Fair Trade Federation Conference 2012 May 21-23 – Bellevue, WA

Friends –

The annual Fair Trade Federation Conference is less than 2 months away! Fair trade retailers, importers, and activists will meet in Bellevue for 3 days of learning, networking, skill-building, and celebrating! Please consider attending and spread the word! A conference flyer is attached and available at www.fairtradefederation.org/bellevue. You can also visit the facebook page to learn more and share highlights: http://www.facebook.com/FTFederation

I've attended two over the years, plus United Students for Fair Trade conferences. They're a great environment to learn, discuss and engage with leaders in the movement - get resources, connect with producers and be inspired! We'll be representing AWAZ and the NWFTC from Portland.

Hope to see you there!

-Sarah

Fair Trade Federation Conference 2012

May 21-23 – Bellevue, WA

Why come to the Conference?

• Networking with other fair trade stakeholders

• Sessions and workshops featuring expert speakers focused on building fair trade businesses and the movement as a whole

• Delicious fair trade snacks from Equal Exchange and Andean Dream

• Expanded Fair Trade Expo– an opportunity for wholesalers to display products and connect with retailers

Check out our Session Highlights! Whether you’re a student, a business owner, new to fair trade or a long-time member of the movement, our program has something for you!

Conference Quick Links

• Conference Homepage

• Join our Conference email list

• Registration

• Sponsorship & Exhibiting at the Fair Trade Expo

• Schedule

AWAZ fair trade shop promotes cross-cultural understanding at new Portland World Market

We are extremely excited to announce that we will soon be having an AWAZ shop in Portland.

After three years in Portland representing fair trade artisan cooperatives and their products, we have been accepted to have a stall at the new Portland World Market that will be open year round, starting April 7^th, 2012. The project has been 5 years in the making and aims to celebrate, preserve, support, and promote heritage and cultural diversities around the world. The market will offer an international marketplace of culturally diverse products made in accordance with fair trade principles and provide educational demonstrations and entertainment.

Our stall will be located inside the Fire Museum building adjacent to Ankeny Plaza and the Mercy Corps Action Center, neighboring the Portland Saturday Market. It will be open every weekend from April – December and possibly open up during the week.

We are excited to see this emerge in Portland and are enthused to get the opportunity to represent a sustainable goods market that promotes international cultures and ethical business practices. While Portland is culturally diverse in terms of music, art and lifestyle, there is a great need for a space in the city to bridge the gap and represent art and culture from around the world. These environments are crucial in helping people to learn more about the world, promote cross-cultural exchange and create more peace and unity.

I was an active leader of the International Coordinating Council while at Kansas State University that served a similar mission by organizing cultural awareness programs, activities and events, working closely with the international student associations and students. It was here that through my friendships with people from around the world that I developed an appreciation for the world and different ways of life.

The fact that the vendors will also be held to a select criteria of sustainable business practices and goods is also substantial. This market has the opportunity to help Portland create a culture that values organic, buying local and fairly equally.

While there is a backlash against international imports in a U.S. economy that is suffering, there are many people, like ourself, that get in this business not because of how much we can profit off of ‘cheap imports’.

We are in it for the mission, to preserve a traditional craft, to represent small business and relationships with small producers and to create a new way of doing business based on shared values. Shared values that respect the producer, the consumer and the environment.

We are also a local business ourself, helping to build our local economy, justly and ethically. Our products were sourced and produced through sustainable means – not from cheap Chinese sweat shop factories producing waste and toxins.

I like to make sure people are aware of this and realize the point: products and raw materials to make ‘local products’ crafted by local artisans come from somewhere. How many hands took part in the supply chain to deliver your product? Were the raw materials sourced fairly, are they recycled, natural or synthetic, was the producer paid well? What is the impact of your purchase? We must begin to see the power of business, the power of our dollar and consider new ways if we want to create change.

Through ethical trade, we can grow small business and build local economies in our own community and around the world. Buy local and create global change!

Sarah

We are looking for outgoing people of all ages to help promote fair trade and sell products at our stall, voluntarily or for pay. Please contact Sarah at sarah@voiceforempowerment.com or 503-970-5847 if you are interested!

Walk for Water in Portland! Celebrate U.N. World Water Day!

March 22 marks UN World Water Day, which is a day to raise awareness about the importance of freshwater and advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater resources. Nearly 900 million people worldwide lack access to clean water—and nearly half of those people are children.

On March 24, walkers from around the Portland Metro area will gather at OMSI to celebrate World Water Day with the WALK for WATER. Walkers will collect their water-gathering containers to begin a walk around the Willamette River. Simulating a typical water-gathering experience for women and children in sub-Saharan Africa, walkers will haul water throughout their 3.1mile route. The Walk for Water Celebration continues post-walk back at OMSI where booths showcase community organizations involved with water and related environmental issues, here and abroad.

This year marks the first year for the World Water Day Fun Run, a non-competitive 5k that mirrors the route for the Walk for Water. Participants will start and finish at OMSI, where educational booths and non-profits will help educate everyone who comes out to join us.

Register for the walk HERE, or the fun run HERE. The price is $20 per participant.

EVENT DETAILS

WHAT: Walk for Water & WWD Fun Run

DATE: Saturday March 24, 2012

TIME: Registration opens @ 8:30

Fun Run begins @ 9

Walk begins @ 10

PLACE: OMSI 1945 SE Water Ave.

Portland, OR 97214-3354

The Trans-Pacific Free Trade Agreement: Oregon Fair Trade Campaign

The Trans-Pacific Free Trade Agreement

The Trans-Pacific Free Trade Agreement (FTA) is a massive new international trade pact being pushed by the U.S. government at the behest of transnational corporations for completion in 2012. You may or may not have been hearing about it in the news, but it's been going on behind the closed doors of our congressman for months. Local grassroots coalition Oregon Fair Trade Campaign has been working hard to educate Oregonians about the impact of this agreement on communities. Last month, I attended their Community Forum on Corporate Globalization at the AFSCME Union Building on Burnside and 60th where I learned more about the rapid closing of Oregon Paper Mills and spiraling repercussions of NAFTA-style Free Trade Agreements, like this one, that serve two primary purposes:

1. Making it easier for corporations to shift jobs throughout the world to wherever labor is the most exploited and regulations are the weakest; and
2. Putting checks on democracy at home and abroad by constraining governments’ ability to regulate in the public interest.

This will only get worse if we don't take a stand. NOW IS THE TIME.

The Trans-Pacific FTA is already being negotiated between the United States, Vietnam, Brunei Darussalam, Singapore, Malaysia, New Zealand, Australia, Peru and Chile — and Japan, Mexico and Canada have just indicated their intentions to join. It is also intended as a “docking agreement” that other Pacific Rim countries would join over time, including Taiwan, the Philippines and possibly China.

Corporations already cheering the Trans-Pacific FTA include Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase, Wal-Mart, Newscorp, GE and Halliburton. It has been questioned — if not outright opposed — by labor, environmental, family farm, consumer, indigenous and other social justice groups on three continents.

Now, more than ever, our Congressman need to hear our voices!

Let them know we don't want to lose more jobs and give more corporations the power to exploit people.

http://www.citizenstrade.org/ctc/oregon/

About ORFTC

The Oregon Fair Trade Campaign is a statewide grassroots organization committed to fighting for trade policy that:

ORFTC’s affiliate organizations represent over 250,000 Oregonians who recognize that trade agreements like NAFTA and CAFTA do not work for Oregon. The coalition was founded in 2004 by the Oregon AFL-CIO and Oregon Chapter of the Sierra Club. Coalition partners include labor unions, community organizations and environmental groups.

• prioritizes quality jobs in communities across the state
• creates markets for Oregon products by raising the standard of living in neighboring countries
• enforces consistent standards for labor and the environment across borders
• allows our producers to compete on a level playing field

Spring Eco-Fashions for a fair trade lifestyle ON SALE!

Through this month, all of our Green items are on sale! Head over to the AWAZ shop to pick up a lightweight, spring scarf, or a lovely piece of jewelry that will complement any wardrobe!





This silk scarf is only $19.80! Perfect for the warming weather.

This wonderful necklace and bracelet set is only $27!







This 100% cotton, machine-washable apron is just $21.60!

SHOP NOW! Also, save 15% on all bags through March in support of International Women's Day!

Indian Cinema at Lewis & Clark College

Do you love the color, songs, and drama of Indian cinema? Lewis & Clark College in Portland will be presenting 13 Bollywood films from January 18 – April 25. The subtitled films will be shown at 6:00 PM on Wednesdays in Miller Hall 102. They are free and open to the public. Here is the schedule:

January 18: Kuch Kuch Hota Hai

January 25: Lagaan

February 1: Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge

February 8: Zanjeer

February 15: Dil To Pagal Hai

February 21: Satyam Shivam Sundaram

February 29: Mother India

March 7: Khalnayak

March 14: Roja

March 21: Hum Aapke Hain Kaun…!

April 11: Devdas

April 18: Masala

April 25: Kal Ho Naa Ho

For more information, please visit Bollywood at Lewis and Clark.

March 8 is International Women's Day

Help us celebrate International Women's Day! March 8 marks over 100 years of women celebrating women. At AWAZ, that is our goal--to empower women through education and community.

In India women face an uphill battle for gender equality, and basic human rights. Cultural stigma around working women, widowhood, disabilities, and a womans place in the household can make the everyday life very demeaning for many women. Awaz means VOICE in Sanskrit, a name that embodies our mission and beliefs in giving Indian women the voice they deserve. By working direct with artisan groups we bring you fair trade products that make a differance in a woman's life by providing her income, a sense of self worth, and a place in the community as an artisan.

In honor of this world holiday we are offering 15% off all bags for the month of March!

Many of our bags come from Street Shakti, which means “women power” in Hindi, a group that serves as an income generating program for more than 70 low income women in rural communities outside of Dehradun, in the foothills of the Himalayan mountains.

By purchasing a bag like this one, you are directly supporting real income-producing activities that empower women to educate themselves and become part of a community.

Simply go to our Online Shop and automatically recieve 15% off ANY purchase of a bag! Help us celebrate the wonderful women we work with in India by supporting their work!



Another way you can help celebrate International Women's day is by supporting Oregonians Against Trafficking Humans (OATH). OATH is a local chapter of a national group whose mission is to prevent the exploitation of men, women and youth, by educating and promoting practical community engagement by Oregonians in order to end the tragedy of trafficking.

What can you do? You can sign up to receive OATH's newsletter, become a volunteer with the group, follow them on facebook, and strive to be an advocate for anyone at risk of becoming victimized.