What is fair trade?
Fair trade is a system of exchange that seeks to create greater equity and partnership in international trading system by
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Creating Opportunities for Economically and Socially Marginalized Producers
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Developing Transparent and Accountable Relationships
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Building Capacity
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Promoting Fair Trade
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Paying Promptly and Fairly
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Supporting Safe and Empowering Working Conditions
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Ensuring the Rights of Children
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Cultivating Environmental Stewardship
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Respecting Cultural Identity
By approaching development as a whole process (rather than just a fair price), fair trade organizations cultivate partnerships with their suppliers and contribute to the development of communities. Fair trade is not about charity; it uses a fairer system of exchange to empower producers and to create sustainable, positive change.
What does that really mean?
Fair Trade looks to create tremendous, positive, and long-term impact for artisans and farmers while delivering great products to the public.
When consumers choose high quality and affordable clothing, coffee, food, furniture, home décor, house wares, jewelry, tea, toys, personal accessories, and many other products from Fair Trade Organizations, children’s school fees are paid; nutritional needs met; health care costs are covered; the poor - especially women - are empowered; the environmental impact of production, sourcing, and transport is mitigated to the fullest extent possible; and, much more. Such an impact is created, because Fair Trade approaches development as a holistic process. (for more information please go to www.fairtradefederation.org )
What is human trafficking?
Human trafficking is the modern day practice of slavery. Also known as trafficking in persons, human trafficking comprises the fastest growing criminal industry in the world, based on the recruitment, harboring, and transportation of people solely for the purpose of exploitation. Every year traffickers generate billions of dollars in profits at the expense of victimizing millions of people around the world.
Victims of human trafficking are people forced or coerced into labor or sexual exploitation. Labor trafficking is widespread in variety of situations that encompass domestic servitude and small-scale labor operations, to large-scale operations such as farms, sweatshops, and major multinational corporations. Sex trafficking is one of the most lucrative sectors regarding the illegal trade in people, and involves any form of sexual exploitation in prostitution, pornography, bride trafficking, and the commercial sexual abuse of children. Under international law, any sexually exploited child is considered a trafficking victim, even if no force or coercion is present.
An estimated 17,500 foreign nationals are trafficked annually in the United States alone. The number of US citizens trafficked within the country is even higher. An estimated 200,000 American children are at high risk for trafficking into the sex industry each year.
for more information go to www.polarisproject.org
