AWAZ founder Sarah Mitts speaks on Panel about Fair Trade Craft Movement at NWFTC Third Thursday Film Series

Join us next Thursday, Oct 20th, as the Northwest Fair Trade Coalition, AWAZ, and other coalition members come together to bring you another educational Fair Trade Film. This film explores the impact of fair trade organizations on producer groups in Peru. Come learn about the basics of fair trade and how they are applied to real producer groups.



The film will be "A Thousand Fibers", hosted at Equal Exchange HQ, 1033 SE Main. This film explores the direct impact buying fairly can have. When consumers choose Fair Trade, they often understand the basics of Fair Trade and are cognizant of the various parts of the supply chain, including the essential—yet often overlooked—role of the person who produces the product. The documentary produced by Partners of Just Trade explores the principles of Fair Trade based on real life experiences, with a special focus on the lives of handcraft artisans in Peru. The film will be followed by an in depth discussion about fair trade artisan groups as a viable alternative to sweatshop production.

Come for the movie, stay for the artisan stories!
What: "A Thousand Fibers"
Where: Equal Exchange 1033 SE Main St.
When: 6pm - 7:30pm

Following the film, members of the coalition will speak about their specific projects and the artisan groups they work with. Sarah, founder of AWAZ and NWFTC, will speak to her work with Stree Shakti. Sarah has a special relationship with Stree Shakti. In 2007, Sarah spent six months with the artisan group, living and working with them. She knows how important their work with Stree Shakti is for their families and their personal empowerment. This group has become a second family for her, and they hold a very special place in her heart. Joining Sarah will be Margaret ____, a representative of Mayan Hands, a fair trade organization that works with around 200 Guatemalan women from 9 different communities. Come learn about Sarah's work in India and Margaret's work with workers in Guatemala. Share their stories and learn how to help.

Street Shakti means “women power” in Hindi and serves serves as a handicraft income generating program for more than 80 low income women in rural communities outside of Dehradun, in the foothills of the Himalayas mountains. In 2003, The Purkal Youth Development Society (PYDS) started this project to help create economic stability for women and their families in Purkal and neighboring villages. Stree Shakti works to empower women to become income earners in their family by providing the workers with the resources and training for producing and selling handicrafts. Stree Shakti produces many beautiful products, including hand-sewn quilts, greeting cards that highlight their quilting work, and natural dye block printed bags--both women's and men's styles.

Help us help them! 30% of each sale goes straight back to the Stree Shakti women

AWAZ is doing a special promotion of Stree Shakti's work. For every package of Quilt Greeting Cards that are sold, 30% of those profits go directly to the artisan group. This 30% is on top of the price that was already paid for the item. The money will go to support educational and empowerment projects for the women artisans. Find their more of their items here, and be sure to check out our other partners! These artisan groups all uphold the values of Fair Trade and through that create beautiful items for the whole family, including scarves, clothing, kid's toys, and jewlery. Be sure to visit our site for a great gift for any occasion!