A Simple Christmas 2005...

Shopping for Justice

You don't need to check your values at the door when you do your Christmas shopping. In fact, by making a special effort to purchase "sweat shop free" and "fair trade" items this Christmas, you will help to promote just and fair trade practices and improve the lives of our brothers and sisters across the globe who produce these gifts.

Sweatshop Labor
Many organizations and individuals are working to promote labor rights for people throughout the world. The following is a list of organizations that have targeted information and campaigns against specific companies and their labor abuses. These organizations hope to raise public awareness around the labor practices of these companies and to hold these companies accountable.

National Labor Committee www.nlcnet.org/campaigns/china/

Sweatshop Watch www.sweatshopwatch.org

National Labor Committee for Human Rights www.nlcnet.org

UNITE www.uniteunion.org

Behind the Label www.BehindtheLabel.org

Fair Trade
Fair trade brings goods from small and medium producers in developing countries directly to markets in North America and Europe, thereby eliminating middlemen and maximizing profits where they are most needed. The idea is to ensure the dignity of workers by paying wages that meet basic needs, regulating work hours, providing a safe work environment, and complying with standard environmental practices. Fair Trade organizations safeguard the dignity of producers by giving them a fair price for their goods, offering financial and technical support, promoting environmental sustainability and cooperating to enhance product quality. The international fair trade movement has seen significant growth in recent years and is now positively impacting trading relationships in the global economy. See links to specific fair trade organizations below.

Equal Exchange (www.equalexchange.com) offers a complete line of fairly traded, organic coffees from small-scale farmers in Latin America and Africa.

SERRV International (www.serrv.org) markets unique gifts produced by artisans in over 35 developing countries. Their wide range of products includes coffee, candles, baskets, ornaments and jewelry.

Ten Thousand Villages (www.villages.ca) is a supplier of exquisite, fairly-traded handicrafts from Third World countries.

Don't forget you can buy fair trade coffee, tea & hot cocoa every other month from our parish Peace & Justice Commission!