More Than Just Beautiful Things

There are many places in the world that may benefit from a helping hand.

The poorest of the poor, the oppressed, the abused.

Places that have something in common – a history of trauma and isolation that's made them the struggling nations they are today. Nations where it is a daily challenge to survive.

In India, at the foothills of the Himalayas, young mothers have little access to the most basic of health care.

Because of hunger, pre-teen girls are being forced to sell their bodies amidst the slums of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Women in Swaziland experience some of the worst discrimination and the reported highest risk of HIV/AIDS infection in the world.

Filipina mothers sew night and day for less than enough money to put food on the table.

Everyday, Cambodian children as young as five years old are trafficked into the sex trade with little means for escape.

In Eastern Europe, Romanian families live in poverty – so much so that millions of Romanian children join the underground labor force too soon.

And, in the mountains at far ends of the globe, indigenous tribes like the Mayans of Guatemala and the Karen people along the Burma-Thailand border cannot even enjoy the benefits of citizenship in their own land.

Beyond hand-outs, beyond charity, they all need the means to provide for their children and their future – on their own terms.

The people of the world boast of rich cultures that produce beautiful fabrics, jewelry and art. It is these artisan crafts that can provide marginalized communities with a new lease on life.

Not only that, supporting the groups that bring Fair Trade into these countries allow them not just to bring handicrafts to Western markets, but also to assist groups and governments in providing infrastructure, education, health care and utilities to the most remote of villages.

Most of all, fair trade ensures that people who were once exploited know what it means to be given fair pay for fair work.

Fair Trade allows us as consumers to get in touch with age-old traditions, cultural practices and intricate crafts. Rich silks made into shawls, scarves and wraps that not only look good but are good for people, the eco-systems they come from and the environment as well; hand-made jewelry that is unique and eye-catching but that have been adorning ethnic women for centuries; baskets that add a little something to our favorite spaces; blankets that not only give warmth but that connect one to ancient cultures and civilizations.

What does it take to do things differently?  All it takes is a change in our habits. Often that is easier said than done however, beautiful things can help us see (pun intended) a new way to look at changing old habits. 

Fair Trade items are different in that the people who make them have put a lot of heart, experience and the wealth of centuries old cultures behind them.

They are unique because, out of all the commercial products available to consumers out there, fair trade is one business practice that helps people gain dignity, empowerment and a better life.

There are small artisan producers all over the globe that are doing good work. Some are overseas and some are here in the USA. Some are Fair Trade, some are not, and some you will never hear about.

 One person cannot do it all, but small consisitent efforts do make a difference. Reflection is the first step.