Lead for Change Blog
Farewells & Welcomes: Fair Trade Fellows
November 4, 2016As the Fair Trade movement continues to grows across the U.S., we are more grateful than ever for the strength of our regional networks. In the Mid Atlantic, New England, and Southern California, these networks bring together town, college, school, and congregation campaigns to learn from and collaborate with one another. And none of this […]
“Fuel Up” For Finals With Fair Trade this Fall
October 17, 2016Share Your Plans and Get Rewarded! Here’s your chance to get some great, free materials for that final Fair Trade event of the fall semester! A few generous donations have allowed us to support campaigns hosting a Fair Trade Study Break. You can participate with four easy steps: Provide a short explanation of your […]
Fair Trade Trip Report: Monteverde, Costa Rica
October 10, 2016“When we rise in the morning…at the table we drink coffee which is provided to us by a South American, or tea by a Chinese, or cocoa by a West African; before we leave for our jobs we are already beholden to more than half the world.” Since I first encountered this unforgettable quote by Martin Luther King, Jr., I have tried […]
Fair Trade, Photos, and Prizes! Announcing Fair Trade Photofest 2016
October 6, 2016Do you love Fair Trade products? Do you love travel? Do you share photos on social media? If your answer is yes, we have the perfect contest for you! Fair Trade Photofest is a social media photo contest held throughout the entire month of October. This contest is not only an awesome way to promote the Fair […]
A Fair Trade Start to the School Year
September 4, 2016As summer comes to a close, marking the end of internships, adventures, and lazy days spent at the pool, returning to classrooms can be tough. Lucky for you, we have a few great Fair Trade ideas to get you excited about the new school year. Back to School Basics Education is a privilege that not everyone has access […]
International Inspiration from Lebanon
August 23, 2016The 10th International Fair Trade Towns Conference This July, over 100 people from 18 countries and 5 continents gathered in the beautiful mountain town of Baskinta, Lebanon, to learn about one another’s Fair Trade journey. At an elevation of nearly 6,000 feet on the historic Mount Sannine, the views were incredible. For most, it was […]
The Impact of Fair Trade Fashion
August 23, 2016What do you look for when shopping for new clothes? How do cost, style, or brand influence your decisions? What about where and how the garment was made? More and more consumers are looking at the label and asking, “Who made my clothes?“ A lot of clothing on the market today is what’s to referred […]
Organizer Spotlight – Travis Brodbeck
August 8, 2016The Fair Trade movement would not be possible if it weren’t for spontaneous motivators like Travis Brodbeck. Travis has officially taken over for Ben Conard as the co-chair of the National Fair Trade Colleges and Universities Steering Committee. While we are so excited for Travis to begin, we must first give a huge thank you to Ben […]
Fair Trade Campaigns in the Media – Spring/Summer 2016
July 29, 2016Since our campaigns have been making great strides all across the country these past several months and getting quite a bit of media attention for it, we decided to showcase some of the top media hits! Flyer Faithful become Fair Trade friendly Flyer News, July 8, 2016 University of Dayton students may have seen the Fair […]
Partner Spotlight: Fair Trade Federation
July 19, 2016Fair Trade Federation: Partnerships Built on Trust The Fair Trade Federation (FTF) is a network of businesses – including those in the handmade sector – that are verified for their practice of Fair Trade. As members of the FTF community, businesses make the deepest commitment to all nine of the Fair Trade principles, undergo a […]
Fair Trade Campaigns is Hiring 2016/17 Fellows!
July 11, 2016Are you passionate about Fair Trade and social justice? Do you want to gain hands-on experience supporting campaigns, developing leaders, building regional networks and executing digital communications strategies? If this sounds like you then read on to find out more about the Fair Trade Campaigns 2016-17 Fellowship Program! Apply for a Fellowship here! What is […]
You’re Invited! 2016 Regional Conferences
July 1, 2016Join us in September for our FIRST EVER Regional Conferences The United States is a vast country – we’re talking about tens of thousands of cities and towns, thousands of colleges and schools, and hundreds of thousands of congregations. Which means that, here at Fair Trade Campaigns, we have our work cut out for us. […]
Get to Know Mayan Hands
June 28, 2016When we think about Fair Trade, we often think of the physical products – the coffee, tea, sugar, or handicrafts. However, we often forget the stories behind these beautiful creations and the bigger meaning of Fair Trade. If you are involved in the Fair Trade movement, you have likely heard about a wonderful organization called Mayan Hands. I recently […]
Breaking New Ground: Looking Back at the 2015-16 Academic Year
June 22, 2016Let’s take a moment to reflect on the achievements, challenges and milestones of this past year. The Movement is Growing! At the end of August 2015, Fair Trade Colleges & Universities started its 7th year with: 29 Declared Colleges and Universities As of July 2016 there are now: 37 Declared Colleges and Universities (including four first in their states and the largest Fair Trade public […]
Introducing our Summer Intern!
June 2, 2016Hi everyone! I’m Alex, the new Digital Communications & Community Outreach Intern with Fair Trade Campaigns. I am beyond thankful for this opportunity and cannot wait to see what the summer has in store! Even at a young age, issues pertaining to social justice were always on my mind. With my mom being Diversity Director […]
Protecting Children through Fair Trade
May 25, 2016How can a Fair Trade Campaign impact labor trafficking and child labor? Labor trafficking occurs when individuals are compelled to work through force, fraud, and coercion. It is used to produce many of the commodities offered in our communities: the soccer balls kicked by our university teams; the coffee poured in our congregations; and the […]
Party Like It’s World Fair Trade Day
April 29, 2016World Fair Trade Day is May 14! This year marks the fifteenth annual World Fair Trade Day. In communities around the world, people will come together to show their support for Fair Trade and celebrate the benefits that Fair Trade provides to producers and their families. We want to invite YOU to be part of the celebration! […]
FairHer: Women’s Empowerment and Fair Trade
April 18, 2016The subject of women’s rights and empowerment is important to think about when choosing the products you buy. The Need for Women’s Empowerment Women make up almost half of our population globally and about 25 percent of that global population is rural women. These rural women make up the majority of the agricultural labor force […]