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Contact:Sarah [email protected]
Two Week World Fair Trade Day Celebration May 1-17th hosted by the Northwest Fair Trade Coalition to Join 100,000 People Taking a Fair Trade Coffee Break Across the Country
“Fun, family packed Scavenger Hunt, Mother’s Day Fair Trade Bazaar and Artisan Tour from Peru”
Portland, OR (May 1-17th, 2011) – Starting May 1st, the Northwest Fair Trade Coalition will join thousands of people around the world to celebrate World Fair Trade Day on May 14th with a two week celebration of community events that praises the people who grow our food and produce our goods. N. Americans will gather from May 1-15, to invite friends, coworkers and neighbors to support economic justice in our trading system by taking a Fair Trade Coffee Break for World Fair Trade Day, the largest Fair Trade event of the year. Hundreds of thousands of people in 80 countries worldwide will hold events to mark World Fair Trade Day to highlight the importance of fair wages and healthy working conditions for producers around the globe.
From May 1-17th, your local Fair Trade businesses and organizations that make up the Northwest Fair Trade Coalition with host events around the city to share stories from producers and inspire consumers to support Fair Trade in the marketplace. The coalition will launch a Fair Trade Scavenger Hunt with educational maps that will show consumers where to find all types of every day use products from their local stores and help build the first Portland Fair Trade Directory. Stores will offer specials and features for visitors who mention the Northwest Fair Trade Coalition World Fair Trade Day Celebration and gift baskets will be raffled off at the closing events for participants. We encourage families to explore a fun, family bike tour to discover Fair Trade in their neighborhood.
The community is invited to the kick-off with a Mother’s Day Spring Bazaar at the downtown Unitarian Church on May 1st, from 10:00-3:00 p.m. that will include over ten local Fair Trade vendors, stories and footage from producers and a reception. Free Fair Trade coffee and tea breaks will be offered by Northwest Food Front Cooperative Grocery and a Fair Trade 101 in partnership with Oregonians Against Trafficking Humans will help share the facts behind the international movement that goes back to more than 70 years. Green America and Partners for Just Trade Fair Trade Artisan Tour will close the celebration at The Banyan Tree Fair Trade shop downtown with a conversation with artisans from Peru.
The NWFTC is composed of local and nation-wide natural product sustainable businesses that offer ethically sourced coffee, chocolate, food, fashion, apparel, body care and home décor items from democratically ran cooperatives of farmers and producers. Some of your favorite local companies and brands such as Equal Exchange, Topanien Gifts, AWAZ Voice for Empowerment, The Banyan Tree and Bambootique are members.
Supporters will show solidarity with hundreds of thousands of people around the globe, around the same time, in honoring and advancing Fair Trade values. With over $1,000,000 producers around the world benefitting from Fair Trade, it’s time to raise our voices and every day vote with our dollars to make trade fair!
WHO: Local Fair Trade supporters, businesses, and consumers
WHAT: Two Week World Fair Trade Day Celebration to join 100,000 people taking a Fair Trade coffee break across the country
WHERE: Retail shops and churches in Portland, Oregon
WHEN: May 1-17th, 2011
WHY: The purpose of World Fair Trade Day is to raise greater awareness of Fair Trade to consumers, so that all trade becomes fair and there is more accountability in our supply chain. Fair Trade is about treating people and the planet with respect and dignity. NWFTC is composed of local businesses that source fairly and ensure producers are treated fairly and are actively encouraging the community to join 100,000 people to show support for Fair Trade.
Buying over $1 billion of Fair Trade products annually, U.S. consumers are supporting millions of farmers and artisans who make the goods we consume and enjoy. Fair Trade helps producers earn a sustainable living wage and have access to benefits.
ABOUT WORLD FAIR TRADE DAYWorld Fair Trade Day is a global celebration of Fair Trade held each year on the second Saturday in May. Hundreds of thousands of people in over 80 countries participate. In North America, the Fair Trade Resource Network is coordinating World Fair Trade Day. Major sponsors of World Fair Trade Day 2011 include Ben & Jerry’s, Catholic Relief Services, Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps and Green America. In 2009, World Fair Trade Day in N. America involved 65,020 people at 456 events covered by 101 media stories.www.FTRN.org
ABOUT FAIR TRADE RESOURCE NETWORK (FTRN)FTRN coordinates World Fair Trade Day in N. America and acts as an educational resource on Fair Trade for the general public. FTRN, a national non-profit, provides promotional materials, educational resources and ideas on how to celebrate and organize Fair Trade events in local communities.
www.FTRN.org
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The Northwest Fair Trade Coalition is an educational resource and advocacy organization dedicated to promoting international Fair Trade, conscious consumption and doing business fairly in our community. We are a membership
organization composed of business, community groups and individuals with the goal of making Portland a Fair Trade Town.
A view a complete list of WFTD Events in Portland and to download a Scavenger Hunt Passport, view our website.
www.northwestfairtrade.wordpress.com
