Lead for Change Blog Towns
Get Involved Online! Plug into the Social Networks and Grow your Campaign!
August 10, 2009One of the best tools for building awareness, steering committee members, a volunteer base, and event turn out is social networking. We need to create our own media to build a buzz around Fair Trade Town campaigns in our communities. We strongly recommend that all local campaigns tap into online social networking. The first step […]
The Coffee Struggle
August 9, 2009When I asked Mario what he would want consumers in the United States to know about coffee farmers and why it is important to buy Fair Trade Certified, his answer surprised me. That is, until I walked the path through his coffee farm. Santos Mario Tórres is the Chairman of the Board of PRODECOOP, a […]
Join the Call!!!
August 8, 2009On Wednesday, August 12 at 8:00pm Eastern/5:00 pm Pacific we will be re-instituting the Monthly National Organizers’ Conference Call. These calls will be on the second Wednesday of every month and will provide critical updates and information on the newest tools for Fair Trade Towns USA campaigns. Call in Number: 605-475-6333 Participant Code: 884663# Please […]
Bluffton, Ohio, becomes U.S. 11th Fair Trade Town
August 7, 2009This May, Bluffton, Ohio joined other large cities and small towns across the U.S. in supporting Fair Trade by meeting the criteria to become the 11th Fair Trade Town in the US! On May 16th, they celebrated their new Fair Trade status with an arts and crafts festival and multicultural performance including traditional English folk […]
Mango Tree Imports
August 7, 2009Kim and Chris Andersen started Mango Tree Imports eight years ago with imported jewelry, linens and lace direct from Paraguay. The expansion to opening a retail shop and incorporating fairly traded items from around the world occurred in the spring of 2006. Since that time, Mango Tree has served as the voice of fair trade […]
Esperance’s Story
August 7, 2009Esperance Nyirangirimfura born New Years Day 1953 is a coffee producer. She has spent many years teaching primary school at the Ecole Primaire de Gakenke in north central Rwanda, but makes her living as cultivating coffee on the steep hillsides of the Rwandan countryside. Esperance is a member of Abakunda Kawa Cooperative (translation from Kinyarwanda: […]
Reflections on a Fair Trade Road Trip
August 5, 200916 June 2009 As I had the opportunity to visit a number of Fair Trade Towns in the North East, and meet with over a dozen local organizers and activists over the course of 12 days, my optimism for the path of the Fair Trade movement continued to grow. As the National Coordinator for Fair […]