A River Between

The holiday season can be both stressful and joyous for anyone - sometimes at the same time. One of the big stresses can be holiday shopping for everyone in your life. Every year I feel a small twinge of cynicism when I become attached to the rampant commercialism of the season when I shop for gifts. How were they made? Who benefits from my purchase of this item? Am I buying into the crazy cycle of consumerism when I do my holiday shopping?

This year I plan to buy at least half of my gifts from sources that are “fair trade” in their philosophy.

So what is meant by Fair Trade?

According to the International Fair Trade Association, Fair Trade means:

• Creating opportunities for economically disadvantaged workers to alleviate poverty and promote sustainable development.
• Accountability and transparency in the trading of goods.
• Gender Equity - Women are empowered and paid for their work.
• A fair price is charged to pass on a liveable profit to the workers, artisans, or producers of goods.
• Healthy Working Conditions that also respect human rights and do not exploit children in the manufacture of goods.
• Responsible environmental practices.

Have you ever stopped to think about those holiday purchases you make, and where your money goes when you buy a gift? One would hope that money could go to workers who make the goods we consume and that they are supported and provided a living wage and adequate working conditions. Unfortunately this just isn’t always so.

Here are a few good places to do your holiday shopping this season that I’ve collected.

Ten Thousand Villages - They have an all volunteer retail staff at a location in St. Paul, at Grand Ave and Victoria!

Global Exchange

Rawganique - Organic hemp cloting!

Real Goods - Environmentally Sustainable gifts here!

Conference of Catholic Bishops - Shopping links galore!

Happy shopping!!