkMY7qF7TUzc6AGOflHHojkHJEOgQ9KOUPqCMrdw-_ysKrKL49gw6y/s1600/polls_pregnant_3158_181995_answer_2_xlarge.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiquj1jkFJUqFRrbfUc2FKrkQIvtBtY9b4X5GZyABmAo4MCsCVL3uSxge1d3EmKeNu9JUyUWfLZ6KcWlfrtlg9QAHrkMY7qF7TUzc6AGOflHHojkHJEOgQ9KOUPqCMrdw-_ysKrKL49gw6y/s320/polls_pregnant_3158_181995_answer_2_xlarge.jpeg" width="259" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">By incorporating a Paid Maternity Leave into our Principles we are not introducing a foreign concept, but integrating internationally recognized rights entitled to all women regardless of where they reside. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i style="color: #f1c232;"><span style="font-size: large;">Integrating Paid Maternity Leave with Fair Trade Producers</span></i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">In 2011, while working with Helvetas Intercooperation, a Swiss NGO, in Vietnam we encountered a common practice amongst Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). According to Vietnamese law, SMEs </span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">are required by law to financially support the women on maternity leave. This is done through purchasing a Social Insurance where </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">the workers pay 8.5% of their salary and SMEs pay 20% of their pay for the triple insurance coverage plan. </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">However, most SMEs do not purchase this insurance for their workers thereby cutting costs. </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The consensus amongst SMEs in Vietnam regarding maternity leave seems to be that women are entitled to an unpaid leave and many return to work afterwards. </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">According to the law, those who don’t provide them with insurance must pay out of pocket the same amount for maternity leave. </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">When women assert their rights to a paid leave, more frequently than not, they are fired without separation pay and not welcome to return to the position they once held. </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Helvetas wanted to integrate a paid maternity leave into the contract with producers, however, we quickly discovered a difference between the Helvetas standard of 6 weeks maternity leave and Vietnamese law. </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;">Maternity leave in Vietnam as per the Labour Law is:</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: small;">Normal working condition: 4 months paid maternity leave</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Hardship (rural / military / dangerous environment): 5 months paid maternity leave</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Disabled women: 6 months paid maternity leave</span></li>
</ul><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;">Our predicament was to write a policy in the contract which can be implemented globally. Through dialogue and discussion with producers in Vietnam, we came to set a policy that is acceptable to both Helvetas and Vietnamese producers: </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #f1c232; margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: small;">Producer offers whichever is greater: a minimum paid Maternity Leave of not less than 6 weeks or what is established in the national labour laws, regardless of contracting status or time in employment; plus additional leave on an as-needed basis with a guarantee of resuming employment upon return.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: small;">So, in short, incorporating a Paid Maternity Leave is not only possible, it is essential. Without integrating this right, we neglect to uphold our responsibility to women worldwide. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWqyX1F6QJjMbCtZXqcSfB9KtGRnfSTnK3WTQ2bfYoqbn9pVTn4WYSi0C406mhrYpLlHVraKrkwjo1kxH6PmwKVXHJ0v3Wf8GOB4XMkSB0utDJqqOJ-gHO_cBjtu0RQQLmBI2AjgLJrLRQ/s1600/abc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWqyX1F6QJjMbCtZXqcSfB9KtGRnfSTnK3WTQ2bfYoqbn9pVTn4WYSi0C406mhrYpLlHVraKrkwjo1kxH6PmwKVXHJ0v3Wf8GOB4XMkSB0utDJqqOJ-gHO_cBjtu0RQQLmBI2AjgLJrLRQ/s200/abc.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: small;">Today I submit to you that Fair Trade, as a Global Movement, must </span></span><span style="font-size: small;">integrate a Rights-Based Approach to strengthen our trade partners not only in trade relations, but in their quality of life. We can start through a comprehensive</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: small;"> integration of women's rights into our principles of Gender Equity and Non-Discrimination. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;">Sincerely,</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB">Mitch Teberg, MA </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB">International Consultant</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB">Sustainable Development / Fair Trade/ Women's Rights and Gender</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB">Researcher / Trainer / Consultant </span><span lang="EN-GB"> </span><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
Feel free to add your comments, thoughts or ideas below or catch me on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/mitch.teberg">facebook</a>. <span lang="EN-GB">For those who prefer reading black on white, here is the downloadable version of this post on pdf: </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a title="View International Women's Day - Gender Equity and Non-Discrimination on Scribd" href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/84475510/International-Women-s-Day-Gender-Equity-and-Non-Discrimination" style="margin: 12px auto 6px auto; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none; display: block; text-decoration: underline;">International Women's Day - Gender Equity and Non-Discrimination</a><iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" src="http://www.scribd.com/embeds/84475510/content?start_page=1&view_mode=list&access_key=key-2kz3ddstbt13a8d7k52b" data-auto-height="false" data-aspect-ratio="0.772727272727273" scrolling="no" id="doc_31564" width="600" height="800" frameborder="0"></iframe><br />
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</span></div></div>Mitch Teberg, MAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09103389961793260475noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8621388137674795607.post-53660927099169150142012-02-21T22:41:00.006-08:002012-05-30T20:43:07.330-07:00Human Trafficking - A Survivor's Story<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">In 2005, I had volunteered with the Vietnam Handicraft Research and Promotion Center (<a href="http://www.hrpc.com.vn/" target="_blank">http://www.hrpc.com.vn/</a>) on an Oxfam Quebec project in Hanoi, Quang Ninh and Ha Giang provinces. The project aimed to reintegrate survivors of human trafficking through skills training in handicraft production. Working with survivors gave me an opportunity to hear their stories </span><span style="font-size: small;">of pain, betrayal, shame, and rejection</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;">(<a href="http://journeyforfairtrade.blogspot.com/p/2005-journey-cambodia-vietnam.html" target="_blank">Journey 2005 - Cambodia and Vietnam</a>). However, it was their collective spirit that motivated me to support their cause. I suggested the name for their group be <i>WIN </i>since it represented their attitude, and the members really liked it. </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">In </span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Hai Duong province, </span></span><span style="font-size: small;">2009, I conducted a month-long training program for </span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Gruppo Trentino di Volontariato (GTV) from Trento, Italy, in a project where we replicated the successful aspects of the Oxfam Quebec project. This project was expanded to include domestic violence and impoverished women who were the head of households. In December, 2011, this group finally became an independent, self sustaining entity. You can connect with both the <i>WIN </i>group and the Kim Thanh Cooperative in Hai Duong through the Fair Trade shop at HRPC (<a href="http://www.hrpc.com.vn/index.php?option=com_shoponline&Itemid=54" target="_blank">Click Here</a>)</span></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">A few months ago a friend, Luke Dale-Harris who </span><span style="font-size: small;">works with <span class="hoenzb">the Centre for Women’s Development and the Peace House Shelter in Hanoi, had </span></span><span style="font-size: small;">approached me inquiring of my experiences with survivors of human trafficking. I also put him in contact with a few people and organizations working in the field of reintegrating survivors of human trafficking in Hanoi. Most recently, in <span class="hoenzb">an effort to raise awareness of the tragic impact of Human Trafficking, Luke has written the following insightful article depicting a personal journey and attempts to heal:</span></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span class="hoenzb"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">*****</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">The jagged line that falters its way across the map, weaving over and around the contours that connect Vietnam and China, represents the border between these two countries to all, yet means distinctly different things to everyone. To the traveler it’s a challenge, the trader an opportunity, the farmer an inconvenience, the consumer an opportunity for cheap goods and the politician a threat. Yet when you reach it, at any point apart from the major border stations, it dissolves, like a mirage. You are left guessing at which country you’re in from the brands of motorbikes being driven and the writing on discarded noodle packets. The scenery is, of course, identical, while the people who move within it are often from the same ethnic group, wear the same clothes, live in the same style houses and speak the same language. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Historically, the people of Northern Vietnam and Southern China have not been itinerant types, generally remaining tied to the land where they are born throughout their lives unless forced into movement by outside forces. Therefore, for many, this scar that runs through the middle of their land, dividing a people that it is largely united, is less important than you might imagine, lying beyond the peaks that mark the edges of the world they have carved for themselves. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-71xMg8pwX6Tf4XvqkfGxrkc6i-S_-uHuMycsBHnx-rrl52pGWlazQNQWrceFZM_KqnSqjIzOcO_BhUVTIxNwI_vkWbKEulk0Tc-lJf3dQGAkSHbQRXLcPQRwTSToIxQEq36YZT5iVx3y/s1600/00530017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-71xMg8pwX6Tf4XvqkfGxrkc6i-S_-uHuMycsBHnx-rrl52pGWlazQNQWrceFZM_KqnSqjIzOcO_BhUVTIxNwI_vkWbKEulk0Tc-lJf3dQGAkSHbQRXLcPQRwTSToIxQEq36YZT5iVx3y/s400/00530017.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Yet the ever increasing amount of roads that cut through these mountains, steadily filling with larger, faster vehicles coming to and from far flung lands, suggests something else; not a world that has shrunk, as the imperialist’s cliché tells us, but a world that his infinitely expanded. The expansion has, in many ways, relieved much of the pressure of life in the rural border zones, some of the poorest areas in Vietnam, bringing money in through trade both domestic and international. However, with increased growth comes increased awareness, and the material inequality that lies at the heart of globalization soon becomes clear, often fueling desires less for social justice than personal wealth. If there’s any one law of global capitalism it’s that it’s a game for individuals in which nothing is out of bounds for trade.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Do, a 20 year old woman of Hmong ethnicity, is a resident at the Peace House shelter for former victims of human trafficking in Hanoi. Talking of her home town in the border province of Lao Cai she says that conditions have been going downhill in recent years for young women like herself as, though poverty is no longer a problem, they live in fear of being trafficked. ‘<i>In my village alone quite a few people have been trafficked over recent years. To me, this is a sign that society is in decline</i>. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">The official information and statistics available on the subject of trafficking in Vietnam is limited and as such it is difficult to gauge the exact extent of the problem, with the real figures being largely lost within the huge amount of unregulated emigration (between 30 and 40% of all Vietnamese emigration). Estimates vary hugely and what figures there are often say more about the attention the problem is being given than the extent of the problem itself.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Neither the UN nor the Vietnamese Women’s Union (VWU) could provide any reliable statistics and both pointed in the direction of Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security who offer the often repeated figure that there were 2, 935 Vietnamese victims of Human trafficking between 2004 and 2009. However, this is hard to believe when the other available number is Hagar International’s estimate that there have been 400,000 victims since 1990. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">In talking to Madam Thuy, the director of the Human Trafficking department for VWU, it is apparent that even though the numbers aren’t there to prove it, the general consensus among experts in the field is one of apprehension that the problem is increasing and that, as Do mentioned, it is not as simple as just looking to poverty to explain it. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">‘<i>Of course there are no solid rules as to what factors lead someone to becoming a victim of trafficking’ </i>Thuy says,<i> ‘though we do look for things they share in common to try and better understand the causes’</i>. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Although hesitant in citing these common factors, throughout the interview Thuy comes back again and again to the subject of family. She argues that it is the disintegration of this structure that lies at the root of trafficking in Vietnam, whether it results in kidnappings directly from the home, the selling of one’s relatives or the susceptibility of young girls to being tricked into leaving their homes, only to be kidnapped and sold. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Ironically enough, in China it is often the demand for an ideal family model that fuels the industry. With the one child policy resulting in a preference for male children and subsequently a distinct shortage of girls available for marriage, both young women and very young boys are high in demand. As such, in contrast to the global trend in which girls are usually trafficked for prostitution and boys for labour, in the north of Vietnam they are primarily sold as wives and sons to Chinese families. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">At root though, there remain many similarities between the Chinese and Vietnamese family models. Both equally informed by the Confucian code, with its emphasis placed on hierarchical relationships and filial loyalty, the family remains the core social unit in each country. In Vietnam it permeates all areas of culture, through language, religion and politics; its influence inescapable.</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">It is, Thuy suggest, the clash between this familial tradition and the culture of individualism and opportunism inherent in modernization which causes much of the present tension in Vietnamese families. This same clash can go a long way to explaining the drastic measures taken to procure family members in China. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Born into a Hmong family and the sixth of eight siblings, seven girls and one adulated son, Do’s future was in the making way before she was around to take any part in it. Although she talks of how she loved studying and dreamt of growing up to be a teacher, her parents had other plans and pulled her out of school at the age of 14 to get married. A complete education was reserved just for her brother, who, after finishing high school, went on to work as a local governmental officer. However, at no point in describing her childhood does Do reveal any resentment for either her brother or the decisions that her parents made for her, talking fondly of all her family and her brother in particular.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">In hearing of the current trend which Thuy had earlier mentioned, that significantly fewer girls finish their education than boys, she shrugs and begins to talk of the man she married. ‘<i>At first I didn’t like my husband. I didn’t even know him. He was just a friend of my brothers who my parents had chosen for me. However, when we were married and living together I quickly came to realize that he was a good man, just like my parents had told me. He worked in the fields with me and always worked hard. Never once did he beat or even shout at me.’</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Four years into their marriage Do’s husband got kidney disease and within 3 months he was dead. Do was left alone with a ten year old daughter, a half built house and the bank pestering her for a debt repayment that she couldn’t afford. Shortly after his death she was robbed, the thieves taking many of the animals that were her livelihood and the pump which brought water to her home. ‘<i>It was a terrible time for me and I was very afraid……. There are many thieves and drug addicts in my area. Without anyone to protect me and work the farm I felt I couldn’t survive</i>.’ </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">It is customary in Vietnam for the wife to move into her husband’s parent’s home immediately after their marriage, from then on living as part of his family. However, there is no such rigid tradition to determine what happens to the wife in the event of her husband’s death. The widow is not generally expected to go onto marry, and with their son gone, the incentive for his family to continue to act as host disappears. Do talks of a sense of hostility she felt from her parents in law in the months she was living with them following her husband’s death. With him gone they started looking to the daughter he had left behind, now the sole figure to carry on their family lineage. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Hailing from the Kinh ethnicity, by far the largest and most powerful ethnic group in Vietnam, Do’s parents in law were determined to keep their granddaughter firmly within the Kinh tradition<i>. </i>‘<i>After my husband’s death his parents decided that they wanted to bring up my daughter on their own terms. They refused to let me take her back to my parents’ house.’ </i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i> </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Determined to become financially independent so she could look after her child, Do took a job in a wood factory nearby where she was paid 2,000,000 VND ($100) a month. After four months though she fell sick and they fired her. She moved back home with her parents to work the field but, unable to make any money for herself she found herself living like a child again, separated from her own daughter and unable to take any part in her upbringing. </span><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">It was at Tet, The Vietnamese New Year, when her cousin came back to visit from the provincial capital of Lao Cai where he had moved to find work. ‘<i>It was a very bad time for me as I couldn’t afford anything for the celebration. When my cousin came though things changed. He was very generous and sympathetic and he gave me 15,000,000 VND ($750) to help look after my child.</i>’</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">When he left and Do went back to working the field she began to contemplate moving to the city. ‘<i>His life seemed so comfortable compared to ours where we have to work in the fields for long hours every day, are constantly tired and get almost no money for ourselves. I thought that if I moved to Lao Cai I could find the independence that I couldn’t get at home.’ </i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i> </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">More pressingly, the interest on the debt which her husband had left behind was piling up and she needed to find a job to pay it off. Lao Cai seemed to offer the opportunity to do this, find her independence again and raise enough money to give her child a good upbringing. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">She had been toying with the idea of emigrating for a while by the time her cousin returned one morning and offered to take her back to Lao Cai with him. She was to live with him and work as a shop assistant, doing reasonable hours and earning a high salary. The only catch was that they had to leave immediately. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">‘<i>He told me that we had fifteen minutes before we must leave. I wanted to ask permission to go from my parents but he warned me that if I did so the position would be withdrawn. I had to come with him in secret. I agreed, taking nothing with me but a few clothes.’</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i> </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">In her family and parents in law’s eyes she had abandoned them and her daughter. In reality though, her cousin had promised that she could phone them when she got to Lao Cai and come back and visit whenever she wanted. It was later that day she found out this was a lie.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>‘When we arrived in Lao Cai it was about 5pm. We had travelled there by motorbike but on the outskirts of the town we met with 3 Chinese men who took us to the centre in their car. We went to a restaurant where we had dinner and when we had finished eating my cousin told me that I must go with the Chinese men. Not knowing where or why I refused. He beat me for this. Later, around 9pm he took me to a bridge where he told me that if I didn’t go with the Chinese men then he would kill me and throw me into the river and then he would return to my village and kill my family. After some time of thinking I decided to go with them. I had no choice.’</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i> </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">From this point on Do’s tale reads like one of any commodity that is sold through an illicit market; she is carted around, repeatedly changes hands, stored away in small huts and put on sale at various markets. Every time she acted out she was beaten back into submission. Eventually she was bought by a 27 year old Chinese man who chose her for his wife from three other girls because, she claims, she was the healthiest looking, having been on the market for the shortest amount of time. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">It was only three months before she was bought home by Chinese police, in good health and of still stable mind. She is one of the luckiest. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Do’s story of being sold by a relative is in no way unusual in Vietnam. It is estimated that over 50% of victims are tricked into being trafficked by acquaintances of theirs, often friends, relatives or neighbours who promise work and a better lifestyle. They will make about $100 for the trade of a single woman.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">When Do describes her cousin though she displays little anger, just a sense of surprise that he could have done this to her. ‘<i>He was always close to our family, helping us work the land when he was younger and then receiving help from my parents later on when they gave him a plot of land and assisted him in farming it. I never suspected that he could be a threat to me</i>.’ </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Neither Do nor Madam Thuy could give any insight into how someone could commit such a crime to someone they have known and loved, both resorting to just telling stories of other similar instances. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Do talks of the many woman she knew who are now missing and of the mothers who have come to visit her since she returned in hope of finding some clue as to where their daughter is.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Thuy remembers a middle-aged woman who sold all four of her nieces in one go. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">However, when asked about how so few of the perpetrators go unpunished for their crimes, despite the high risk of trafficking an associate who often finds their way home, they have much more to say.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">‘<i>Many of the girls don’t dare go to the police’ </i>Thuy says. ‘<i>They are afraid of the consequences and they want to forget the whole thing’. </i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i> </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Do explains. ‘<i>In Vietnam the culture deems anyone who has been trafficked guilty. When I returned I felt like it was me who had committed a crime, I felt guilty for what had happened to me in China’.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i> </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Beyond this, the law refuses to recognize a victim’s verdict as sufficient ground for prosecution. Getting the police involved may cause a public scandal, bring attention to their situation and has no guarantee of success. In the rare cases the victims do go to the law the perpetrator often gets wind of it and escapes.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Returning home to shame, alienation and insufficient legal support, female victims often find themselves living alone and in poverty, struggling within the margins of a society that emphasizes the collective and abandons the individual. With little possibility of reintegration and the almost impossible prospect of making it alone, many of them go back into trafficking, though this time not as victims but as perpetrators. UN statistics estimate that as many as 70% of traffickers are women and that the majority of these are former victims. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">‘<i>The reception of victims on their return into Vietnam is a major problem’ </i>says Thuy<i>.’ When girls come back to a family that rejects them and a society that judges them unclean it has both personal and practical consequences. They often lose faith in themselves and in need of money they fall into crime, most commonly trafficking</i>.’ </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Even for those who don’t go into the trafficking industry, the social stigma they face normally stops them talking about their experience and raising the awareness that is so crucial in putting a stop to the trade. Without a victim there is no crime and until the wrongs that these people face are recognized the self perpetuating cycle will go on and the industry will continue to grow. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">This is the issue that the Vietnam government faces today and, with the help of the many domestic and international aid programs, they have begun to make significant headway into tackling it. Focusing primarily on education, awareness raising and the rehabilitation and support of victims they are looking to make changes on a grass roots level, altering the stringent moral code that can act as the most effective weapon in preventing crime. With advice centers, shelters and school programs being set up in the most prominently affected areas, the reality of this international industry is beginning to be understood in the places where it all begins. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.peacehousevietnam.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="67" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr2ZpXYlN8MKV1_G1EjqBVOSiaLm2EI_KzaT0Py25Cat_1QlFAKiCPomzOj09EkRvB-f6BTxNF0xCUcVZqPLuS8GMEnrhQRIb59dAAlyzv4-JfxPFW9hMZ6-L5q6_U4x3KdyCy5j6aDa6k/s400/bg-top2.png" width="400" /></a></div><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Having been at the Peace House Shelter for over 6 months now, Do is beginning to consider leaving to find work and rebuild her life on her own. Taking a break from her tailoring class to give the interview, she sits cross legged over a cup of tea on the floor of her shared bedroom. Other women come and go over the course of the next two hours, each time with Do making sure to stop what she’s saying and introduce them. ‘<i>These are my family now’</i> she says of the other residents, ‘<i>and the saddest thing I have to face these days is seeing them leave at the end of their stay’. </i>Offered a place in the shelter for as long as they want, the women usually leave after about a year, normally having learnt enough skills in their time there to go on and find a new line of work. Perhaps more importantly though each of them will leave with the confidence to take part in the world on their own terms, no longer a victim to anyone, least of all their own conscience. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">‘<i>I have learnt since coming (to the shelter) that I </i>have<i> nothing to be guilty of. I am the victim, not the criminal. Now I know this I feel happy and positive about the future.</i>’ </span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">*** </span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="hoenzb" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Luke Dale-Harris was born and raised in England until, after leaving university he moved to Budapest to work in an independent arts centre. A year later he moved to Hanoi where, amongst other things, he works with the Centre for Women’s Development and the Peace House Shelter. After three months of getting to know the residents at the shelter and researching Human Trafficking in Vietnam he conducted the interviews that resulted in this piece.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="hoenzb" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">For more information on the </span></span><span class="hoenzb" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Centre for Women’s Development and the Peace House Shelter go to:</span></span><span class="hoenzb" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> <a href="http://www.peacehousevietnam.com/">http://www.peacehousevietnam.com/</a></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Feel free to add your comments, thoughts or ideas below. <span lang="EN-GB">For those who prefer reading black on white, here is the downloadable version of this post on pdf: </span></span></span></div><a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/82400615/Human-Trafficking-A-Survivor-s-Story" style="-x-system-font: none; display: block; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 12px auto 6px auto; text-decoration: underline;" title="View Human Trafficking - A Survivor's Story on Scribd">Human Trafficking - A Survivor's Story</a><iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="0.772727272727273" data-auto-height="true" frameborder="0" height="400" id="doc_30791" scrolling="no" src="http://www.scribd.com/embeds/82400615/content?start_page=1&view_mode=list&access_key=key-76usk01fqgz4jofg5hj" width="100%"></iframe></div></div>Mitch Teberg, MAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09103389961793260475noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8621388137674795607.post-29918170991479346102012-01-26T00:56:00.000-08:002012-01-29T04:47:52.893-08:00The Need for Organic Fairtrade Cotton in Burkina Faso<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe6FNGawm2OucYp5n141ydF7are60GrIethngHG2E0R6WbkzVhHbc4pZQS2lf2t-rFa2GGnzSGqFxBRBa-OnmFs7lk20MZLj7FUKHUOBeM5VAkH7tqWgPxUMnFwdRpvFShHl7sVW3HuOgM/s1600/2005_01_31_cotton_boll.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe6FNGawm2OucYp5n141ydF7are60GrIethngHG2E0R6WbkzVhHbc4pZQS2lf2t-rFa2GGnzSGqFxBRBa-OnmFs7lk20MZLj7FUKHUOBeM5VAkH7tqWgPxUMnFwdRpvFShHl7sVW3HuOgM/s320/2005_01_31_cotton_boll.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.helvetas.ch/" target="_blank">http://www.helvetas.ch</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Since December 15th, when Bloomberg wrote an article </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">on forced child labour in Burkina Faso </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">(<i><a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-12-15/victoria-s-secret-revealed-in-child-picking-burkina-faso-cotton.html" target="_blank">Victoria’s Secret Revealed in Child Picking Burkina Faso Cotton</a></i>)</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">, there have been press releases, investigations and editorials with further information released about the journalist Cam Simpson's investigation</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">. Bloomberg's Editorial response to investigations by Limited Brands and Fairtrade International came on Friday, January 14th. The following Monday I emailed Fairtrade International:</span></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">I am sure the new year is keeping you quite busy as you settle back in. Late last week Bloomberg published an editorial (<i><a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-01-13/child-labor-for-fair-trade-cotton-probed-by-u-s-investigators.html" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" target="_blank">Child Labor for Victoria’s Secret Cotton Examined by U.S.</a></i></span><span style="font-size: small;">) in which they stick to their story and add a series of accusations and suggestions against Fairtrade International. Based on the feedback I have been getting online, this has been proving quite worrisome to many Fairtraders on all sides of the supply chain.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Having reviewed the editorial and what they provide as evidence, I would like to suggest a possible platform to air your response. I would like to interview one or two of you, and/or people in Burkina Faso to provide insight to what is going on there. It seems in the editorial that the waters get a bit murky due to accepted cultural norms and attitudes. I would like to offer an interview for posting on my blog as a means to clear things up as you see fit if this is acceptable to you.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">On January 19th, I received a reply from Reykia Fick, Media Relations Manager of Fairtrade International:</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.fairtrade.net/single_view1.html?&cHash=edf3eb0600c53582c6a0c8704b01dede&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=268" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDyeV3N7BFXVDHUUkhRDyq_Ngdqbz2eddzDhUledwmk-xzrVfT4i9_D-3BEcU2nRx5qxix4p-gjwiRi1pXGBRWBYORMJ_QPm7s9RKYJRLuNy7rvjHjRaRmdm7dbacreqX9T_T-rcQY7Jhs/s1600/fairTradeLogo.gif" /></a></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Thanks so much for getting in touch and for your support on this and other Fairtrade issues. We’ve decided not to do a rebuttal to the latest Bloomberg article at this time. Our primary concern now is the safety, well-being and right to privacy of the people and the community featured in the article. The situation in Burkina Faso is complex and the story brings attention to a serious problem. Our work on this case continues, but even more important is ensuring that all actors work to address the broader issue of ‘enfants confies.’ We remain committed to tackling the wider issue of child labour in Burkina Faso and are finalizing the details of an intensive training and awareness programme, which will be rolled out among farmers and communities there. We feel that to comment more extensively on specific details in the latest Bloomberg article at this time could invite further attention toward the people and communities involved, which may not be in their best interest.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Clearly, Fairtrade International has chosen to move on and address the issue in Burkina Faso rather than spending the time and effort in exchanging words with Bloomberg Media. Throughout this process I have been reaching out to other Fair Trade advocates and those knowledgeable of the multiple environments in which Fair Trade is engaged. Admittedly, trying to remain neutral in this case is difficult and it appears that Rodney North of Equal Exchange stated it best in an email exchange we had concerning this issue, <i>"We have a he said/she said situation. The journalist has said X, and the parties (included The Limited Brands) have said “anti-X”. Both parties, of course, have a very strong vested interest in sticking to their version."</i> </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I am not certain closure with a definitive decision on "who is right and who is wrong" is possible in this case. However, this exchange does bring up two issues. Firstly, forced child labour as socially acceptable in impoverished countries; and secondly, the rationale for Fair Trade to be engaged with communities where child labour is known to exist. Let's be clear - forced child labour is slavery, and to engage with these communities is risky, but essential to bring about change.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDxBSslGDYFB4lOvZgp7-PmXuoJDJtzR92eLGcSLu2U4CByM-0LheXVumSXoMv2X4RaZwbV9O14rvAunTNxmJGtv6kPVBt4obipJVe3QtTMw-SfD7I3DFFmwLyDFs9y1vjubT_8FIJ-2fD/s1600/cotton_crimes_header_v2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDxBSslGDYFB4lOvZgp7-PmXuoJDJtzR92eLGcSLu2U4CByM-0LheXVumSXoMv2X4RaZwbV9O14rvAunTNxmJGtv6kPVBt4obipJVe3QtTMw-SfD7I3DFFmwLyDFs9y1vjubT_8FIJ-2fD/s400/cotton_crimes_header_v2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.antislavery.org/english/campaigns/cottoncrimes/default.aspx" target="_blank">http://www.antislavery.org/english/campaigns/cottoncrimes/default.aspx</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">Let's take a moment to look at the big picture and formulate a Basic Question to identify what factors contribute to the continuation of slavery in the 21st century. The Basic Question I propose is:</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #f1c232;"> </span></span><br />
</span></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i><span style="color: #f1c232;">Why does the use of forced child labour continue to persist unabated in impoverished countries such as Burkina Faso?</span></i></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">To analyze this it helps to look at this from a Rights-Based Perspective; to <span style="line-height: 115%;">recognize poverty as injustice and this includes marginalization, discrimination, and exploitation as central causes of poverty. </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Marginalization, discrimination, and exploitation</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> have historical roots that extend back to the days of colonialism. To be colonized </span>meant subjugation to foreign rulers, outright exploitation of natural resources and labor with second-class citizenship for much of the non-Western world. Entire continents were usurped of their riches through colonial policies aimed to expedite the transfer of local wealth to Western coffers and raw materials to feed the expansive growth of Western industries. Today the term globalization has come to replace colonization</span><span style="font-size: small;">; and detrimental government policies of the West to replace gunboat diplomacy. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-gpTjFEt-2EKUL-AYOjQa9vlj0tn-VmVaJW9NbyIw223okOOzKTTzYkWb2ZFJUhD_7kU32I3xeTgMNhBaEXAicMNR6vwoHSLCHMQI1V6uNeX_KyEjbd7Vxv5Hh7dU1GPhgmjKberilY0I/s1600/Christo+cartoon.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-gpTjFEt-2EKUL-AYOjQa9vlj0tn-VmVaJW9NbyIw223okOOzKTTzYkWb2ZFJUhD_7kU32I3xeTgMNhBaEXAicMNR6vwoHSLCHMQI1V6uNeX_KyEjbd7Vxv5Hh7dU1GPhgmjKberilY0I/s320/Christo+cartoon.gif" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In an attempt to answer the Basic Question: </span><i><span style="color: #f1c232;">Why does the use of forced child labour continue to persist unabated in impoverished countries</span></i></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">, let's look beyond the usual accusations and plug in a few facts.</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span>Cotton is somewhat salt and drought tolerant, and this makes it good crop for arid and semiarid regions</span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">. According to </span>United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (</span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.unctad.org/infocomm/anglais/cotton/chain.htm#bu" target="_blank">UNCTAD</a>) in Burkina Faso,<i> "the </i></span><i>Cotton production is concentrated in West Burkina Faso (the main producing areas are Comoé, Kossi, Mouhoun, and Kénédougou). Most cotton-farms are family-owned and small-scale (on average one hectare)". </i></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/79317281/2001-2011-Cotton-Monthly-Price-US-Cents-Per-Pound" style="-x-system-font: none; display: block; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 12px auto 6px auto; text-decoration: underline;" title="View 2001 - 2011 Cotton Monthly Price - US Cents Per Pound on Scribd">2001 - 2011 Cotton Monthly Price - US Cents Per Pound</a><iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="0.772727272727273" data-auto-height="true" frameborder="0" height="400" id="doc_15975" scrolling="no" src="http://www.scribd.com/embeds/79317281/content?start_page=1&view_mode=list&access_key=key-6l2u64r4vahfs4w8muo" width="100%"></iframe><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"></span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Between 2001 and 2009, the price per kg of conventional cotton was $0.39/kg to $0.80/kg as seen on the graph above. On September 20, 2010, Bloomberg featured a story, <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-09-20/cotton-futures-exceed-1-a-pound-for-first-time-since-1995-on-supply-risk.html" target="_blank"><i>Cotton Exceeds $1 for First Time Since 1995 on Supply Concern</i></a>. The culprit for this unheard of increase according to Bloomberg: a shortage of raw cotton available to mills due to considerable losses caused by floods and longer than expected monsoon rains. In other words if you were a cotton farmer that year, and your crop wasn't destroyed, the market shined in your favor. But considering the last time this occurred was 1995, and it is now 2012, one good year for those fortunate farmers out of seventeen is not very good odds and highly dependent on the failures of a majority of the world's cotton farmers. </span></div><br />
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In short, the conventional market is not a good bet to get out of poverty for the majority of the world's farmers, hence the continual government subsidizing of American producers so they never feel the pinch and keep global prices artificially low for major industry thereby perpetuating the poverty in developing nations. In other words,<span style="color: #f1c232;"> the market price is not reflective of the true cost of cotton as a result of Western government intervention by continually subsidizing their farmers</span>. This is just one example of </span><span style="font-size: small;">how Western government</span><span style="font-size: small;">s </span><span style="font-size: small;">facilitate the exploitation of natural resources</span><span style="font-size: small;"> and raw materials in developing nations. </span></div><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A second example of Western governments perpetuating poverty in poor nations is banning the purchase of Burkina Faso cotton in an already artificially low market. To eliminate trade with countries where use of child labour is socially acceptable and a regular occurrence further isolates the victims and perpetuates the practice since no other paradigm exists to counter the existing norm. According to the Bloomberg Editorial </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><i><a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-01-13/child-labor-for-fair-trade-cotton-probed-by-u-s-investigators.html" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" target="_blank">Child Labor for Victoria’s Secret Cotton Examined by U.S.</a></i>:</span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: small;">Under regulations separate from those being examined by homeland security, the U.S. Department of Labor had determined the problem of forced child labor in Burkina Faso’s cotton sector was serious enough to ban its fiber from the federal government’s procurement system. It’s one of just 29 products from a total of 21 countries that U.S. agencies are forbidden from buying under those rules.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Victoria’s Secret executives have said their contract to buy cotton in Burkina Faso broke new ground by dealing directly with farmers. They have also said the program benefits farmers across the country, especially women, and that social premiums paid by the company help deliver clean water.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Since 2007, the company has been one of the top customers of the nation’s fair-trade and organic cotton program. The lingerie maker blends the fiber into millions of pairs of underwear, Lori Greeley, chief executive officer of Victoria’s Secret Stores, told a Wharton School publication last March. Earlier, the company had used cotton from the program to produce an all-organic clothing line sold to customers with the promise that garments were “Good for women” and “Good for the children who depend on them.” </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: 0.5in;"><br />
</div></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">This exemplifies the difference between Fair Trade and conventional trade - Fair Trade can be, and is often used as a means to bring about social change. In Burkina Faso, Fairtrade International offers an alternative business model by engaging communities in which poverty is so dire that the acceptable social norm is to utilize forced child labour. By entering into this challenging environment, they are directly tackling poverty which is a major factor in child labour. <span style="color: #f1c232;">Taken a step further, when an organization utilizes a Rights-Based Approach they recognize poverty as injustice and includes marginalization, discrimination, and exploitation as central causes of poverty.</span> </span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">When Fair Trade is integrated with a Rights-Based Approach it seeks to go to the root of a problem. Conventional trade has no such objectives, seldom considers the social or environmental consequences of trade, and does not consider the rights of producers; conventional trade concentrates on the profits to be made and the logistics to expedite the deal. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In contrast to maximizing profits, the other extreme is a U.S. government regulation banning all trade in cotton with Burkina Faso due to the common practice of child labour in the impoverished nation. <i style="color: #f1c232;">Banning trade only serves to deepen the existing poverty and provides an additional rational for the dehumanizing practice; it doesn't provide any opportunity or model for change. </i></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I applaud Victoria's Secret for stepping in this direction with Fairtrade International. One of the purposes of the global Fair Trade Movement is to bring to the surface the need for trade justice by challenging the <i>Business as Usual</i> model; to get corporations to reflect on their existing practices and consider the social and environmental impacts their business dealings have on the producers of the commodities they need; clearly Victoria's Secret has taken a step in this direction. For this Victoria's Secret gets a Bronze star in Fair Trade. If they use a majority of Fair Trade organic cotton in their products they get a Silver star, and for 100% a Gold star! (This <i>Fair Trade Rating</i> idea courtesy of Nick Savaidis of <a href="http://www.etiko.com.au/" target="_blank">Etiko Fairtrade</a> in Australia)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Whether or not the Bloomberg article with it's accusations of child labour on Fair Trade certified farms is true or not, and regardless if Clarisse's real age is 13 or 21, there is a valuable lesson to be learned here. </span><br />
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/76211668/Helvetas-Impact-Study-on-Organic-and-Fairtrade-Cotton-in-Burkina-Faso-2008" style="-x-system-font: none; display: block; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 12px auto 6px auto; text-decoration: underline;" title="View Helvetas Impact Study on Organic and Fairtrade Cotton in Burkina Faso, 2008 on Scribd">Helvetas Impact Study on Organic and Fairtrade Cotton in Burkina Faso, 2008</a><iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="0.706697459584296" data-auto-height="true" frameborder="0" height="400" id="doc_86066" scrolling="no" src="http://www.scribd.com/embeds/76211668/content?start_page=1&view_mode=list&access_key=key-gx7c50hgnrf3fybznoq" width="100%"></iframe></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><div style="color: #f1c232; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">Crunching the Numbers:</span></i></div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">According to a 2008 impact study by the University of Berne,<i> </i></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>Organic Cotton Changes Producers' Lives: Impact study on organic and Fairtrade cotton in Burkina Faso</i>, </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">"the average conventional yield is 1,100kg/ha, </span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">whereas organic cotton reaches 675kg/ha, although elite organic farmers can potentially push yields above 1,000kg/ha. The factors limiting yields are the choice of marginal zones and plots of land, the lower productivity of new producers and women, and stricter quality criteria for organic cotton</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">." </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">For the sake of a long-term evaluation, the 2001 - 2009 data appears to be the norm with a high in March 2008 of </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">USD $0.80/kg and a low in May, 2002 of USD $0.39/kg, and a nine year a</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">verage of about $0.60/kg. </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">However, this is not reflective of the price farmers receive for their crops. The same Helvetas study cites the price conventional cotton farmers received in 2008 as </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">165 CFA/kg for conventional cotton. In 2008, that amounted to USD $0.37/kg while the market price listed a high of USD $0.80/kg in March, and a low of USD $0.55/kg in December. In short, the price on the conventional market is clearly not indicative of the price farmers receive from the lowest rung of middlemen between the farmer and the ports. </span></div></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> A calculation here is quite simple with one harvest per year: The average </span><span style="font-size: small;">conventional yield is 1,100kg/ha and the average family according to UNCTAD grows cotton on one hectare:</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #f1c232; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">1,100 kg x $0.37 per kg = USD $407</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">$407 divided by 365 days per year is USD $1.12 per day for one farmer to provide for his entire family. This doesn't include conventional inputs such as the purchase of pesticides and fertilizers chemically engineered for genetically modified cotton which produce sterile seeds, thereby prohibiting farmers from replanting and further increasing input costs. Farmers in the conventional cotton trade are clearly on the receiving end of a system of exploitation. <span style="color: #f1c232;">It comes as little surprise there is continued social acceptance of slavery in the form of forced child labour in Burkina Faso; </span><i style="color: #f1c232;">within its own twisted logic due to the artificially low market prices made lower by middlemen, child labour is the obvious answer to keeping a family alive</i><span style="color: #f1c232;">.</span> <span style="color: #f1c232;"> </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYbThgDYb41zQxMmM7Q3fqW845aumuKCsw_6E7U9j1lgGguFI7HfP3KnC-xrHMuilOmgtZzU35EfKRHLSHfjMGZQsklVSia5jgAUCF4b4QVmT4aSstoNta6a6wIKF0314r1MpmlruZXAH-/s1600/Helvetas+new+logo.php.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="116" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYbThgDYb41zQxMmM7Q3fqW845aumuKCsw_6E7U9j1lgGguFI7HfP3KnC-xrHMuilOmgtZzU35EfKRHLSHfjMGZQsklVSia5jgAUCF4b4QVmT4aSstoNta6a6wIKF0314r1MpmlruZXAH-/s320/Helvetas+new+logo.php.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.helvetas.ch/wEnglish/organic_cotton/projekte.asp" target="_blank">http://www.helvetas.ch/wEnglish/organic_cotton/projekte.asp</a></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: x-large;">Organic Fairtrade Cotton in Burkina Faso</span><br />
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">How is Fair Trade an alternative to conventional markets?</span> <span style="line-height: 115%;">In a 2007 World Bank publication, <i>Strategies for Cotton in West and Central Africa</i>, the authors write positively about a Helvetas program:</span></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: small;">Organic fair trade cotton programs are very popular amongst small producers for several reasons. By definition, organic cotton programs exclude the use of chemical fertilizers or pesticides and thus circumvent the problem of accessing input credit. Furthermore, these programs take place on small lots (form 0.25 to 0.5 hectares) that can be cultivated by women (45 percent of organic cotton producers are female) in addition to their chores, or by any other family member willing to get some revenue that he/she cannot earn through family farming (which provides for his/her essential needs such as food and clothing, but is not paid labour). Besides organic and fair trade cotton benefits from a higher payoff… In Burkina Faso, where Helvetas supports a certified organic cotton program, the purchasing price to producers was around 252 CFA F/kg for the 2004/05 season… In Burkina Faso the Helvetas program reached 72 producers in 2003/04 and 818 in 2005/06. (<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;">Baghdadli, Cheikhrouhou and Raballand, 2007, </span>p.17)</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The Helvetas impact study above provides insight to the effect Fairtrade has for farmers in 2008:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Contrary to a widespread belief, organic production</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: small; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;">requires 23% less hours of work in the fields than</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: small; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;">conventional production. 30% of these are worked by non-family members in the form of mutual aid. However, organic farmers spend more time preparing compost. Nevertheless, farmers’ accounts of the advantages of organic production confirm that organic production requires less effort, especially since there is no pesticide spraying.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">The gross profit per hectare of cotton is identical in organic and conventional farms. This is due to the lower organic yield being made up for by a higher price, i.e. 272 CFA/kg for organic cotton instead of 165 CFA/kg for conventional cotton. Organic farmers spend 90% less on inputs and this results in their gross margin being 30% better than for conventional production.</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Moreover, the lower cost of inputs also puts some in a more relaxed state of mind, as Yamdare Kaboré, an organic producer from Tenkodogo, testifies:<i> </i></span><br />
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<div style="color: #f1c232; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>“No more exhausting credit!”</i> </span></div><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">We should also note that the organic producer organisations receive a so-called Fairtrade premium of € 0.05/kg of seed cotton that they can use for community projects. This is generally invested in buildings that are partly used as schools, followed by boreholes for drinking water. Along with cotton, the producers can also sell products such as sesame, shea nuts and hibiscus on favourable terms, enabling them to earn some extra income.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">The study reports a more positive perception of human health as well as animal and soil health since organic production started, and this is confirmed by the most experienced organic producers. No more chemicals is the main argument – especially for women – along with less hard work. Health is an essential issue in the Sahel, as Idani Célestine, a cotton producer in Fada, testifies: </span><br />
<div style="color: #f1c232; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <i> </i></span></div><div style="color: #f1c232; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>“As regards my health, conventional cotton gave me stomach aches every time I sprayed.”</i> </span></div><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">It is true that organic means that people do not have to spray their fields with chemicals up to 6 times, and they also see the rewards of the effort they put into production and transporting compost.</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizbgZ4RFgD7R-b_0xgDYDFOG3W7OytrxFU1FyKAEwMCCrSzClufYwmriyMEw-hHJXKDnoTdycdI7d-8NYwf6D3M31fdRnRSC1IdANpcE3nCTR9iMuXVo6or5YHp2UX4BowqV4Nk4-0fbjo/s1600/d16b7d05246d586ce606c62b701d3293%255B941x638%252C%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizbgZ4RFgD7R-b_0xgDYDFOG3W7OytrxFU1FyKAEwMCCrSzClufYwmriyMEw-hHJXKDnoTdycdI7d-8NYwf6D3M31fdRnRSC1IdANpcE3nCTR9iMuXVo6or5YHp2UX4BowqV4Nk4-0fbjo/s400/d16b7d05246d586ce606c62b701d3293%255B941x638%252C%255D.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.organiccotton.org/oc/Library/library_detail.php?ID=124">http://www.organiccotton.org/oc/Library/library_detail.php?ID=124</a></td></tr>
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #f1c232; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">“I am proud of our organic cotton. It protects our health and gives us a better income.” </span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #f1c232; text-align: right;">- Wimenga Kourita, organic farmer from Tenkodogo</div><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">The impact study clearly delineates the benefits to farmers in the project:</span><br />
<ul><li><span style="font-size: small;">7</span>,<span style="font-size: small;">000 producers (men and women) in 2008</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">More diversified crop rotations with a higher commercial value </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">An opportunity for women to earn an income</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">39% lower yields, but a 65% higher price for the farmer</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">90% less spent on inputs; a 30% higher gross margin</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Less indebtedness from buying inputs </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Farmers consider that both human and livestock health have improved </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Three times more organic manure applied</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Producers have observed a noticeable improvement in soil fertility</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></li>
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<span style="font-size: small;">When we make a direct comparison between conventional trade and Fair Trade it becomes quite clear there is a need for Fair Trade to become a world standard versus simply an alternative to Business as Usual with the systematic exploitation of people and resources as embraced in conventional trade. However, that isn't going to happen anytime soon...</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
<div style="color: #f1c232;"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">What is the future of Fair Trade in Burkina Faso?</span></i></div><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">To this I repeatedly say, <span style="color: #f1c232;">"LOCALIZE FAIRTRADE!!!"</span> Currently one of the obstacles faced in Burkina Faso is the dependence on conventional gins, traders, textile mills and garment factories. To localize Fair Trade requires a vision!</span><br />
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<div style="color: #f1c232;"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">Create a Vision!</span></i></div><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">With over 7,000 organic Fairtrade cotton producers in the country, the future of Fair Trade is clearly to shift from selling raw materials for export, to value-adding in the locations where the cotton is grown. Imagine Fair Trade cooperatives working towards a common collective goal of raising awareness of Fair Trade locally and nationally while producing high quality products for local, national and regional markets! For the global movement to be sustainable, there needs to be a concerted effort to localizing Fair Trade in the Global South! In this model of localizing Fair Trade, we can progressively work towards ending social acceptance of forced child labour in the 21st century. </span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Mitch Teberg, MA</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB">Sustainable Development / Fair Trade </span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB">Researcher / Trainer / Consultant </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Feel free to add your comments, thoughts or ideas below or catch me on </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/mitch.teberg" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">facebook</a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">. <span lang="EN-GB">For those who prefer reading black on white, here is the downloadable version of this post on pdf: </span></span></span> </div><a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/79742065/The-Need-for-Organic-Fairtrade-Cotton-in-Burkina-Faso" style="-x-system-font: none; display: block; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 12px auto 6px auto; text-decoration: underline;" title="View The Need for Organic Fairtrade Cotton in Burkina Faso on Scribd">The Need for Organic Fairtrade Cotton in Burkina Faso</a><iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="0.772727272727273" data-auto-height="true" frameborder="0" height="400" id="doc_60503" scrolling="no" src="http://www.scribd.com/embeds/79742065/content?start_page=1&view_mode=list&access_key=key-y6swycyjskphht4rxvz" width="100%"></iframe></div></div>Mitch Teberg, MAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09103389961793260475noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8621388137674795607.post-51071407824693014712012-01-16T20:16:00.000-08:002012-01-16T23:23:55.171-08:00Bloomberg Responds to Petition Campaign through Editorial<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Clarisse, the 13-year old girl at the center of the investigation <br />
© Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg </span></span></td></tr>
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On December 15th, Bloomberg's reporter, Cam Simpson and his editors broke a story accusing Fairtrade International of forced child labour on Fairtrade certified organic cotton farms in Burkina Faso (</span><i><a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-12-15/victoria-s-secret-revealed-in-child-picking-burkina-faso-cotton.html" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" target="_blank">Victoria’s Secret Revealed in Child Picking Burkina Faso Cotton</a></i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">). In response both Fairtrade International and Limited Brands (Victoria's Secret) conducted investigations and published their findings on January </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">3</span><sup style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">rd</sup><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> and 4</span><sup style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">th</sup><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">:</span></span><br />
</div><h1 style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-weight: normal; text-align: center;"></h1><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.fairtrade.net/single_view1.html?&cHash=edf3eb0600c53582c6a0c8704b01dede&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=268" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Fairtrade International Counters Allegations in Bloomberg article on Burkina Faso cotton</span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">and </span></span></div><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large; font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.limitedbrands.com/newsroom/our_responses/responses_burkinafaso.aspx" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" target="_blank">Investigation Uncovers Inaccuracies in Bloomberg Article</a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span></h2><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Following these press releases, I initiated a campaign to petition Bloomberg Media for retracting the story if a third-party found the story to be untrue (Read:</span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <a href="http://journeyforfairtrade.blogspot.com/2012/01/take-direct-action-with-bloomberg-media.html" target="_blank">Take Direct Action with Bloomberg Media!</a>). T</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">he campaign was successful in generating a response from Bloomberg in an editorial on January 14th:</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1350029677"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Child Labor for Victoria’s Secret Cotton Examined by U.S.</i></span></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">In the editorial Bloomberg reaffirms their stance, presents the complications related to the age of the girl through birth certificate verifications, </span><span style="font-size: small;">offers a link to the October </span><span style="font-size: small;">5<sup>th</sup></span><span style="font-size: small;"> interview with Clarisse's mother</span><span style="font-size: small;">, presents threats to their reporters, and suggests linkages regarding </span><span style="font-size: small;">Fairtrade International chief executive, Rob Cameron stepping down and </span><span style="font-size: small;">the December 15<sup>th</sup> story. In other words, there is a lot for Fairtrade International to account for. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Bloomberg also provides a more in-depth account of getting the story:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><i><a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-01-13/how-bloomberg-found-children-picking-fair-trade-cotton.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">How Bloomberg Found Children Picking Fair-Trade Cotton</span></span></a></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Within hours of the editorial being published, I sent links and an inquiry to the relevant people in Fairtrade International. Much to my disappointment, to this date there has been no press release from Fairtrade International concerning this issue, nor have I received any further information from them despite repeated inquiries. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">For this reason I am suspending the campaign on Bloomberg Media until further information comes available. Out of concern for the finding the truth in this matter, I will publish any further information I receive on my blog. </span></span><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Mitch Teberg, MA</span></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB">Sustainable Development / Fair Trade </span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB">Researcher / Trainer / Consultant </span><br />
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Feel free to add your comments, thoughts or ideas below or catch me on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/mitch.teberg">facebook</a>.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div></div>Mitch Teberg, MAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09103389961793260475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8621388137674795607.post-60818653524690995692012-01-10T19:26:00.000-08:002012-01-16T20:26:35.687-08:00Take Direct Action with Bloomberg Media!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6syDjbRDuaHTokUu-WvLEbl195sBIns1Lj2kqY9UA6qobhOp-aspAQ65BfEBBWyPxO3ymAC1hc2u-qPMwW0zUxWalH6wN3NYONfpJlj6wjjP-gIGK5cOBycX7R09peQm8zqJf6-xyX-F3/s1600/Mark+Twain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6syDjbRDuaHTokUu-WvLEbl195sBIns1Lj2kqY9UA6qobhOp-aspAQ65BfEBBWyPxO3ymAC1hc2u-qPMwW0zUxWalH6wN3NYONfpJlj6wjjP-gIGK5cOBycX7R09peQm8zqJf6-xyX-F3/s320/Mark+Twain.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">So often when injustice occurs, people fail to take action only to regret it later. I know that I have been guilty of this as have many others. However, it is time for change! I am inviting all who read this blog to participate directly in calling for Bloomberg Media to correct their stance on their December 15th article, </span><span style="font-size: small;"><i style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Victoria’s Secret Revealed in Child Picking Burkina Faso Cotton, </span></i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">(<a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-12-15/victoria-s-secret-revealed-in-child-picking-burkina-faso-cotton.html" target="_blank">cl<span id="goog_2021297125"></span><span id="goog_2021297126"></span>ick here</a>) particularly</span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> following the investigations of Fairtrade International and Limited Brands published a week ago. As both investigations clearly point out, the story is a fabrication, yet Bloomberg Media has refused to alter their stance despite repeated calls for correction. For a detailed inquiry and multiple press releases in this matter read: </span></span></div><h3 class="post-title entry-title" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://journeyforfairtrade.blogspot.com/2011/12/bloomberg-news-falsely-accuses.html" target="_blank">Bloomberg News Falsely Accuses Fairtrade <br />
of Child Labour</a></span></h3><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">and </span></span></div><h3 class="post-title entry-title" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://journeyforfairtrade.blogspot.com/2012/01/fairtrade-international-investigation.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Fairtrade International Investigation Leads to Questions of Bloomberg's Journalistic Integrity</span></a></h3><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">I like a multi-pronged approach to social justice. Yes, the short-sighted news cycle has passed and their five minutes of fame in Burkina Faso has faded. However, I would like to press it with the editors of Bloomberg since they have never presented us with any additional sources which they claim to have, nor with any verification of ages. <span style="color: #f1c232;"> </span></span><br />
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<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">All too often the bully gets away </span></span></i></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">with what he is trying to pull off, </span></span></i></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: right;"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">...and this one went too far.</span></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #f1c232;"> </span> </span></i></div><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">There are multiple ways to approach Bloomberg with this issue, and I will provide you with a couple options! </span></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In this case, and after much deliberation, the best way to get Bloomberg's attention is to flood them with email! So, I have made this simple and drafted a form letter here, all you have to do is cut and paste the emails, and the letter, and click send!! Simple and direct! And yes, I have had success in this approach! Try it and cc me in the email!! </span></span><br />
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<div style="color: #f1c232; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>Help bring Integrity to Corporate Media! </i></span></div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span> <br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i style="color: #f1c232; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">OCCUPY BLOOMBERG </i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXOMeDFOA17_fh4YGnV_l4IUOXJj4u0BvrlYNbW76goCXq9YG2Hi_nCh8gnlVLP7wG_C2xZaadWHIpVUh_lcxqDKoUHYJTMxibKpQBybQS7HzoSCNm2_VSjd3nLQcOL-1ohyphenhyphenIuRTxPvtJp/s1600/cut.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="24" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXOMeDFOA17_fh4YGnV_l4IUOXJj4u0BvrlYNbW76goCXq9YG2Hi_nCh8gnlVLP7wG_C2xZaadWHIpVUh_lcxqDKoUHYJTMxibKpQBybQS7HzoSCNm2_VSjd3nLQcOL-1ohyphenhyphenIuRTxPvtJp/s320/cut.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">To:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Names and emails removed on 17 January, 2012 - see </span></span><br />
<h3 class="post-title entry-title" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://journeyforfairtrade.blogspot.com/2012/01/bloomberg-responds-to-petition-campaign.html" target="_blank">Bloomberg Responds to Petition Campaign through Editorial</a></span></h3></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">CC: </span></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Mitch Teberg </span></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Re: </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Concern over Bloomberg’s December 2011 story of child labour in Fairtrade </b></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span> </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Dear Bloomberg CEO & President of Bloomberg L.P. Daniel L. Doctoroff; Chairman of Bloomberg L.P. Peter T. Grauer; Editor-In-Chief of Bloomberg News Matthew Winkler; Director of Communication Ty Trippet; Spokesperson Meghan Womback; Bloomberg Markets Magazine, Drew Kerr; Editors Flynn McRoberts and Melissa Pozsgay; Reporter Cam Simpson and Photographer Chris Ratcliffe,</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">It has come to my attention that a recent Bloomberg story, Victoria’s Secret Revealed in Child Picking Burkina Faso Cotton, dated 15 December, 2011, claimed forced child labour is used on Fair Trade certified organic cotton farms.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">I am concerned that this story has remained unchallenged and has yet to be withdrawn by Bloomberg, particularly after the independent investigations by Fairtrade International and Limited Brands, published on the 3rd and 4th of January which found the story to be lacking in journalistic integrity.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">A review of the findings suggests the story is a fabrication. The evidence is clear:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">1) The main assertion in the story is against three Fairtrade organic cotton farmers for using forced child labour, Victorien Kamboule, Baasolokoun “Bassole” Dabire, and Louis Joseph Kambire. However, they are not certified by National Federation of Burkina Cotton Producers (UNPBC) as Fairtrade organic cotton growers, which is the only Fairtrade certification organisation in Burkina Faso. This fact can be independently verified through ECOCERT which has a copy of the UNPBC database.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">2) When it comes to protecting the rights of exploited children in the media, Journalist Cam Simpson and the Bloomberg editors Flynn McRoberts and Meghan Womback decided to publish the names and identities of the children thereby violating their rights guaranteed under the UN Convention on Rights of the Child and against the guidelines established by the International Federation of Journalists.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">3) </span><span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text" style="font-size: small;">The photographs taken by Chris Ratcliffe were clearly staged under the premise that he and the journalist Cam Simpson were working for an orphanage project</span><span style="font-size: small;"> which was a flagrant misrepresentation of their purpose. Furthermore, the Fairtrade International report states Clarisse and her family members were "'woken up early one morning and asked to pose in the cotton field' by the journalist, 'who introduced himself as working for an orphanage project and needed to select three children to be part of this program.'”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">4) Clarisse neither lives nor works on a registered organic cotton farm in Burkina Faso. Rather, she works on a vegetable farm. The farmer, Victorien Kamboule grows vegetables for the local market, not organic cotton for export.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">5) The 13 year-old girl featured in the story, Clarisse is not a minor, but 21 years-old.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Considering my high regard for the journalistic integrity of your news organization, I am disappointed that Bloomberg continues to stand by this story, which appears to be a fabrication from beginning to end.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">I believe the Bloomberg journalist, Cam Simpson needs to be held accountable for the distortions present in the story; and the photojournalist, Chris Ratcliffe should be held accountable for staging a fabricated news photo shoot.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">I am also concerned that the editorial leadership of Bloomberg has so far found no need to respond to this evidence. Firstly, they ran the story in clear violation of the children's rights for protection as spelled out under guidelines for journalists. Secondly, the Bloomberg editors also ran a story unchecked and without verification through UNPBC, the very first place editors should begin verifying facts in this case.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Considering the severity of the charges against Bloomberg, I would like to see a transparent and thorough third-party investigation of the alleged facts presented in Cam Simpson’s story and verification of the authenticity of the photographs presented by photographer Chris Ratcliffe with full public disclosure of the results. If the findings match the evidence compiled by the Fairtrade International and Limited Brands investigations I presume a prestigious news organization such as Bloomberg’s would understand the journalistic imperative in retracting the original story dated 15 December, 2011.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Yours sincerely,</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXOMeDFOA17_fh4YGnV_l4IUOXJj4u0BvrlYNbW76goCXq9YG2Hi_nCh8gnlVLP7wG_C2xZaadWHIpVUh_lcxqDKoUHYJTMxibKpQBybQS7HzoSCNm2_VSjd3nLQcOL-1ohyphenhyphenIuRTxPvtJp/s1600/cut.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="24" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXOMeDFOA17_fh4YGnV_l4IUOXJj4u0BvrlYNbW76goCXq9YG2Hi_nCh8gnlVLP7wG_C2xZaadWHIpVUh_lcxqDKoUHYJTMxibKpQBybQS7HzoSCNm2_VSjd3nLQcOL-1ohyphenhyphenIuRTxPvtJp/s320/cut.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">A second option</span> is to sign a petition on Change.org! </span>Every time someone signs a petition, an email is sent to those listed above! </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><br />
<div id="change_BottomBar"><span id="change_Powered"><a href="http://www.change.org/" target="_blank">Change.org</a></span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=8621388137674795607&postID=6081865352469099569">|</a><span id="change_Start">Start an <a href="http://www.change.org/petition" target="_blank">Online Petition</a> »</span></div><script src="http://e.change.org:80/flash_petitions_widget.js?width=300&petition_id=209270&color=0C6905" type="text/javascript">
</script><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">For those living outside the US, or if the above link doesn't work, you can go to the page directly:</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.change.org/petitions/bloombergs-story-of-child-labour-in-fair-trade" target="_blank">http://www.change.org/petitions/bloombergs-story-of-child-labour-in-fair-trade</a></span></div><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">A third option</span> for those who prefer direct dialogue, here are a few numbers in the US to contact:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Names and emails removed on 17 January, 2012 - see </span></span><br />
<h3 class="post-title entry-title" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://journeyforfairtrade.blogspot.com/2012/01/bloomberg-responds-to-petition-campaign.html" target="_blank">Bloomberg Responds to Petition Campaign through Editorial</a></span></h3><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">Demand a transparent and thorough third-party investigation of the story, reporter Cam Simpson and photographer Chris Ratcliffe with full public disclosure of the results by the Bloomberg Editors! </span></span></span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i style="color: #f1c232;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">This can not be swept under the rug and forgotten - take Direct Action! We can make change happen and bring accountability and transparency to corporate media and reporters like Cam Simpson!</span></i></span></div><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> Grassroots movements succeed because people like you are willing to spread the word! Share this blog post and the Change.org petition on social media, with your friends and family, and all those who believe in Fair Trade!!! Use this as a framework to initiate your own campaign on Bloomberg Media and make corporate media accountable! </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Mitch Teberg, MA</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB">Sustainable Development / Fair Trade </span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Researcher / Trainer / Consultant </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="color: #f1c232;">Note:</span> 48 hours into this campaign, I have been encouraged by the number of people emailing directly and even one who called and spoke to an Editor! It is good to remember these are people too, and that open dialogue is a positive thing! </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">For those who have not read the 2 previous posts where the original story is clearly linked, the link to the original Bloomberg article is linked as: (<a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-12-15/victoria-s-secret-revealed-in-child-picking-burkina-faso-cotton.html" target="_blank">click here</a>) in the<i> first </i>paragraph of this blog post... </span></span></span></span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">=============================================== </span></span></span></span></div><br />
<div style="color: #f1c232;"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Bloomberg Media Responds in January 13th Editorial</span></span></span></span></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Through an editorial Bloomberg's has provided more information on their investigation into forced child labour on organic Fairtrade Certified farms in Burkina Faso and have made additional accusations against Fairtrade International. To read the editorial go to: <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-01-13/child-labor-for-fair-trade-cotton-probed-by-u-s-investigators.html" target="_blank">www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-01-13/child-labor-for-fair-trade-cotton-probed-by-u-s-investigators.html</a></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">For an update on this campaign, read Journey for Fair Trade: </span></span></span></span><br />
<h3 class="post-title entry-title" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://journeyforfairtrade.blogspot.com/2012/01/bloomberg-responds-to-petition-campaign.html" target="_blank">Bloomberg Responds to Petition Campaign through Editorial</a></span></h3></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Feel free to add your comments, thoughts or ideas below or catch me on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/mitch.teberg">facebook</a>. For those who prefer to read on Black and White, or to print out this post, here it is in a downloadable pdf format:</span></span><br />
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/77850472/Take-Direct-Action-With-Bloomberg-Media" style="-x-system-font: none; display: block; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 12px auto 6px auto; text-decoration: underline;" title="View Take Direct Action With Bloomberg Media on Scribd">Take Direct Action With Bloomberg Media</a><iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="0.772727272727273" data-auto-height="true" frameborder="0" height="400" id="doc_59570" scrolling="no" src="http://www.scribd.com/embeds/77850472/content?start_page=1&view_mode=list&access_key=key-1m3xgpeoejp1ruos7toi" width="100%"></iframe><br />
<br />
</div></div></div>Mitch Teberg, MAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09103389961793260475noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8621388137674795607.post-41849776707518306352012-01-05T23:30:00.000-08:002012-01-10T21:24:56.090-08:00Fairtrade International Investigation Leads to Questions of Bloomberg's Journalistic Integrity<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUJpHmPLorwxWyCenvJYX7wt7g6n9McRg5p6-bp7q-pQjT8z_WTvE5G5hdYldtl9ZV_0KYdKWI_ku_3LYFlnNLtjz6Kjj8iqU05j8FrVKpxCOwlqd-GJSxoQszd-0cMjpSsrhtF7erVnRo/s1600/iGjdEIBgbQ8g.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUJpHmPLorwxWyCenvJYX7wt7g6n9McRg5p6-bp7q-pQjT8z_WTvE5G5hdYldtl9ZV_0KYdKWI_ku_3LYFlnNLtjz6Kjj8iqU05j8FrVKpxCOwlqd-GJSxoQszd-0cMjpSsrhtF7erVnRo/s400/iGjdEIBgbQ8g.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">After two days of picking cotton, child laborer Clarisse Kambire </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">carries a large wicker bushel of fiber from the field to a storehouse </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">almost a mile away. Photographer: </span><span style="font-size: x-small; line-height: 115%;">© </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i style="color: #f1c232;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">"Never let the truth get in the way of a good story." </span></span></i></span></div><div style="color: #f1c232; text-align: right;">- Mark Twain</div><div style="text-align: right;"><br />
</div><span style="font-size: small;">When a journalist accuses Fairtrade producers of forced child labour, the charges must be taken seriously followed by a thorough investigation. However, when a reporter's story proves to be unsubstantiated, there is a need to question the media. In relation to Bloomberg's story on child labour on a Fairtrade certified organic cotton farm, my own inquiry found the farmers cited in the December 15th story were not certified as the article claims (Read <a href="http://journeyforfairtrade.blogspot.com/2011/12/bloomberg-news-falsely-accuses.html" target="_blank">Journey for Fair Trade: Bloomberg News Falsely Accuses Fairtrade of Child Labour</a>). Despite contacting the editors directly with the discrepancy, they held to their story.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">On January 3rd, Bloomberg editors once again attacked Fairtrade International in an editorial citing their journalist, Cam Simpson's investigation into child labour in Burkina Faso. </span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">In recent years, the fair-trade movement has presented itself as an answer, offering, at a premium, goods and commodities certified to have been produced without exploitation. It is thus all the more appalling that a fair trade program in Burkina Faso has been shown, in an investigation published in Bloomberg Markets Magazine, to have used child laborers to produce cotton that wound up in most of the cotton-underwear lines sold by Victoria’s Secret.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">The scandal is a reminder that fair-trade stamps are only meaningful to the extent the unregulated organizations that grant them abide by their promise to enforce their own standards. The largest of these, Fairtrade International, which certified the Burkina Faso cotton, is investigating its mistake.</span></div><br />
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">However, further inquiries have found the real scandal is Bloomberg's reporter falsifying and sensationalizing the entire story. On the same day of Bloomberg's editorial, the findings of Fairtrade International investigation was published. The results raise many serious questions about the journalistic integrity of Bloomberg's Editors Flynn McRoberts and Melissa Pozsgay</span><span style="font-size: small;">, their reporter Cam Simpson, and photo journalist, </span><span style="font-size: small; line-height: 115%;">Chris Ratcliffe. For the sake of transparency, I have republished the press release from Fairtrade International investigation here:</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDyeV3N7BFXVDHUUkhRDyq_Ngdqbz2eddzDhUledwmk-xzrVfT4i9_D-3BEcU2nRx5qxix4p-gjwiRi1pXGBRWBYORMJ_QPm7s9RKYJRLuNy7rvjHjRaRmdm7dbacreqX9T_T-rcQY7Jhs/s1600/fairTradeLogo.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDyeV3N7BFXVDHUUkhRDyq_Ngdqbz2eddzDhUledwmk-xzrVfT4i9_D-3BEcU2nRx5qxix4p-gjwiRi1pXGBRWBYORMJ_QPm7s9RKYJRLuNy7rvjHjRaRmdm7dbacreqX9T_T-rcQY7Jhs/s1600/fairTradeLogo.gif" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #f1c232; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Fairtrade International Counters Allegations in Bloomberg article on Burkina Faso cotton</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: small;">03 January 2012</span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">In accordance with its internal Child Protection Policy and Procedures, Fairtrade International followed up on the allegations made in the Bloomberg article, “Victoria’s Secret Revealed in Child Picking Burkina Faso Cotton,” published on 15 December 2011. We have found substantial contradictions in the facts presented in the article based on the information we have obtained from our field assessment.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Fairtrade International takes any allegations on the violation of human rights of the child very seriously. Following Cam Simpson’s allegations, we travelled with leading officials of UNPCB to the village of Benvar in Burkina Faso. We met the Fairtrade cotton producers and impacted children and families identified in the Bloomberg article. The aim of our trip was to conduct an assessment, develop a remediation process for impacted children, and provide support to UNPCB to further develop their actions plans to eliminate child labour and implement child protection measures.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Fairtrade conducted child safe interviews with the people identified in the article as children (persons below the age of 18). We can report that at the time of our interviews the “girl” and her family identified in the article were secure and safe. However, the information they gave us regarding the facts reported and the methods the journalist used concerns us greatly.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8Ll-TNFyPF4/TwPm8DPNctI/AAAAAAAAAbE/iZUXJ6vII1I/s1600/iXwoZ4anvQZc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8Ll-TNFyPF4/TwPm8DPNctI/AAAAAAAAAbE/iZUXJ6vII1I/s400/iXwoZ4anvQZc.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Clarisse Kambire, 13, a child laborer, sits on a bench in the room </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">where she sleeps in the home of her foster parent and his family. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Photographer: </span><span style="font-size: x-small; line-height: 115%;">© </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Most significantly, according to our information, the “girl” who featured prominently in the article is not 13 years old as reported. We have seen her birth certificate and corroborated her age with school records. She cannot accurately be described as a child as defined by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (i.e., under 18 years old).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">In addition, she is not involved in cotton growing and therefore is not participating in Fairtrade certified cotton production. Instead she works on a family-owned vegetable farm, growing locally consumed products for which there are no Fairtrade Standards nor Fairtrade certified producers in this region.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7kj1LmRrKPcnmLjAmzLaZDTzr8OC7ieuYlnJduUJBvCUGbigMk-w4cdMPvSZ-3D7eD93pfsGvrs1bd3bpm3CuuEyxZJ-GN3MYM9mK_uDQh-jow3ANXimVd-eDs9WLzsZaqIUKAOzBwmMz/s1600/Clairisse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7kj1LmRrKPcnmLjAmzLaZDTzr8OC7ieuYlnJduUJBvCUGbigMk-w4cdMPvSZ-3D7eD93pfsGvrs1bd3bpm3CuuEyxZJ-GN3MYM9mK_uDQh-jow3ANXimVd-eDs9WLzsZaqIUKAOzBwmMz/s400/Clairisse.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small; line-height: 115%;">Clarisse Kambire, right, works with other child laborers to harvest <br />
organic cotton grown in the fields of her farmer foster parent. <br />
© Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Furthermore, the “girl” and her family members report that she “was woken up early one morning and asked to pose in the cotton field” by the journalist, “who introduced himself as working for an orphanage project and needed to select three children to be part of this program.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Given these inaccuracies, Fairtrade refutes the information about the “girl” and her family as presented in the Bloomberg article and accordingly questions the credibility of the report.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">We also question the methods used by the journalist to obtain the reported information. Fairtrade International strongly recommends that media adopt child protection methods and a rights-based approach to relate with those they identify as persons under the age of 18. Identifying a young person by their first and last names, through images, or where they live, and providing alleged first-hand testimonies from them on issues of grave human rights concern may put them at extreme risk. All effort is needed to ensure that journalists and others who come into contact with children and young people follow protection guidelines as indicated in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Additionally, we recommend that journalists follow the Guidelines for Journalist and Media Professionals developed by the Intentional Federation of Journalist (published here).</span><br />
<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .0in;"><a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/77201723/Child-Rights-and-Media-Coverage-International-Federation-of-Journaists" style="-x-system-font: none; display: block; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 12px auto 6px auto; text-decoration: underline;" title="View Child Rights and Media Coverage - International Federation of Journaists on Scribd">Child Rights and Media Coverage - International Federation of Journaists</a><iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="0.706697459584296" data-auto-height="true" frameborder="0" height="400" id="doc_45639" scrolling="no" src="http://www.scribd.com/embeds/77201723/content?start_page=1&view_mode=list&access_key=key-19qp76bmewzt33s26hu3" width="100%"></iframe></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify;"><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">On one point we do agree: More work is needed to ensure that children in the cotton producing communities of Burkina Faso and elsewhere enjoy their rights to protection and increased well being. As part of our ongoing work in this area, and in agreement with UNPCB, Fairtrade International has prioritised further training on child labour and child protection for its members which will begin in early 2012.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Child labour is a global problem. No person or product certification system can provide a 100% guarantee that a product is free of child labour. What Fairtrade guarantees is that if we find breaches to our child labour requirements, we take immediate action to protect children. We work to prevent farms that use child labour from entering the Fairtrade system, and support them and their communities to tackle the problem. Fairtrade has chosen to work in products and regions with known risk of child labour because this is where our work is most needed.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Fairtrade believes that child labour can only be effectively addressed in collaboration with all relevant stakeholders, including government, private sector, NGOs, trade unions, producers, their communities and children themselves. We continue to engage with all stakeholders to ensure increased well being of children and young people living in and around Fairtrade communities.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: small;">Read Fairtrade’s response to Bloomberg’s article of 23 December, 2011. (<a href="http://www.fairtrade.net/single_view1.html?&cHash=1e673f238300da6950d1e11cc9a633ca&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=264">http://www.fairtrade.net/single_view1.html?&cHash=1e673f238300da6950d1e11cc9a633ca&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=264</a>)</span></div><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">For further information please contact Anita Sheth, Senior Advisor Social Compliance and Development (Informal Sectors) at <a href="mailto:a.sheth@fairtrade.net" target="_blank">a.sheth@fairtrade.net</a> and Caroline Hickson, Director of Brand and Communication at <a href="mailto:c.hickson@fairtrade.net" target="_blank">c.hickson@fairtrade.net</a></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2zWUPCKyGA6bKowihzxN85tZDg5k6AmZK_dH-a5dKbIPa7RdXmchuSdwY0ahNUCgW7KLqKhgb8Ay2TT64yqScJK_8Bf-8yn3fwRhT7b0FSOBtoy3KDO_BN6FbFYd-rufAOdYxRCKy9TMW/s1600/4-11-11-Bloomberg-Logo.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2zWUPCKyGA6bKowihzxN85tZDg5k6AmZK_dH-a5dKbIPa7RdXmchuSdwY0ahNUCgW7KLqKhgb8Ay2TT64yqScJK_8Bf-8yn3fwRhT7b0FSOBtoy3KDO_BN6FbFYd-rufAOdYxRCKy9TMW/s1600/4-11-11-Bloomberg-Logo.gif" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i style="color: #f1c232;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: x-large;">Where is the Integrity of Bloomberg Media? </span></i></span></span></div><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: small;">Unless the bar for journalistic integrity is exceptionally low, it is intolerable for any editor to accept a journalist's claim of six weeks investigating the subject of forced child labour on Fairtrade certified organic cotton fields in Burkina Faso when the final story is centered on assembling a few local children they assumed were under 18, including Clarisse, for a photo shoot in and around a cotton field. Not to mention Cam Simpson's UNSUBSTANTIATED claim the farmers he interviewed utilizing child labour were Fairtrade certified growers when they are clearly not. When I say unsubstantiated, the farmers were not listed with the only certifying organization in the country and the editors of Bloomberg have failed to provide me with their other sources for independent verification despite my repeated requests. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: small;">As for interviewing children, </span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: small;">Cam Simpson </span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: small;">has complete disregard for their rights in the name of getting a sensationalized story for corporate media. After assuming Clarisse was a minor, his failure to utilize a child-safe approach when interviewing the children in the story is readily apparent to any reader. The aforementioned guidelines from the International Federation of Journalists for protecting child rights in media is clearly laid out, to include the need to address the media's tendency toward sensationalism. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: small;">Journalists need to be aware of the consequences of their reporting. The co-operation of media organisations and journalists and their orientation towards safeguarding the rights and the dignity of children and young adults is extremely important for all who strive for wider recognition of children’s rights. Sensational coverage may distort and exploit a serious problem, doing more harm than good. Some editors claim that sensationalism permits serious social issues to capture the attention of readers and viewers. However, such coverage rarely analyses the social and economic causes of abuse of children: the dislocation of communities and families, homelessness, corrupt employers, pimps, the drug culture or why parents in poverty sell a child to support the rest of the family. The positive story of children, their lives and their rights is not being told in full. To examine how this can be changed requires examination of the professional conditions in which media work, a review of the principles or guidelines journalists and programme makers should follow, and the obstacles that stand in the way of good journalism.</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: small;">…The aim of the guidelines—Pages 61-63—is to raise the standards of journalism in reporting on issues involving children, and to encourage media to promote children’s rights and give them a voice. The code promotes:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: 0.5in;"></div><ul style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span>respect for the privacy of children and protection of their identity unless it is demonstrably in the public interest;<span style="font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">the need to give children access to media to express their own opinion;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">the obligation to verify information before publication;<span style="font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">the need to consider the consequences of publication and to minimize harm to children.</span></li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;">The code will also help media to avoid:<span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></span></div><ul style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><li><span style="font-size: small;">sexual, violent or victim-focused programming and images that are potentially damaging to children;</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">stereotypes and sensational presentation of journalistic material.</span> </li>
</ul><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: small; line-height: 115%;">If Clarisse </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Kambire</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: small; line-height: 115%;"> had been 13 as the story alleges, clearly Bloomberg has protected neither her identity nor her privacy</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: small; line-height: 115%;">. We do hear her views, however the truthfulness of the reporting needs further investigation on behalf of Bloomberg editors since Clarisse doesn't actually work in a cotton field as the Fairtrade International investigation clearly points out (yes editors, a thorough inquiry entails more than simply asking the reporter and letting it go at that). The obligation to verify information before publication has yet to be established by Bloomberg editors who who have repeatedly refused to answer that specific inquiry. </span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As for the consequences of publishing an evidently falsified story, I am not convinced Cam Simpson or his editors really considered it. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Page 57 of the </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Guidelines for Journalist and Media Professionals </span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">delineates clearly the steps to interviewing a child while respecting their rights, and on page 63 they also establish the bar for journalism:<br />
</span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: small;">Journalists and media organisations shall strive to maintain the highest standards of ethical conduct in reporting children’s affairs and, in particular, they shall:</span></div><ol style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: small;">strive for standards of excellence in terms of accuracy and sensitivity when reporting on issues involving children;</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">avoid programming and publication of images which intrude upon the media space of children with information which is damaging to them;</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">avoid the use of stereotypes and sensational presentation to promote journalistic material involving children;</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">consider carefully the consequences of publication of any material concerning children and shall minimise harm to children;</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">guard against visually or otherwise identifying children unless it is demonstrably in the public interest;</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">give children, where possible, the right of access to media to express their own opinions without inducement of any kind;</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">ensure independent verification of information provided by children and take special care to ensure that verification takes place without putting child informants at risk;</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">avoid the use of sexualised images of children;</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">use fair, open and straight forward methods for obtaining pictures and, where possible, obtain them with the knowledge and consent of children or a responsible adult, guardian or carer;</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">verify the credentials of any organisation purporting to speak for or to represent the interests of children.</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">not make payment to children for material involving the welfare of children or to parents or guardians of children unless it is demonstrably in the interest of the child.</span></li>
</ol><br />
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small; line-height: 115%;">Obviously there was no strive for standards of excellence, but merely sensationalism. Had Clarisse been a minor, fully disclosing her identity and location was clearly a violation of her rights. The quotes from Clarisse and the journalistic integrity of Cam Simpson are in question since Clarisse doesn't work on a Fairtrade certified farm, but on "</span><span style="font-size: small;">family-owned vegetable farm, growing locally consumed products for which there are no Fairtrade Standards nor Fairtrade certified producers in this region," and he would have known that if verified the status of the farmer with</span><span style="font-size: small;"> UNPCB</span><span style="font-size: small;">. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Regarding the photographs, both Chris Ratcliffe and Cam Simpson need to be reviewed for </span><span style="font-size: small;">assembling children in the area for a staged photo shoot. </span><span style="font-size: small;">This includes LYING to the children and family as reported in the Fairtrade International investigation which states, </span><i><span style="font-size: small;">t</span><span style="font-size: small;">he “girl” and her family members report that she “was woken up early one morning and asked to pose in the cotton field” by the journalist, “who introduced himself as working for an orphanage project and needed to select three children to be part of this program.”</span></i><span style="font-size: small;"><i> </i>Additionally when Bloomberg editors published the photos there was a blatant disregard for </span><span style="font-size: small;">guarding against visually identifying the children in the publication. </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small; line-height: 115%;">To continue my previous inquiry with parties involved in the story, I emailed Bloomberg Editiors </span><span style="font-size: small;">Flynn McRoberts and Melissa Pozsgay, </span><span style="font-size: small; line-height: 115%;">and reporter Cam Simpson once again:</span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: small;">Dear Bloomberg Editors and Journalist Cam Simpson,</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: small;">Yesterday Fairtrade International released their results from their investigation into your allegations of child labour in organic Fairtrade cotton (<a href="http://bit.ly/FIBlmbgResp">http://bit.ly/FIBlmbgResp</a>). The inquiry results lead to serious questions regarding the journalistic integrity of the reporter Cam Simpson and the photographer Chris Ratcliffe, as well as raise questions regarding your motives for utilizing such a low bar in your approach to journalism.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: small;">My inquiry is simple since you seem to be attacking Fairtrade International through a series of articles the past month, do you have a response to these findings on your journalistic methodologies? </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: small;">I will openly publish your response on my next blog post as well.</span></div><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The response from Bloomberg's Spokesperson, Meghan Womack was direct and to the point, "Your email was passed along to my attention. We've requested a copy of the birth certificate. We have four independent age verifications. We stand by our reporting." </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I am interested to see the results of their verification. To her response I inquired further:</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Hello Meghan,</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"> Thank you for your expedient reply. Clarisse has become center stage of the investigation, and out of concern for her reported age as a minor, exactly what steps did her interviewer take in order to protect her rights as set out by the<a href="http://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/crc.htm" target="_blank" title="Opens external link in new window"> UN Convention on the Rights of the Child</a> and to comply with the <a href="http://www.unicef.org/magic/resources/resources_for_journalists.html" target="_blank" title="Opens external link in new window">Guidelines for Journalist and Media Professionals developed by the Intentional Federation of Journalist</a>? </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> I would also like to inquire again as to the verification of Fairtrade certification of the three farmers central to the story, Victorien Kamboule, Baasolokoun “Bassole” Dabire, and Louis Joseph Kambire. They were in fact, not certified as Fairtrade by the only certifying agency in the country, the National Union of Cotton Producers of Burkina Faso (UNPBC). Their roster can also be independently verified by ECOCERT in Burkina Faso. The only two other sources cited are a "local cooperative leader" and a green flag in the photographed field. What additional sources can verify these farmers as Fairtrade, which is the lynch pin of your story?</span></span></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">To this there was no reply from Bloomberg Editors or their Spokesperson. Evidently they stand by their reporter... </span></div><br />
<div style="color: #f1c232; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">What can we do? </span></i></div><div style="color: #f1c232; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;"> We can take Direct Action!</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Contact your local and national press! Bring this case to social media online! </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Contact the Bloomberg reporter Cam Simpson and his editors Flynn McRoberts and Melissa Pozsgay regarding the falsified story of child labour in Fairtrade certified farms with questionable reporting practices and unsubstantiated linkages. If you take a stand for integrity in media, take Direct Action now:</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #f1c232; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><span style="font-size: x-large;">Demand a transparent and thorough third-party investigation of the story, reporter Cam Simpson and photographer Chris Ratcliffe with full public disclosure of the results by the Bloomberg Editors! </span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;">As Michael noted in the comment below, this has been collaborated in Victoria Secret's investigation as well. The report also provides Clarisse's true age: <a href="http://www.limitedbrands.com/newsroom/our_responses/responses_burkinafaso.aspx" target="_blank">www.limitedbrands.com/newsroom/our_responses/responses_burkinafaso.aspx</a></div><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i style="color: #f1c232;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">This can not be swept under the rug and forgotten - take Action! We can make change happen and bring accountability and transparency to corporate media and reporters like Cam Simpson!</span></i></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Raise your voice and be heard! Get involved and Take Direct Action on behalf of Fair Trade. Send an email, sign a petition or give Bloomberg's a call directly! Join the campaign and <a href="http://journeyforfairtrade.blogspot.com/2012/01/take-direct-action-with-bloomberg-media.html" target="_blank">Click here</a> to make a stand!:</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><h3 class="post-title entry-title" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://journeyforfairtrade.blogspot.com/2012/01/take-direct-action-with-bloomberg-media.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Take Direct Action with Bloomberg Media!</span></a></h3><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Mitch Teberg, MA</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB">Sustainable Development / Fair Trade </span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Researcher / Trainer / Consultant </span><br />
</span><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Feel free to add your comments, thoughts or ideas below or catch me on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/mitch.teberg">facebook</a>. </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB"></span><span lang="EN-GB"></span><span lang="EN-GB">For those who prefer reading black on white, here is the downloadable version of this post on pdf: </span></span></span> <br />
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/77421571/Fairtrade-International-Investigation-Leads-to-Questions-of-Bloomberg-s-Journalistic-Integrity" style="-x-system-font: none; display: block; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 12px auto 6px auto; text-decoration: underline;" title="View Fairtrade International Investigation Leads to Questions of Bloomberg's Journalistic Integrity on Scribd">Fairtrade International Investigation Leads to Questions of Bloomberg's Journalistic Integrity</a><iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="0.772727272727273" data-auto-height="true" frameborder="0" height="400" id="doc_90299" scrolling="no" src="http://www.scribd.com/embeds/77421571/content?start_page=1&view_mode=list&access_key=key-cls0oud6qskic5491qj" width="100%"></iframe></div><br />
</div>Mitch Teberg, MAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09103389961793260475noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8621388137674795607.post-58951199403356941522011-12-28T07:38:00.000-08:002012-01-10T21:24:30.431-08:00Bloomberg News Falsely Accuses Fairtrade of Child Labour<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2zWUPCKyGA6bKowihzxN85tZDg5k6AmZK_dH-a5dKbIPa7RdXmchuSdwY0ahNUCgW7KLqKhgb8Ay2TT64yqScJK_8Bf-8yn3fwRhT7b0FSOBtoy3KDO_BN6FbFYd-rufAOdYxRCKy9TMW/s1600/4-11-11-Bloomberg-Logo.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2zWUPCKyGA6bKowihzxN85tZDg5k6AmZK_dH-a5dKbIPa7RdXmchuSdwY0ahNUCgW7KLqKhgb8Ay2TT64yqScJK_8Bf-8yn3fwRhT7b0FSOBtoy3KDO_BN6FbFYd-rufAOdYxRCKy9TMW/s1600/4-11-11-Bloomberg-Logo.gif" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">On December 15th, 2011, Bloomberg Markets Magazine published a</span><span style="font-size: small;"> story depicting the life of a 13-year-old girl, </span><span style="font-size: small;">Clarisse, who is physically and mentally suffering under horrific conditions as a forced labourer on an organic cotton farm in Burkina Faso, a small landlocked and impoverished African nation. For the past two years this young girl worked under the whip to produce cotton sold to the famous lingerie brand, Victoria's Secret. The fact that forced labour occurs in fields across the world and is found in brand names of multinational corporations is not a surprise and this issue seriously needs to be addressed on a global scale. However,</span><span style="font-size: small;"> what makes </span><span style="font-size: small;">Clarisse's case special is that she was supposedly labouring on </span><span style="font-size: small;">a Fairtrade International certified farm. Radio Host, </span><span style="font-size: small;">Michelle Block of National Public Radio (NPR) in the United States opened an</span><span style="font-size: small;"> interview with Cam Simpson, the Bloomberg reporter who uncovered the scandal:</span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: 0.5in;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">"Fair Trade, we see those words a lot - when we buy coffee, food, even clothes. But what do they mean? Well, when Victoria's Secret began marketing underwear made from organic, fair-trade cotton, company executives assumed they were helping women farmers in the West African nation of Burkina Faso. <span style="color: #f1c232;">But according to an in-depth investigation by Bloomberg News, in this case, fair trade meant children being kept from school and forced to labor long hours in the country's cotton fields.</span>" </span></i><span style="font-size: small;">(<a href="http://www.npr.org/2011/12/16/143859114/report-links-victorias-secret-with-child-labor" target="_blank">http://www.npr.org/2011/12/16/143859114/report-links-victorias-secret-with-child-labor</a>)</span></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7kj1LmRrKPcnmLjAmzLaZDTzr8OC7ieuYlnJduUJBvCUGbigMk-w4cdMPvSZ-3D7eD93pfsGvrs1bd3bpm3CuuEyxZJ-GN3MYM9mK_uDQh-jow3ANXimVd-eDs9WLzsZaqIUKAOzBwmMz/s1600/Clairisse.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7kj1LmRrKPcnmLjAmzLaZDTzr8OC7ieuYlnJduUJBvCUGbigMk-w4cdMPvSZ-3D7eD93pfsGvrs1bd3bpm3CuuEyxZJ-GN3MYM9mK_uDQh-jow3ANXimVd-eDs9WLzsZaqIUKAOzBwmMz/s400/Clairisse.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-small; line-height: 115%;">Clarisse Kambire, right, works with other child laborers to harvest <br />
organic cotton grown in the fields of her farmer foster parent. <br />
© Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg </span></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Simpson implies the abusive farmer in the story, Mr. Victorien Kamboule in the village of Benvar in Burkina Faso was part of a Helvetas organic and Fair Trade program which is committed to "to improve producers’ living conditions – especially those of women and small farmers – through a viable and sustainable mode of production. The story </span><span style="font-size: small;">begins by describing the recurring nightmares of a 13-year-old girl named, Clarisse; only these terrors were reflective of her day-to-day reality: </span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Clarisse Kambire’s nightmare rarely changes. It’s daytime. In a field of cotton plants that burst with purple and white flowers, a man in rags towers over her, a stick raised above his head. Then a voice booms, jerking Clarisse from her slumber and making her heart leap. “Get up!” </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-size: small;">The man ordering her awake is the same one who haunts the 13-year-old girl’s sleep: Victorien Kamboule, the farmer she labors for in a West African cotton field. Before sunrise on a November morning she rises from the faded plastic mat that serves as her mattress, barely thicker than the cover of a glossy magazine, opens the metal door of her mud hut and sets her almond-shaped eyes on the first day of this season’s harvest...</span></div><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">She had been dreading it. “I’m starting to think about how he will shout at me and beat me again,” she said two days earlier. Preparing the field was even worse. Clarisse helped dig more than 500 rows with only her muscles and a hoe, substituting for the ox and the plow the farmer can’t afford. If she’s slow, Kamboule whips her with a tree branch.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: 0.5in;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">This harvest is Clarisse’s second. Cotton from her first went from her hands onto the trucks of a Burkina Faso program that deals in cotton certified as fair trade... </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Forced labor and child labor aren’t new to African farms. Clarisse’s cotton, the product of both, is supposed to be different. It’s certified as organic and fair trade, and so should be free of such practices. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Planted when Clarisse was 12, all of Burkina Faso’s organic crop from last season was bought by <a class="web_ticker" href="http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/quote?ticker=LTD:US" target="_blank" title="Get Quote">Victoria’s Secret (LTD)</a>, according to Georges Guebre, leader of the country’s organic and fair- trade program, and Tobias Meier, head of fair trade for <a href="http://www.intercooperation.ch/offers/SHI" rel="external" target="_blank" title="Open Web Site">Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation</a>, a Zurich-based development organization that set up the program and has helped market the cotton to global buyers. Meier says Victoria’s Secret also was expected to get most of this season’s organic harvest, Bloomberg Markets magazine reports in its February issue. </span></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iSPChmYyR5o/TvLKtS4CobI/AAAAAAAAAZk/Be2e8zumJfE/s1600/iClTZBlqYZE4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iSPChmYyR5o/TvLKtS4CobI/AAAAAAAAAZk/Be2e8zumJfE/s320/iClTZBlqYZE4.jpg" width="228" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">A telltale green flag, given to its growers </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">by local cooperatives, flies at the edge </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">of the field where Clarisse works. </span><span style="font-size: x-small; line-height: 115%;"><br />
©</span><span style="font-size: x-small;">Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg </span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: small;">At this point I began to question, Who or What can verify that the farmer in question, </span><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: small;">Mr. Victorien Kamboule, </span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #f1c232;"> is both an organic and Fair Trade certified grower, and in a Helvetas program? </span>According to Simpson's story, his two primary sources of validation are a local cooperative leader and a green flag planted at the edge of the field. The story goes on to provide more information of her daily experience during the cotton growing season: </span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: small;">Each afternoon, Clarisse walks back to the hut, exhausted. Some days, she says, the farmer’s wife brings her a starchy white paste, made from corn or millet. Her head bowed, Clarisse makes the sign of the cross with her right hand before raising her chin and sinking her fingers into the gelatinous paste. If she’s lucky, she’s fed once per day, she says. Some days, she doesn’t eat at all.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: small;">Kamboule says he couldn’t raise fair-trade cotton without Clarisse. “If I leave the child out, how will I be able to do the work?” Kamboule says. He acknowledges striking her. “I sometimes beat her,” he says. “This is when I give her work and she doesn’t deliver.”</span></div><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The article continues to depict the perceptions of two other "organic and Fair Trade" certified cotton farmers, Mr. Louis Joseph Kambire and Baasolokoun “Bassole” Dabire, who according to Simpson is "president of the organic and fair-trade cooperative in the village of Yabogane</span><span style="font-size: small;">". Also according to the Bloomberg reporter, the farmers receive no training on Fair Trade, nor on the use of child labour:</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: small;">“No, they said nothing about children,” recalled Louis Joseph Kambire, 69, a wiry fair-trade farmer who sits on the audit committee of the Benvar cooperative. Without kids of his own, Kambire forces the foster children in his care to work in an organic and fair-trade cotton field that he’s cultivated right next to Clarisse’s. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: small;">The children -- 10-year-old Edmond Dieudone and 12-year-old Ponhitierre Some -- make it possible for him to earn a living from fair-trade cotton, says Kambire, wearing a white crucifix on a black cord around his neck and a white fedora with a black band on his head. “That’s why they are working with me,” he says. Before the fair-trade program, he hadn’t made them labor in his subsistence fields. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sometimes, Clarisse spies Edmond and Ponhitierre in the distance, though they keep silent. “We can’t speak when the farmers are there,” she says.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> ... Like others, Baasolokoun “Bassole” Dabire, 53, president of the organic and fair-trade cooperative in the village of Yabogane, didn’t get the message. He said his understanding was that it’s acceptable for his roughly 60 farmers to use children in their fields on two conditions: They’re not their own biological children, and they’re at least six years old. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: small;">“Your own children, no, but somebody else’s child can work,” he says in an interview near his farm in the southwest. </span><br />
<br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RZ7VcYU-OsM/Tvgc1BV3NVI/AAAAAAAAAaU/X0ZKnQiDINY/s1600/iosc.WesbKIg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RZ7VcYU-OsM/Tvgc1BV3NVI/AAAAAAAAAaU/X0ZKnQiDINY/s320/iosc.WesbKIg.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Clarisse carries her bushel to the home of a family where the </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">farmer she works for stores his cotton because it’s closer </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">to the pickup point for the organic and fair-trade program. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small; line-height: 115%;">©</span><span style="font-size: x-small;">Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;">These accusations against Fairtrade International and Helvetas are both shocking and demand investigation if they are true. Immediately, I began my inquiry by contacting Tobias Meier of Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation. Mr. Meier who is cited in Simpson's story provided me with the press release from Helvetas, in which the organization pledges "All involved stakeholders - Victoria’s Secret, UNPCB, Helvetas and FLO – started investigations, and all are determined to initiate bold and sustainable measures if the claims are substantiated." For the sake of transparency, I have republished the Helvetas press release here: </span><br />
<a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/76209426/Helvetas%E2%80%99-response-to-claims-of-child-labor-in-organic-cotton-production-in-Burkina-Faso" style="-x-system-font: none; display: block; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 12px auto 6px auto; text-decoration: underline;" title="View Helvetas’ response to claims of child labor in organic cotton production in Burkina Faso on Scribd">Helvetas’ response to claims of child labor in organic cotton production in Burkina Faso</a><iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="0.772727272727273" data-auto-height="true" frameborder="0" height="400" id="doc_28865" scrolling="no" src="http://www.scribd.com/embeds/76209426/content?start_page=1&view_mode=list&access_key=key-279vmhdvuzu8jmmoeonw" width="100%"></iframe><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDyeV3N7BFXVDHUUkhRDyq_Ngdqbz2eddzDhUledwmk-xzrVfT4i9_D-3BEcU2nRx5qxix4p-gjwiRi1pXGBRWBYORMJ_QPm7s9RKYJRLuNy7rvjHjRaRmdm7dbacreqX9T_T-rcQY7Jhs/s1600/fairTradeLogo.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDyeV3N7BFXVDHUUkhRDyq_Ngdqbz2eddzDhUledwmk-xzrVfT4i9_D-3BEcU2nRx5qxix4p-gjwiRi1pXGBRWBYORMJ_QPm7s9RKYJRLuNy7rvjHjRaRmdm7dbacreqX9T_T-rcQY7Jhs/s1600/fairTradeLogo.gif" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Although I was unable to solicit an email reply to my direct inquiry with Fairtrade International for this blog post, they did publish a response to the Bloomberg article (<a href="http://www.fairtrade.net/single_view1.html?&cHash=1e673f238300da6950d1e11cc9a633ca&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=264" target="_blank">http://www.fairtrade.net/single_view1.html?&cHash=1e673f238300da6950d1e11cc9a633ca&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=264</a>):</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: small;">Fairtrade International first learned of the specific child labour allegation last week when we were contacted by the Bloomberg journalist Cam Simpson. This allegation immediately triggered our internal Child Protection Policy and Procedures. We developed this policy and procedure to respond to detections and/or allegations of vulnerable children engaged in unacceptable labour within Fairtrade operations. Our first and foremost priority is the safety and welfare of impacted children and their communities.<br />
<br />
UNPCB is the national organization for cotton farmers in Burkina Faso comprising hundreds of thousands of farmers, of which only a fraction belong to Fairtrade certified community-level cooperatives. While we cannot as yet confirm whether the child labour case(s) identified by Bloomberg are on Fairtrade certified farms, our Child Protection Policy and Procedures require us to act in the best interest of children who are identified as in need of care through the Fairtrade system. This means that we act with relevant child rights experts where ever possible to ensure that children in producer communities are protected and enjoy increased well being.</span> <span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<br />
Fairtrade prohibits child labour as defined by the International Labour Organization (ILO) minimum age and the Worst Forms of Child Labour conventions. However, no person or product certification system can provide a 100% guarantee that a product is free of child labour. Child labour, especially exploitative and abusive forms of child labour, are illegal activities that are often well hidden. Fairtrade provides a rigorous certification and audit system designed to detect and remediate cases of child labour. We guarantee that if breaches of our requirements on child labour are found, we take immediate action to protect children, prevent the farms using child labour from selling into the Fairtrade system, and then support the producer organization to strengthen its own systems and develop child protection policies and procedures adapted to their specific context.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: small;">We strongly disagree with Bloomberg’s claim that paying farmers more for their cotton, as in Fairtrade, encourages exploitation. However, we understand that simply paying more for cotton is not enough to ensure children are not abused, neglected and/or exploited. Child labour is a systemic problem perpetuated by poverty and unfair terms of trade, lack of access to quality education and social protection, discrimination, conflict, and other factors. It is also a widespread issue, with an estimated 126 million children working under the Worst Forms of Child Labour around the world, and cannot be eliminated with a single approach. It is why Fairtrade has developed a multifaceted approach to address issues of child labour... </span></div><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">In the aforementioned interview with Michelle Block of NPR, Simpson explained the certification is done by a national organization and not by FLO directly: </span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>"Fair Trade International, they certify a national union, not the individual farms and not even the individual cooperatives that the individual farmers belong to. They're supposed to do surprise visits to places where child labor's endemic. And they're supposed to do surprise visits to places where clearly there are commodities grown with child labor, and that's also clearly cotton."</i></span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--UKYHfT5OdU/TvLYmkzrvOI/AAAAAAAAAZw/lRpCRbA0usY/s1600/iXF7Zonw97y4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="194" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--UKYHfT5OdU/TvLYmkzrvOI/AAAAAAAAAZw/lRpCRbA0usY/s320/iXF7Zonw97y4.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Clarisse Kambire, 13, a child laborer, left, and a fellow </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">child laborer carry wicker baskets full of hand-picked fair-trade </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">organic cotton back to the farmer's store house after a </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">day's labor in fields near Benvar, Burkina Faso.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small; line-height: 115%;">©</span><span style="font-size: x-small;">Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg </span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;"><i> </i> </span></div><span style="font-size: small;">In Burkina Faso that certifying organization </span><span style="font-size: small;">is the National Federation of Burkina Cotton Producers </span><span style="font-size: small;">(UNPBC - known by it's French abbreviation) mentioned in the Fairtrade International response</span><span style="font-size: small;">. UNPBC (<a href="http://www.unpcb.org/" target="_blank">http://www.unpcb.org/</a>) certifies both organic crops and Fair Trade farmers. Again, Mr. Tobias Meier of Helvetas provided me with the press release from Mr. Karim Traore, President of the certifying union in question</span><span style="font-size: small;"></span><span style="font-size: small;">. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">In the UNPBC press release he clearly states that only one of the three farmers in the story, Louis Joseph Kambire is certified as an organic farmer, but not Fair Trade. The other two farmers in the story, Clarissa's tormentor Mr. </span><span style="font-size: small;">Victorien Kamboule,</span><span style="font-size: small;"> nor the supposed president of an organic and Fair Trade, cooperative Mr. </span><span style="font-size: small;">Baasolokoun “Bassole” Dabire </span><span style="font-size: small;">are not certified as either organic or Fair Trade</span><span style="font-size: small;"> cotton growers with the UNPBC. </span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">As for the training received by the one certified organic cotton farmer in the story, according to the UNPBC </span><span style="font-size: small;">Louis Joseph Kambire </span><span style="font-size: small;">has attended trainings and awareness raising campaigns on the issue of Child Labour. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">To allow for third party verification of whose farms are registered on as organic and / or Fair Trade, the President of UNPBC can independently verify his roster with ECOCERT (<a href="http://www.ecocert.com/en" target="_blank">http://www.ecocert.com/en</a>) has a copy of the UNPBC database. For transparency and accountability to the facts, I have published the UNPBC press release here:</span><br />
<a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/76209827/UNPCB-s-Formal-Declaration-of-Denial-to-Bloomberg-s-False-Accusation" style="-x-system-font: none; display: block; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 12px auto 6px auto; text-decoration: underline;" title="View UNPCB's Formal Declaration of Denial to Bloomberg's False Accusation on Scribd">UNPCB's Formal Declaration of Denial to Bloomberg's False Accusation</a><iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="0.727705112960761" data-auto-height="true" frameborder="0" height="400" id="doc_90501" scrolling="no" src="http://www.scribd.com/embeds/76209827/content?start_page=1&view_mode=list&access_key=key-rnaki3p1hdo2l1rbfnh" width="100%"></iframe><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">I emailed the reporter Cam Simpson and the Bloomberg editors Flynn McRoberts</span><span style="font-size: small;"> and Melissa Pozsgay</span><span style="font-size: small;"> in charge of this story to inquire of their sources. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: small;">Did you verify with the National Union of Cotton Producers of Burkina Faso (UNPBC) that the three people you assert are organic and Fair Trade certified growers, Victorien Kamboule, Baasolokoun “Bassole” Dabire, and Louis Joseph Kambire are all certified as such?</span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The reply from Flynn McRoberts was direct and to the point, "Thank you for your interest, Mr. Mitch. Yes, we did and with multiple sources." To this I provided a copy of the UNPBC press release and replied,</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sources of verification in the story seem to be limited to a local leader and a green flag in the following sentences: "The leader of the local fair-trade cooperative in Clarisse’s village confirmed that her farmer is one of the program’s producers. A telltale green flag, given to its growers, flies at the edge of the field she works." </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> Please do share further sources on the certification of these three farmers.</span></div><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The Bloomberg Editor responded that they were aware of the UNPCB's statement, "We have reviewed the story and the reporting and we stand by our story."</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i style="color: #f1c232; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Take Direct Action! </span></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">The Bloomberg story is one of child labour in Burkina Faso, and this issue desperately needs to be addressed in both corporate board rooms and in corporate media. However, to link this abusive situation to Fair Trade is unfounded and proven to be untrue with the only national organization authorized to provide such certification.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">However, don't just take my word for it. Having read the press release of UNPBC, I encourage you to read the story for yourself at <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-12-15/victoria-s-secret-revealed-in-child-picking-burkina-faso-cotton.html" target="_blank">http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-12-15/victoria-s-secret-revealed-in-child-picking-burkina-faso-cotton.html</a>.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zyceXAnYehI/Tvs9Hte8heI/AAAAAAAAAag/exJtfCfGWoA/s1600/logo_ecocert_en.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="52" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zyceXAnYehI/Tvs9Hte8heI/AAAAAAAAAag/exJtfCfGWoA/s320/logo_ecocert_en.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Furthermore, you can contact ECOCERT in Burkina Faso directly (<a href="http://ap.ecocert.com/contact/contact.php?id=BF" target="_blank">http://ap.ecocert.com/contact/contact.php?id=BF</a>) to independently inquire a third party of the status of those farmers quoted in the story: are Victorien Kamboule, Baasolokoun “Bassole” Dabire, and Louis Joseph Kambire </span><span style="font-size: small;">on the UNPBC roster as Fair Trade certified growers, or not? </span><br />
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<div style="color: #f1c232; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">Help bring Integrity to Corporate Media! </span></i></div><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i style="color: #f1c232; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">OCCUPY BLOOMBERG </span></i></span></div><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Take Direct Action with corporate media! Contact the Bloomberg reporter Cam Simpson and his editors </span><span style="font-size: small;">Flynn McRoberts</span><span style="font-size: small;"> and Melissa Pozsgay regarding their linkage of child labour and Fair Trade in this story. Their emails can be found at the bottom of the Bloomberg article.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Mitch Teberg, MA</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB">Sustainable Development / Fair Trade </span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Researcher / Trainer / Consultant </span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">To read more on the findings from the Fairtrade International investigation read Journey for Fair Trade: </span><br />
<h3 class="post-title entry-title" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://journeyforfairtrade.blogspot.com/2012/01/fairtrade-international-investigation.html" target="_blank">Fairtrade International Investigation Leads to Questions of Bloomberg's <br />
Journalistic Integrity</a></h3><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Raise your voice and be heard! Get involved and Take Direct Action on behalf of Fair Trade. Send an email, sign a petition or give Bloomberg's a call directly! Join the campaign and <a href="http://journeyforfairtrade.blogspot.com/2012/01/take-direct-action-with-bloomberg-media.html" target="_blank">Click here</a> to make a stand!:</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div><h3 class="post-title entry-title" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://journeyforfairtrade.blogspot.com/2012/01/take-direct-action-with-bloomberg-media.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Take Direct Action with Bloomberg Media!</span></a></h3><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Feel free to add your comments, thoughts or ideas below or catch me on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/mitch.teberg">facebook</a>. </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB"></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB">For those who prefer reading black on white, here is the downloadable version of this post on pdf: </span></span> <br />
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<a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/76657699/Bloomberg-News-Falsly-Accuses-Fairtrade-of-Child-Labour" style="-x-system-font: none; display: block; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 12px auto 6px auto; text-decoration: underline;" title="View Bloomberg News Falsly Accuses Fairtrade of Child Labour on Scribd">Bloomberg News Falsly Accuses Fairtrade of Child Labour</a><iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="0.772727272727273" data-auto-height="true" frameborder="0" height="400" id="doc_67654" scrolling="no" src="http://www.scribd.com/embeds/76657699/content?start_page=1&view_mode=list&access_key=key-y0vvgjwctz3zcc8my9y" width="100%"></iframe></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div></div>Mitch Teberg, MAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09103389961793260475noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8621388137674795607.post-19262929793026126022011-12-05T19:58:00.000-08:002011-12-05T19:58:22.334-08:00WFTO - Fair Trade, Empowerment and Human Rights<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRLr6_T7lXodMeSYyLLJrGDJj2DrI-I6v95w6Q5P-a7juPX9tPK7XN2LqkqKOQCTffBLaqCsv-cmN6Ya6iMNlj_oFL38ujFxMVVdUvbz9ep-l0LDgFrzRAef2ExU_Zr7sOCqAXy2Cfx_dz/s1600/6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRLr6_T7lXodMeSYyLLJrGDJj2DrI-I6v95w6Q5P-a7juPX9tPK7XN2LqkqKOQCTffBLaqCsv-cmN6Ya6iMNlj_oFL38ujFxMVVdUvbz9ep-l0LDgFrzRAef2ExU_Zr7sOCqAXy2Cfx_dz/s320/6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">When we examine the Principles of Fair Trade and it quickly becomes apparent the intention of Fair Trade is to Empower disadvantaged producers and their communities. The principles reflect business practices free from exploitation; are based on respect for universal human rights, women's rights, child rights, minority and migrant rights, rights of the disabled, and labour rights; embrace gender equality; and incorporate environmentally sound practices. However, the fact remains that for many of our producers their rights are not well known; the Universal Declaration of Human Rights remains an abstract idea, an international convention far from their immediate reality. </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">This year Human Rights day is on Saturday the 10th of December. Join together to celebrate recognition of the very foundation of our Fair Trade Movement and check out the World Fair Trade Article on Human Rights and Fair Trade:</span></div><br />
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.wfto.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1618&Itemid=314#.Tt2FWnA72zU.blogger">WFTO - Fair Trade, Empowerment and Human Rights</a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXaZLisJwyF_AHB0rG6VLnuB27vvBIRRpWxSrcNQGz_0loaHiSxX17t_lQM2-6Intm71WIF2tbOPHEyjlcCXD0z1JO8mU4IVKPdlf4OnhJExIqEs1xgM8Y1e6aDLI60_3aL3JNbiC5RzDk/s1600/Fair+Trade+Empowers+Producers..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXaZLisJwyF_AHB0rG6VLnuB27vvBIRRpWxSrcNQGz_0loaHiSxX17t_lQM2-6Intm71WIF2tbOPHEyjlcCXD0z1JO8mU4IVKPdlf4OnhJExIqEs1xgM8Y1e6aDLI60_3aL3JNbiC5RzDk/s200/Fair+Trade+Empowers+Producers..jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: small;">For a downloadable pdf version of the article:</span></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/72463585/Fair-Trade-Empowerment-and-Human-Rights" style="-x-system-font: none; display: block; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 12px auto 6px auto; text-decoration: underline;" title="View Fair Trade, Empowerment and Human Rights on Scribd">Fair Trade, Empowerment and Human Rights</a><iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="0.772727272727273" data-auto-height="true" frameborder="0" height="400" id="doc_1399" scrolling="no" src="http://www.scribd.com/embeds/72463585/content?start_page=1&view_mode=list&access_key=key-2i1ru0eadbzfz573s620" width="100%"></iframe></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Also, in my last post I challenged Fair Traders around the globe to celebrate this day. Included in that challenge was a poster contest for children to draw their favorite article from the Convention of the Rights of the Child!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><i><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: x-large;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Send photos of your winning posters on Child Rights to be published on the Journey for Fair Trade!!!! </span></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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</style> <![endif]--> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">When you have some really great entries select the best, take a photo of the winners and send it to me: journer (at) gmail.com and I will feature your young Fair Trade artists on my blog! Make sure you send me information about the featured artists as well!! Try to limit the number to one to three winners in your event. Entries from anywhere in the world are welcome. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt8OYZOeAe7DZ0mtv6U0338-XmQHHoBOwMR4vjbwlU8KCuBeROjfXy1tdVFEnoAJHhmSdWemnVkJexJiLOQ3bNRSlEcoeKAw4lLmKZGA6e-I1iyd9EAdWAoxLwaMgHpWRLSe48G7RrRMZo/s1600/IMG_3222.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt8OYZOeAe7DZ0mtv6U0338-XmQHHoBOwMR4vjbwlU8KCuBeROjfXy1tdVFEnoAJHhmSdWemnVkJexJiLOQ3bNRSlEcoeKAw4lLmKZGA6e-I1iyd9EAdWAoxLwaMgHpWRLSe48G7RrRMZo/s320/IMG_3222.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span style="line-height: 115%;">Join Chou, Little Journey, and I in making the future a better place for all of us; join in the global celebration of Human Rights Day on Saturday, December 10th! </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span><br />
</span></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span lang="EN-GB">Mitch Teberg, MA </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span lang="EN-GB">International Consultant</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span lang="EN-GB">Sustainable Development / Fair Trade </span></span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Researcher / Trainer / Consultant </span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB">Feel free to add your comments, suggestions, and ideas below; or commit to holding a special event on December 10th. </span></span></span> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div></div>Mitch Teberg, MAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09103389961793260475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8621388137674795607.post-62975501105069964552011-11-17T20:55:00.000-08:002011-11-23T01:10:44.360-08:00Fair Trade Celebrates Human Rights Day on December 10th, 2011!!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfnBbw4ja6Z8ahiqrLwdd8-vy2XY2vdKQtN5XJoSw_XZqsP8zjS_vQYnMoHUhomxqT7laVsss2iZXFhKzUzY3y4YRsjFrYDVbydhuIN58qz3k5MNh9BOkUFBnByBoBKwRL55NqRIOouBVS/s1600/Fair+Trade+Celebrates+Human+Rights+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfnBbw4ja6Z8ahiqrLwdd8-vy2XY2vdKQtN5XJoSw_XZqsP8zjS_vQYnMoHUhomxqT7laVsss2iZXFhKzUzY3y4YRsjFrYDVbydhuIN58qz3k5MNh9BOkUFBnByBoBKwRL55NqRIOouBVS/s400/Fair+Trade+Celebrates+Human+Rights+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">As a global movement we all agree Fair Trade aims to <i>Empower</i></span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><i> </i>disadvantaged producers and their communities. Our shared principles reflect business </span><span style="line-height: 115%;">practices which are free from exploitation and based on respect for universal human rights, women's rights, child rights, minority and migrant rights, rights of the disabled, and labour rights. When we examine Fair Trade closely it becomes evident the underpinnings of our global movement are the United Nations </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Conventions on </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> Human Rights and the internationally recognized conventions of the International Labour Organization (Read <a href="http://journeyforfairtrade.blogspot.com/2011/10/rights-based-approach-to-fair-trade_20.html" target="_blank">A Rights-Based Approach to Fair Trade: Human Rights Framework</a>). Succinctly stated, without these international conventions, there would be no solid foundation for Fair Trade.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Over the past several posts I have been emphasizing the importance of integrating a Rights-Based Approach to Fair Trade as a means of empowerment. </span><span style="color: #f1c232;">When an organization utilizes a Rights-Based Approach they recognize poverty as injustice and includes marginalization, discrimination, and exploitation as central causes of poverty. </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;">To integrate a Rights-Based Approach is to strengthen our trade partners not only in trade relations, but in their quality of life; to enjoy the freedoms internationally recognized as inherent to all human beings.</span><span style="color: #f1c232;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrINJyigfnA75z3nJpJVUkAOh1No_-svHxfAiZuqYVAXrFquz2dtSdzRlz6HxbOZx_1EEzQSycFh05KaLQA00IWYdeNuiWhqkXpUmayfs7ya0I3b2UoPT__fhNLjG2cUa0lobiUZbOa6KV/s1600/Longwe%2527s+Women%2527s+Empowerment+Framework.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="351" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrINJyigfnA75z3nJpJVUkAOh1No_-svHxfAiZuqYVAXrFquz2dtSdzRlz6HxbOZx_1EEzQSycFh05KaLQA00IWYdeNuiWhqkXpUmayfs7ya0I3b2UoPT__fhNLjG2cUa0lobiUZbOa6KV/s400/Longwe%2527s+Women%2527s+Empowerment+Framework.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Longwe's Women's Empowerment Framework<br />
Read: <a href="http://journeyforfairtrade.blogspot.com/2011/11/womens-empowerment-and-fair-trade.html" target="_blank">Women's Empowerment and Fair Trade </a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The crucial step towards empowerment is raising awareness of these rights, to include women's rights. Unfortunately, <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;">the fact remains that for many of our producers their rights are not well known; the Universal Declaration of Human Rights remains an abstract idea, an international convention far from their immediate reality. Admittedly, the same is true for many Fair Trade supporters, retailers, importers, buyers and consumers. It is time for change. </span></span><br />
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<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">On Saturday, December 10, 2011 the world celebrates Human Rights Day. </span>Considering the strong ties to our global movement, Fair Trade should be leading the way in recognizing the importance of this day! Regardless if you are a Fair Trade producer group, an importer, a coffee roaster, or a retailer, let's celebrate this day of international recognition of our human rights! </span></div></div></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Day2011/Pages/HRD2011.aspx" target="_blank">http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/<br />
Day2011/Pages/HRD2011.aspx</a></td></tr>
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<div style="color: #f1c232; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">Here are a few suggestions to celebrate Human Rights day locally. These suggestions are for all Fair Traders regardless of where you reside! </span></i></div><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">Decorate!</span> <a href="http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Day2011/Pages/VisualDesigns.aspx" target="_blank">Click here to download</a> UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights visual designs for Human Rights day in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish! </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">Display! </span><a href="http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Day2011/Pages/Videos.aspx" target="_blank">Click here for videos</a> on human rights from the UN!!!<span style="color: #f1c232;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">Provide a copy of Universal Declaration of Human Rights! </span><a href="http://www.ohchr.org/EN/UDHR/Pages/SearchByLang.aspx" target="_blank">Click here for over 300 translations</a> of this pivotal document!!!!! </span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #f1c232;"></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">Share stories of Human Rights! </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Day2011/Pages/FeatureStories.aspx" target="_blank">Click here for a list of stories</a> to share from the UN </span><span style="font-size: small;">Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights</span><span style="font-size: small;">!<span style="color: #f1c232;"> </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1479131734" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbCQ3Ny7jIBuLiaLdvz9s08Nn4FM-iJUbwz-KfSVdvjNGmjmGLOAwCv1g2sIv_ow5KMOOOYfwzmArNCp7MZKVeC6vWD_vqTCa64uFLAw7oSZNbJt7ZAzc0qAlj67zda8o0N0RXGmds88PV/s320/amnestyinternational.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amnesty.org/">http://www.amnesty.org/</a></td></tr>
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<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">Join with Amnesty International in your country!!! </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.amnesty.org/" target="_blank">Click here</a> to unite with Amnesty International's efforts in your country. And <a href="http://www.amnesty.org/en/human-rights" target="_blank">click here</a> to view Amnesty International's information related to Human Rights issues in every country or by topic! As Fair Trade organizations, retailers, supporters, activists and consumers we need to unite with their voice to ensure everyone's human rights are respected and upheld regardless of where they reside!!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFZaE0lDa3iFmQT07L67CZK7y5OspXd4iArVlRUYqhtVRGfN_NBoeYmdp1l_CPeQ0UAzYiW9Po102154QeGkh1AGAlRZc__0Pp2YUtgb5Oq5RZJDrpW4yLnVMrOzLnxJYXOt85Iswvm3YC/s1600/_45227173_xmas_226getty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFZaE0lDa3iFmQT07L67CZK7y5OspXd4iArVlRUYqhtVRGfN_NBoeYmdp1l_CPeQ0UAzYiW9Po102154QeGkh1AGAlRZc__0Pp2YUtgb5Oq5RZJDrpW4yLnVMrOzLnxJYXOt85Iswvm3YC/s320/_45227173_xmas_226getty.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #f1c232;"></span> </span><br />
<span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: small;">Fair Trade Retailers</span><span style="font-size: small;">, everyone in the Fair Trade supply chain truly understands and deeply appreciates that you are busy with the Christmas rush and the last thing you want is to have one more thing to add to the already busy day for retail, ...but <span style="color: #f1c232;">the least we can do is make an effort to recognize the global importance of Human Rights Day.</span> Here are some ideas to make this as interesting yet as painless as possible while dealing with the masses of ethically minded consumers making Fair Trade purchases for the holidays. Keep in mind this is a one day event, so make it simple yet prominent - let the conscientious consumers see that Fair Trade is more than simply purchasing products, but about putting people before profits. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">For Fair Trader producers, supporters and activists not preoccupied with the Christmas holiday, set up a special family event for <span style="color: #f1c232;">Saturday, December 10th</span>. Keep in mind, children are the future of Fair Trade so let them know how valued they are in our movement. Put up a large poster of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. UNICEF has this document translated into 58 languages at their child-friendly page: <a href="http://www.unicef.org/magic/briefing/uncorc.html" target="_blank">http://www.unicef.org/magic/briefing/uncorc.html</a>.</span><span style="font-size: small;"> For your convenience, here is a downloadable pdf file of UNICEF's child-friendly English version: </span><br />
<a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/69434363/Convention-on-the-Rights-of-the-Child-Easy-Language-Poster" style="-x-system-font: none; display: block; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 12px auto 6px auto; text-decoration: underline;" title="View Convention on the Rights of the Child Easy Language Poster on Scribd">Convention on the Rights of the Child Easy Language Poster</a><iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="0.624744376278119" data-auto-height="true" frameborder="0" height="400" id="doc_16765" scrolling="no" src="http://www.scribd.com/embeds/69434363/content?start_page=1&view_mode=list&access_key=key-wd9d6g1v1an2xoc3d2" width="100%"></iframe><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Children of all ages like to take on fun challenges - provide them with poster paper, crayons, color pencils and markers and <span style="color: #f1c232;">ask them to draw a poster for their favorite Article in the CRC!</span> The purpose is to have children do more than read their rights, that is boring. Make the CRC come alive and reflect on how it is relevant in their lives! </span><span style="font-size: small;">Then vote for the best poster from your young artists... </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #f1c232;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: x-large;">Send photos of your winning posters on Child Rights to be published on the Journey for Fair Trade!!!! </span></i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">When you have some really great entries select the best, take a photo of the winners and send it to me: journer (at) gmail.com and I will feature your young Fair Trade artists on my blog! Make sure you send me information about the featured artists as well!! Try to limit the number to one to three winners in your event. Entries from anywhere in the world are welcome. </span></span></i></span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfH_CS19Sg7aHTN81g5GPYsVgKLQAGmqVGaIYyKFx0rA009xZfQ0jYbwPdnNiVyFjyKelsBiA6bNVoddfML0Z6StDHRIX2oO_8B46V7bNkyE9MQZObvTJ4M4zocYBx-EWL9UIX0R1zWlAr/s1600/childrens+rights.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfH_CS19Sg7aHTN81g5GPYsVgKLQAGmqVGaIYyKFx0rA009xZfQ0jYbwPdnNiVyFjyKelsBiA6bNVoddfML0Z6StDHRIX2oO_8B46V7bNkyE9MQZObvTJ4M4zocYBx-EWL9UIX0R1zWlAr/s200/childrens+rights.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">Retailers, show solidarity with your trade partners! </span>You can do the same here by having a corner dedicated to children so the adults can do some shopping. The adults will appreciate the temporary relief and the kids would love a corner committed to them. I am certain you can find high school and college students interested in volunteering to help with a child-centered activity! Add steaming cups of Fair Trade hot chocolate, face painting as well as other creative activities and have fun! The more you provide for the kids, the longer the adults can shop - <span style="color: #f1c232;">Retailers, you can't lose here!!!</span> And don't forget to provide each child with their own color copy of the CRC to post up in their home...<span style="color: #f1c232;"> </span><i style="color: #f1c232;">Make Child Rights a reality to our Fair Trade consumers!</i><span style="color: #f1c232;"> </span> </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">For young adults, host a ten minute game show - make it a competition between groups of men and women and see which team can list the most articles in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights! My bet is the women are able to list more!!! Fortunately the United Nations has translated the UDHR into 131 languages so this activity can be done anywhere: <a href="http://www.ohchr.org/EN/UDHR/Pages/SearchByLang.aspx">http://www.ohchr.org/EN/UDHR/Pages/SearchByLang.aspx</a>.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> To help, my lovely partner Chou has used her creative talents to </span>provide an English copy of the UDHR here:</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/69442488/Universal-Declaration-of-Human-Rights" style="-x-system-font: none; display: block; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 12px auto 6px auto; text-decoration: underline;" title="View Universal Declaration of Human Rights on Scribd">Universal Declaration of Human Rights</a><iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="0.772727272727273" data-auto-height="true" frameborder="0" height="400" id="doc_85447" scrolling="no" src="http://www.scribd.com/embeds/69442488/content?start_page=1&view_mode=list&access_key=key-m9tklkjtv2r7ine4qac" width="100%"></iframe></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Follow this competition with an introduction to the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). Begin with inquiring why they think this convention is necessary when the UDHR already exists - it is a great opportunity to dispel a lot of misunderstandings. For help in discussing this convention read <a href="http://journeyforfairtrade.blogspot.com/2011/10/rights-based-approach-to-fair-trade_29.html" target="_blank">A Rights-Based Approach to Fair Trade: Understanding CEDAW</a>. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #f1c232; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;">"Human rights are rights inherent to all human beings, whatever our nationality, place of residence, sex, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, language, or any other status. We are all equally entitled to our human rights without discrimination. These rights are all interrelated, interdependent and indivisible" </span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #f1c232; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"> </span></i></span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;">- UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">This Human Rights Day, let's make a stand as a global movement! Recognize the importance of this day by raising awareness of our shared human rights locally. Fair Trade is founded upon these rights, and it is time Fair Trade unites with the global recognition of Human Rights Day.</span><span style="font-size: small;"> <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9YiLNA_n7vfcz955wN5zHFP4v_7uEzgB_7mGxOZjC1E-YRd5ZBmeq2UVlGGDxs3diowA8rngDdQfLXrjOker3Ofg8Cv9ITiqXVB6NggRYaO1-oIdrD2Fs1yayPzml6hmeUtntRT42UvkA/s1600/IMG_3110.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9YiLNA_n7vfcz955wN5zHFP4v_7uEzgB_7mGxOZjC1E-YRd5ZBmeq2UVlGGDxs3diowA8rngDdQfLXrjOker3Ofg8Cv9ITiqXVB6NggRYaO1-oIdrD2Fs1yayPzml6hmeUtntRT42UvkA/s320/IMG_3110.JPG" width="240" /></a></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;">Join Chou, Little Journey, and I in making the future a better place for all of us; join in the global celebration of Human Rights Day on Saturday, December 10th! </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB">Mitch Teberg, MA </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB">International Consultant</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB">Sustainable Development / Fair Trade </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB">Researcher / Trainer / Consultant </span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB">Feel free to add your comments, suggestions, and ideas below; or commit to holding a special event on December 10th. </span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRLr6_T7lXodMeSYyLLJrGDJj2DrI-I6v95w6Q5P-a7juPX9tPK7XN2LqkqKOQCTffBLaqCsv-cmN6Ya6iMNlj_oFL38ujFxMVVdUvbz9ep-l0LDgFrzRAef2ExU_Zr7sOCqAXy2Cfx_dz/s1600/6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRLr6_T7lXodMeSYyLLJrGDJj2DrI-I6v95w6Q5P-a7juPX9tPK7XN2LqkqKOQCTffBLaqCsv-cmN6Ya6iMNlj_oFL38ujFxMVVdUvbz9ep-l0LDgFrzRAef2ExU_Zr7sOCqAXy2Cfx_dz/s320/6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB">For those who prefer reading black on white, here is the downloadable version of this post on pdf: </span></span> </div></div><a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/73099546/Fair-Trade-Celebrates-Human-Rights-Day-on-December-10th-2011" style="-x-system-font: none; display: block; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 12px auto 6px auto; text-decoration: underline;" title="View Fair Trade Celebrates Human Rights Day on December 10th, 2011 on Scribd">Fair Trade Celebrates Human Rights Day on December 10th, 2011</a><iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="0.772727272727273" data-auto-height="true" frameborder="0" height="400" id="doc_92281" scrolling="no" src="http://www.scribd.com/embeds/73099546/content?start_page=1&view_mode=list&access_key=key-1y1g6ts19y9sd13ltp0x" width="100%"></iframe></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div></div></div>Mitch Teberg, MAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09103389961793260475noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8621388137674795607.post-74470178919820511112011-11-14T00:20:00.000-08:002011-11-20T19:42:19.088-08:00What is Fair Trade? An Interview with Helvetas Vietnam<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqVz5t-eu0aHj1eBA04ZW0OvHXXcuks_de9Xx3Vw71IlQyj14KxwqcNV0iei5ltq5sEy-kb6pnzkGtpPSj2bEl0NfROix2Sd1VoK2bb3NBzww5fz-6x_oXTpsl79Beimi6aRcAOWcJBNfo/s1600/helvetas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="116" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqVz5t-eu0aHj1eBA04ZW0OvHXXcuks_de9Xx3Vw71IlQyj14KxwqcNV0iei5ltq5sEy-kb6pnzkGtpPSj2bEl0NfROix2Sd1VoK2bb3NBzww5fz-6x_oXTpsl79Beimi6aRcAOWcJBNfo/s320/helvetas.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;">While working with Helvetas Vietnam, I was interviewed to explain what is Fair Trade. It is important to remember what it is we are working for! Fair Trade is both a global movement for Trade Justice and an ethical business model. </span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;">This interview explores the initial purpose and transformation of the Journey for Fair Trade; how the journey went from research on the perspectives of Fair Trade producers to a Social Action Research project! </span></i></div><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/HcTaOlYRjP0?rel=0" width="480"></iframe></div><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;">In this interview we explore an example of the empowerment of a Rights-Based Approach to Fair Trade as utilized by Reaching Out, Hoi An, Vietnam! We also explore a comparison of Fair Trade in Vietnam with Fair Trade in the United States. </span></i><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Vlgju0EaQww?rel=0" width="480"></iframe><br />
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<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Mitch Teberg, MA<br />
Sustainable Development / Fair Trade <br />
Researcher / Trainer / Consultant<span lang="FR"></span><span lang="FR"></span><span lang="FR"></span><span lang="FR"></span></span></div><br />
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</div>Mitch Teberg, MAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09103389961793260475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8621388137674795607.post-22658104728364107692011-11-07T02:34:00.000-08:002011-11-17T09:19:06.105-08:00Women's Empowerment and Fair Trade<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm8wSp6803KF9qUIfzfsmGdQv3b2WvW4EAgKfR72WsvSvR4dQAQsOe01-vjpcJqA_rfm3Uzd04R1HEuthY-_gvvYJOsBb9-4zpVmuup-oWO6vcYXKL_zesnR5lSx1O6Ckihzjdj2YSE0_Q/s1600/Fair+Trade+is+Social+Change..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="90" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm8wSp6803KF9qUIfzfsmGdQv3b2WvW4EAgKfR72WsvSvR4dQAQsOe01-vjpcJqA_rfm3Uzd04R1HEuthY-_gvvYJOsBb9-4zpVmuup-oWO6vcYXKL_zesnR5lSx1O6Ckihzjdj2YSE0_Q/s400/Fair+Trade+is+Social+Change..jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">According to Principle 6 of Fair Trade, We the producers, artisans, weavers, farmers, and craftswomen and men; We the Fair Trade Organizations, NGOs, and Community-Based Organizations; We the local, national and regional Fair Trade networks; We the advocates, activists and supporters; We the conscientious buyers, importers, retailers, and consumers; and We </span><span style="font-size: small;">the global movement all embrace Gender Equality. However, </span><span style="font-size: small;">we need to ask exactly what does this mean and how is it attained? </span><br />
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<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Obviously to begin we need to define Gender.</span><span style="font-size: small;"> Firstly, gender is not sex; it is not a biological difference.</span><span style="font-size: small;"> In March, 2011 I examined how gender originates: <a href="http://journeyforfairtrade.blogspot.com/2011/03/international-womens-day-post.html" target="_blank">International Women's Day: What is Gender?</a> To be succinct, <b style="color: #f1c232;">Gender is a social construct</b>; it is how society views and judges men and women differently based on five reproductive organs, our only physical differences. To understand that gender is a social construct is to examine the effects of this construct in our own lives. Ask yourself, <i>what roles women have in the household, in the family, in the community, in society and within culture.</i> <i>How do those roles differ from the roles of men? What are the expectations a given society places on women and men based on those roles. </i></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRjjiujRGvVhWULbeLtFjPVVjK5UJtwAHfHvLm5uFmayasw0RIEC9nWmUnV5F_l8tIEfveRS1BEFb_Mf7cC6Jmaz_INiUMB7bSPsm3i_mx3clLGvMdSoqK1PUweZriPz_NF2hMSMOIcMGY/s1600/tumblr_lk4i1cvIvS1qh5re8o1_500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRjjiujRGvVhWULbeLtFjPVVjK5UJtwAHfHvLm5uFmayasw0RIEC9nWmUnV5F_l8tIEfveRS1BEFb_Mf7cC6Jmaz_INiUMB7bSPsm3i_mx3clLGvMdSoqK1PUweZriPz_NF2hMSMOIcMGY/s320/tumblr_lk4i1cvIvS1qh5re8o1_500.jpg" width="298" /></a></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">When we separate sex from gender, we begin to see the differences between men and women are nothing more than socially constructed differences. It isn’t that men are better decision-makers just because they have a penis; or that women are better caretakers of children just because they can give birth. These are all assumptions; social constructs surrounding reproductive functions, not based on fact. Now let's go on... </span></span></div><br />
<div style="color: #f1c232; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">What is Gender Equality? </span></i></div><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Gender Equality is commonly defined as a social order in which women and men share the same opportunities and enjoy full participation in the social, cultural, political, legal, and economic arenas, to include both the public and domestic realms. In other words, there are no "glass ceilings" limiting levels of participation, no constraints placed on either men or women due to socio-cultural constructs or expectations, and no consequences for pursuing goals and ambitions in any of these areas. </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcGBCvbX74SKuFraymvG9JvxXX2F7O7wb8oV3QhrAbzs1Ezw_6zCzK27aQlb-NRUDuLtmIoofiyWJoiwzElsn_0jMmGt3PGqkIXFZlAmbrr7uQfV85tkw1ZPmQJleM8VZmepIIZVMWJrYE/s1600/Gender-Equity.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcGBCvbX74SKuFraymvG9JvxXX2F7O7wb8oV3QhrAbzs1Ezw_6zCzK27aQlb-NRUDuLtmIoofiyWJoiwzElsn_0jMmGt3PGqkIXFZlAmbrr7uQfV85tkw1ZPmQJleM8VZmepIIZVMWJrYE/s320/Gender-Equity.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="color: #f1c232; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">What is Gender Equity?</span></i></div><br />
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Gender Equity entails the steps, </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">set of actions, attitudes, and assumptions that provide equal opportunities</span><span style="font-size: small;"> in the progress towards gender equality. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">One action a state takes towards gender equity is to sign and ratify the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). To understand the principles of this convention, read </span><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://journeyforfairtrade.blogspot.com/2011/10/rights-based-approach-to-fair-trade_29.html" target="_blank">A Rights-Based Approach to Fair Trade: Understanding CEDAW</a>.</span><span style="font-size: small;"> Once this treaty is ratified by the state, the onus of responsibility for ensuring equality between men and women belongs to the state. The state in turn enacts laws and policies to be implemented in the legal systems. Ultimately the implementation of gender equality laws influence the socio-cultural norms of society. </span></div> <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">Why is it important for the Global Fair Trade Movement to understand this? </span> To begin, there is a direct linkage between globalization, exploitation and poverty, which Fair Trade aims to address. Gita Sen, a w<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">ell known Indian intellectual and author of <a href="http://www.powells.com/biblio/62-9781853830006-1" target="_blank">Development, Crises, and Alternative Visions: Third World Women’s Perspectives</a>, has greatly helped to transform popular thinking on Gender and Development. In her speech, <i>Challenges to Gender Justice in a Neo-Conservative Era,</i> she noted: </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXTT3ZsW3ZPbo0GivDwV9BrlqT7jb6_e98iA0vy9Gh1fkd3uMf0AkK33N8HvrRKtphkhsxsTwwLsTlQ_48gFudrUb4PQPX_uD_SHKpqmn4cadzu0y7qdWkhoC0hyphenhyphen2_srb6FG9duPCVsey-/s1600/Gita+Sen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXTT3ZsW3ZPbo0GivDwV9BrlqT7jb6_e98iA0vy9Gh1fkd3uMf0AkK33N8HvrRKtphkhsxsTwwLsTlQ_48gFudrUb4PQPX_uD_SHKpqmn4cadzu0y7qdWkhoC0hyphenhyphen2_srb6FG9duPCVsey-/s320/Gita+Sen.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"></span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="color: #f1c232;">"As kept being recorded in one human development report after another, was soaring global inequality, between countries and within countries, soaring inequalities between different classes, between different sections and segments of people and particularly the feminization of poverty on a dramatic scale. </span></i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="color: #f1c232;">Now this is interesting because globalization is often held up as being the era of the feminization of the labour force. Women in fact have come into the labour force in large numbers. What is ironic therefore is that you have a feminization of the labour force and a feminization of poverty taking place simultaneously. And I think this reflects the paradoxes and the ironies of the current stage of global capitalist order. Because it means that getting a job is no guarantee that you will be out of poverty. The number of working poor, the insecurity for those who work and who struggle to survive increased.” </span></i><span style="color: #f1c232;"></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #f1c232;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><i><span style="color: #f1c232;">- Gita Sen</span></i></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Considering the ‘feminization of poverty’ Sen illuminates in her speech, the impact of the free market ideology on poor women in developing nations is particularly harmful.<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">When we utilize a Rights-Based Approach we recognize poverty as injustice and includes marginalization, discrimination, and exploitation as central causes of poverty. </span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span> </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">For a Rights-Based Approach to be successful, it helps to have a comprehensive framework on which to build a movement. Winner of the 2003 Africa Laureate, Sarah Longwe, designed a theoretical model based on a five-step approach to Gender Equity, a model I utilized for my Master’s Degree thesis on the <u>Obstacles and Approaches to Gender Equality in Sri Lanka</u>, © 2008 (see below). </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Longwe's Women's Empowerment Framework</td></tr>
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The purpose of Longwe's Women's Empowerment Framework is to move upwards from gender equity to gender equality. Firstly, through the provision of the needs of women; then onto raising awareness of women’s rights. The third through fifth steps are to facilitate access to, participation in, and ultimately share control of three frameworks: Social-Cultural, Legal and Political. In short, Sarah Longwe’s Framework presents a Road Map to rise from gender equity to substantive gender equality (</span><span style="font-size: small;">read: </span><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://journeyforfairtrade.blogspot.com/2011/10/rights-based-approach-to-fair-trade_29.html" target="_blank">A Rights-Based Approach to Fair Trade: Understanding CEDAW</a></span><span style="font-size: small;">) as emphasized in the UN convention on Women's Rights and embraced by UNIFEM. Below is Longwe's Empowerment Framework, to see the progressive steps read it from bottom up; from Welfare to Control:</span><br />
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<tr style="color: #f1c232;"> <td colspan="2" style="border: 1pt solid windowtext; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 459.9pt;" valign="top" width="613"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Longwe’s Women’s Empowerment Framework</b></span></div></td> </tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 1;"> <td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 104.1pt;" valign="top" width="139"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Control</b></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">↑</span></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">↑</span></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">↑</span></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">↑</span></b></div></td> <td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 355.8pt;" valign="top" width="474"><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">Empowerment seeks a balance of power between women and men, so that neither is in a position of dominance. It means that women have power alongside men to influence their destiny and that of their society. In Longwe’s view, empowerment is an inter-connected cycle of countering discrimination and oppression. Addressing the roots of inequality at one level leads to a discussion about all of the other levels. Empowerment takes place as individual women and groups of women move between levels, gaining strength along the way. </span></div><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="color: #f1c232;">Empowerment occurs in the Process of Social Change</b></span></div></td> </tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 2;"> <td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 104.1pt;" valign="top" width="139"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Participation / Mobilization</b></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">↑</span></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">↑</span></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">↑</span></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">↑</span></b></div></td> <td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 355.8pt;" valign="top" width="474"><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">The individual woman in the home is not likely to make much progress in challenging traditional norms – <b style="color: #f1c232;">Power expands in numbers and connection.</b><span style="color: #f1c232;"> </span>Mobilization is therefore the fourth and crucial stage of empowerment, which enables the collective analysis of gender issues, and the collective commitment to action. Mobilization is largely concerned with redefining participation in decision making, as participation of a mobilized group will spark the search for empowerment at yet another level. In development projects, it includes involvement in needs assessment, project design, implementation and evaluation. </span></div><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="color: #f1c232;">Social Change occurs with mobilization!!! </b></span></div></td> </tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 3;"> <td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 104.1pt;" valign="top" width="139"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Conscientisation</b></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">↑</span></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">↑</span></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">↑</span></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">↑</span></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">↑</span></b></div></td> <td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 355.8pt;" valign="top" width="474"><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">Here an understanding of the difference between sex roles and gender roles comes into force with the belief that gender relations and the gender division of labour should be fair and agreeable to both sides, and not based on the domination of one over the other. Access now pertains to women’s access to factors of production, land, labour, credit, training, marketing facilities, and all publicly available services and benefits - on an equal basis with men. Equality of access is obtained by securing equality of opportunity through legal reform to remove discriminatory provisions. </span></div><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="color: #f1c232;">Social Change is on the agenda!</b></span></div></td> </tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 4;"> <td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 104.1pt;" valign="top" width="139"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Access</b></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">↑</span></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">↑</span></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">↑</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"></b></div></td> <td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 355.8pt;" valign="top" width="474"><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">The gender gap at the welfare level results from inequality of access to opportunity, information, and other resources. Empowerment means that women are 1) made aware of the gap and 2) animated to take actions for gaining access to their fair and equal share of the various resources available within the household, and within the wider system of state provision. Action here takes women automatically to the next level. </span></div></td> </tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 5; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;"> <td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 104.1pt;" valign="top" width="139"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Welfare</b></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">---------</b></div></td> <td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 355.8pt;" valign="top" width="474"><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">At this base level work views women as passive recipients and welfare pertains to the level of material welfare of women, relative to men, with respect to food supply, income and medical care, without reference to whether women are themselves the active creators and producers of their material needs. This level is not sustainable nor does it empower women. </span></div></td> </tr>
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<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">What I appreciate about Longwe's model is that Empowerment is not a given, and the end result is not equated to material gains. Empowerment takes place as individual women and groups of women move between levels, gaining strength along the way; <b style="color: #f1c232;">Empowerment occurs in the Process of Social Change</b><span style="color: #f1c232;">. </span></span><span style="font-size: small;">However, one thing remains - How does this empowerment framework relate to Fair Trade? </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG8vEZFDgBo05pcgKE1x26WNyRkYDw1O52_dy-BeFomHdsN6BscP3GNnH-3Fgxaj9z3N_hxMIAotZg0Pmoq1SYkGArodb24laf7-zTm1ajEh09vUgNYrpW6rdlzx_4mk6io9jzRVFihSA6/s1600/Empowerment+is+a+Human+Right..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG8vEZFDgBo05pcgKE1x26WNyRkYDw1O52_dy-BeFomHdsN6BscP3GNnH-3Fgxaj9z3N_hxMIAotZg0Pmoq1SYkGArodb24laf7-zTm1ajEh09vUgNYrpW6rdlzx_4mk6io9jzRVFihSA6/s400/Empowerment+is+a+Human+Right..jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">This may seem a bit academic, but to test where Fair Trade stands in relation to empowering women on this framework, I have placed relevant principles of Fair Trade in line with the level of actions taken towards gender equality.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoTableGrid" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: medium none; width: 613px;"><tbody>
<tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;"> <td style="border: 1pt solid windowtext; color: #f1c232; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 2.45in;" valign="top" width="235"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Longwe’s Women’s Empowerment Framework</b></div></td> <td style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.5in;" valign="top" width="144"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></td> <td style="-moz-border-bottom-colors: none; -moz-border-image: none; -moz-border-left-colors: none; -moz-border-right-colors: none; -moz-border-top-colors: none; border-color: windowtext windowtext windowtext -moz-use-text-color; border-style: solid solid solid none; border-width: 1pt 1pt 1pt medium; color: #f1c232; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 175.5pt;" valign="top" width="234"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Fair Trade Principle</b></div></td> </tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 1;"> <td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 2.45in;" valign="top" width="235"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Empowerment<span style="color: #f1c232;"> </span><b style="color: #f1c232;">seeks a balance of power </b>between women and men, so that neither is in a position of dominance. It means that women have power alongside men to influence their destiny and that of their society.</span></div></td> <td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.5in;" valign="top" width="144"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Control</b></div></td> <td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 175.5pt;" valign="top" width="234"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="color: #f1c232;">Principle 6:</b> <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The organization actively promotes applications from women for job vacancies and for leadership positions</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif";"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif";"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br />
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<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 2;"> <td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 2.45in;" valign="top" width="235"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Women’s collective analysis of gender issues, and the collective commitment to action. <b style="color: #f1c232;">Redefining participation in decision making</b><span style="color: #f1c232;">,</span> as participation of a mobilized group will spark the search for empowerment at yet another level</span></div></td> <td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.5in;" valign="top" width="144"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Participation</b></div></td> <td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 175.5pt;" valign="top" width="234"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="color: #f1c232;">Principle 6:</b><b> </b>Women fully participate in decisions concerning the use of benefits accruing from the production process; The organization respects the right of all employees to form and join trade unions of their choice and to bargain collectively.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="color: #f1c232;">Principle 2:</b> <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The organization finds appropriate, participatory ways to involve employees, members and producers in its decision-making processes.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif";"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="color: #f1c232;">Principle 4:</b><span style="color: #f1c232;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">A fair price is one that has been mutually agreed by all through dialogue and participation; equal pay for equal work by women and men.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif";"></span></span></div></td> </tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 3;"> <td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 2.45in;" valign="top" width="235"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Understanding of the difference between sex roles and gender roles; division of labour should be fair and agreeable to both sides, and not based on the domination of one over the other. Access now pertains to <b style="color: #f1c232;"></b><b style="color: #f1c232;">women’s access to factors of production, land, labour, credit, training, marketing facilities, and all publicly available services and benefits</b><span style="color: #f1c232;"> - on an equal basis with men.</span></span></div></td> <td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.5in;" valign="top" width="144"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Conscientisation</b></div></td> <td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 175.5pt;" valign="top" width="234"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="color: #f1c232;">Principle 6:</b><span style="color: #f1c232;"> </span>The organization provides opportunities for women and men to develop their skills; in production situations where women's work is valued less highly than men's work, women's work is re-valued to equalize pay rates and women are allowed to undertake work according to their capacities.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="color: #f1c232;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif";">Principle 8:</span></b><b> </b>The organization develops the skills and capabilities of its own employees or members; Organizations working directly with small producers develop specific activities to help these producers improve their management skills, production capabilities and access to markets</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="color: #f1c232;">Principle 3:</b><span style="color: #f1c232;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">(When a pre-payment is received) from buyers, (the organization) ensure that this payment is passed on to the producers or farmers who make or grow their Fair Trade products. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif";"></span></span></div></td> </tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 4;"> <td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 2.45in;" valign="top" width="235"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Empowerment means that women are 1) <b style="color: #f1c232;">made aware of the gap </b>and 2) <b><span style="color: #f1c232;">animated to take actions</span> </b>for gaining access to their fair and equal share</span></div></td> <td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.5in;" valign="top" width="144"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Access</b></div></td> <td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 175.5pt;" valign="top" width="234"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="color: #f1c232;">Principle 6:</b><span style="color: #f1c232;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The organization does not discriminate (regardless of) gender or sexual orientation; The organization takes into account the special health and safety needs of pregnant women and breast-feeding mothers.</span></span></div></td> </tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 5; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;"> <td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 2.45in;" valign="top" width="235"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">The gender gap at the welfare level results from inequality of access to opportunity, information, and other resources </span></div></td> <td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.5in;" valign="top" width="144"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Welfare</b></div></td> <td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 175.5pt;" valign="top" width="234"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="color: #f1c232;">Principle 1:</b> The organization supports marginalized small producers… it seeks to enable them to move from income insecurity and poverty to economic self-sufficiency and ownership.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="color: #f1c232;">Principle 6:</b></span><span style="font-size: small;"> <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Organizations working directly with producers ensure that women are always paid for their contribution to the production process, and when women do the same work as men they are paid at the same rates as men.</span></span></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">From this matrix we can clearly see that Fair Trade is not solely about earning a living wage, but is genuinely a movement which embraces gender equality. To make Longwe's framework easily accessible and functional for the women and men of Fair Trade I have published it here on a downloadable pdf format: </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/71539033/Longwe-s-Women-s-Empowerment-Framework" style="-x-system-font: none; display: block; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 12px auto 6px auto; text-decoration: underline;" title="View Longwe's Women's Empowerment Framework on Scribd">Longwe's Women's Empowerment Framework</a><iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="0.772727272727273" data-auto-height="true" frameborder="0" height="400" id="doc_64132" scrolling="no" src="http://www.scribd.com/embeds/71539033/content?start_page=1&view_mode=list&access_key=key-1povnkwt2qncuy8uye16" width="100%"></iframe><br />
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<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">However, before we celebrate the proactive steps Fair Trade takes towards women's empowerment, I invite you to read a blog post which is reflective of the realities on the ground for some Fair Trade producers. While on the Journey for Fair Trade in Ache, Indonesia, I discovered that despite FLO certification, none of the twelve cooperatives had followed through on their obligations towards empowering women. </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Their failure to follow our shared principles was reflected in the fact that most of these coffee producers had NO WOMEN REPRESENTATIVES out of the 50+ elected representatives in their decision-making bodies. Granted, a couple cooperatives I had been exposed to in the region had elected one or two women to decision-making boards, but this was hardly representative of the women's membership. I encourage you to read the post: <a href="http://journeyforfairtrade.blogspot.com/2011/04/coffee-part-iii-empowering-communities.html" target="_blank">Coffee Part III - Empowering Communities through Action</a> in which I discuss what actions I took to break the ice to address this seemingly culturally sensitive issue. Not that change imminently followed my actions, but a seed was dropped, and social norms questioned for the first time. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">With that said, Johannes Egger the FLO-Cert Auditor for Indonesia has presented me with another experience he has with two cooperatives, "T</span><span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">here are also some success stories in Aceh!!!! There is one with a complete board of a cooperative of women. Another successful cooperative is managed by a woman (one of the best managements I have seen the last three years)." I find this to be an inspiration, that change can happen through Fair Trade! </span></span></span></div></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">My point here is that </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><i style="color: #f1c232;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: x-large;">Fair Trade is as much about Social Change,</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><i style="color: #f1c232;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: x-large;"> as it is about Empowering Producers. </span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> <span id="goog_1718292066"></span><span id="goog_1718292067"></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6oIm5Hrs43dMMT-5BZGd4h34UhaVA_lfuUNBsLptzUj99n2TCcGs16sUdD5_q-ozzpKfCVphbo4oHqlM6X6-yL_U1kYFFKySJxb_1pPHH-qWnL1BO8ZJgi7d9pIRN8E4b0WbY82dcwcK9/s1600/Catalyst+for+Social+Change..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="92" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6oIm5Hrs43dMMT-5BZGd4h34UhaVA_lfuUNBsLptzUj99n2TCcGs16sUdD5_q-ozzpKfCVphbo4oHqlM6X6-yL_U1kYFFKySJxb_1pPHH-qWnL1BO8ZJgi7d9pIRN8E4b0WbY82dcwcK9/s400/Catalyst+for+Social+Change..jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">When I call for integration of a Rights-Based Approach to Fair Trade, I am calling for the enactment of what has already been set in motion through our shared principles: Women's Empowerment through Social Change. </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWqyX1F6QJjMbCtZXqcSfB9KtGRnfSTnK3WTQ2bfYoqbn9pVTn4WYSi0C406mhrYpLlHVraKrkwjo1kxH6PmwKVXHJ0v3Wf8GOB4XMkSB0utDJqqOJ-gHO_cBjtu0RQQLmBI2AjgLJrLRQ/s1600/abc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWqyX1F6QJjMbCtZXqcSfB9KtGRnfSTnK3WTQ2bfYoqbn9pVTn4WYSi0C406mhrYpLlHVraKrkwjo1kxH6PmwKVXHJ0v3Wf8GOB4XMkSB0utDJqqOJ-gHO_cBjtu0RQQLmBI2AjgLJrLRQ/s200/abc.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Join Chou and I in integrating a Rights-Based Approach to Fair Trade. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB">Mitch Teberg, MA </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB">International Consultant</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB">Sustainable Development / Fair Trade/ Women's Rights and Gender</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB">Researcher / Trainer / Consultant </span> <span lang="EN-GB"> </span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Feel free to add your comments, thoughts or ideas below or catch me on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/mitch.teberg">facebook</a>. <span lang="EN-GB"></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB"></span></span></span> <br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">To see how Longwe's framework was utilized to analyze the national women's movement of Sri Lanka, I have published it here in a downloadable pdf format: </span><br />
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<a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/59718876/Obstacles-and-Approaches-to-Gender-Equality-in-Sri-Lanka-Mitch-Teberg-2008" style="-x-system-font: none; display: block; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 12px auto 6px auto; text-decoration: underline;" title="View Obstacles and Approaches to Gender Equality in Sri Lanka, Mitch Teberg, 2008 on Scribd">Obstacles and Approaches to Gender Equality in Sri Lanka, Mitch Teberg, 2008</a><iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="0.772727272727273" data-auto-height="true" frameborder="0" height="400" id="doc_38192" scrolling="no" src="http://www.scribd.com/embeds/59718876/content?start_page=1&view_mode=list&access_key=key-3jwuwkf1htvlh19yxo5" width="100%"></iframe><br />
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</div></div>Mitch Teberg, MAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09103389961793260475noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8621388137674795607.post-88985081727725658802011-10-29T02:26:00.000-07:002011-10-29T03:18:48.590-07:00A Rights-Based Approach to Fair Trade: Understanding CEDAW<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDN1xXvz-b561yRIXYfVCSbGEBwM2eYuq7jrbWuo1mE5zNfQ6-PvZjrjRAZQFe2TU0VdIF1qJ3VzXupLGsP7myKjd9fvhsxx6I_Amd5TgdesCfdv2OZB6dkQ8scwdTmA-IPh5xCebfUbnF/s1600/un-cedaw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDN1xXvz-b561yRIXYfVCSbGEBwM2eYuq7jrbWuo1mE5zNfQ6-PvZjrjRAZQFe2TU0VdIF1qJ3VzXupLGsP7myKjd9fvhsxx6I_Amd5TgdesCfdv2OZB6dkQ8scwdTmA-IPh5xCebfUbnF/s200/un-cedaw.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">All Fair Trade Organizations, supporters, consumers, advocates and activists support the Principle of Gender Equality. Unfortunately, I must admit that most of them are not familiar with the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). To advocate for a Rights-Based Approach to Fair Trade it is vitally important that Fair Traders know what this convention is and how it works, particularly when it impacts 51% of the global population, yet women are often considered to be in the minority. For this reason, I am committing this post to understanding CEDAW.</span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: x-large;"><i><span style="color: #f1c232;">Origins</span></i></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Why was it necessary to adopt a UN Declaration on women's rights when the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), and two additional conventions securing the rights the civil, political, economics, social and cultural rights already existed since 1966? </span><span style="font-size: small;"><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">The reasons are clear once you take a look at what is missing. Firstly, t</span><span style="font-size: small;">here was an inability to address abuses against women, particularly when women are deprived of their rights. Not only that, there was a</span><span style="font-size: small;"> glaring failure to understand the difference between sex and sex-based differences contributing to inequality</span><span style="font-size: small;">. Additionally, there was a distinct</span><span style="font-size: small;"> absence of reproductive rights and freedom for women</span><span style="font-size: small;"> in the conventions, thereby necessitating a separate convention to address these rights. Equally important was the</span><span style="font-size: small;"> need to make states accountable for positive action ensuring women's rights. Lastly, there was a need to recognize that <i>individuals </i>and not just state parties contribute to the gender disparities:</span></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Non-recognition of women’s human rights by men and women alike</span></li>
<li style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Non-recognition of abuses against women</span></li>
<li style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Non-recognition of sex, sex-based differences and gender as constituting risk and basis for vulnerability to violation </span></li>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQY79zRqIKYJnjKo3JZavVjzC8WHvWeYs7Hf3idmAh8AJzR_Gbi-lekTGSJf_Ynb4jzoTWk8XmPMidYysAwfSYuBjY5lFTD2XmMw67q04EGiijGUA3LleE9xgbKu9AAGOAajSOb3iXWQaz/s1600/CEDAW+stake+graphic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQY79zRqIKYJnjKo3JZavVjzC8WHvWeYs7Hf3idmAh8AJzR_Gbi-lekTGSJf_Ynb4jzoTWk8XmPMidYysAwfSYuBjY5lFTD2XmMw67q04EGiijGUA3LleE9xgbKu9AAGOAajSOb3iXWQaz/s1600/CEDAW+stake+graphic.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Much to my chagrin, <span style="color: #f1c232;">the United States stands united with Iran as the only two nations not to ratify CEDAW</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">.</span> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It would be great if the US were to join the rest of the civilized world in recognizing this convention. </span></span><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ZqiV_uD7lkJQrvYpbDNjoiXT982XtKMVd-Y1k0B1E6AxvY4krPRqMp24_WzVnvbNNmAFrBusJLh8zQS5OFLCq2-IbzbJ0pE1S-p7VUXxgppToTQBn5krBX3b6mxPQB86jqwoW1wHN9kg/s1600/cedaw_icon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ZqiV_uD7lkJQrvYpbDNjoiXT982XtKMVd-Y1k0B1E6AxvY4krPRqMp24_WzVnvbNNmAFrBusJLh8zQS5OFLCq2-IbzbJ0pE1S-p7VUXxgppToTQBn5krBX3b6mxPQB86jqwoW1wHN9kg/s200/cedaw_icon.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i style="color: #f1c232;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: x-large;">A Look Inside CEDAW </span></i><br />
</span></span></div><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Guiding Principles of CEDAW are:</span></span><br />
<ul style="text-align: left;"><li style="color: #f1c232;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Substantive Equality</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Non-Discrimination</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">State Obligations </span></span></li>
</ul><i><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">Non-Discrimination</span></span></i><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Let's begin with the principle of Non-Discrimination. CEDAW is the only UN convention to clearly define discrimination against women in the first Article, so let's break it down for simplicity:</span></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><div style="color: #f1c232;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>The term “discrimination against women” shall mean </i><i style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </i><i style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </i></span></div><ul style="color: #f1c232;"><li><span style="font-size: small;"><i><u>any distinction, exclusion or restriction</u> made on the basis of sex which has the </i></span></li>
</ul><div style="color: #f1c232;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </i></span></div><ul style="color: #f1c232;"><li><span style="font-size: small;"><i><u>effect or purpose</u> of</i></span></li>
</ul><div style="color: #f1c232;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </i></span></div><ul style="color: #f1c232;"><li><span style="font-size: small;"><i>impairing or nullifying the <u>recognition, enjoyment or exercise</u> by women, </i></span></li>
</ul><div style="color: #f1c232;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </i></span></div><ul style="color: #f1c232;"><li><span style="font-size: small;"><i>irrespective of their marital status on a basis of equality of men and women, </i></span></li>
</ul><div style="color: #f1c232;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </i></span></div><ul style="color: #f1c232;"><li><span style="font-size: small;"><i><u>of human rights and fundamental freedoms</u> in the political, economic, social, cultural, civil or any other field.</i></span></li>
</ul><div style="color: #f1c232;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #f1c232; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Discrimination defined in CEDAW is clear, and easy to understand. Furthermore, the convention recognizes Discrimination as:</span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
<ul style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">Direct or Indirect</span> (Intended or Unintended) – Indirect includes a neutral law which has the effect of discriminating </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">In law</span> (de jure) <span style="color: #f1c232;">or in practice</span> (de facto)</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">Present or Past/Structural</span>, which is to say "historical discrimination" </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">In all fields</span> (civil, politcal, social, cultural, economic)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">Inter-sectional</span> / Multiple Discrimination </span></li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">By clarifying inter-sectional, CEDAW recognizes that groups of women suffer multiple discrimination based on additional grounds such as:</span></div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<ul style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><li><span style="font-size: small;">Race or Ethnicity</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Religion</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Disability</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Age</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Class</span> </li>
<li>Sexuality</li>
</ul><span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><i><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">Approaches to Equality </span></span></i></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The first principle is a progressive approach to Equality. However, to get a clear understanding of what the term Substantive Equality encompasses, it will be helpful to review traditional approaches to women's equality. </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Two commonly found approaches are the <span style="color: #f1c232;">Formal or Sameness Approach</span> and the <span style="color: #f1c232;">Protectionist Approach</span>.</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdLm1WLMjJspMLJvvz2gVAZErFB1Mm11vq_SY8K6gSgcAeX0LXe9sx2YCnLu3CFOVkoB-V1Qfz1g5rhzDLjaDZ5TaGpDgcrAVORjjASaP06Oukciew2FXzhoFmrqlDLzqDi9f-ceFZwHMC/s1600/blindfolded.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdLm1WLMjJspMLJvvz2gVAZErFB1Mm11vq_SY8K6gSgcAeX0LXe9sx2YCnLu3CFOVkoB-V1Qfz1g5rhzDLjaDZ5TaGpDgcrAVORjjASaP06Oukciew2FXzhoFmrqlDLzqDi9f-ceFZwHMC/s200/blindfolded.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="color: #f1c232; text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A Formal Approach to Equality </span></span></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This approach regards women and men as the same, and as such it treats them as the same. On the surface this may seem fair, but the effect can be detrimental. Firstly, it does not take into account the difference between biological and socially constructed differences. To understand how gender is a social construct, read the March, 2011 post on <a href="http://journeyforfairtrade.blogspot.com/2011/03/international-womens-day-post.html">International Women's Day: What is Gender</a>. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Secondly, the Formal Approach uses a male standard while disregarding the special needs of women. Choosing this gender-blind approach we are ignoring biological and socio-cultural differences that need to be addressed. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Thirdly, it assumes that women will have access equal to opportunities, but according to the same rules as men. This does not take into account historical inequality or socio-cultural practices. For example, if women have been inhibited from attending schools, participating in social events, utilizing the court systems, or participating in local or national politics for the past several decades, to suddenly say women have equal access to all these functions without providing a framework to raise awareness, educate, provide access, and facilitate the use of these systems will lead to a continued absence of women in these spheres.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Lastly, this approach puts a burden on women to achieve male standards. When these standards cannot be reached, the blame is inevitably placed on women and is used as justification for continued inequality. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbptvOWKosPm_rI6NDNbgOKg4H6t_o-3Bx4nd3AacwxGFFPZxo7hYDDYQzzQTJm8RHY6oQaYO_CnEMFn9FiU3tAxuqX4PjauoR6SrHSdKBlOiKetZHTLSE4zX2hX-jx4idmvdh3t3dhrmb/s1600/anti-suffrage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbptvOWKosPm_rI6NDNbgOKg4H6t_o-3Bx4nd3AacwxGFFPZxo7hYDDYQzzQTJm8RHY6oQaYO_CnEMFn9FiU3tAxuqX4PjauoR6SrHSdKBlOiKetZHTLSE4zX2hX-jx4idmvdh3t3dhrmb/s320/anti-suffrage.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span></div><div style="color: #f1c232; text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> The Protectionist Approach to Equality</span></span></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A Protectionist Approach, rooted in patriarchy, recognizes the difference between men and women, but is framed in such a way that it considers "women's weakness" as a rational for different treatment. Firstly, women lose out on opportunities afforded to men due to exclusion. Secondly, it curtails women's rights and precludes their freedom of choice instead of empowering women. Lastly, it reinforces existing male and female stereotypes, and fails to lead to social change. The effect is a failure to promote the equality of women, and instead forces women into second-class citizenship. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieNHM1E4Xq8PSSldpIj28Ovh6Hwt6xj-6KzHJwUNxzjugf-cUPwRFss2uxgGgJnGIXXR0SvK-AvexvXKh7RHFcP4X6KIWZ9yb1CS7PGqDrO4SjZDrZ00NaZztg6RlO8RiQrnh7nJk96cq7/s1600/women-power_18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieNHM1E4Xq8PSSldpIj28Ovh6Hwt6xj-6KzHJwUNxzjugf-cUPwRFss2uxgGgJnGIXXR0SvK-AvexvXKh7RHFcP4X6KIWZ9yb1CS7PGqDrO4SjZDrZ00NaZztg6RlO8RiQrnh7nJk96cq7/s200/women-power_18.jpg" width="155" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span></div><div style="color: #f1c232; text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Substantive Equality</span></span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Substantive Equality, often referred to as the Corrective Approach, recognizes differences while affirming equality between men and women. To begin it encompasses both de jure (by law) and de facto (by practice) equality. Under this convention, the state has an obligation to correct the environment that disadvantages women. This is done by requiring all state initiatives to lead to: </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><div class="MsoNormal"><ul><li><span style="font-size: small;">Equality of opportunities</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Equality of access</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Equality of results or benefits</span></li>
</ul></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Now armed with a basic knowledge of the common approaches to equality, let's try examining a case study. In 2009, after completing a Master's Degree in Sustainable Development I had done an internship with the International Women's Rights Action Watch - Asia Pacific (IWRAW-AP) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (<a href="http://www.iwraw-ap.org/">http://www.iwraw-ap.org/</a>). As an intern I was involved in CEDAW training workshops. The case study below is from IWRAW-AP, and will test your new knowledge! <span style="color: #f1c232;">Remember, states have obligations under CEDAW to correct an environment, and in the court of law a court can hold a state accountable to the international treaties it signs...</span> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/70108116/Gender-Equity-Activity-Different-Approaches-to-Equality-Case-Study" style="-x-system-font: none; display: block; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 12px auto 6px auto; text-decoration: underline;" title="View Gender Equity Activity - Different Approaches to Equality Case Study on Scribd">Gender Equity Activity - Different Approaches to Equality Case Study</a> <object data="http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf" height="400" id="doc_30300" name="doc_30300" style="outline: medium none;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf"><param name="wmode" value="opaque"><param name="bgcolor" value="#ffffff"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><param name="FlashVars" value="document_id=70108116&access_key=key-2azacwl8nvasxwpjzdrb&page=1&viewMode=list"><embed id="doc_30300" name="doc_30300" src="http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf?document_id=70108116&access_key=key-2azacwl8nvasxwpjzdrb&page=1&viewMode=list" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="400" width="100%" wmode="opaque" bgcolor="#ffffff"></embed> </object></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As an exercise intended to provide an opportunity to utilize lessons learned, it is interesting to note how often people revert to their old perceptions. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Before going into the answers ask yourself a few questions:</span></span><br />
<ul><li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What approach did the prison authorities take? (Formal, Protectionist or Corrective)</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In the environment as it exists, whose safety is at risk? </span></span></li>
<ul><li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Only women wardens? </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Both women and men wardens? </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">All prison wardens and all prisoners? </span></span></li>
</ul><li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In supporting the existing policy, did the judge change the environment? </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What changes could the court rule to make it a safe environment for all? <br />
</span></span></li>
</ul></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Substantive Equality places the onus of responsibility on the state to change an environment, regardless of whether it is a work environment or in the public streets, the state must facilitate the changes needed to ensure equality between men and women. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3dDugJ_sAsCT6gb5ZqCvv-l5NV-LCs_heWJqtaFhNlvUj4PwLTVRO26R0QuAwgVxbMyRq1u6OJXj-plhScpCaewHq8cNrVhq5_rVDW1zW1H3wuNpWnA5WospeGCpR5qaMW5d2OmYdCTRQ/s1600/0920100604102608495_0313490531fe68bdeb6509.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3dDugJ_sAsCT6gb5ZqCvv-l5NV-LCs_heWJqtaFhNlvUj4PwLTVRO26R0QuAwgVxbMyRq1u6OJXj-plhScpCaewHq8cNrVhq5_rVDW1zW1H3wuNpWnA5WospeGCpR5qaMW5d2OmYdCTRQ/s320/0920100604102608495_0313490531fe68bdeb6509.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #f1c232; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">State Obligations</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">These are legally binding obligations and an existing internal law is not an excuse for non-compliance. Nor are internal divisions of power a viable defense for not drafting and implementing laws which promote gender equality. Succinctly stated, once the treaty is ratified, a State is offering itself to scrutiny on the basis of standards set forth in the Convention. </span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #f1c232; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">Policy of Eliminating Discrimination</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Arguably, the state can set a social environment which promotes gender equality, or through inaction create an atmosphere of disregard for women's rights Above we covered Article 1 of the convention in defining discrimination. Article 2 details the obligation of the state in setting an atmosphere conducive to social change:</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">Article 2: </span>Pursue by <b>all appropriate means</b> and <b>without delay</b> a policy of elimination discrimination against women and to this end undertake to: </span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
<ul style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: small;">Embody the principle of<span style="color: #f1c232;"> equality in constitution and laws</span> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Ensure <span style="color: #f1c232;">practical realization</span> of the principle of equality </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">Prohibit discrimination</span> against women </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">Legal protection</span> of rights of women/against discrimination</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Refrain from discrimination (public actors)</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Eliminate discrimination</span> by any person, organization or enterprise</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">Modify or abolish laws, regulations, customs and practices </span>that constitute discrimination and to modify social and cultural patterns of conduct (2f and 5a)</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">Repeal discriminatory penal provisions</span> </span></li>
</ul><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">CEDAW holds private actors accountable through the State. As a result, the State must: </span> </div><ol style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: small;">Prevent and deter private acts of discrimination;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">investigate and negate their consequences;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">provide for remedies, redress, compensation or sanctions for the performance of such acts. </span></li>
</ol><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">This includes violations by private actors of a pervasive or persistent character. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkYGHJVqu1Ojn67X1pC_CNxoJm80DwgXq58ohuSQGiansmzSPbE3AWmd2JT9GnGkoTVCXVvGV7ZpDWlWeyREWyHedy8UeryaCELmOWmYqxeKyUHqVoToi4jtZLzyxgU8OVxafnb0o3ED2c/s1600/index.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="153" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkYGHJVqu1Ojn67X1pC_CNxoJm80DwgXq58ohuSQGiansmzSPbE3AWmd2JT9GnGkoTVCXVvGV7ZpDWlWeyREWyHedy8UeryaCELmOWmYqxeKyUHqVoToi4jtZLzyxgU8OVxafnb0o3ED2c/s200/index.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #f1c232; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">CEDAW Overview</span></i></div><div style="color: #f1c232;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;">Articles 1 - 5 create the general SUBSTANTIVE framework of the constitution</span></div><ul style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: small;">Art. 1: Definition of Discrimination</span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Art. 2: Measures to be Taken to Eliminate Discrimination</span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Art. 3: Guarantees full development and advancement of women</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Art. 4: Special Measures</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Art. 5: Modifying Social and Cultural Patterns of Conduct</span> </li>
</ul><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<div style="color: #f1c232; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Articles 6 - 16 are specific substantive areas</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">PART I</span></b></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
<ul style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: small;">Art. 6: Trafficking and Prostitution</span></li>
</ul><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">PART II</span></b></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
<ul style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: small;">Art 7: Political and Public Life</span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Art. 8: Participation and the International Level</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Art. 9: Nationality</span> </li>
</ul><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">PART III</span></b></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
<ul style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: small;">Art. 10: Education</span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Art. 11: Employment</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Art. 12: Healthcare</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Art. 13: Economic and Social Benefits</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Art. 14: Rural Women</span> </li>
</ul><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Part IV</span></b></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
<ul style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: small;">Art 15: Equality Before the Law</span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Art.16: Marriage and Family Life</span> </li>
</ul><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Part V</b></span><br />
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: small;">Articles 17 - 23 <span style="line-height: 115%;">Establishment and Functioning of the CEDAW Committee </span></span></li>
</ul></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Part VI </b></span><br />
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: small;">Articles 23 - 30 <span style="line-height: 115%;">Other details relating to the administration, interpretation and implementation of the Convention</span></span></li>
</ul></div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">To read CEDAW in English, <a href="http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/text/econvention.htm">click here</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">To read CEDAW in Spanish, <a href="http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/text/sconvention.htm">click here</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">To read CEDAW in French, <a href="http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/text/fconvention.htm">click here</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">To read CEDAW in Arabic, <a href="http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/text/0360793A.pdf">click here</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">To read CEDAW in Chinese, <a href="http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/text/0360794c.pdf">click here</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">To read CEDAW in Russian, <a href="http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/text/0360795R.pdf">click here</a></span> </span><br />
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<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Working in an array of South and SE Asian nations, I have always been able to request translations in printed form from the national UNIFEM offices - they have a budget for printed materials, so don't hesitate to make a request! For those who have trade partners in developing nations, I encourage you to do some online research of Women's Rights Organizations, to include Rights-Based Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) and Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) in their country and put them in touch with your trade partner. It is important that as Fair Traders we unite with the Rights-Based Organizations in their efforts to make change happen and put an end to gender inequality and social injustice. </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">I encourage you to contract with these organizations to provide training in Women's Rights and related issues to your producers, after all it is the responsibility of Fair Trade importers, wholesalers, buyers, and retailers to provide for the development of producer groups in order that they are empowered, self-sufficient trade partners capable of conducting international trade in ways which are beneficial to them and their community, respectful of their rights and free from any form of exploitation. Integrating a Rights-Based Approach is essential for the sustainability of Fair Trade and</span><span style="font-size: small;"> I know from experience that it is possible, because I have designed and conducted training programs that do exactly this! </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Join Chou and I in integrating a Rights-Based Approach to Fair Trade!</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWqyX1F6QJjMbCtZXqcSfB9KtGRnfSTnK3WTQ2bfYoqbn9pVTn4WYSi0C406mhrYpLlHVraKrkwjo1kxH6PmwKVXHJ0v3Wf8GOB4XMkSB0utDJqqOJ-gHO_cBjtu0RQQLmBI2AjgLJrLRQ/s1600/abc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWqyX1F6QJjMbCtZXqcSfB9KtGRnfSTnK3WTQ2bfYoqbn9pVTn4WYSi0C406mhrYpLlHVraKrkwjo1kxH6PmwKVXHJ0v3Wf8GOB4XMkSB0utDJqqOJ-gHO_cBjtu0RQQLmBI2AjgLJrLRQ/s200/abc.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB">Mitch Teberg, MA </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB">International Consultant</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB">Sustainable Development / Fair Trade/ Women's Rights and Gender</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Researcher / Trainer / Consultant </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Feel free to add your comments, thoughts or ideas below or catch me on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/mitch.teberg">facebook</a>. </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB"></span></span></span> <span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">For those who prefer reading black on white, here is the downloadable version of this post on pdf: </span></span></span></span></span></span></div></div><br />
<a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/70763143/A-Rights-Based-Approach-to-Fair-Trade-Understanding-CEDAW" style="-x-system-font: none; display: block; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 12px auto 6px auto; text-decoration: underline;" title="View A Rights-Based Approach to Fair Trade - Understanding CEDAW on Scribd">A Rights-Based Approach to Fair Trade - Understanding CEDAW</a><iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="0.772727272727273" data-auto-height="true" frameborder="0" height="400" id="doc_9422" scrolling="no" src="http://www.scribd.com/embeds/70763143/content?start_page=1&view_mode=list&access_key=key-yb8y1mm8s8u5ygq5zd6" width="100%"></iframe><br />
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</div>Mitch Teberg, MAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09103389961793260475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8621388137674795607.post-14145792339599056172011-10-20T22:59:00.000-07:002011-10-21T01:30:04.538-07:00A Rights-Based Approach to Fair Trade: Human Rights Framework<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtBpBpx4RLFvnygyLFacg8BPIUEHlQr-kYdy3M1ln20ROtwhKGVUyJT2aDk2W9DSbIKWmjQvQ7ejC07q4DgmxJ2y4bIhsNkbDz2tmfG6y1hYh69YGTR2B-K6A3IFAgW6bSYLjRmJtM55in/s1600/motherjones_gr.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtBpBpx4RLFvnygyLFacg8BPIUEHlQr-kYdy3M1ln20ROtwhKGVUyJT2aDk2W9DSbIKWmjQvQ7ejC07q4DgmxJ2y4bIhsNkbDz2tmfG6y1hYh69YGTR2B-K6A3IFAgW6bSYLjRmJtM55in/s1600/motherjones_gr.gif" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Before we can talk about integrating a Rights-Based Approach to Fair Trade, we need to be familiar with Human Rights. To begin: </span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #f1c232;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">"Human rights are rights inherent to all human beings, whatever our nationality, place of residence, sex, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, language, or any other status. We are all equally entitled to our human rights without discrimination. These rights are all interrelated, interdependent and indivisible"</span> </span></i></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">- <span style="line-height: 115%;">UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Here is my challenge to you: Can you list your basic human rights? We assume we know our rights, but how many can you list in the next ten minutes? <span style="line-height: 115%;">Honestly, one reason that rights are violated every day is because too few have actually taken a moment to read this landmark document. As Dr. Mike Thair commented on the last post, <i>"</i></span><i>if you stick you head up and shout too loudly against a lot of these entrenched practices, you will soon be dealt with and knocked back into line... NGOs and the well meaning importers may have a lot of warm fuzzies running training programs, but does anything actually change for producers/artisans?<span style="line-height: 115%;">"</span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">So my challenge is simple: List your as many of your rights</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> as you can, then grade yourself. To help, my partner Chou has used her creative talents to </span>provide a copy of the UDHR here and I encourage you to post it in your workplace, in the community center, or in a public space! For those of you who are trading with producers whose first language is not English, the United Nations has translated this document into 131 languages: <a href="http://www.ohchr.org/EN/UDHR/Pages/SearchByLang.aspx">http://www.ohchr.org/EN/UDHR/Pages/SearchByLang.aspx</a>. It would be great if you could provide your trade partners with a copy!</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/69442488/Universal-Declaration-of-Human-Rights" style="-x-system-font: none; display: block; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 12px auto 6px auto; text-decoration: underline;" title="View Universal Declaration of Human Rights on Scribd">Universal Declaration of Human Rights</a><iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="0.772727272727273" data-auto-height="true" frameborder="0" height="400" id="doc_98168" scrolling="no" src="http://www.scribd.com/embeds/69442488/content?start_page=1&view_mode=list&access_key=key-m9tklkjtv2r7ine4qac" width="100%"></iframe><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Note: The posters in this document can be found on: <a href="http://www.reallygoodfriend.com/index.php?category=18">http://www.reallygoodfriend.com/index.php?category=18</a></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">For many Fair Traders, whether they are a producer, an advocate, a member of an organization supporting Fair Trade producers, or a sales person in a small Fair Trade retail shop, being familiar with these internationally recognized rights provides you with the very foundation of Fair Trade. Personally, I would like to see the UN Human Rights conventions fully integrated into the Fair Trade Principles. At this time, only one UN Human Rights Convention is mentioned: the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). In fact, it is mentioned in the first sentence of <span style="color: #f1c232;"> Principle 5: Ensuring No Child Labour or Forced Labour </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; line-height: 115%;">"The organization adheres to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and national / local law on the employment of children." </span></i><span style="color: #f1c232;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTIz3Fk0uFSO7tebja7bw8jAnxhsmE7roZaIcvE1hMyxNR9d4Sa0R3OUvAX4BCV7bUK4yKFWi6sUcJVFBJs9x0aptZBMOp4RCNI1OCMddhxhnIsdwcN-WhMRLvtZI-nItVtmqC4d403m7f/s1600/contact.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="50" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTIz3Fk0uFSO7tebja7bw8jAnxhsmE7roZaIcvE1hMyxNR9d4Sa0R3OUvAX4BCV7bUK4yKFWi6sUcJVFBJs9x0aptZBMOp4RCNI1OCMddhxhnIsdwcN-WhMRLvtZI-nItVtmqC4d403m7f/s400/contact.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">Again, how many Fair Traders have actually read the CRC? More importantly, how many of your children have read this UN Declaration? Teaching children about their rights is important if we want children to grow up to be respectful of the rights of others. To facilitate, here is a downloadable poster of the convention in easy to understand English. <span style="color: #f1c232;">Try this exercise with a child or a group of children and make it fun: List as many rights for children as you can and then compare your list to the convention! </span></span></div><a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/69434363/Convention-on-the-Rights-of-the-Child-Easy-Language-Poster" style="-x-system-font: none; display: block; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 12px auto 6px auto; text-decoration: underline;" title="View Convention on the Rights of the Child Easy Language Poster on Scribd">Convention on the Rights of the Child Easy Language Poster</a><iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="0.624744376278119" data-auto-height="true" frameborder="0" height="400" id="doc_45115" scrolling="no" src="http://www.scribd.com/embeds/69434363/content?start_page=1&view_mode=list&access_key=key-wd9d6g1v1an2xoc3d2" width="100%"></iframe><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">The point of these exercises is to prove that rights are not some abstract idea in a distant UN document far from reality. Quite the contrary! These documents are tangible; these conventions form the foundation of the rights we enjoy on a day-to-day basis! The CRC has been translated into 58 languages and are available from UNICEF at their child-friendly page: <a href="http://www.unicef.org/magic/briefing/uncorc.html">http://www.unicef.org/magic/briefing/uncorc.html</a>, so if you have trade partners whose first language is not English, download a copy and take the extra step to print it out on a poster size paper, laminate it, and mail it to them! What a terrific way to let them know you support and care for their children! </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">What about Cultural Rights and Fair Trade? </span></span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The Global Fair Trade movement respects and celebrates cultural diversity! As a matter of fact, it should be noted in the latest revision of the Fair Trade Principles (for a pdf copy go to: <a href="http://journeyforfairtrade.blogspot.com/2011/06/our-values-our-fair-trade-principles.html">"Our Values, Our Shared Principles"</a>) the WFTO added to <span style="color: #f1c232;">Principle 3: Trading Practices</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #f1c232;"> </span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: "Georgia","serif";">"Fair Trade recognizes, promotes and protects the cultural identity and traditional skills of small producers as reflected in their craft designs, food products and other related services."</span></i><span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: "Georgia","serif";"></span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Not surprisingly, the foundation of this statement can be found in another UN Convention protecting social and cultural rights. In addition to the UDHR, the United Nations has established nine core international human rights treaties, eight of which are directly related to Fair Trade: </span><br />
<ul style="color: #6fa8dc;"><li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><a href="http://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/cerd.htm">International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD),1965 </a></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><a href="http://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/ccpr.htm">International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), 1966 </a></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><a href="http://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/cescr.htm">International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), 1966 </a></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><a href="http://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/cedaw.htm">Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), 1979 </a></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><a href="http://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/cat.htm">Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment(CAT), 1984 </a></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><a href="http://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/crc.htm">Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), 1989 </a></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><a href="http://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/cmw.htm">International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (ICRMW), 1990 </a></span></span></li>
</ul><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"> </span> <br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoElpIhoBfbkuXQdPgYkE-HIN5unqPZxKBIg8l5BJMEt9Pkc5nQ7lqpegvdwvyH7KF8RAgWsy66UaJbLQG20Y8X2Tx1pRxi3gRC-T3-y4UOvZPEkESvRGQLUa4INsYPuOfkCsQwfSeNsfu/s1600/6a00d8341bf90b53ef00e5523610ae8834-800wi.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoElpIhoBfbkuXQdPgYkE-HIN5unqPZxKBIg8l5BJMEt9Pkc5nQ7lqpegvdwvyH7KF8RAgWsy66UaJbLQG20Y8X2Tx1pRxi3gRC-T3-y4UOvZPEkESvRGQLUa4INsYPuOfkCsQwfSeNsfu/s200/6a00d8341bf90b53ef00e5523610ae8834-800wi.gif" width="200" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i style="color: #f1c232;"><span style="font-size: large;">What about Labour Rights? </span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">When it comes to labour rights, there is the International Labour Organization (ILO) which is "the only tripartite U.N. agency with government, employer, and worker representatives. This tripartite structure makes the ILO a unique forum in which the governments and the social partners of the economy of its 183 Member States can freely and openly debate and elaborate labour standards and policies." </span><span style="font-size: small;">(<a href="http://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/who-we-are/lang--en/index.htm" style="color: #3d85c6;">http://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/who-we-are/lang--en/index.htm</a>)</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Created on the heels of World War I, it was founded on the belief <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;">that <i>"universal and lasting peace can be accomplished only if it is based on social justice...</i></span><i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;"> The driving forces for ILO's creation arose from security, humanitarian, political and economic considerations.</span></i></span><i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: small; line-height: 115%;">" </span></i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The ILO has passed multiple Conventions and Recommendations which establish the international labour standards relevant to Fair Trade today. <i>Conventions</i>, are legally binding international treaties that may be ratified by member states. <i>Recommendations</i> serve as non-binding guidelines. In many cases, a convention lays down the basic principles to be implemented by ratifying countries, while a related recommendation supplements the convention by providing more detailed guidelines on how it could be applied. </span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoR1LyIcdpg4joJv2ShuQanXi8KzRgEFz4rMN-NKHHZt-3cnzlW0iQCVoNmYGJ4AScmqHcBdCjJPhm24kci9zgTBCEd5ReH8Mn2R8gdInYXn834iTdp7dLsFORAbhf1MV6wAXvtGvLnPJn/s1600/6a00d8341bf90b53ef0120a5aea9e0970c-800wi.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoR1LyIcdpg4joJv2ShuQanXi8KzRgEFz4rMN-NKHHZt-3cnzlW0iQCVoNmYGJ4AScmqHcBdCjJPhm24kci9zgTBCEd5ReH8Mn2R8gdInYXn834iTdp7dLsFORAbhf1MV6wAXvtGvLnPJn/s200/6a00d8341bf90b53ef0120a5aea9e0970c-800wi.gif" width="200" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">As it stands, one of the ten Fair Trade Principles mentions the ILO, <span style="color: #f1c232;">Principle 8: Ensuring Good Working Conditions:</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><i style="color: #f1c232;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;">"The organization provides a safe and healthy working environment for employees and / or members. It complies, at a minimum, with national and local laws and ILO conventions on health and safety."</span></i><span style="color: #f1c232;"> </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">However, ILO conventions can be applied to many of the Fair Trade Principles. By overlapping the UN Declarations with the ILO Conventions and Recommendations we have established the framework for a Rights-Based Approach to Fair Trade. </span></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i><span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: "Georgia","serif";">It is time for the Global Fair Trade Movement to thoroughly integrate internationally established Human and Labour Rights into our shared principles; </span></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i><span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: "Georgia","serif";">It is time to Integrate a Rights-Based Approach to Fair Trade!!! </span></i></span></div><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Sadly, the most glaring absence of reference to a UN Human Rights document is in <span style="color: #f1c232;">Principle 6: Commitment to Non-Discrimination, Gender Equity, and Freedom of Association.</span> Nowhere in this principle is there a reference to the most obvious Human Rights document, the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), 1979. Not only that, CEDAW is the only UN Convention to define Discrimination:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">"</span><b style="color: #f1c232;">‘Discrimination against women’</b><span style="color: #f1c232;"> shall mean any distinction, exclusion or restriction made on the basis of sex which has the effect or purpose of impairing or nullifying the recognition, enjoyment or exercise by women, irrespective of their marital status, on a basis of equality of men and women, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural, civil or any other field.”</span> </span></i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">– United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, Article 1 </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">There is so much to say about this UN Convention and how the system works, I am saving it for the next blog post! My point here is that by integrating human rights into our shared principles, we will strengthen our ability to tackle poverty through trade. As I mentioned before, a Rights-Based Approach recognizes poverty as injustice and includes marginalization, discrimination, and exploitation as the central causes of poverty. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">This brings us back to Dr. Mike Thair's point - that the powers that be, whether they are political, social, or corporate oppressors, will beat you down and put you in line if you don't comply with the status quo. If a picture speaks a thousand words, here is my articulated response: </span><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhzaruiBkThpp2Dlju8xzPTtwaICFahKm3A5JDRPwopTJRwjoKQJimP0heiRfLBokKoblYda3JdbvL4xQgFZwcBAhDMZo_O6Aa-dEcw5I77uiqeWjhI8WJjO6dAQh3CHf3vmsJxouZoXAs/s1600/Gandhi1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhzaruiBkThpp2Dlju8xzPTtwaICFahKm3A5JDRPwopTJRwjoKQJimP0heiRfLBokKoblYda3JdbvL4xQgFZwcBAhDMZo_O6Aa-dEcw5I77uiqeWjhI8WJjO6dAQh3CHf3vmsJxouZoXAs/s200/Gandhi1.jpg" width="135" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mahatma Gandhi, 1869 - 1948</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDZbL0VL7ZYm-ZdeYkrAY8wpKW_cRdQqJVXmvV28zH3A8vDDXF9EM-zuNtO3hkzbZORfQEDsyJ5JNiF8DQXI07VupAtQuwetNtyGrPCVNPxAzqokpESlnx9j1XjKneE1yvjYsVUFzdHbSO/s1600/dorothy+day1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDZbL0VL7ZYm-ZdeYkrAY8wpKW_cRdQqJVXmvV28zH3A8vDDXF9EM-zuNtO3hkzbZORfQEDsyJ5JNiF8DQXI07VupAtQuwetNtyGrPCVNPxAzqokpESlnx9j1XjKneE1yvjYsVUFzdHbSO/s200/dorothy+day1.jpg" width="148" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dorothy Day, 1897 - 1980</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfDKxsVl4o6fbQUJQlV9o3chq7yud1OlPwtif2DJjlc8nywmp7wRMYBY928QvcfeCzBnrLirIH4Lx0pm3RyM_0fYJqFhxL0M9cyRhoaDcWA6SXQSYiD1OARLVIM0ctCeXcs3AXcvkPHJIB/s1600/Martin-Luther-King-Jr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfDKxsVl4o6fbQUJQlV9o3chq7yud1OlPwtif2DJjlc8nywmp7wRMYBY928QvcfeCzBnrLirIH4Lx0pm3RyM_0fYJqFhxL0M9cyRhoaDcWA6SXQSYiD1OARLVIM0ctCeXcs3AXcvkPHJIB/s200/Martin-Luther-King-Jr.jpg" width="187" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Martin Luther King, Jr, 1929 - 1968</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0K-WkrmTI3c_v_JVawbdbNUon6GWBHzC5-gdQXKqD-3G6uM9svqkG4wCxufefrx1znZXVLmhY0lCmHLBXd-Ij2gnM55hIxOXQGVKctjEyD9bPsDw-1Bwz0bbo-b7Lic7V5c7uoPiUGBRu/s1600/85f1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0K-WkrmTI3c_v_JVawbdbNUon6GWBHzC5-gdQXKqD-3G6uM9svqkG4wCxufefrx1znZXVLmhY0lCmHLBXd-Ij2gnM55hIxOXQGVKctjEyD9bPsDw-1Bwz0bbo-b7Lic7V5c7uoPiUGBRu/s200/85f1.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dalai Lama, 1935 - present</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">All are Rights Activists of one form or another, and all have greatly impacted our lives today through their commitment to a cause they believe in! Even more so, they each made great impacts on history while adhering to the principle on Non-Violence. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">My point here is that six of the ten principles are directly related to human and labour rights. In order for Fair Trade to be sustainable into the future, do as Mother Jones succinctly stated: <span style="color: #f1c232;">"Sit down and read. Educate yourself for the coming conflicts." </span>To this end, I have created a framework to reference for Fair Trade activists, advocates, producers, researchers and supporters to integrate a Rights-Based Approach to Fair Trade: </span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/69424370/Integrating-a-Rights-Based-Approach-to-Fair-Trade" style="-x-system-font: none; display: block; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 12px auto 6px auto; text-decoration: underline;" title="View Integrating a Rights-Based Approach to Fair Trade on Scribd">Integrating a Rights-Based Approach to Fair Trade</a><iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="0.772727272727273" data-auto-height="true" frameborder="0" height="400" id="doc_57136" scrolling="no" src="http://www.scribd.com/embeds/69424370/content?start_page=1&view_mode=list&access_key=key-2dpmm85kt5bvkoz99ejq" width="100%"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoR1LyIcdpg4joJv2ShuQanXi8KzRgEFz4rMN-NKHHZt-3cnzlW0iQCVoNmYGJ4AScmqHcBdCjJPhm24kci9zgTBCEd5ReH8Mn2R8gdInYXn834iTdp7dLsFORAbhf1MV6wAXvtGvLnPJn/s1600/6a00d8341bf90b53ef0120a5aea9e0970c-800wi.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">It is not necessary to memorize all these conventions, that is not the point; just become familiar with your rights in order that you can make change happen! Make it a fun activity, you may surprise yourself with what you already know or don't know about your rights in the UDHR and the CRC. </span><br />
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<div style="color: #f1c232; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">The first step in utilizing a Rights-Based Approach is knowing your rights. </span></i></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBpcNvzhO2aqI3rvnB7cMhoWibgpR7EY7JnNMfdn6KRNhgew3OjTogglLRpU15qqUrrg_XfxLAIZgWTQ1-U08tUiIts-WdXbHZAmLD_A6p-bTUG_9bNgAHhlTdxbtk4jHGc-xwkZ3SKPN0/s1600/iblogblk.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBpcNvzhO2aqI3rvnB7cMhoWibgpR7EY7JnNMfdn6KRNhgew3OjTogglLRpU15qqUrrg_XfxLAIZgWTQ1-U08tUiIts-WdXbHZAmLD_A6p-bTUG_9bNgAHhlTdxbtk4jHGc-xwkZ3SKPN0/s1600/iblogblk.gif" /></a></div><br />
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB">Mitch Teberg, MA </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB">International Consultant</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB">Sustainable Development / Fair Trade </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Researcher / Trainer / Consultant </span></span></span> <span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">For those who prefer reading black on white, here is the downloadable version of this post on pdf: </span></span></span></span></div></div><a title="View A Rights-Based Approach to Fair Trade - Human Rights Framework on Scribd" href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/69703729/A-Rights-Based-Approach-to-Fair-Trade-Human-Rights-Framework" style="margin: 12px auto 6px auto; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none; display: block; text-decoration: underline;">A Rights-Based Approach to Fair Trade - Human Rights Framework</a><iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" src="http://www.scribd.com/embeds/69703729/content?start_page=1&view_mode=list&access_key=key-7o17sk829kfhmqv41hf" data-auto-height="true" data-aspect-ratio="0.772727272727273" scrolling="no" id="doc_98679" width="100%" height="400" frameborder="0"></iframe><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div></div>Mitch Teberg, MAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09103389961793260475noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8621388137674795607.post-79823011291608230552011-10-19T09:02:00.000-07:002011-11-04T23:36:54.917-07:00A Rights-Based Approach to Fair Trade: The Onus of Responsibility<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
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<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOwzmpJjk6pok7oTdxCXLXFHQSZl0topSiT3nmmEBrpPBdthjFkX9BF2IOdH9GPJXLKWcaCGXO4Bk8Nlwdrw1OqZEWMacQEGzKHUarPzZO2B9jcokvsRS0JrbQrxcs32_4RtdsvE5HjVIr/s1600/Human-Has-Rights.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOwzmpJjk6pok7oTdxCXLXFHQSZl0topSiT3nmmEBrpPBdthjFkX9BF2IOdH9GPJXLKWcaCGXO4Bk8Nlwdrw1OqZEWMacQEGzKHUarPzZO2B9jcokvsRS0JrbQrxcs32_4RtdsvE5HjVIr/s200/Human-Has-Rights.jpg" width="159" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Globally, Fair Trade is a movement for international trade justice. For producers, artisans, weavers, farmers, and craftswomen and men around the world it is an ethical business model which empowers disadvantaged communities with practices that are free from exploitation; is based on respect for universal human rights, women's rights, child rights, migrant rights, rights of the disabled and labour rights; embraces gender equity; and which incorporates environmentally sound practices. </span></div><br />
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Fair Trade has been established as a means to alleviate poverty by providing economic opportunities for disadvantaged communities. The cause for most groups to be economically disadvantaged often starts with various forms of discrimination, hence the importance of addressing these communities. Discrimination can be based on: </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><ul><li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Gender</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Race or Ethnicity</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Religion</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Disability</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Age</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Class</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Sexuality</span></span></li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwW7RAN-jg9vl1wmkvxa_LQROEEAjTiet0hdtqa01ceWl5V810oXvMjgGEx2YK9rVl6leOOa8uLcJuxAHMsAzxIxJNQ_ymX8QIz3uMDmicDwrYTqWeweZEgLs4GbRhxsx9DKffYFXYVBOS/s1600/human-rights-day.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwW7RAN-jg9vl1wmkvxa_LQROEEAjTiet0hdtqa01ceWl5V810oXvMjgGEx2YK9rVl6leOOa8uLcJuxAHMsAzxIxJNQ_ymX8QIz3uMDmicDwrYTqWeweZEgLs4GbRhxsx9DKffYFXYVBOS/s200/human-rights-day.jpg" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Human Rights Day: <br />
December 10, 2011</td></tr>
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</div><div style="color: #f1c232; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">A Rights-Based Approach</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In the field of International Development, programs and projects are often designed to target root causes. <span style="color: #f1c232;">When an organization utilizes a Rights-Based Approach they recognize poverty as injustice and includes marginalization, discrimination, and exploitation as central causes of poverty. </span></span></div><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As Fair Trade buyers of handicrafts, textiles and consumable products such as coffee or chocolate, it is nice to believe that we are leading the way in making ethical consumer choices a reality in the global marketplace. However, for producers, </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">artisans, weavers, farmers, and craftswomen and men</span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> without a concrete understanding of these principles, rights and practices it is not possible for them to fulfill their role as Catalysts for Social Change in their communities. Simply stated, they are not empowered with an understanding of what Fair Trade is; how it is intended to benefit them and their communities; or the rationale for introducing ethical business practices. For Fair Trade to be ensured throughout the supply chain, producers must be brought into the fold.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But to integrate a Rights-Based Approach seems a near impossible task when admittedly, there is a low level of awareness amongst the </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">artisans, weavers, farmers, and craftswomen and men engaged in Fair Trade</span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">. <span style="color: #f1c232;">This must change if Fair Trade is to be sustainable well into the future! </span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The first issue to be addressed is to inquire as to why a low level of awareness exists amongst those whom Fair Trade is intended to benefit. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7xgTmhKbr8me6KA0ZoaeRIDXixfgQ-fYv3sa95d6w6gnuf4PFdgpHAl71e1kAEuR3zHuBMKhecXdyoY98qh0jjK3Ltbza_L_NTAEaREZ6caLO-l0UVC4MUfFhPGdQ5i7ORusikWJDID_S/s1600/Equal+Exchange.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7xgTmhKbr8me6KA0ZoaeRIDXixfgQ-fYv3sa95d6w6gnuf4PFdgpHAl71e1kAEuR3zHuBMKhecXdyoY98qh0jjK3Ltbza_L_NTAEaREZ6caLO-l0UVC4MUfFhPGdQ5i7ORusikWJDID_S/s200/Equal+Exchange.jpg" width="110" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">As I wrote in January of 2011, Upon initiating this <i>Journey for Fair Trade</i> I had an email correspondence with Rodney North, the “Answer Man” of <a href="http://www.equalexchange.coop/">Equal Exchange</a>. For over two decades this organization has been empowering farmers and producers through fairly traded coffee, tea, bananas and chocolate. He wrote of their experience in relation to my travels; <i>“for what it’s worth – in our 24 yrs in the Fair Trade movement we’ve found that, by & large, individual farmers who are members of co-ops that export Fair Trade coffee or tea or sugar often have very little awareness of Fair Trade, and that this actually makes sense upon closer inspection. Conversely the professional staff of those same co-ops (the managers & other paid staff who process, market, export the coffee etc or do quality control and have regular contact with foreign buyers) often know much more about Fair Trade (as well about the other certification schemes their co-op uses – <a href="http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/">Rainforest Alliance</a>, <a href="http://www.utzcertified.org/index.php?pageID=101">UTZ</a>, <a href="http://www.ethicalteapartnership.org/">Ethical Tea Partnership</a>, etc).</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>This lack of awareness by the co-op members will be lowest when their co-op only sells a small portion of its production to Fair Trade buyers and will be higher – usually – if the co-op sells a lot to Fair Trade buyers. Other variables will be how long the co-op has been selling to the Fair Trade market, how much of a price difference those Fair Trade sales make, and how much direct contact the co-op members have w/ Fair Trade buyers. E.g. at a very remote/unvisited co-op the farmers/workers will generally have that much less awareness of Fair Trade.</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>To help increase the level of awareness of Fair Trade amongst coffee farmers in Guatemala we’ve given two grants to a non-profit, <a href="http://www.culturalsurvival.org/search/node/Fair%20Trade">Cultural Survival</a>, in recent years to produce radio programs on Fair Trade (& other topics) to be broadcast in multiple languages across a network of micro-radio stations in that country. To our knowledge this is a rare effort.</i> </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQAn82VLhp_b438i-9Dg8k342ZSYuCegF_P0rKxEUDAuHDulPV7Z6WwQvhfafKCKzH6mOrrIX5KSXchsCHscMiFipIdv2onrlowc8ilbUQ4nYY1bAtWrOVHsr_wDRcJgdw_cjAXogo7edJ/s1600/BlueMarble.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQAn82VLhp_b438i-9Dg8k342ZSYuCegF_P0rKxEUDAuHDulPV7Z6WwQvhfafKCKzH6mOrrIX5KSXchsCHscMiFipIdv2onrlowc8ilbUQ4nYY1bAtWrOVHsr_wDRcJgdw_cjAXogo7edJ/s200/BlueMarble.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">I have to admit that before and during the Journey for Fair Trade, I encountered the same obstacles Rodney North listed and generally for the same reasons. However, <span style="color: #f1c232;">this is inexcusable.</span> </span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #f1c232; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span lang="EN-GB">Fair Trade cannot be a northern concept for northern markets – it has to be localized in the local communities of southern markets if Fair Trade is to be sustainable, and to do that requires a concerted and unified effort with the producers! </span></span></i></div><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Look at this from the perspective of utilizing the established Principles:</span><br />
<br />
<div style="color: #f1c232;"><span style="font-size: small;">Principle 1: Creating Opportunities for Economically Disadvantaged Producers.</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Poverty reduction through trade forms a key part of the organization's aims. The organization supports marginalized small producers, whether these are independent family businesses, or grouped in associations or co-operatives. It seeks to enable them to move from income insecurity and poverty to economic self-sufficiency and ownership. The organization has a plan of action to carry this out. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="color: #f1c232;">My question here is simple:</span> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div style="color: #f1c232; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">Unless the producers comprehend the cornerstones of Fair Trade, how are they enabled to move to economic self-sufficiency? Change can only occur when Fair Trade producers are empowered to bring change locally.</span></i></div><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">To empower producers they must have</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> full knowledge of Fair Trade principles, understand their rights, and able to implement ethical business practices. However, for many producer groups there needs to be a well planned, comprehensive training program provided to facilitate this empowerment process. <b> </b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">But who is responsible to sponsor or provide a training program in Fair Trade principles for producers?</span></span> </i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="color: #f1c232;">Principle 4: Fair Trading Practices</span><span style="color: #f1c232;"> </span>states, “The organization maintains long term relationships based on solidarity, trust and mutual respect that contribute to the promotion and growth of Fair Trade.”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #f1c232; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Understandably, long-term relationships which contribute to the expansion of Fair Trade must include Capacity Building of trade partners. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="color: #f1c232;">Principle 8: Providing Capacity Building</span> states, “Organizations working directly with small producers develop specific activities to help these producers improve their management skills, production capabilities and access to markets local / regional / international / Fair Trade and mainstream as appropriate.<span class="a"> </span>Organizations which buy Fair Trade products through Fair Trade intermediaries in the South assist these organizations to develop their capacity to support the marginalized producer groups that they work with." </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><i style="color: #f1c232;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Clearly the onus for ensuring producers are empowered through knowledge of Fair Trade is on their trade partners: importers, buyers, wholesalers and retailers all share this responsibility!!! </span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG8vEZFDgBo05pcgKE1x26WNyRkYDw1O52_dy-BeFomHdsN6BscP3GNnH-3Fgxaj9z3N_hxMIAotZg0Pmoq1SYkGArodb24laf7-zTm1ajEh09vUgNYrpW6rdlzx_4mk6io9jzRVFihSA6/s1600/Empowerment+is+a+Human+Right..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG8vEZFDgBo05pcgKE1x26WNyRkYDw1O52_dy-BeFomHdsN6BscP3GNnH-3Fgxaj9z3N_hxMIAotZg0Pmoq1SYkGArodb24laf7-zTm1ajEh09vUgNYrpW6rdlzx_4mk6io9jzRVFihSA6/s400/Empowerment+is+a+Human+Right..jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">For producers Fair Trade is a partnership, not a charity. </span>It is the responsibility of Fair Trade importers, wholesalers, buyers, and retailers to provide for the development of producer groups in order that they are empowered, self-sufficient trade partners capable of conducting international trade in ways which are beneficial to them and their community free from any form of exploitation! </span></span><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">However, </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">simply emailing a copy of the ten principles of Fair Trade in their language is not fulfilling the requirement to </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">conduct, sponsor or facilitate a well planned, comprehensive training program. More needs to be included.... much more if Fair Trade is to be sustainable. Remember, our trade partners are coming from disadvantaged communities and for many the concepts embraced in Fair Trade are not only new and unfamiliar, but in some cases may be very foreign. The same goes for common business practices in a community. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In rural communities where many of the world's Fair Trade producers reside, I have found that local government officials are influential in establishing a social norm through their actions. For example, in localities where government corruption is a major impediment to national development, the concepts of Transparency and Accountability can be viewed as a threat and needs to be explained clearly and able to convey why this is important in Fair Trade. </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">With the responsibility of providing capacity building clearly established in our shared Fair Trade Principles, the next question is: <span style="color: #f1c232;">What does in mean to integrate a Rights-Based Approach?</span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> This will be the subject of the next blog post...</span></span></div></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBpcNvzhO2aqI3rvnB7cMhoWibgpR7EY7JnNMfdn6KRNhgew3OjTogglLRpU15qqUrrg_XfxLAIZgWTQ1-U08tUiIts-WdXbHZAmLD_A6p-bTUG_9bNgAHhlTdxbtk4jHGc-xwkZ3SKPN0/s1600/iblogblk.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBpcNvzhO2aqI3rvnB7cMhoWibgpR7EY7JnNMfdn6KRNhgew3OjTogglLRpU15qqUrrg_XfxLAIZgWTQ1-U08tUiIts-WdXbHZAmLD_A6p-bTUG_9bNgAHhlTdxbtk4jHGc-xwkZ3SKPN0/s1600/iblogblk.gif" /></a></div><br />
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB">Mitch Teberg, MA </span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB">International Consultant</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB">Sustainable Development / Fair Trade </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB">Researcher / Trainer / Consultant </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB">For those who prefer reading black on white, here is the downloadable version of this post on pdf: </span></span></div></div><a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/69543802/A-Rights-Based-Approach-to-Fair-Trade-The-Onus-of-Responsibility" style="-x-system-font: none; display: block; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 12px auto 6px auto; text-decoration: underline;" title="View A Rights-Based Approach to Fair Trade - The Onus of Responsibility on Scribd">A Rights-Based Approach to Fair Trade - The Onus of Responsibility</a><iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="0.772727272727273" data-auto-height="true" frameborder="0" height="400" id="doc_59377" scrolling="no" src="http://www.scribd.com/embeds/69543802/content?start_page=1&view_mode=list&access_key=key-2b15521ymqdbq0rov4lg" width="100%"></iframe></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: small; line-height: 115%;"> </span></div><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span> </div>Mitch Teberg, MAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09103389961793260475noreply@blogger.com1Ho Chi Minh City, Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam10.8230989 106.629663810.4176774 106.2983143 11.228520399999999 106.9610133tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8621388137674795607.post-75189457461785078712011-08-22T02:42:00.000-07:002011-09-26T07:03:55.928-07:00Should Fair Trade be Synonymous with Organic?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtTubE6gNwGbf-H9bj4ubLtBAorzwSYqiMBNQWDfaNbAcfXzUJJh3axkG-dNyaV-rBa9uBKG5ZPvUXYmHk6UUEcLqZDONE3rC4g27YBB0JeKYMWcGlmgq9-jrMCumZv9zee9dhebaPIn3o/s1600/Organic+coffee+certified+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtTubE6gNwGbf-H9bj4ubLtBAorzwSYqiMBNQWDfaNbAcfXzUJJh3axkG-dNyaV-rBa9uBKG5ZPvUXYmHk6UUEcLqZDONE3rC4g27YBB0JeKYMWcGlmgq9-jrMCumZv9zee9dhebaPIn3o/s320/Organic+coffee+certified+3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A small plot of shade grown, organic certified, Fair Trade coffee. <br />
The farmers are members of the Arinagata cooperative in Ache, <br />
Indonesia.Fair Trade cooperatives in Ache truly respect bio-diversity.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">For so long I was a fence-sitter on this question regarding a Fair Trade product being</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> 100% organic</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">, not because I was unaware of the harmful effects of herbicides, pesticides, insecticides, and fungicides, but for more personal reasons. I had been raised in a rural community in the U.S. where farming was the life bread of the region and where corporations like Monsanto, Cargill and DuPont were viewed as important contributors to the livelihoods so essential to the local economy.</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> On every farm you could see the seed bags and </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">agrochemicals </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> of the major corporations which had gained the trust of farmers for generations. Herbicide brand names such as Round-Up were as routinely used on lawns in town as they were in the fields that surrounded them. Although it has been over two decades since I have been back, I am certain it hasn't changed much and their corporate presence continues to be felt. </span></span><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As a matter of fact, as a child I spent many hot and humid summer days working on my cousins farm. Most memorable were the long hours with my cousins "picking rock" in the fields before plowing, and after planting came "spraying beans" with the latest version of Monsanto's Round-Up for $2 an hour (thirty years ago this was the going rate). The reward for our labors was the notorious "farmers tan" which glistened in the day's sweat when the summer sun branded </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">our pre-adolescence, arms darkly tanned </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">to where our t-s</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">hirts sleeves had been rolled up and where our necklines were exposed</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">. Our tan was unlike the evenly tanned "city kids" who got theirs at the municipal swimming pool. </span></span></div><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On the farm we learned a hard-work ethic which city kids never understood at that young age. Your labor was your worth; for generations the farmers of the American Mid-West understood this and judged their kin accordingly. With this upbringing came an indoctrination into a way of life; </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I was a participant in this Rite of Passage and subject to the same evaluation of generations before me - "Is the boy worth his weight?" Once you passed, you had earned the trust of the family and the community. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In America's heartland, corporations like Monsanto, Cargill and DuPont had earned the trust of generations past and this has been passed on as a given; an unquestioned relationship. So deep was the trust, a</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">s handlers of these death dispersing chemicals we took no precautions</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">; we never wore gloves or masks or protected ourselves from anything but the sun's rays</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">, and that was only by force when caught with our shirts off in the mid-day sun. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I remember riding the bean sprayer - it was a tractor with a metal frame mounted on the front or back depending on the model, holding about eight seats straddling twenty-four rows - each rider was assigned three rows and as the tractor moved forward we used a long narrow sprayer to shoot the purple-dyed chemical concoction onto invasive weeds or the random corn stalk that sprouted up from last year's crop. When our attention drifted and our aim was poor, <i>"Stop shooting the damn beans!" </i>would be a quick reproach from the driver. When the driver's attention was elsewhere we took aim with our new-found weapons and shot one another leaving a deadly purple stain our victim. Of course we would be reprimanded for wasting it, but after a long day in the sun we still took a chance and took aim. We were kids, after all.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Don't get me wrong, I am not advocating child labor here. My drift down memory lane is relevant to my postulated question above because it provides an insight for Fair Trade advocates to understand: Farming isn't just a profession; it is a mentality, a way of life, and given that many Fair Trade products are linked to agriculture it is important to see that our decisions have more direct impacts on the lives of producers than simply as a means to alleviate poverty. </span></span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.powells.com/biblio/1-9780061252792-0"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-4OQ5qJPihJiYk09tp8dXCs9Nhac2IllQlbKIFfmsLnujEPEVhQb62x7Qgr5ao6nhr7ZxnlCPiS4jGoruTHbHhF4zbrs9vapV9jXzvN7zZ63tiVzjikOQ6Ca56QLN1DCLfXVvkTiLunVl/s1600/cover.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div style="color: #f1c232;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Back to my initial question: </span></span></b></div><div style="color: #f1c232;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #f1c232; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>Should Fair Trade be Synonymous with Organic?</i></span></span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I believe this is a central question for the future of Fair Trade. To begin, I would like to introduce an author which should be on the reading list of every Fair Trader regardless of where you reside: <a href="http://www.powells.com/biblio/1-9780061252792-0"><i>The Ecology of Commerce</i></a></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i> </i>(the Revised Edition </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">©</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> 2010)</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">by Paul Hawken</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">. I have mentioned his work before, he is a renown environmentalist, entrepreneur, and visionary. The central tenet of his publication is the need for businesses and government to change the narrowly defined concept of commerce and in doing so correct our unsustainable, linear relation to the earth:</span></span><br />
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<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">"We have an economy that tells us that it is cheaper to destroy Earth in real time than to renew, restore, and sustain it. You can print money to bail out a bank, but you can't print life to bail out a planet. At present we are stealing the future, selling it in the present, and calling it gross domestic product." </span></span></i></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #f1c232;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span> </span></span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO2zyXqtL0RIItenBPLt_Q4ro2KWT2RWb3esAXTEcRbdJhWijt9N2a7ohoAokyf53uokuMAJx5TEn6rJcJ8ZRZCA3KfvoMq3XbsPHKB8XU5S1A8QWD1IvlqDYFBc0F8-trapzNjGcx0Cwx/s1600/spraying-460x276.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO2zyXqtL0RIItenBPLt_Q4ro2KWT2RWb3esAXTEcRbdJhWijt9N2a7ohoAokyf53uokuMAJx5TEn6rJcJ8ZRZCA3KfvoMq3XbsPHKB8XU5S1A8QWD1IvlqDYFBc0F8-trapzNjGcx0Cwx/s320/spraying-460x276.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Hawken points out that due to the wasteful and environmentally detrimental practices in the current economic system all life forms on the planet face serious consequences. Worse yet, consumers are insulated from this fact because, <i>"The single greatest flaw of modern accounting is that the cost and losses of destroying the earth are absent from the prices in the marketplace."</i> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In agriculture one detrimental practice is the usage of</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> herbicides, pesticides, insecticides and fungicides</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">. As the Latin suffix -cida, implies, the sole purpose of their creation is to kill. The point that many people are missing is that soil is very much alive with an array of organisms that provide the life-giving nutrients needed to support plant life. </span></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Thanks to concerted efforts of the major agriculture corporations such as Monsanto and Cargill, mono-cropping is another detrimental practice eliminating diversity on factory farms and family run operations around the world today. Unfortunately in the US, most farmers emphatically embrace yet another detrimental agricultural practice: the </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">heinous</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> use of genetically modified seeds. GM seeds are bred to be resist specific chemical concoctions, such as Round-Up, a Monsanto herbicide. However, the life support systems in the soil are not resistant, hence the need to dump on chemical fertilizers to correct the devastation and soon farmers spiral into a nasty chemical dependency chasing after a nutrient balance that will remain illusive so long as the applications continue unabated. </span></span> </div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1931307025" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6e2-xuClS3lXfDDM414yvbDYuyDRmfelAJAzU05gjU5x3vgytyn61VLz0tYaK85EYXPrAT3BzZZtJ-kUPXcPyicbfuU4lVHMYw3tVXTAdFS0iLfx9jT_4dqCZQozk7DwvymVnhFJNiwnQ/s320/monsanskull_dees.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://agentorangelegacy.blogspot.com/">http://agentorangelegacy.blogspot.com/</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Contrary to their short-term mission, agrochemicals continue to indiscriminately do exactly what they were engineered to do: Kill. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In the chapter, <i>The Creation of Waste</i>, Hawken writes:</span></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">"When planes still swoop down and spray a field with pesticides in order to kill a predator insect, we are in the Dark Ages of commerce. Maybe one-thousandths of this aerial insecticide actually prevents infestation. The balance goes into the soil, into the water, into all forms of wildlife, and into us. What is good for the balance sheet is wasteful of resources and harmful to life... </span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: small;">Whenever we introduce synthetic toxins into the biological process, regardless of the intent or original application, we are changing a cyclical process to a linear one... Nature's toxins - and there are many of them - have evolved over millennia as a part of complex, cyclical, life-giving cycles. Even if we imperfectly understand their purpose, in nature these compounds do not break the cyclical pattern of growth and evolution. Our man-made poisons, toxins, and chemical wastes have no such history; not only are they new to biology, but life has no place to put them. They cannot be taken up and incorporated by the normal metabolic processes of cellular life." </span></i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikUUDfjWMmhAM_YNP7HQB9l1xrAMLdZDXEh7x_t4hwUDHOqP8DhZecI8fdw-Swt4xeCfBk-IXQQkggOjdR4kFqh2p88aFzI-sJuPlaq8UGnG3I8vzrLCJC0szIQF5-gf_3EDsm_YbAscJy/s1600/image3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikUUDfjWMmhAM_YNP7HQB9l1xrAMLdZDXEh7x_t4hwUDHOqP8DhZecI8fdw-Swt4xeCfBk-IXQQkggOjdR4kFqh2p88aFzI-sJuPlaq8UGnG3I8vzrLCJC0szIQF5-gf_3EDsm_YbAscJy/s200/image3.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Where do we see the irony of our destructive economic system as it stands? Hawken's writes:</span><br />
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #f1c232; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>"The organic farmer who builds up soil quality, does not use pesticides or herbicides, and does not pollute groundwater, a steward who uses less energy to produce his crop, does not exploit migrant labor, does not leave half-filled tins of organophosphate pesticides in unmarked dumpsites, and who furthers genetic diversity in his seed stock. Such a grower cannot come to the market as cheaply as a factory farm."</i></span></div><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">There is a serious problem in agricultural practices when farmers have the same short-sighted values as investors on Wall Street. In the aptly named chapter, <i>The Death of Birth</i>, Hawken notes:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i>"Economists sometimes take the moral position that human life is superior to natural life, and there are environmentalists who take the opposite position. This is not a useful polarization. We can't turn our backs on the web of life that sustains us and live in a biological vacuum engineered by technology. Even if God did grant us dominion over life, I do not believe she had in mind the kind of stewardship we are practicing today. In the Old Testament, Eliphaz the Temanite admonishes a caterwauling old man by the name of Job: "Have you listened in at God's keyhole and crept away with his plans?" Job did not have a convincing reply. Neither do we." </i></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY4ZaGxwiYHxBm50c0TZiLhgW86Oxt9KpgwPSOkxPAS7z18aGqVVVllE3QRO3HTRA5nd1VMBxTTCjLl4E0ooFrdACP0E1GtrC-ja7084pMqcyXc6q7urDOQA2wpJJZ-6D1QPnHCswitth7/s1600/monsanto2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY4ZaGxwiYHxBm50c0TZiLhgW86Oxt9KpgwPSOkxPAS7z18aGqVVVllE3QRO3HTRA5nd1VMBxTTCjLl4E0ooFrdACP0E1GtrC-ja7084pMqcyXc6q7urDOQA2wpJJZ-6D1QPnHCswitth7/s320/monsanto2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://organicconsumers.org/monsanto/index.cfm">http://organicconsumers.org/monsanto/index.cfm </a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">While tinkering with the elements of life in strands of DNA, Monsanto's GMOs have been linked to decreased fertility, immunological alterations and allergies. Natural News.com (<a href="http://www.naturalnews.com/025001.html">http://www.naturalnews.com/025001.html</a>) wrote a short article on this linkage in 2008,<i> "</i><i>Objective and unbiased researchers have recently added to the growing knowledge of the realities of the increased instability and unintended consequences regarding the long-term safety of GMOs."</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I believe the global Fair Trade movement must be informed about issues surrounding agriculture, particularly when multinational corporations are a driving force in our food supply. As advocates we need to not only know what Fair Trade stands for, but what it diametrically opposes and why. To view an informative documentary</span><span style="font-size: small;"> on Monsanto and their questionable history related to Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) and their history, polychlorinated biphenyls (</span><span style="font-size: small;">PCBs), bovine growth hormone, suppression and manipulation of scientific data, Agent Orange </span><span style="font-size: small;">and the US government's recurrent role in the Monsanto legend, take a look at this 2008 investigative video, <i>The World According to Monsanto</i>:</span></div><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/YH4OwBYDQe8?rel=0" width="480"></iframe><br />
(<a href="http://youtu.be/YH4OwBYDQe8">http://youtu.be/YH4OwBYDQe8</a>)</div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">In addition to the expos<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">é</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"> on this questionable corporation, after viewing the film I sensed that there was a distinct change in the relationship between the American farmer and Monsanto from the one I remember thirty years ago. A change from one of trust to one of fear of a corporation that divides communities. Unfortunately, Monsanto and their corporate compatriots did not draw the line at dominating the American food market, they have gone global. </span><span style="font-size: small;">A Google search brought up a Monsanto office in Ho Chi Minh City, twenty minutes from where I currently reside. </span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Since 2005, I have worked in rural villages of Vietnam as a consultant in Sustainable Development. In </span><span style="font-size: small;">distant regions amongst ethnic minorities where corn is grown on mountainsides,</span><span style="font-size: small;"> I have repeatedly come across suspicious corn seed sacks and made inquiries with local farmers. I can summarize and paraphrase the many interviews here:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Do you plant this corn?<span style="color: #f1c232;"> Yes</span>. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Do you apply specific herbicides to it? <span style="color: #f1c232;">Yes.</span> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Have you saved seed and tried to grow some of the same corn the following year? <span style="color: #f1c232;">Yes, but the corn doesn't grow. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">The genetically modified seeds I have encountered here have a suicide gene (again, there is that Latin suffix of death, <i>-cida</i>) to prevent farmers from growing their own crops as had been done in past generations. Instead, these farmers living on $30 to $60 per month are now dependent on the corporation and have to purchase the seed / herbicide combo every year. Not surprisingly, my findings have been that the impact is not increased incomes from increased yields as Monsanto would like for us to believe. Quite to the contrary, the farmers I interviewed over the past several years experienced increased poverty, particularly when inflation is hitting averages of 12% or higher. </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDldVqpgj44qyLibw5gNp9TEoSOEKKqB8xJ-Bnrudt8Ic6-ftK9h5jEH9Hl-9M8Pn32ZgJ4lnQHs5s8MTgFg4qjTTjwmXYyHp3olVUzqqi54VDpaByxw4n9Kt7axOQzI5YiTLWf3vMHyz_/s1600/pesticide-spraying.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDldVqpgj44qyLibw5gNp9TEoSOEKKqB8xJ-Bnrudt8Ic6-ftK9h5jEH9Hl-9M8Pn32ZgJ4lnQHs5s8MTgFg4qjTTjwmXYyHp3olVUzqqi54VDpaByxw4n9Kt7axOQzI5YiTLWf3vMHyz_/s1600/pesticide-spraying.jpg" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">To observe farmers spraying </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">herbicides, pesticides, insecticides and fungicides</span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">in the field, it becomes apparent where the rise in cancers originate. They use hand sprayers and moving forward they spray in an arc, walking through the toxins as they go. At most, they wear long sleeved shirts and pants that are dripping wet by the time they finish. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">The Crawford Fund conducted a </span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Risk Assessment to Human Health from the use of Pesticides in Vietnam </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">in which they wrote, <i>"</i></span><i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It is clear that existing practices are poor and there is a substantial need for improvement. There was also information that deaths have resulted from pesticide exposure amongst farming communities. The other problem associated with pesticides in Vietnam relates to the pesticide and associated contaminants at former US Air Force Bases, and the implications for safe food production on adjoining agricultural land.</span></span></i><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">" </span></i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">(Both of which are directly linked to Monsanto)</span> </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Vietnamese farmers are much like the farmers of other developing nations - they have easy access to agrochemicals, but low levels of awareness regarding health and safety practices in applying chemicals, or of the diseases linked to the ongoing usage of these deadly potions. </span><br />
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<div style="color: #f1c232;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">Let's return to my initial question because it involves more than agricultural products. Our decisions as consumers have direct impacts on the lives and livelihoods of families and on the communities in which they reside: </span></div><div style="color: #f1c232;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #f1c232; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>Should Fair Trade be Synonymous with Organic?</i></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-zmFutEsFjsAcSlYfMY3uoxsphHO6uBHVNtxHnaKv1Vl8MCuWZ5WSeoZYVaCuDkm5ftcd6eTOWzZ-ICqFVManlI3LBCX6ULFsF9hfUrfG3iQG5VTvWyL7xomMOm0hjtbMK0ZnuvTTi3wH/s1600/image010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-zmFutEsFjsAcSlYfMY3uoxsphHO6uBHVNtxHnaKv1Vl8MCuWZ5WSeoZYVaCuDkm5ftcd6eTOWzZ-ICqFVManlI3LBCX6ULFsF9hfUrfG3iQG5VTvWyL7xomMOm0hjtbMK0ZnuvTTi3wH/s320/image010.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In 2007, I was contracted by a UN organization to conduct a Social and Livelihood Needs Assessment of a famous traditional handicraft village in a farming community outside of Hanoi, Vietnam. Their specialty was rattan and bamboo weaving. To prepare the materials they used a chemicals known to cause cancer. In relation to the use of chemicals in making handicrafts, my report stated, <i>"</i><i>Considering its calm beauty, (this craft village) faces serious issues in this generation related to environmental pollution as a result of handicraft production. Currently there is no local intervention to challenge the social norms of careless disposal of chemicals directly into the canals that flow from the village and into the fields despite a moderate level of community awareness of environmental pollution."</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Reviewing my field notes from one interview with a hamlet leader, I wrote: <i>After use of acid and sulfur he disposes of it into village drainage. He estimates he uses 50kg/yr of acid (bought in powder form).</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I was unable to ascertain the specifics of the chemicals he used, however my colleague was able to generate a list of chemicals commonly used in their handicraft production. What he found was typical of most cases. Due to confidentiality of the information reported, I have removed references to the name of the craft village:<i><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span lang="EN-GB">Several outlets for chemicals were identified in the vicinity of (the village). One of the outlets was a small shop located near the People’s Committee building. This shop only sells about 40 million VND worth (about US $2,200) of chemicals per annum. Small amount of sulfur, soda flake, silica, hydrogen peroxide and polyvinyl acetate were found on the premises. It appears that most of his stock is sold to small family producers. He has no information about how to process waste and only knows about using gloves with certain chemicals, information he received from his father. </span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span lang="EN-GB">A much larger supplier was found on (the Highway), several kilometers from (the village)...</span><span lang="EN-GB"> The wholesaler admitted to selling over 200 chemicals overall but was not able to provide a list. The list above was compiled from a physical examination of his stock. He supplies a number of industries (such as wood industry) in addition to the handicraft industry but the latter is his main market and in his opinion the market is growing. Apart from warning labels (a number of his products contained no such labels), he has received no information about the chemicals and no training on how to handle them or dispose of them. His buyers are apparently in the same situation as he is unable to pass on much information let alone training.</span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></span></i><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Additional field notes from an impromptu interview with the local nurse summarized the rising health problems faced in the craft village:</span> </div><ul><li style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Respiratory problems from sulfur</i></span></li>
<ul style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><li><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Medicine ineffective</i></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Both men and women affected</i></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Mostly the individual who uses the oven for material preparation</i></span></li>
</ul><li style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Long term affects are cancer and early onset of disease (16-18 year-olds, common)</i></span></li>
<li style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Kidney problems from water pollution</i></span></li>
<li style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Cancer is common</i></span></li>
<li style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Main areas affected: throat, airway, lungs (inhalation) and eyes (blurred vision) and kidneys</i></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Water filters are helpful, but only available to families that can afford</span> </i></span></li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB">On a side note, you can imagine my disappointment when, in the final draft of the report, the environmental and health impact of handicraft production was categorically removed by the UN organization. </span></span><i><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br />
</span></span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br />
</span></span></i></div></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Whether we are talking about the use of chemicals in production of Fair Trade </span><span style="font-size: small;">coffees or crafts, is it </span><span style="font-size: small;">worth the wanton destruction of the local ecology; the contamination of the local water supplies; and the personal suffering and financial implications of long-term illnesses all in our effort to alleviate poverty and empower the disadvantaged? </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">I encourage your comments, thoughts and ideas below. I would also like to hear from the certifying organizations on their views regarding the future of Fair Trade. Note: I know full well this post does not address the <i>how-to </i>aspects<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">; my intention is to simply postulate a question for Fair Traders to contemplate.</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">So I leave you with this simple, yet looming question for the future of our global movement: </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div style="color: #f1c232; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>Should Fair Trade be Synonymous with Organic?</i></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Mitch Teberg, MA</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Shortly after publishing this post, I received a message from Kyle Freund, a Communications Officer for FLO - Cert. Admittedly, I am not certain why some comments are not being posted by blogspot despite my inquiries. After repeated failed attempts, with his permission I post it here: </span><br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: small;">Hey Mitch, Thanks for the post on Fair Trade and organics. I tried to post a comment and I'm not sure if you have it set to review before it goes live, but just in case, here's what I replied. </span></i><br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: small;"> Good piece with good points and I'll be posting it on our Facebook page today. Funny to see it since I began editing a position paper about pest management just last week. We'll be putting out four papers in the coming months to explain our position on various environmental topics.</span></i><br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: small;"> Thanks again. Oh and where did you grow up? That farm work comment at the beginning really hit home. I was in the same boat in Southern Wisconsin.</span></i><br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: small;"> Cheers, </span></i><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> <i>Kyle</i></span><br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: small;"> Here's my comment I hoped to post:</span></i><br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: small;"> Good entry and we're working on a position paper right now on Fairtrade and pest management. It will be coming out in the next week or two. (Full disclosure, I am a Fairtrade International employee, views expressed are my own.)</span></i><br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: small;"> I think you hit on key ideas here and bring up great points. Responsibly and cautiously used, pesticides and agri-chemicals can help increase productivity, but the trade-offs or potential detrimental effects are great for farmers and their families, the environment and consumers. Plus any use of agri-chemicals increases community reliance on outside suppliers, which needs to be reduced. I think communities would be better off without agri-chemicals and ideally once involved with Fairtrade, communities that are not already organic will transition to more sustainable practices. </span></i><br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: small;"> Fairtrade doesn't require farmers and workers to stop using pesticides, but the Standards do include a list of prohibited materials as outlined in the Pesticide Action Network Dirty Dozen List and a few other internationally recognized lists of dangerous chemicals. The Standards provide guidance on safe handling and usage. Fairtrade also has an organic differential for almost all products to encourage transition to more sustainable techniques. </span></i><br />
<br />
<i> With the recent publishing of <a href="http://www.fairtrade.net/single_view1.0.html?&cHash=4f6037645a&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=204" rel="nofollow nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.fairtrade.net/single_view1.0.html?&cHash=4f6037645a&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=204</a> Fairtrade's New Standards Framework, a number of Generic Environmental Standards have been added. In the next few months we'll be publishing four position papers on Pest Management, GMOs, Climate Change and Biodiversity. </i><br />
<br />
<i> Side note: Reading your opening statement brought back a lot of memories of picking rocks and working all summer long (actually year round) on the family dairy farm where I grew up in Wisconsin</i><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">For those who prefer reading black on white, here is the downloadable PDF format: <a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/62807898/Should-Fair-Trade-Be-Synonomous-With-Organic" style="-x-system-font: none; display: block; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 12px auto 6px auto; text-decoration: underline;" title="View Should Fair Trade Be Synonomous With Organic on Scribd">Should Fair Trade Be Synonymous With Organic</a><iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="0.772727272727273" data-auto-height="true" frameborder="0" height="400" id="doc_62336" scrolling="no" src="http://www.scribd.com/embeds/62807898/content?start_page=1&view_mode=list&access_key=key-1lu5ounkegzg70azn17h" width="100%"></iframe></div></div></div>Mitch Teberg, MAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09103389961793260475noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8621388137674795607.post-7811094237321914682011-08-18T01:50:00.000-07:002011-08-18T01:58:12.933-07:00Fair Trade Survey in the UK<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggQcETgWDZuILJgC785T0ilvpxpUrJAmsO6IGZhnVZO45yc0TmhJfn7b-aubj9Zxrc-9CRiquR2sI8zfGXxb61jGhUXk8GF3ddV-vhyhFV4l_CYJgjnNkj7xYBrdSSb8JVlnEKdTtDjKZ1/s1600/1048749-Cartoon-Guy-Taking-A-Survey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggQcETgWDZuILJgC785T0ilvpxpUrJAmsO6IGZhnVZO45yc0TmhJfn7b-aubj9Zxrc-9CRiquR2sI8zfGXxb61jGhUXk8GF3ddV-vhyhFV4l_CYJgjnNkj7xYBrdSSb8JVlnEKdTtDjKZ1/s1600/1048749-Cartoon-Guy-Taking-A-Survey.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I recently received an email I would like to share with Fair Traders in the UK! </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><span style="font-size: small;">Dear Mitch,<br />
<br />
I'm conducting a survey to support my masters dissertation about fair trade at University of Portsmouth, UK. If you found that there is a chance to post my questionnaire onto your blog I would be too glad. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
Great blog, keep going with it!<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://spreadsheets0.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dDQzR0x2WTFZWFdBS0Rqb1AxVjVVZ0E6MA" target="_blank">https://spreadsheets0.google.<wbr></wbr>com/spreadsheet/viewform?<wbr></wbr>formkey=<wbr></wbr>dDQzR0x2WTFZWFdBS0Rqb1AxVjVVZ0<wbr></wbr>E6MA</a></span> <span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<br />
Pls. also feel free to share this mail with your friends who might be interested or would be possibly helpful with this...</span> <span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<br />
Thanks a lot indeed in advance!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Robert Berebyi</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Join me is assisting Robert in his Fair Trade inquiry! It only takes a minute, and will help out a fellow Fair Trader's dissertation! </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Mitch Teberg, MA</span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi6CoX83BqQwvCCPK_KVft4o5vT7JpVLfpQAQnZvgZhSHEBQ24GD7xiw1MHarVKVCn8hXxznuSKtFllahvcGJNTIXD1fhfff_67-RasjHRGTnlPYKovYewujhWI1CLo5XjSJ2S_G-4e5_s/s1600/cartoon3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi6CoX83BqQwvCCPK_KVft4o5vT7JpVLfpQAQnZvgZhSHEBQ24GD7xiw1MHarVKVCn8hXxznuSKtFllahvcGJNTIXD1fhfff_67-RasjHRGTnlPYKovYewujhWI1CLo5XjSJ2S_G-4e5_s/s320/cartoon3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
</div>Mitch Teberg, MAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09103389961793260475noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8621388137674795607.post-90478779336371760602011-08-07T06:33:00.000-07:002012-01-19T19:05:59.880-08:00Traidcraft's Spotlight on the Global Trade in Raw Materials<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAzeds1PmAFyKJjGRh7CtBNaowfwel8B1Hpg5aDp5yW39dYZ8k1LT7b0EM16ItyZNdVNS1C4m0_pNgEQpxcpo4GnH8TaYMkeVLcrrbQ_bygtcvhbfLITdZyZzJpSMt1D85aBqxHE4P9H-V/s1600/BHC1097.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAzeds1PmAFyKJjGRh7CtBNaowfwel8B1Hpg5aDp5yW39dYZ8k1LT7b0EM16ItyZNdVNS1C4m0_pNgEQpxcpo4GnH8TaYMkeVLcrrbQ_bygtcvhbfLITdZyZzJpSMt1D85aBqxHE4P9H-V/s320/BHC1097.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">In the "developing nations" of the global south, the era of colonialism is viewed as a dark period in human history. To be colonized meant subjugation to foreign rulers, outright exploitation of natural resources and labor with second-class citizenship for much of the non-European world. Entire continents were usurped of their riches through colonial policies aimed to expedite the transfer of local wealth to European coffers</span><span style="font-size: small;"> and raw materials to feed the expansive growth of European industries</span><span style="font-size: small;">. </span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Today, the term "globalization" has come to replace colonialism, and to replace the Gunboat Diplomacy of Western nations are the equally detrimental policies of International Financial Institutions (IFIs) of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund in cahoots with the World Trade Organization. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.powells.com/biblio/2-9781565848412-1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqXgRL8gfVBhWt2CJQWrKi9QrNJ8n62i2Kg10OAjNVqlUrdKirtBp-6LCLv8DAAApY-2XLqd6JWBBvQxwaiiWeLIX4DiOpWPrc_MN1EyRD7g705O-3YOhQ0V5O_3P2C8R__5rdr3_yXqDA/s320/9781565848412.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.powells.com/biblio/2-9781565848412-1">Click here:<i> Whose Trade Organization?</i> </a>by <br />
Lori Wallach and Patrick Woodall</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">There is much to be said about the disastrous effects of narrowly focused vested interests of international bankers in developing nations with development projects that primarily benefit the established elite. However, Fair Trade Advocates also need to understand the equally destructive World Trade Organization (WTO). A highly recommended and reasonably priced resource is <i>Whose Trade Organization</i> </span><span style="font-size: small;">by Lori Wallach and Patrick Woodall. This publication</span><span style="font-size: small;"> by Public Citizen (<a href="http://www.citizen.org/" target="_blank">http://www.citizen.org/</a>) is a well researched, comprehensive analysis of the organization, its function, and the secretive closed-door court system which enforces international trade policies formed by Western governments in collaboration with the Multi-National Corporatocracy. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Before the WTO there was the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), a 1947 international agreement to regulate trade governing tariffs and quotas for trade between nations. The World Trade Organization emerged out of the 1995 Uruguay Round GATT negotiations with incredibly deceptive fanfare and promotion. Wallach and Woodall summarize the difference between GATT and the WTO:</span></div></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><div style="color: #f1c232;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">“Instead of setting terms for international trade – exchange between different nations – these rules are aimed at eliminating the diversity of national policies, priorities, and cultures to create the uniform world market sought by large multinational corporations…<span style="color: #f1c232;"> in which government would be shrunk and human rights and needs would be left to markets and corporations” </span> </span></i></span></div></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
Succinctly stated, the WTO Is Fundamentally Undemocratic. <br />
<a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/61789833/Top-Ten-Reasons-to-Oppose-the-WTO-from-Global-Exchange" style="-x-system-font: none; display: block; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 12px auto 6px auto; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank" title="View Top Ten Reasons to Oppose the WTO from Global Exchange on Scribd">Top Ten Reasons to Oppose the WTO from Global Exchange</a><iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="0.772727272727273" data-auto-height="true" frameborder="0" height="400" id="doc_59941" scrolling="no" src="http://www.scribd.com/embeds/61789833/content?start_page=1&view_mode=list&access_key=key-20069r7xhzgyf0rqsws7" width="100%"></iframe><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">[Global Exchange (<a href="http://www.globalexchange.org/campaigns/" target="_blank">http://www.globalexchange.org/campaigns/</a>) is valuable resource for Fair Traders!]</span></div></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">With this in mind, it comes as little surprise that the WTO, World Bank and the IMF are united in their mantra demanding "developing nations" to deregulate national markets, privatize of the public sector, and embrace free trade with "developed countries" as a means to develop national economies. Looking closely it is evident the unholy trinity are driven by a common agenda fueled by a flawed economic theory </span><span style="font-size: small;">globally referred to as Neo-Liberal Economics by</span><span style="font-size: small;"> academics and economists; </span><span style="font-size: small;">known by the far right wing in the US as Neo-Conservatism; labeled as Free Market Capitalism by the poorly informed Tea Party movement while </span><span style="font-size: small;"> Libertarians claim it as their own; and anyone with an iota of concern for the future call it exploitative, abusive, careless, excessive, destructive and unhealthy in so many ways. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Within their war-chest designed to dismantle domestic policies aimed to develop and protect national economies is Foreign Direct Investment, commonly referred to as FDI. Investopedia.com defines FDI as "An investment abroad, usually where the company being invested in is controlled by the foreign corporation... An example of FDI is an American company taking a majority stake in a company in China." </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">However, in practice FDI has more in common with colonial practices than proponents would like to admit. Currently, the European Union is pushing for the deregulation of FDI in developing nations through the Raw Materials Initiative. When FDI is deregulated it provides multi-national </span><span style="font-size: small;">corporations unfettered access to domestic resources with the freedom to drain all profits from the host nation with total disregard for the social, environmental and political impacts.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1vfBkTRdhjHwxbMyNEDPXRwo4DmcyLRsjb1wZR0-FeXqagyq4MLQqwSlJvMO4QF_97C9v_M5Qm2TMoZfSHaOIQmid-vu_NDPQSjJyv_vv4vU8WL4QlcWv-2ntZMi-QGCNdqnlHSRcRA9W/s1600/TraidCraft+logo.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1vfBkTRdhjHwxbMyNEDPXRwo4DmcyLRsjb1wZR0-FeXqagyq4MLQqwSlJvMO4QF_97C9v_M5Qm2TMoZfSHaOIQmid-vu_NDPQSjJyv_vv4vU8WL4QlcWv-2ntZMi-QGCNdqnlHSRcRA9W/s1600/TraidCraft+logo.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.traidcraft.co.uk/">http://www.traidcraft.co.uk/</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span id="goog_659677826"></span><span id="goog_659677827"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">At the end of July I was contacted by Traidcraft,</span></span><span class="text" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> a UK charity whose mission is to fight poverty through Fair Trade, practicing and promoting approaches to trade that help poor people in developing countries transform their lives. They have released the video below and I encourage Fair Traders to take a look. Their campaign brings many important issues to the forefront and serves to remind Fair Trade advocates what it is we aim to accomplish by adhering to our shared principles: Global Trade Justice. </span></span></div><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/veVq2b02faw" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Traidcraft campaign (<a href="http://www.traidcraft.co.uk/get_involved/campaign/raw_materials" target="_blank">http://www.traidcraft.co.uk/get_involved/campaign/raw_materials</a>) includes informative resources and avenues for taking action. To be informed is to be forearmed! Other awareness campaigns of Traidcraft include:</span></span><br />
<ul style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.traidcraft.co.uk/get_involved/campaign/time_to_nip_US_cotton_subsidies_in_the_bud" target="_blank">Time to nip US cotton subsidies in the bud</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.traidcraft.co.uk/get_involved/campaign/supermarkets" target="_blank">Supermarkets - who's getting the best deal?</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.traidcraft.co.uk/get_involved/campaign/stop_epas" target="_blank">Stop EPAs</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.traidcraft.co.uk/get_involved/campaign/make_it_fair" target="_blank">Make it Fair</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.traidcraft.co.uk/get_involved/campaign/wto" target="_blank">World Trade Organisation</a></span></li>
</ul><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Another terrific resource for Fair Trade advocates is Oxfam International (<a href="http://www.oxfam.org/en/campaigns" target="_blank">http://www.oxfam.org/en/campaigns</a>). </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgagBuVnobz-IgKK8iuCnIvMNnYRZzDt1R5YiV_rkplOlbC5lIoCnPfdv9OM4yFSMP1OFTfR67lkdnc9V8rdmVH7htmqy6XbjLxMMBcrpQqBgdQ8o7Q3zsbeXM50XNeErEmJsPFgAaynNCH/s1600/246px-MakeTradeFair.svg.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgagBuVnobz-IgKK8iuCnIvMNnYRZzDt1R5YiV_rkplOlbC5lIoCnPfdv9OM4yFSMP1OFTfR67lkdnc9V8rdmVH7htmqy6XbjLxMMBcrpQqBgdQ8o7Q3zsbeXM50XNeErEmJsPFgAaynNCH/s1600/246px-MakeTradeFair.svg.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.oxfam.org/en/campaigns/trade" target="_blank">http://www.oxfam.org/en/campaigns/trade</a></td></tr>
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</div><div style="color: #f1c232; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">Get involved globally by taking action locally!!</span><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> It is important for Fair Traders regardless of where they reside to familiarize themselves with issues the global Fair Trade movement is addressing and how it relates to empowering the disadvantaged, providing opportunity for the marginalized, and integrating the disenfranchised. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Mitch Teberg, MA </span></div></div>Mitch Teberg, MAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09103389961793260475noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8621388137674795607.post-79397979164133634902011-08-04T17:42:00.000-07:002011-08-22T20:16:29.904-07:00WFTO - The Importance of National Fair Trade Networks in the Global South<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU3y0zZ_pJpQErpLVyQ2fhwc4PFIzlZgL-xH-4htI9vYAYtfG7RGJnv-_L9Zf9V7qV2PyXapnJaC1c-G6xNQXe4vUk0-0HtvAmiYT2mu_qzbepT-qpfNucVGEKx2fp7cQyRHsiYQ4hCMXs/s1600/Make+Trade+Fair+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU3y0zZ_pJpQErpLVyQ2fhwc4PFIzlZgL-xH-4htI9vYAYtfG7RGJnv-_L9Zf9V7qV2PyXapnJaC1c-G6xNQXe4vUk0-0HtvAmiYT2mu_qzbepT-qpfNucVGEKx2fp7cQyRHsiYQ4hCMXs/s1600/Make+Trade+Fair+2.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Fair Trade cannot be a northern concept for northern markets - it has to be localized in the southern markets if Fair Trade is to be sustainable, and to do that requires a concerted and unified effort at the national level. </span></span></i></span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="http://www.wfto.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1516&Itemid=305#.TjitpvRVNoI.blogger">Click here to read on the WFTO website!</a></span></span></i></span></div><br />
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<a href="http://www.wfto.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1516&Itemid=305#.TjitpvRVNoI.blogger">WFTO - The Importance of National Fair Trade Networks in the Global South</a></div><br />
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Mitch Teberg, MA</span></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span><br />
</span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">For a downloadable PDF version of the article:</span></span><a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/62875246/The-Importance-of-National-Fair-Trade-Networks-in-the-Global-South" style="-x-system-font: none; display: block; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 12px auto 6px auto; text-decoration: underline;" title="View The Importance of National Fair Trade Networks in the Global South on Scribd">The Importance of National Fair Trade Networks in the Global South</a><iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="0.772727272727273" data-auto-height="true" frameborder="0" height="400" id="doc_29819" scrolling="no" src="http://www.scribd.com/embeds/62875246/content?start_page=1&view_mode=list&access_key=key-c1z5ufwrkfbdui2i0lv" width="100%"></iframe></div>Mitch Teberg, MAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09103389961793260475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8621388137674795607.post-15037180859034744532011-07-27T23:56:00.000-07:002011-08-02T18:33:40.834-07:00How do Fair Trade Retailers Adhere to our Shared Principles?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: small;">In June, I added a blog post, </span><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="http://journeyforfairtrade.blogspot.com/2011/06/our-values-our-fair-trade-principles.html">"Our Values, Our Fair Trade Principles"</a></span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://journeyforfairtrade.blogspot.com/2011/06/our-values-our-fair-trade-principles.html"><span style="color: blue;"></span></a></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: small;">, and from this post I have had several comments from multiple perspectives. With the goal of making issues faced in Fair Trade transparent, I have decided to make room for commentaries from producers, retailers, networks, and advocates by providing space for continuing a discussion that I believe desperately needs to occur. As you read this and feel you have something to contribute, I fully encourage your contribution in the comments below. </span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: small;">When we look at Fair Trade as a global system, on one end you have Producers of Fair Trade products that are closely scrutinized in their adherence to the principles of Fair Trade in the various certification systems. However, there remains a question of Fair Trade retailers - how are they adhering to our principles? In particular is the question about the large Fair Trade chains, are they in the words of one Fair Trader, simply becoming "an outlet for exclusive WFTO products"? </span><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB">Several times the question came up about Fair Trade retailers and importers not necessarily being held accountable to Fair Trade Producers. </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_484061093" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZR1nmbtaoqfTCJaFqVfX8Iv71bqNkXKl0fVhv0dQAspyxWhyphenhyphenNKcBgfiVgqLZdsXa2R8SFQgUgL24GWqD25CaKbFuP533BmcgzrMIRu2d2Ja-nDGzJQORvwXF3QmsgXfcBzzPQn0WKDOC0/s320/DSC_0002+copy.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_484061093">http://www.indochinenatural.com/</a><a href="http://www.indochinenatural.com/"> </a></td></tr>
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB">Indochine Natural, an all-natural soap producer, established by </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB">Dr. Mike Thair and his wife, Linh are </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB">in the process of becoming a WFTO-Asia member. I met with them on this Journey and witnessed firsthand how they put Fair Trade principles into their everyday practices. In the post on Values and Principles he made a few observations worth noting here: </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><i style="color: #f1c232;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">While there is a lot of focus on Producers and their adoption of these principles, what about the retailers themselves? Are they offering employment opportunities for the disadvantaged in their own communities and capacity building? Is there adequate transparency with customers on retail pricing?</span></span></i><i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span></i><br />
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<div style="color: #f1c232;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I would like to see these Principles applied across the entire Fair Trade supply chain. OK, the retailers are providing outlets for Fair Trade products, but I think it needs to be more than this.</span></span></i></div></div><div style="color: #f1c232; text-align: justify;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://playingfair.com.au/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="67" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWAh8mKyC-n4WBQoaPj-TsBvxtAtpTaSzaC9nqJa5x_f-ra7cRlpZSWckcNABzrZB-fT74CarNJh79EOLCTCGSrZe-nokb4ERFdZqpKJ8IuWYBitZn9PfIc0UG8LQMA3RiT-Ou1ImgiPja/s320/playing-fair-banner.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://playingfair.com.au/">http://playingfair.com.au/</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB">Retailer, <a href="http://playingfair.com.au/">Playing Fair</a>, added to this comment concerning their role as a retailer and the role of the Fair Trade Association of Australia and New Zealand (</span><a href="http://www.fta.org.au/">FTAANZ</a>):</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #f1c232; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>I'll second what Indochine Natural said. As a retailer there is more to the business than just being an outlet for exclusive WFTO endorsed products. What about the role I play in the local collective, or the info I send out about FTAANZ with each order? I really need to sit down and make these part of a mission statement, so that they are properly accounted for and in the forefront of my mind as I go about the daily business.<span lang="EN-GB"></span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB">Jose, a Fair Trade advocate in Spain, wrote his perception on this issue:</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">I must say that I would also LOVE to see these Principles applied across the ENTIRE Fair Trade supply chain. </span><br style="color: #f1c232;" /><span style="color: #f1c232;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;"><br style="color: #f1c232; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #f1c232;"> I believe the whole Fair Trade chain and consumers should be more aware of ALL conditions and demand more transparency and commitment to FT principles "here and there".</span> </span></span></span></i><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.oxfam.org/en/campaigns/trade"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhCPEu6Y71GwYH89T5kv62R7_eRIIWhgq0GvSE0-Odlgs9EcFaqZMS24ZVKOd7bjM1_ihyphenhyphenJ9_FfVcy2wy_gnzlDWKdxmqxJWO7Y0zlEppJlm_KRmWgLEQ-enItj6TSDP5eoS7VCoXM99G9/s1600/Rigged+Rules+and+Double+Standards.jpg" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB">From my own experience as a volunteer in PeaceCraft, a Fair Trade retailer in the US, I knew there were some really outstanding retailers that held themselves accountable to Fair Trade Principles and actively promoted local Fair Trade Movements whether they were student initiatives on campus or a citizens movement for trade justice. Some retailers have committed to expanding Fair Trade locally not just in terms of sales and awareness raising, but by supporting local disadvantaged communities as well. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB">However, in other cases there is a sense that a Fair Trade retailer is little different from any other retail shop. Essentially they simply use Fair Trade as a marketing ploy to increase sales to the socially conscious and do little more than that. These retailers are easy to spot, you can walk in and see the colorful displays with an array of beautiful uniquely cultural crafts, coffees and chocolates, but not much else:</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<ul></ul><ul><li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"></span><span lang="EN-GB">No information about Fair Trade or about producers who made the crafts (See Principle 3: Trading Practices)</span><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB">There is little connection between the shop and the major issues Fair Trade engages with such as addressing global trade injustice, or empowering women with income generating activities promoting their cultural heritage (See Principle 1: Creating Opportunities for Disadvantaged Communities; and Principle 6: </span>Commitment to Non Discrimination, Gender Equity and Freedom of Association)<span lang="EN-GB"> </span></span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB">No ongoing Shop-Based Advocacy, little-to-no information on how to get involved in the global Fair Trade movement, and no mention of Fair Trade initiatives or events in the community (See Principle 9: Promotion of Fair Trade)</span><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB">No price breakdown for customers to see the percentage of the sale as a product moved through the supply chain describing what percentage of the sale goes to the producer, to the shipping and handling, and to the store itself to cover overhead and staff (See Principle 2: Transparency and Accountability, and Principle 4: Payment of a Fair Price) </span><span lang="EN-GB"></span><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB">No information on how they contribute to the development of Fair Trade Producer groups outside of sales (See Principle 8:</span> Providing Capacity Building) </span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Not disclosing information related to their impact on the environment (See Principle 10: Respect for the Environment)<span lang="EN-GB"> </span></span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB">And in these nonchalant retailer shops, the staff are not even familiar with the ten principles of Fair Trade (Read: <a href="http://journeyforfairtrade.blogspot.com/2011/06/our-values-our-fair-trade-principles.html">"Our Values, Our Fair Trade Principles"</a>)</span></span></li>
</ul><span style="font-size: small;">If you are a retailer reading this blog, or a socially conscious consumer and this description sounds like your local Fair Trade shop, I suggest it is time for a change! Even more so if your shop is a member of a chain of Fair Trade retailers... </span><br />
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<i><span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: x-large;">Fair Trade Retailers have an obligation </span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: x-large;"> <i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">to follow the same principles as the producers.</span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://clevelandheights.tenthousandvillages.com/php/stores.festivals/store.homepage.php"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU1OdElzQHd9GaUgMZ8EldW_CrhTVegR26546KdcchwL6T7rkR2Z5EjlkzA6D82Ug9EvALaUNXDTUXRCtJ2wCbrYVMharuaA3qaXsNVP1YvLG0KQPONSMdwhZ6PwxGTr61gnFwRcpzNQSA/s200/Ten-Thousand-Villages-Logo.jpg" width="188" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">With that said, I went in search of an example of a local Fair Trade shop and member of a Fair Trade chain dedicated to expanding Fair Trade locally by providing opportunities for a disadvantaged group in their community to enter Fair Trade.</span><span style="font-size: small;"> I owe a special thanks to Maryann Wohlwend, a Board Member of the <a href="http://clevelandheights.tenthousandvillages.com/php/stores.festivals/store.homepage.php">Ten Thousand Villages</a> store in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, USA, for her contribution to this long overdue blog post. Maryann is truly a Catalyst for Social Change in her community, bringing various social interests and businesses together for a common purpose! Her's is an inspirational story of commitment, devotion, insight and reflection. For this reason I have reprinted her email in its entirety</span><span style="font-size: small;">, and the emphasis placed throughout are her own:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br />
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<div style="color: #f1c232;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Hello Mitch~great to hear from you. Excellent posting, as usual, and I am encouraged to read the comments of those who sincerely seek to make a difference and discuss these issues... My work for both, Lydia's Purse International & as a regional Board Member for a Ten Thousand Villages store in Cleveland Hts, Ohio allows me to see both sides of these coins. </i></span><span style="font-size: small;"><i> </i></span></div><br />
<div style="color: #f1c232;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>I had considered shipping myself, working with groups in the Philippines and India (for LPI), and have concluded that it is best for small producers to start by selling within their local markets. <b>When I considered the impact of these small groups being truly self-sustaining, I discovered how powerfully they can take the lead in strengthening their communities!</b> Their retail presence introduces customers to the need ~ they have the opportunity to communicate & educate consumers on FT principles ~ when the consumer has been engaged, they can be invited to participate in the solution as a <b>customer</b> or a <b>volunteer</b> of the producing organization, or as a <b>donor</b> to supply needs, network on their behalf & meet long term goals for the organization. </i></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><div><br />
<div style="color: #f1c232;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Working within my own local community, <a href="http://www.lydiaspurse.org/">Lydia's Purse International's</a> presence in NorthEast Ohio is accomplishing just this! Our mission is to Empower Women of Excellence ~ "Sewing Handbags & Sowing Hearts". We believe that when a woman comes to know her True Worth & Great Value as a child of God, and is provided an opportunity WITHIN COMM<b>UNITY</b> to quickly learn a new confidence-building skill~and this is most important ~ ENCOURAGED & having FUN alongside a volunteer who is sharing the process WITH her, not lording authority over her, a woman passing through a rescue mission has a chance to break the cycle of generational poverty! It is truly a mustard seed of Global Change!!</i></span></div><br />
</div><div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJVSrvkd0wQ7WCkuhsCCvvlNFsWKWRWtbvijGAFzL4XrhsgqoyWHokjAdpjqRhhWdpR3ZHu3dVxcc2eASt6MYLgI2jAi2Z7H62StokbD56zV68P5MNFshvYcmAFtaXeUjVIXCVy4h2Mr2_/s1600/100_5008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJVSrvkd0wQ7WCkuhsCCvvlNFsWKWRWtbvijGAFzL4XrhsgqoyWHokjAdpjqRhhWdpR3ZHu3dVxcc2eASt6MYLgI2jAi2Z7H62StokbD56zV68P5MNFshvYcmAFtaXeUjVIXCVy4h2Mr2_/s1600/100_5008.jpg" /></a></div><i></i></div><div><i><br />
</i></div><div><div style="color: #f1c232;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>You see, within the past 18 months, since sharing the Vision of Lydia's Purse International (via word of mouth, blog, a simple marketing trifold & selling handbags), we have received mountains of donated fabrics from the <a href="http://www.ohiodesigncentre.com/showrooms.cfm">Ohio Design Center Showrooms</a>, as well as other area fabric & furniture stores, seamstresses & <a href="http://zerolandfill.net/">ZERO Landfill</a> organization. The ladies who work in these interior design showrooms will go so far as to rescue discarded swatches from their dumpsters ~ to provide for the local Lydia's Purse class & keep them from mounding area landfills!! </i></span></div><br />
<div style="color: #f1c232;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Along this supply chain, we have educated and engaged retired sewing teachers & area philanthropists to beFRIEND and encourage the Participants, as Volunteers in the classroom ~ and beyond! These volunteers are so inspired by the Vision that some continue the friendships when the Participants have graduated from the rescue mission, or they have brought donors to our door, providing brand new sewing machines and resources to operate the class and send Level III graduates off with brand new sewing machines of their very own!! </i></span></div><br />
<div style="color: #f1c232;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Participants who are in the long term care of the rescue mission offer to make handbags (from the rescued & rePURPOSEd design swatch fabrics) for inventory sales (which raises extra operating funds) while they continue to make friends and receive deeper discipleship training. Volunteers, rescue mission staff, even I am still making handbags to contribute to sales. </i></span></div><br />
<div style="color: #f1c232;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Our collections have found a niche in area independent FT stores, produce markets, home parties & coffee shop sales events. Even the rescue mission is able to host sales events for staff & the public, as all sales are handled by my company, MaryannDesigns, ltd. My company then retains a small percentage of profits (toward operating costs & expenses), while donating the greater portion back to the non-profit rescue mission, which hosts the class and provides the inventory. One local, well-established market, even donates the space we use to sell handbags and share the Vision, without requiring any repayment in return, its owner simply wanted to use his business in a generous & responsible way!!</i></span></div></div><div><i><br />
</i></div><div><div style="color: #f1c232;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>In the past 18 months, the branches of our little tree have sprouted and Lydia's Purse International has sold hundreds of bags ~ each reflecting the story of a Woman who was discarded by society & discovered a new purpose and HOPE ~ the perfect metaphor for the handbags they are creating! Even the pattern's 4 panel design reflects the Vision of Empowerment within community: 4 unique fabrics, representing women from different facets of Life, coming together to form<b> a beautiful & functional commUNITY</b>!!</i></span></div></div><div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i></i></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtTzZmez3dAY4jegLUAGJUpI6CQCodWrgQN_0Tgb-MVnqXzQeaukkinvB6sCw3wR8IhnaHoqKxZSbHo9O8xIMXTOoztJV4BmMxNCvVyvWNEYvQb5rq8VftoEqwvYcbWmUMY2h-ji4YjhyZ/s1600/100_4868.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtTzZmez3dAY4jegLUAGJUpI6CQCodWrgQN_0Tgb-MVnqXzQeaukkinvB6sCw3wR8IhnaHoqKxZSbHo9O8xIMXTOoztJV4BmMxNCvVyvWNEYvQb5rq8VftoEqwvYcbWmUMY2h-ji4YjhyZ/s1600/100_4868.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div style="color: #f1c232;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>In my former business, MaryannBags, ltd, I created one of a kind silk handbags, priced to compete with other brand-recognized items of "quality". When we first started selling the collections of Lydia's Purse International, I priced the handbags a little higher than the market for competing FT items... only to realize that the Vision, which the bags represent, is Priceless (and frankly, we weren't selling too many)!! My own way of thinking about quality vs quantity was transformed, and we established a new retail price (which was a bit lower than the original wholesale cost). The new retail prices, $12 for an extra large MarketBAG and $10 for a medium ShopTOTE, now attract customers who, when they learn about the Vision, will often purchase for themselves, family, friends & as meaningful gifts ~ and also, because we have not "dictated" the items' great Value by overpricing, some customers donate monies above and beyond their receipt, to support the Vision, Mission & Women of Lydia's Purse International!! </i></span></div></div><div><i><br />
</i></div><div><div style="color: #f1c232;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>As a current Board Member of our local Ten Thousand Villages store, also, I have no misgiving about their Mission to only support & sell the products of select Global artisan groups, sharing their stories in North American markets. Yes, they are a large, well-established FT retailer now, and were a leader 60 years ago, when founded, simply, by a woman on a missions trip with a Vision. </i></span></div><br />
<div style="color: #f1c232;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>There's a place for all of us who have a desire to "Be the Change we want to See".</i></span></div></div><div><i><br />
</i></div><div style="color: #f1c232;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>As a little girl who dreamed of seeing the world, I could never have imagined that my path would lead through a meadow on the French Alps, overlooking the City of Geneva ~ praying for the nations of the World... to dusty, rural villages in southeast India ~ listening to stories of young widowed mothers hoping for a better Life...to the 1st Lydia's Purse class a half hour away from home ~ seeing smiles begin to form on the faces of women who have just learned to sew...and replying to an email request for a new class in Morogoro, Tanzania ~ to empower Swahili women who are quite literally dying for lack of HOPE!</i></span></div><div><i><br />
</i></div><div style="color: #f1c232;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>One of the foundational verses for Lydia's Purse International is found in the Heart of God, written by Paul in a letter to Corinth, and handed down for generations of those who support the value of all. 1Corinthians 1:26-29 </i><i>"Brothers & Sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things-and the things that are not-to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before Him."</i></span></div><div><i><br />
</i></div><div style="color: #f1c232;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>The greatest commandment we have been given to live by is to <b>Love our Neighbors</b> <b>as we Love ourselves</b>. Each person has seeds of education & experience to sow, resources to refresh others or the light of compassion to cheer those in need. There is UNITY in commUNITY, and a self-sustaining mission can truly strengthen a local region...and inspire Change in the Global Economy!</i></span></div><div><i><br />
</i></div><div style="color: #f1c232;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Are you Blooming where you are planted?</i></span></div><div><i><br />
</i></div><div style="color: #f1c232;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Mitch ~ this was meant to be a simple reply that grew and grew into an overdue blog post!!</i></span></div><div><i><br />
</i></div><div style="color: #f1c232;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Please feel free to contact me!!</i></span></div><div style="color: #f1c232;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>I look forward to hearing from you,</i></span></div><div style="color: #f1c232;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Maryann Wohlwend</i></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Maryann's commitment to localizing Fair Trade in her community is exemplary. Honestly, if Fair Trade is to be relevant in every community where a retailer exists, there needs to be a similar effort to provide opportunities beyond simply offering socially conscious purchases and feeling good about it. Fair Trade Retailers have an obligation to follow the same principles as the producers.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">What struck me most about her story was how she was able to connect interest groups such as Zero Landfill and local businesses that embrace social responsibility such as the Ohio Design Center Showrooms.<i> </i>Furthermore, she found outlets for sales in independent Fair Trade shops, local produce markets, home-based activities, coffee shops, and one marketplace which donates space for selling and sharing the vision of Lydia's Purse. </span><span style="font-size: small;"><i></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Back to the Fair Trade retailers... in February I wrote a blog post, <a href="http://journeyforfairtrade.blogspot.com/2011/02/catalysts-for-social-change.html">Catalysts for Social Change</a>. In that post I included a Fair Trade Advocacy Matrix which I have added here. This matrix is useful for initiating </span><span style="font-size: small;">or reinvigorating </span><span style="font-size: small;"> a Fair Trade Awareness Campaign in your community regardless of where you reside. The purpose is to begin brainstorming on how Fair Trade can become a reality in your community by raising awareness through Shop-Based Advocacy, in religious institutions, with social networks, amongst students, on campuses and to mobilize activists. <i><br />
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<a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/59097353/Fair-Trade-Advocacy-Matrix-Mitch-Teberg-MA-2011" style="-x-system-font: none; display: block; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 12px auto 6px auto; text-decoration: underline;" title="View Fair Trade Advocacy Matrix, Mitch Teberg, MA, 2011 on Scribd">Fair Trade Advocacy Matrix, Mitch Teberg, MA, 2011</a><iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="0.772727272727273" data-auto-height="true" frameborder="0" height="400" id="doc_29853" scrolling="no" src="http://www.scribd.com/embeds/59097353/content?start_page=1&view_mode=list&access_key=key-io1nmzklgln8riez5k0" width="100%"></iframe><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Fair Trade retailers are essential to the equation and how they integrate the principles of Fair Trade is important to the Movement as a whole. Our efforts to Make Trade Fair can begin by reviewing the current practices and activities of our retailers and identifying areas for improvement.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">If you have a story you want to share on how your store is central to an advocacy campaign; promoting Fair Trade through ongoing creative cultural activities; or involving community organizations in the movement, feel free to share it in the commentary below. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Special thanks to Dr. Mike Thair of Indochine Natural in Malaysia, Nadiah from Playing Fair (Australia), Jose of Spain, and Maryann Wohlwend of Ten Thousand Villages / Lydia's Purse in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, USA. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggY00dojZF8lmFFVN0l3fo_rGZj7hALQGYECJ9uBipA3HoY1KArllmWfZD2-F6EWg3uXmA9YUOv4mxiMo4NL5xfd3DZkfyOfDh8hMUN6rEC755PKH5zzOPZ5bjqya9quBvxlbzBnm2C7h_/s1600/IMG_2829.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggY00dojZF8lmFFVN0l3fo_rGZj7hALQGYECJ9uBipA3HoY1KArllmWfZD2-F6EWg3uXmA9YUOv4mxiMo4NL5xfd3DZkfyOfDh8hMUN6rEC755PKH5zzOPZ5bjqya9quBvxlbzBnm2C7h_/s320/IMG_2829.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Chou, I and Little Journey thank you for joining us in our ongoing Journey for Fair Trade now based in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Feel free to leave comments, thoughts and ideas below! </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Mitch Teberg, MA </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">The commentary below is terrific and brings up important points, please read and add your thoughts and experiences! A few additional points: </span><br />
<ol><li><span style="font-size: small;">As requested, I have placed this post and discussion into a downloadable PDF file for easy reading in black and white. I may do this for other posts as well if the demand is there. Let me know your thoughts. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Word limit on commentary is set by Blogger (Google), feel free to add more than one comment - this is a very important discussion that needs to be aired! If you are a user, log in, that entitles you to longer commentary too. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">If your comment disappears when you post it, it may have gone into Spam box. If that is the case, I will retrieve it and post it. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Feel free to leave your name, organization and links to your organization in the commentary! </span></li>
</ol></div></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">To read this blog post in B&W on PDF: </span><br />
<a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/61241115/How-Do-Fair-Trade-Retailers-Adhere-to-Our-Shared-Principles" style="-x-system-font: none; display: block; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 12px auto 6px auto; text-decoration: underline;" title="View How Do Fair Trade Retailers Adhere to Our Shared Principles on Scribd">How Do Fair Trade Retailers Adhere to Our Shared Principles</a><iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="0.772727272727273" data-auto-height="true" frameborder="0" height="400" id="doc_17762" scrolling="no" src="http://www.scribd.com/embeds/61241115/content?start_page=1&view_mode=list&access_key=key-1xax7gg8krvf40wmicbc" width="100%"></iframe></div>Mitch Teberg, MAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09103389961793260475noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8621388137674795607.post-49640115238815184682011-07-10T12:24:00.000-07:002011-08-22T20:12:40.700-07:00WFTO - To Create a Vision for Fair Trade<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #f1c232;"><span lang="EN-GB"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">For Fair Trade to be successful as a global movement there needs to be a clear and comprehensive vision. To create that vision begins with a reflection on hard lessons learned in the Global Recession of 2007-08.</span></span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #f1c232;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #f1c232;"><span lang="EN-GB"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I invite you to contribute to the development of this truly global vision:</span></span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span></i><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.wfto.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1492&Itemid=305">WFTO - To create a vision for Fair Trade</a></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.wfto.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1492&Itemid=305"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlMty_zfKbVKNnXLwrYwpmu25VeFO29yFWHsZky6yjgIDx_ILUiaPggU5iN2QBKIS7EIj20gNO5DNrFj84aOjlkeCywouJe69P6jyLzqUqjaNwMBZM4ZKiYUzeeKBw-VW1SaJFPg5dW460/s1600/WFTO+logo.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Mitch Teberg, MA</span></div></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">For a downloadable PDF version of the article:</span><br />
<a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/62875247/To-Create-a-Vision-for-Fair-Trade" style="-x-system-font: none; display: block; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 12px auto 6px auto; text-decoration: underline;" title="View To Create a Vision for Fair Trade on Scribd">To Create a Vision for Fair Trade</a><iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="0.772727272727273" data-auto-height="true" frameborder="0" height="400" id="doc_76434" scrolling="no" src="http://www.scribd.com/embeds/62875247/content?start_page=1&view_mode=list&access_key=key-244od9eaazeckqb3xkij" width="100%"></iframe></div>Mitch Teberg, MAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09103389961793260475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8621388137674795607.post-89044709005456726092011-07-02T16:00:00.000-07:002011-07-05T06:17:08.690-07:00A Little Journey makes his Debut<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl22kKmEaRR2DSzD-gxlWEX8EhSg0OgrZadju4Zw2Bk45H3allYF6jxIsNBuYJJC1oG03Xg-UcSXFh3p_l-9uzNQiYfU1twh8k5kOawYJ6rcmIXvpkHuRwaewUar4aN0pUtm3HPL1MoyZ4/s1600/awu_c_laurence.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl22kKmEaRR2DSzD-gxlWEX8EhSg0OgrZadju4Zw2Bk45H3allYF6jxIsNBuYJJC1oG03Xg-UcSXFh3p_l-9uzNQiYfU1twh8k5kOawYJ6rcmIXvpkHuRwaewUar4aN0pUtm3HPL1MoyZ4/s1600/awu_c_laurence.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
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<div style="color: #f1c232; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">This is a blog post about Fair Trade; </span></i></div><div style="color: #f1c232; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;"> a post about the present and the future, </span></i></div><div style="color: #f1c232; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">about clarity and vision, </span></i></div><div style="color: #f1c232; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;"> about sanctity and value, </span></i></div><div style="color: #f1c232; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">about people and planet; </span></i></div><div style="color: #f1c232; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;"> this post is about hope for the future. </span></i></div></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwjfc3I4BZHOV3AsO9Y8zinAaoER8H5cyJ-Vj5azdkhgwgLc_z9hhWma6xbtsfs4dwU5E5GiGdRPKYau6hsNf9gKaYQ3p43_P0o-3ibm_fM-iQbPwPvNUgOyFfUO3-_TjE8bMTEx_vQzV4/s1600/Little+Journey%2527s+fixed+gaze.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwjfc3I4BZHOV3AsO9Y8zinAaoER8H5cyJ-Vj5azdkhgwgLc_z9hhWma6xbtsfs4dwU5E5GiGdRPKYau6hsNf9gKaYQ3p43_P0o-3ibm_fM-iQbPwPvNUgOyFfUO3-_TjE8bMTEx_vQzV4/s320/Little+Journey%2527s+fixed+gaze.jpg" width="227" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Little Journey on his first day in the world</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Chou and I have joyous news of our own to announce from our Journey for Fair Trade. On the sunny afternoon of Saturday, July 2<sup>nd</sup>, 2011, in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, our newborn son joined us fresh from the beauty of a nine-month creation. For Chou and I, the birth of our Little Journey is nothing short of a miracle; he is the beauty of innocence and hope wrapped tightly in a bundle. We know the values we will teach; the appreciation of life we will share; and the principles we impart upon him will impact an entire generation. </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
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</style> <![endif]--> <div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Our hope for the future of our shared planet is in the Fair Trade Movement. By this we mean that we hope Fair Trade will do more than create a small percentage of conscientious consumers and impact a few cooperatives in distant nations. Our vision for Fair Trade is a vision for the future; we believe that through Fair Trade a world can be awakened to the values of sustainability, equity, and diversity on a shared planet. </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
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</style> <![endif]--> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">We hope that our efforts can bring positive direction and change to the concept of Business as Usual; that exploitation of children will become a thing of the past, labor rights will be respected as a paradigm of human achievement, and environmental sustainability will surpass short term gains as the milestone of corporate success. Our hope is for a world committed to the principles of Fair Trade, open and transparent, and based on respect for human rights.<span> </span>We envision a world where Little Journey's right to play, education, healthcare and safety is universally embraced and</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> gender equity is a human condition. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</style> <![endif]--> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">And above all, we want to be part of the movement to make this vision a reality. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-n3L3MqWD5_AiaI6QdaxZkfLq4RgvpJMqdmFpo4-jnjV2OKhIGIFN0iwUX-RRLGETD4W9xtml2I6Mi1DbllqY4v4DndJ7B0VJuvhp3u81HuxqBOXK7RH-fiIH_JcPIkVGRYXgLxb2GyA9/s1600/IMG_2780.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-n3L3MqWD5_AiaI6QdaxZkfLq4RgvpJMqdmFpo4-jnjV2OKhIGIFN0iwUX-RRLGETD4W9xtml2I6Mi1DbllqY4v4DndJ7B0VJuvhp3u81HuxqBOXK7RH-fiIH_JcPIkVGRYXgLxb2GyA9/s320/IMG_2780.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our first family photo of our Journey together</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Thank you for joining us on our Journey for Fair Trade, and feel free to join us for more "<a href="http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.168346066565987.44911.100001717858697&l=1b1b5c8e6f">first photos</a>" on facebook.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: small;">Mitch, Chou, and Little Journey. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div></div></div>Mitch Teberg, MAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09103389961793260475noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8621388137674795607.post-34964185923261047662011-06-30T03:30:00.000-07:002011-07-27T03:05:09.669-07:00"Our Values, Our Fair Trade Principles"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Ethical principles form the foundation of the Fair Trade, and w</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">hen discussing these principles in practice we are really talking about the way business should be conducted around the world on a day-to-day basis, placing people and planet above profit and private gains. The principles are not a political ideology, but sensible, humane and logical aspirations for living on a shared planet. </span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">In the last series, "From Principles to Practices", I focused on the importance of breaking down principles to an everyday</span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> occurrence. </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Coincidentally on June 20th, I received a weekly newsletter from Carola Reintjes, Chief Executive of the World Fair Trade Organization. In this newsletter she </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">presented a terrific idea for promoting Fair Trade principles. With the permission of WFTO, I have reprinted that newsletter here:</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.wfto.com/"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlMty_zfKbVKNnXLwrYwpmu25VeFO29yFWHsZky6yjgIDx_ILUiaPggU5iN2QBKIS7EIj20gNO5DNrFj84aOjlkeCywouJe69P6jyLzqUqjaNwMBZM4ZKiYUzeeKBw-VW1SaJFPg5dW460/s1600/WFTO+logo.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #f1c232; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Dear members, dear FAIR traders,</span></b></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #f1c232; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=8621388137674795607&postID=3496418592326104766" name="OLE_LINK1" rel="nofollow"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=8621388137674795607&postID=3496418592326104766" name="OLE_LINK2" rel="nofollow"></a><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-weight: bold;">Shalom, <span class="SpellE">Jambo</span>, <span class="SpellE">Dobar</span> <span class="SpellE">dan</span>, <span class="SpellE">Bula</span> <span class="SpellE">Wantok</span>, Buenos <span class="SpellE">días</span>, Good day, Ciao, <span class="SpellE">Bom</span> <span class="SpellE">dia</span>, <span class="SpellE">Nihao</span>, <span class="SpellE">Asalamou</span> <span class="SpellE">Aleikoum</span>, Bonjour, Mabuhay, <span class="SpellE">Konnichi</span> <span class="SpellE">wa</span>, Namaste!</span></b></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Today I would like to share with you a very simple proposal. I strongly believe in the <span style="font-style: italic;">simple and small things in life</span>. Simple things and small gestures can have high impact, and can potentially change lives.</span></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">If a journalist asked you <b style="color: #f1c232;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">what it is that makes you different from other business</span></b>, some of you might tell a long story, others might just say “We are fair traders”. But when this journalist keeps on insisting (surely a habit which characterizes all journalists around the globe), and asks <b style="color: #f1c232;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">what makes a <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1308741353_1">Fair Trade Organization</span> different from conventional companies</span></b>, our answers will be very similar. We might not use the same words, we might express in multiple forms, but we will try to tell the journalist that <b style="color: #f1c232;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">our business is based on values</span></b>. Some of us might mention our <b style="color: #f1c232;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1308741353_2">Fair Trade principles</span></span></b>. The journalist will feel our pride when we explain to him/her our value-based approach to production and trade.</span></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">At the Mombasa AGM we approved our new <b style="color: #f1c232;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">WFTO <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1308741353_3">Fair Trade System</span></span></b> for membership, monitoring and certification which has at its core our 10 principles. We slightly changed the wording of our principles and incorporated the cultural identity into one of our principles. </span></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">We would like to challenge you around our 10 principles. Can you imagine yourself, your colleagues, all employees, workers and producers knowing our principles? Just imagine! It would be very powerful. </span></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Just imagine a visitor coming to see you, <span style="font-style: italic;">a buyer, a consultant, or an auditor</span>. Imagine whomever he/she asks about your values, about the principles, and about how you incorporate these principles into your daily work, there will not be 50 different answers but only one common answer: <b style="color: #f1c232;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">a clear reference to our principles, and a clear explanation on how you work with these principles, how your organizations embeds them into your daily work.</span></b></span></span></i><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDJbVQB-oreIDQbLPJ2FbYoXxbFHlH-iZtqQDTNpd3A2JuAOg-slT8mtU2LnvU-d6xd8vkXsylwq74dYPiglX9qy4D9e9xAZIFqqXPYuP_ASyeiCnCpgZRp5mb5FVFa0QN58sBgevsd0DQ/s1600/1205302084_scroll.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDJbVQB-oreIDQbLPJ2FbYoXxbFHlH-iZtqQDTNpd3A2JuAOg-slT8mtU2LnvU-d6xd8vkXsylwq74dYPiglX9qy4D9e9xAZIFqqXPYuP_ASyeiCnCpgZRp5mb5FVFa0QN58sBgevsd0DQ/s320/1205302084_scroll.jpg" width="250" /></a></div><b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: bold;"> </span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="color: #f1c232;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Now my simple proposal</span></span></i></b><b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: bold;">: </span></span></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></span></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> Print our <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Fair Trade principles</span></b>;</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Make sure you only use the recent version approved at the Mombasa AGM;</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> (Download) the document in English (see below) and Spanish (see at bottom);</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Eliminate all previous versions from your files, only use this last version;</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Distribute copies to your colleagues, employees, workers and producers;</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Hang them on your wall at your work-place (desk, table, wall, …);</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Assure everybody does the same;</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Try to organize a short session every week, or ask for it to be organized;</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">During the session discuss collectively one of the principles (one every week);</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">In ten weeks your staff, workers and producers will have gone through a wonderful training on the 10 principles;</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Tell us about your sessions, tell us about your good experience, but as well about the problems you come across when implementing the principles;</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Take photos during the sessions, film your sessions;</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Share your experience, photos, film, drawings, with us;</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">We would like to share your good experience with other <span class="GramE">members,</span> we will tell your story to motivate others. </span></span></li>
</ul></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">This simple proposal is meant for <b style="color: #f1c232;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">all of us, producer organizations and marketing organizations, manufacturers and traders, exporters and importers, wholesalers and retailers</span>. </b>Don’t just assume that in your organization people are well trained on our principles, just because your organization has been in <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1308741353_4">Fair Trade business</span> for 20 or 30 years. </span></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">You might need to <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">translate the principles into your local language/s</span></b>. </span></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">You might need to <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">convert them into graphics, drawings.</span></b> </span></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">We surely cannot make the mistake to be exclusive around our values. </span></span></i></span><i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">All of our employees, workers and producers have a right to clearly understand what they are working for. Many hours of their live will be dedicated to <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1308741353_5" style="border-bottom: 2px dotted rgb(54, 99, 136); cursor: pointer;">Fair Trade</span>, so we better make sure we reach out to all the people we are responsible for. </span></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #f1c232;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: bold;">Our Fair Trade principles are our <span style="font-style: italic;">family silver. </span>They make us <span style="font-style: italic;">unique </span>in a highly competitive and exploitative world out there. Let us make sure we dedicate the attention our values deserve, and let us make sure each of the persons we are responsible for in our organization clearly understands and implements each of the principles. </span></span></b></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">We wish you a GOOD week, and an interesting first session,</span></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">On behalf of the Secretariat,</span></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span lang="IT" style="font-family: Arial;">Carola </span></span></i></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">WFTO © 2011</span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/59037345/WFTO-10-Fair-Trade-Principles-June2011-2" style="-x-system-font: none; display: block; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 12px auto 6px auto; text-decoration: underline;" title="View WFTO 10 Fair Trade Principles June2011-2 on Scribd">WFTO 10 Fair Trade Principles June2011-2</a><iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="0.706697459584296" data-auto-height="true" frameborder="0" height="400" id="doc_36641" scrolling="no" src="http://www.scribd.com/embeds/59037345/content?start_page=1&view_mode=list&access_key=key-2j54v5hannz21y3gmact" width="100%"></iframe><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I like this idea because Carola's proposal is practical. It requires no costly effort and is essential to the sustainability of the Fair Trade Movement. More importantly,<span style="color: #f1c232;"> </span><i style="color: #f1c232;">this activity needs to be done by organizations throughout the supply chain! </i>There are many creative ways to make this a fun interactive and memorable activity. The best way to transfer ownership of these principles is through providing opportunities for staff and workers to teach others! </span></span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpI2MLd0tIFj-ApsPg0ndAp4rhByTn9QgecSDjDVZ8bhMImPdfEDlM6tgICDCJHNQpZdqPdsgClbA0iHfpaQbkz6zjVZOeJ1WCwAGrnOXajv_xGCvH1VrjG3wu9Ld5Ir3JP9uyxO2RVddu/s1600/Principles+Bahasa+Indonesia.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpI2MLd0tIFj-ApsPg0ndAp4rhByTn9QgecSDjDVZ8bhMImPdfEDlM6tgICDCJHNQpZdqPdsgClbA0iHfpaQbkz6zjVZOeJ1WCwAGrnOXajv_xGCvH1VrjG3wu9Ld5Ir3JP9uyxO2RVddu/s320/Principles+Bahasa+Indonesia.jpg" width="254" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Principles of Fair Trade in Bahasa Indonesia, <br />
at the workshop of a Mitra Bali silversmith</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Most producer groups Chou and I met with on this journey had some degree of knowledge of the Fair Trade principles. Admittedly, there was room for improvement for some and an activity such as Carola suggests will definitely improve the situation. When principles are not shared with producers and key people within a Fair Trade Organization it can have disastrous results. In Cambodia, we witnessed how Fair Trade can fail those it is intended to benefit when the principles of Fair Trade were not integrated into the day-to-day operations and were not passed on to empower the craftswomen and men. Admittedly, it was the most challenging post to write because it was contrary to the results I had hoped to publish. </span><br />
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In that blog post I </span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">asked myself, <i>"What do I do when I go to listen to the voices of Fair Trade, but the voices are absent?</i> <i>By absent, it is not that they are missing as in people do not want to share their views on what Fair Trade means to them... I found myself asking, </i><i>what happens when, for no fault of their own, the very people who you go to listen to, don’t have an answer because they don’t know what you are asking?"</i></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"> For insight to the personal and organizational effects of disregarding the principles, you can read the blog post:</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><a href="http://journeyforfairtrade.blogspot.com/2011/01/sound-of-silence.html"><span style="font-size: large;">The Sound of Silence</span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">However, the practice of our shared principles is not for producers alone! I can name at least one American certified Fair Trade importer who could really use Carola's activity (Read: <a href="http://journeyforfairtrade.blogspot.com/2011/04/coffee-part-ii-its-not-my-problem.html">Coffee Part II - "It's not my Problem"</a>), and from what I have heard, it sounds like the problem is more wide spread than we would like to admit. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtcM8G3k-PuLF-zEhEhUc9I9NHY8qbX-H8atibSVTF4Wc5-qdvCVGOodsdxi_iInfYNS57LxTV2YRCeNuYY4OXfvzuiRsKRozkH7y6MR7rsFx-iZZe1Kt0gBJ4utvszHKOpP2-XCsT3CUZ/s1600/spain-flag02.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtcM8G3k-PuLF-zEhEhUc9I9NHY8qbX-H8atibSVTF4Wc5-qdvCVGOodsdxi_iInfYNS57LxTV2YRCeNuYY4OXfvzuiRsKRozkH7y6MR7rsFx-iZZe1Kt0gBJ4utvszHKOpP2-XCsT3CUZ/s320/spain-flag02.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Since starting this blog, I occasionally receive emails from people who plan to take similar journeys related to Fair Trade. Sometimes they are socially conscious backpackers, other times they may have something they wish to contribute to the Fair Trade movement and feel that a journey to meet producers is a good approach. Recently, I received an email from a Fair Trade / Environmental Activist in Spain. He shared his plan to conduct a journey of his own to follow-up on Fair Trade. However, as an advocate he expressed a sincere concern regarding the Fair Trade Movement in Spain that should be ringing alarm bells for all of us. With his permission, I reprint part of his email here:</span><i><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></i><br />
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<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Hi Mitch,</span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">I've just landed to your blog and I must sincerely congratulate for all your work and investigation in favor of fair trade. I work as environmentalist for Friends of the Earth - Spain, at the same time I'm involved in various non-prof fair trade, social and wildlife groups that keep myself happily busy and always on guard to fight for human and nature rights!!!</span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: small;">After many years involved in fair trade, social issues and environmental protection, I've decided to take a some time off to travel Asia and South America with the aim to visit communities and see if fair trade is really working as a catalyst for social and economic change and to value if we are all working towards building a sustainable future for both humans and nature.</span></i></div><div><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">I must say that there is a lack of transparency in FT issues in Spain, all shops buy direct from importers but there is a few information from importers on the real impact on communities: working conditions, families, health, education, rights,...everyone seems to be pretty happy just buying FT goods and no-one ask any further questions. To this point there are quite a few voices raising to demand more information and a real reports and analysis on FT impact on communities....but no-one seems to hear our demands.</span></i></div><div><br />
</div><div><i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In order to solve this lack of transparency and impact issue I've decided to travel to Asia and Latin-América to see things for myself. This journey will keep me on the move for at least two years. If everything works OK I hope to spend a year in Asia and the rest in Latin-América... </span></span></i></div><div><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>Warmest regards from Spain and all the best with your project, you are carrying out a fantastic work !!!</i> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">I am encouraged by his personal commitment to follow-up on the impacts of Fair Trade. However, he also brings up a serious issue that directly relates to the importance of knowing the Fair Trade Principles regardless of where you find yourself in the supply chain. </span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As an importer, retailer, consumer or advocate, how can we promote Fair Trade if we don't share the direct impacts of Fair Trade principles in a community?</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div></div></div></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDPhoEUiM3LPZCdIH6Xoe4xTiH_NVwHO65xK7usKNXbL2iWZ6b6a2hC-p3fXOtAOIGWvc9BiWvY1W-1M8yLRdE4EWXfWcbtNR1ok50323fO9GXz3EZPtRB5Fx2t7qs0yY3YqsiXexHDTUY/s1600/distance+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDPhoEUiM3LPZCdIH6Xoe4xTiH_NVwHO65xK7usKNXbL2iWZ6b6a2hC-p3fXOtAOIGWvc9BiWvY1W-1M8yLRdE4EWXfWcbtNR1ok50323fO9GXz3EZPtRB5Fx2t7qs0yY3YqsiXexHDTUY/s320/distance+2.jpg" width="315" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">One of the main motivating factors for Chou and I to embark on this journey was to learn about and present the impact of Fair Trade on producers. I have been in many Fair Trade shops and I am often disappointed that the only information about the producers is on a small sales tag. Surely Fair Trade retailers can provide more information than that! </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">There are many ways to bridge the existing gap between producers and consumers. Here are a few examples that I have seen:</span><br />
<ul><li><span style="font-size: small;">Provide handouts or brochures that offer links to producer websites. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Feature a simple one-page summary of a producer group each month with a couple photos.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Offer opportunities to travel to meet producer groups in near-by locations, or for the adventurous offer Fair Trade travel packages to foreign countries - I recently reviewed a brochure for Fair Trade tourism in Cebu, Philippines! Use the trip to take photos and get their stories to share in the store when you return! </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Bring Fair Trade producers to connect directly with customers for a special occasion or fundraising event. </span></li>
</ul><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">I</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">nformation about the producers themselves, their community, the social issues they are addressing, and the impact of Fair Trade can be used as a selling point to connect consumers to producers; a value-added measure big box-store retailers can not offer.</span> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Unlike conventional trade, Fair Trade is intended to bridge the distance between producers and consumers; t</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">his is exactly the reason importers, retailers, their staff and Fair Trade volunteers could all benefit from Carola's suggestion. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">If the principles are understood throughout the supply chain, the information regarding the impact of Fair Trade is more readily shared! In many cases</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"> Fair Trade producers have websites and it is possible to see the impacts of Fair Trade through the information they provide. In other cases producers may not have access to the internet. In either case, the onus of responsibility for providing such information is on the <i>importers and retailers alike</i>. </span><br />
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<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">As Carola wrote, <i style="color: #f1c232;">"</i></span><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: small;"><i>We surely cannot make the mistake to be exclusive around our values."</i></span><span style="font-size: small;"><i style="color: #f1c232;"></i> Find out how those principles are making a difference and share your findings! </span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgagBuVnobz-IgKK8iuCnIvMNnYRZzDt1R5YiV_rkplOlbC5lIoCnPfdv9OM4yFSMP1OFTfR67lkdnc9V8rdmVH7htmqy6XbjLxMMBcrpQqBgdQ8o7Q3zsbeXM50XNeErEmJsPFgAaynNCH/s1600/246px-MakeTradeFair.svg.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgagBuVnobz-IgKK8iuCnIvMNnYRZzDt1R5YiV_rkplOlbC5lIoCnPfdv9OM4yFSMP1OFTfR67lkdnc9V8rdmVH7htmqy6XbjLxMMBcrpQqBgdQ8o7Q3zsbeXM50XNeErEmJsPFgAaynNCH/s1600/246px-MakeTradeFair.svg.png" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Thank you for following our blog. Chou and I welcome your comments, ideas and suggestions as we delve into the multitude of issues surrounding Fair Trade. </span><br />
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #f1c232; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">To be charitable is a virtue; </span></i></div><div style="color: #f1c232; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span style="font-size: large;"> to be empowered is a human right. </span></i></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Fair Trade empowers the disadvantaged, integrates the marginalized, and supports the impoverished with viable livelihoods. <a href="http://www.wfto.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1505&Itemid=293">Click here</a> to donate to the Fair Trade. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Mitch Teberg, MA</span><br />
<br />
</div></div></div><a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/59037340/Los-Diez-Principios-Comercio-Justo-June2011" style="-x-system-font: none; display: block; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 12px auto 6px auto; text-decoration: underline;" title="View Los Diez Principios Comercio Justo June2011 on Scribd">Los Diez Principios Comercio Justo June2011</a><iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="0.706697459584296" data-auto-height="true" frameborder="0" height="400" id="doc_61817" scrolling="no" src="http://www.scribd.com/embeds/59037340/content?start_page=1&view_mode=list&access_key=key-p1dpzm9c5uytz7yfzk9" width="100%"></iframe></div>Mitch Teberg, MAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09103389961793260475noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8621388137674795607.post-8554425790473419952011-06-21T02:17:00.000-07:002011-06-21T05:23:04.956-07:00From Principles to Practices - Part III<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY_2O920pC0bSyIenYX5uzQtm6xFvGfPYojMnlnBv55iggzf0X7nL97l3G-YNMkkOtOI9tixa7HHHq8ORNtEo2tJXjJBf9FBONkOMtF_z27Pyg2b9GwpVKMxdL6a9w4Vq5IPAJsorPieLb/s1600/principles-design.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY_2O920pC0bSyIenYX5uzQtm6xFvGfPYojMnlnBv55iggzf0X7nL97l3G-YNMkkOtOI9tixa7HHHq8ORNtEo2tJXjJBf9FBONkOMtF_z27Pyg2b9GwpVKMxdL6a9w4Vq5IPAJsorPieLb/s320/principles-design.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">In my last blog post about breaking down principles to practices in contracts (<a href="http://journeyforfairtrade.blogspot.com/2011/06/from-principles-to-practices-part-ii.html">From Principles to Practices Part II</a>) with Fair Trade producer groups, I discussed and provided examples of the purpose behind such a contract:</span></div><ol style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: small;">To provide clear definitions for common understanding </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Assign clear and practical areas of responsibility to both the producer and the buyer for each principle. <i>A Fair Trade contract cannot be one sided!</i></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Reference the relevant United Nations and ILO Conventions, thereby integrate a <i>Rights-Based Approach</i> into the contract </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Create a platform for in-depth discourse to develop common understandings that overcome social and cultural barriers between the buyer and the producer </span></li>
</ol><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">To that blog post, Dr. Sabam Malau, </span><span style="font-size: small;">Chairman of the <a href="http://northsumateracoffeeforum.blogspot.com/">North Sumatera Coffee Forum</a> (NSCF) made a few additional points from his own experience that are particularly important if Fair Trade is to be considered fair to producers.</span><span style="font-size: small;"> First, he explains the need for an independent third party to verify adherence to the principles. Secondly, he defines a fair price for coffee growers as one that provides the farmers with a viable livelihood. Lastly, he points out the importance of establishing a forum inclusive of the local government while integrating a Rights-Based Approach to programs and policies. With his permission I have posted it here: </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Thank you Mr. Mitch Teberg for the explanation above for it is a very good idea of understanding and implementation of the fairness principles. That's very inspirational. <br />
<br />
Indeed, yes, both sides (buyers and producers) has its own duties. However, I do believe that a third party must play a key role i.e to match buyers' and producers' interest. The third party can be NGO, person, or government. As long as no conflict of interest they face, they can then contribute significantly to fair trade implementation. <br />
<br />
We NSCF-North Sumatera Coffee Forum has been trying to spread the idea of fair trade, such as coffee price at growers level must be high enough that coffee growers can then have enough income for better livelihoods and for maintaining their coffee field sustainably by using GAP/SOP. The coffee growers have right to live good, have right to be treated fairly, have right to live in friendly ecology/environment, have right to prepare good education for their children etc. <br />
<br />
NSCF will stimulate coffee stakeholders to form coffee forum in each regencies or subregencies. To do that, NSCF needs external supports (technical and financial) to establish the forums and then train the forum members. For short and simple explanation: such coffee forums will disscuss then with the local government so that the local government will decide policies/program based on people rights. The forums will also make good relationship with buyers. It's a kind of win-win solution for all sides. The producers will produce coffee with highest quality continuously, and buyer will buy coffee with highest price. <br />
<br />
I do understand that the tasks of NSCF is not easy. However, NSCF have done something through spreading the idea to decision makers and people near to them as well as to the coffee exporters. Although the results are not yet seen significantly, but at least they already rethink their policies/program. Otherwise, the future of coffee will be questioned and unclear. <br />
</i><br />
<i>Thank you. Kind regards. <br />
<br />
Dr. Sabam Malau<br />
Chairman of NSCF-North Sumatera Coffee Forum</i><br />
<a href="http://northsumateracoffeeforum.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://<wbr></wbr>northsumateracoffeeforum.<wbr></wbr>blogspot.com</a></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">I wholeheartedly agree with Dr. Sabam Malau. His first point is quite important - the need for independent verification. </span><span style="font-size: small;">An independent third party is essential to ensure both parties adhere to the agreement. A third party</span><span style="font-size: small;"><i> </i>such as an NGO, person, or government has</span><span style="font-size: small;"> several tools at its disposal. Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) is a commonly used methodology in the field of Development for conducting assessments and as a basis for project evaluations. The same tools can be modified for a third party evaluation of Fair Trade practices. </span><span style="font-size: small;">For example, interviews with key people involved such as management, review of the transactions between the buyer and the producer, </span><span style="font-size: small;">a review of the current practices throughout the supply chain, </span><span style="font-size: small;">conducting an inquiry directly with producers, and group discussions with various stakeholders. These are just a few of the many tools used in project evaluations that would be applicable here.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">In the Helvetas contract, it states: </span><span style="font-size: small;"><i>“Verification of compliance to the contract will be conducted by external auditors with an understanding of the local political, social and cultural contexts and extensive knowledgeable of Fair Trade Principles and Practices. To ensure a fair disposition in the audit, both the Producer and the Buyer will be assessed according to the terms of the contract.”</i> <span style="color: #f1c232;">In short, it is not only the producer who is held accountable, but the buyer as well. </span></span></div><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXkB7f-JPRtYEkykkVgZ4XBnCeaLP-q9FAqz1Ipf0PzQMldLDICfPD66WZkcB1MpcBh03tepOkQmSF7HJCE-EdGTGK_YIT1Tzgyt7B52RndEWBTQGq6jqnM_kQuRh2c9Yg_woczsqMkI2J/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="67" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXkB7f-JPRtYEkykkVgZ4XBnCeaLP-q9FAqz1Ipf0PzQMldLDICfPD66WZkcB1MpcBh03tepOkQmSF7HJCE-EdGTGK_YIT1Tzgyt7B52RndEWBTQGq6jqnM_kQuRh2c9Yg_woczsqMkI2J/s320/images.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">His second point on defining a fair price is the cornerstone of Fair Trade. He utilizes a set of criteria to determine fairness. </span></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: small;">Improving livelihoods</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Maintaining sustainable farming practices</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Live well</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Fair Treatment</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Live in a safe, unpolluted environment</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Children receive good education</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Etc</span></li>
</ul><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">In establishing Ten Principles of Fair Trade, the <a href="http://www.wfto.com/">World Fair Trade Organization</a> also defines the payment of a Fair Price: </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">Principle </span></b></span><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span lang="EN-US">Four: Payment of a Fair Price</span></b></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A fair price is one that has been mutually agreed by all through dialogue and participation, which provides fair pay to the producers and can also be sustained by the market. Where Fair Trade pricing structures exist, these are used as a minimum. Fair pay means provision of socially acceptable remuneration (in the local context) considered by producers themselves to be fair and which takes into account the principle of equal pay for equal work by women and men. Fair Trade marketing and importing organizations support capacity building as required to producers, to enable them to set a fair price. </span></i></span></div><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">© WFTO</span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Both approaches center on the participation of producers which integrates the cost of living and production. </span></div><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"></span></div><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"></span> <br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Another approach is termed as a "Living Wage" and is often upheld as a standard for Fair Trade. Notably, a "Living Wage" does not contrast with the WFTO or NSCF definitions. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7CectGC7s7WVdp8r75qUs36PoIEIBFFPGz8tabBq8LUWKctXbF6FvptSWc6_9-_16WKOEvdXEUbHbkvBlVHs0QPZnBPwlF3sex_4fOcmzAJZ3787wAttTSQVgRv1Rp3Irk5qnOmO2ZzSA/s1600/minimum_wage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7CectGC7s7WVdp8r75qUs36PoIEIBFFPGz8tabBq8LUWKctXbF6FvptSWc6_9-_16WKOEvdXEUbHbkvBlVHs0QPZnBPwlF3sex_4fOcmzAJZ3787wAttTSQVgRv1Rp3Irk5qnOmO2ZzSA/s320/minimum_wage.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">© </span>Bennett cartoon from the Christian Science Monitor</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f1c232;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">What is a "Living Wage"? </span></span></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB">Firstly, it is <i>not</i> a minimum wage. Frequently a minimum wage is lower than a "Living Wage" and keeps families trapped in poverty. Another important distinction is that a minimum wage is set by legislative bodies whereas a "Living Wage" is set by the producers themselves. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB">By definition a "Living Wage" </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">is designed to provide a minimum estimate of the cost of living for low wage families. <i>The estimate does not reflect a middle class standard of living.</i> The living wage is calculated as a wage sufficient to provide food for an adequate diet and the remaining <i>basic needs </i>for the worker household with an additional 10% added on for discretionary income. For this reason the average number of wage earning adults per household in the target community is included in the calculation. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">The "Living Wage" is a calculation reflecting the basic needs of a family and integrates a means for a family to get out of poverty</span><span style="color: #f1c232;"> in a particular context</span><span style="color: #f1c232;">.</span> By this, I mean it is flexible enough to be applied in rural or urban settings, as well as in various cultural or political settings. For example, in rural communities the cost of day-to-day living is generally less expensive. This calculation allows for variations by involving the poor in calculating their own day-to-day costs. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Secondly, in some countries there is a limit to the number of children a family can have, most notably is China's One-Child Policy. In other communities where no such legal restrictions exist, socio-cultural and religions norms and pressures may influence the number of children in a family. For example, in some cultures it may be a common practice to have six or seven children while in other cultures there may be fewer children per family, which may be due to external influences such as effective family planning and awareness campaigns. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">A third influencing factor is also influenced by socio-cultural norms. In some Asian countries it is common to have three generations residing in the same household. However, that is quite a broad generalization. For a calculation to be accurate, the producers need to be involved in answering particular questions. For example, <i>"Amongst the producers is it common to have three generations residing in the household?" "Has a recent event such as a natural disaster or economic recession forced families to move in together?"</i> For these reasons the producers themselves are essential for the calculation to be accurate. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnyxyY3tQ5UEaWDC2Do_2m8HLfdwB1jGYF5O2FdcXg7KhfK3yZBywDthyphenhypheniTG40tuNjlZoAH7VouTuXy3k0FhVJylXcbrtU1DQo33JeD2s0qs59NQHC16_p3VRFAOaCfKV54gwmV-3qN4YW/s1600/Picture+583.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnyxyY3tQ5UEaWDC2Do_2m8HLfdwB1jGYF5O2FdcXg7KhfK3yZBywDthyphenhypheniTG40tuNjlZoAH7VouTuXy3k0FhVJylXcbrtU1DQo33JeD2s0qs59NQHC16_p3VRFAOaCfKV54gwmV-3qN4YW/s320/Picture+583.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Discussing the Value Chain and a Living Wage at the<br />
Helvetas Workshop in Hanoi, Vietnam, May, 2011.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">I have reviewed a few variations of this calculation and integrated my findings into the Helvetas contract as follows:</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><h4 style="color: #f1c232;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> Living Wage Calculation<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"></span></b></span></span>:</span></h4><div style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium none; padding: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-GB">[(</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Average cost of basic needs per HH for 1 </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-GB">month) <br />
+ 10% Savings]</span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium none; padding: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-GB">----------------------------------------------------------------------------</span></span></div></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-GB">Average no. of adult wage earners per HH</span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt 0.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span lang="EN-GB">Note</span></b><span lang="EN-GB">: Individual “basic needs” include food, water, clothing, daily use items, communication and transportation costs, cost of schooling, average medical costs, etc. Household monthly expenses include rent and household utilities, maintenance costs, etc.</span></span></div><div style="mso-element: footnote-list;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=8621388137674795607&postID=855442579047341995#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"></span></span></span></span></a><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">We had participants in the Helvetas Workshop practice with this and strongly suggested they repeat this exercise with the craftswomen and men as a means to ensure they are providing a fair and living wage. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">During our travels in SE Asia from December, 2010 to May, 2011, Chou and I followed up on producers and the wages they earned. Often times, the wages were above the minimum wage, but not yet to a "Living Wage" standard. In most cases their pay covered all their costs, but there was little or no room for much beyond that. This does not suggest that Fair Trade has failed producers. When I inquired as to the reasons for not achieving a "Living Wage" standard with management of the <span lang="EN-GB">local Fair Trade Organizations</span>, I would frequently hear the same problems: Sales were not high enough for the FTO to be able to pay a higher wage at this time. Keep in mind that most Fair Trade producer groups are heavily dependent on export. It is important to note here that although recovery from the 2007-08 Global Recession is occurring in many Western nations, that does not mean that Fair Trade sales have returned to pre-recession levels. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Many times I had discussions with the management of local FTOs on ways to expand markets, diversify products and value-add to their product line. If you are reading this blog and would like more ideas in this area, read about development of local and national markets in the February, 2011 blog posts: <a href="http://journeyforfairtrade.blogspot.com/2011/02/franchising-fair-trade.html">Franchising Fair Trade</a> and <a href="http://journeyforfairtrade.blogspot.com/2011/02/defining-competitive-in-local-markets.html">Defining Competitive in Local Markets</a>. For an inspirational approach to localizing Fair Trade for coffee farmers, check out the January, 2011 blog post: <a href="http://journeyforfairtrade.blogspot.com/2011/01/to-make-coffee-sustainable.html">To Make Coffee Sustainable</a> and April, 2011 post: <a href="http://journeyforfairtrade.blogspot.com/2011/04/coffee-part-iii-empowering-communities.html">Coffee Part III: Empowering Communities through Action</a>. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_901797689" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="116" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg13QTfqek3yE_a84FmDZktvdrax0BaG1Fm-xqY1MuW6_S5moVB6EBW7JP6bayYrrS7PSBMbLrId5FpZi0yFPTzsG9Zy6dJdFW17oxTLin46VSIytH0_avydRWf6O_PB6th2t-4Uyp6iT0m/s320/helvetas.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.helvetas.biz/">www.helvetas.biz</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div align="left" class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br />
</span></span></div><div align="left" class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB">For the Helvetas contract, the Annex it stipulates the payment of a Fair Price and mainstreams gender: </span></span></div><ul><li><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB"></span>Producer sets minimum wages according to a “Living Wage” calculation in the local context.<span style="font-family: Symbol;"> </span></span></li>
<li style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Producer guarantees equal pay for equal work by women and men. </span></li>
<li style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Producer ensures women and men have equal access to skills training and capacity building to increase income generating opportunities. </span></li>
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB">However, Helvetas didn't want the "Living Wage" standard to be an impeding factor, but an established goal that could realistically be attained. For those cases where providing a Living Wage is not attainable upon contracting, the contract specifies: <i> </i></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB"><i>"Where a Producer is not in compliance with the practices detailed in the Annex, Helvetas will work with the Producer to jointly create a progressive </i></span><i><span lang="EN-GB">Action Plan</span><span lang="EN-GB"> which will include identifying areas for improvement, further research, and training in order to enable the Producer to modify</span><span lang="EN-GB"> current practices</span><span lang="EN-GB"> in a reasonable time-frame</span>. An Action Plan will be created within 60 days of contracting and agreed upon adjustments will be integrated into Producer Development Strategies to ensure compliance <span lang="EN-GB">within 1 to 3 years from the date of contract</span>." </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">Buyers working with producers to create an Action Plan provides </span><span style="font-size: small;">a platform for in-depth discourse to develop common understandings that overcome social and cultural barriers</span><span style="font-size: small;">. Defining a "Living Wage" is just one of many common understandings that need to be developed between buyers and producers in Fair Trade.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">Again,</span><span style="font-size: small;"> I would like to add a special thanks to Helvetas Vietnam (<a href="http://www.helvetas.ch/Vietnam/wEnglish/index.asp?///"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://www.helvetas.org.vn/" target="_blank">www.helvetas.org.vn)</a></span> for permitting me to write of our work together to make the world a better place. Recognition also goes to my partner and greatest supporter, Chou. We are currently residing in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, where I will continue to keep up this blog delving into relevant issues as I write about our Journey for Fair Trade. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"> <i></i></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Feel free to add your comments, thoughts or ideas below</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> or catch me on </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/mitch.teberg" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">facebook</a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">.</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Mitch Teberg, MA </span></span></div></div></div></div>Mitch Teberg, MAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09103389961793260475noreply@blogger.com5