Vote for our CNN Hero

Viola Vaughn, from Aid to Artisans (a Global Exchange collaborator) Project in Senegal, is a Top 10 CNN Hero for 2008! She beat out nearly 3,000 applicants. You can help Viola and her organization win $100,000.

Check out the San Francisco Store for all your Dia de los Muertos Needs

Bay Area Fair Traders! A message from the lovely ladies at the San Francisco Global Exchange Store. Check out the SF Store as a great place to get Day of the Dead items, including papel picado, figurines, sugar skull molds, paper flowers, retablos and other accessories.

About Dia de los Muertos-

Dia de los Muertos
Traditional Altar

In Mexico, the Days of the Dead are celebrated with a mixture of reverence for the departed, revelry to make them happy upon their return and mockery to defy the feat of death itself.

As October wanes, altars are set up in the home. Special food is prepared to satisfy the appetite of the deceased, and fruit, flowers and a favortie drink or cigarette is layed out on that altar for the visiting dead. Marigold peral paths are created to help the dead find their way back home, and a glass of water waits to refresh after a long journey.

Although dates and traditions vary from region to region, the basic sentiment remains: Mock death, partake of it, join it, because there is no escaping it.

Starbucks to Double Fair Trade Certified Coffee Purchases

Absolutely huge news. Starbucks, TransFair USA and the Fairtrade Labelling Organization (FLO) has made a groundbreaking annoucement that Starbucks will double its Fair Trade Certified coffee purchases, making them the largest purchaser of Fair Trade Certified coffee in the world.

Starbucks, TransFair USA and the Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International (FLO) today announced a groundbreaking initiative that builds upon the organizations' shared history of support for small-scale coffee farmers. Starbucks, one of the largest buyers of Fair Trade Certified™ coffee, will double its purchases to 40 million pounds in 2009, making the company the largest purchaser of Fair Trade Certified coffee in the world. Marking a new phase in their nine-year relationship with Starbucks, TransFair USA and FLO will join Conservation International as key partners in the Starbucks™ Shared Planet™ commitment to ethical sourcing.

"Starbucks announcement to double their Fair Trade Certified commitment in 2009 shows tremendous leadership. This dramatic volume increase will have a far-reaching positive impact in coffee growing communities throughout the developing world - it will send kids to school, bring clean water to farming communities and enable struggling farmers to put food on the table," said Paul Rice, president and ceo of TransFair USA. "Starbucks™ Shared Planet™ initiative empowers consumers to make ethical decisions about the coffee they drink, and support the farmers that produce it."

Full press release.

(Cross posted at http://fairtrade.change.org)

Also see Global Exchange's Starbucks Campaign.

Update from the Berkeley Store

Just an update from your Global Exchange friends at the Berkeley Store. If you're ever in the Berkeley area, check out some lovely clothing they are carrying, as seen on the left. They are made by an amazing women's collective in India called Aagor Daagra Afad.

Aagor Daagra Afad is a women’s collective working with about 50 villages in Assam India. The group was formed to help some of the poorest women who have been domestic servants most of their lives. Through this program 75% are able to rejoin their villages and weave for the collective. When the women come to the group they already know how to weave and use their traditional patterns with vibrant colors. Through this work they are able to keep their traditional weaving alive and support themselves.

Aagor Daagra Afad work with designers and then train the women in what will sell both in the merging Indian and western markets. Look for bright colored hand-loomed blouses, scarves, shoulder bags, pillow covers, table runners and picture frames and journals at the Global Exchange Berkeley Store.

Celebrate With Us...Our new DC Store is Open!

When: Tuesday, October 21st 5:30-7:30 pm
Where: Busboys and Poets 1025 5th Street at K NW
Call for info: 202-842-4525

Featuring...
An introduction by Andy Shallal, Owner of Busboys and Poets Restaurants
A short film: "Global Exchange: 20 Years of Social Change"
Fabulous Busboys and Poets appetizers
Special Store discounts for attendees

A Chocolatey October

It's October and Fair Trade month is upon us,so Global Exchange is making it easy for you to take action for Fair Trade this month...and beyond. With Halloween just around the corner, candy is the one thing that is on everyone's shopping list. However, this year how about moving away from that un-certified chocolate and reach for the Fair Trade certified label.

Our very own Tex Dworkin weighs in on the cocoa industry situation and encourages us all to buy Fair Trade Certified chocolate to pass out this Halloween and get involved in different Global Exchange campaigns to spread the word.

What’s the difference between people who choose Fair Trade certified chocolate to hand out to Trick-or-Treaters and those who hand out un-certified chocolate? Lipstick. Kidding of course, but in truth the cocoa industry is no laughing matter. Let’s face it. Chocolate that isn’t Certified Fair Trade is just plain scary. The US Department of State estimates that more than 109,000 children in the Ivory Coast’s cocoa industry work under “the worst forms of child labor,” while the International Labor Rights Forum claims 284,000 children toil in abusive labor conditions in West Africa’s cocoa fields. [read more]

Batsiranai Giving Some Global Exchange Love

Lynn Poole of Batsiranai just sent us a quick note about some ladies over in Zimbabwe:

I was at Batsiranai yesterday and Rose and Mai Edwin were wearing GE tees, so I took a photo for you.
Warmest regards from Zim Lynn

Global Exchange has been a big supporter of the Batsiranai Craft Project and it's little things like this that really resound for us and make us smile. You really do feel those people-to-people ties! Thanks to Lynn and all the women at Batsiranai for sending out some love today.

Fair Trade Month is Here!

Greetings Fair Traders. Today is the first day of October and it also marks the first day of Fair Trade Month. This year's theme is "The Faces of Fair Trade" so in honor of this year's theme, we will be bringing you more stories about the Fair Trade producer groups that we work with.

Have a story you want to share with us about a Fair Trade producer that you met with? How about a producer group that you've heard about that truly inspires you? Be sure to tell us about it and we will go ahead and post it for you.


ALSO! To celebrate this special occassion, the Global Exchange Online Store will be sending you FREE chocolate with every single order placed in our Online Store during the month of October. There is no minimum purchase required, so everyone is a winner! All we ask is that you shop early to make sure you get your chocolate fix, because this is a 'while supplies last' deal. Just type in "FREE CHOCOLATE" in the customer comment box at checkout. So simple and so delicious.

Go out and get your Fair Trade on. The Fair Trade Month 2008 website is a great resource in case you're wondering how you can get involved and find out about different events around your 'hood. Solidarity, my friends. Happy Fair Trade Month!

We just launched a new interactive map feature!

It's been a dream of ours to have an interactive map for our loyal customers to scroll over, land on their fav country, click, and see a list of producer groups we work with and products we offer from that region. After years of dreaming, the moment has arrived!!!

A big shout out to Graham, who donated his time and brain energy to make this happen. We couldn't have done it without you.

Check it out ya'll: New Map Feature. If you're looking for it on our website, go to our homepage and click on the left column where it says "Shop by Country."

Happy exploring!