One of the interesting components of this adventure has been an opportunity to begin to develop an on the ground understanding of the concept of Fair Trade. Like many people who pride themselves on being socially conscious, I have been paying attention to labeling in the last couple of years and where there are products available I will buy fair trade.
The people I have been travelling and working with have a small non profit organization which seeks to buy and then sell products that are Fair Trade. In fact they have named their organization Comercio Justo Import Association as testament to their commitment to buy their products in a fair trade fashion. (The profits from their sales provide scholarships for young men and women to continue their education.)
I have had the opportunity to see first hand them work through their ability to track down cooperatives hidden in a maze of back alleys, to ensure their suppliers are providing the workers or members of the cooperative with a fair wage for their work, and to consider the impact of a cooperative building dependency on Comercio Justo and its ability to continue to purchase from them. We have discussed on numerous occasions a definition of fair trade and how CJIA adheres to it.
The many adventures to finding and purchasing from cooperatives led me to do a little research to try to understand some of the issues and principles behind the movement, which incidentally began only about 50 years ago with initiatives from the Mennonite Central Committee. So off I went to Wikipedia (I am forever grateful for the existence of internet cafes in the developing world) to see what I could find out. There I read the definition of fair trade used by the European Fair Trade Association, one of the leading organizations in this movement.
“Fair Trade is a trading partnership, based on dialogue, transparency and respect, that seeks greater equity in international trade. It contributes to sustainable development by offering better trading conditions to, and securing the rights of, marginalized producers and workers – especially in the South. Fair Trade Organizations, backed by consumers, are engaged actively in supporting producers, awareness raising and in campaigning for changes in the rules and practice of conventional international trade. Fair Trade products are produced and traded in accordance with these principles — wherever possible verified by credible, independent assurance systems.”
The site also provides a list of four key fair trade principles developed in 2008 by two other key organizations International Fair Trade Association ( IFTA) and Fairtade Organizations (FLO)
1. Market access for marginalized producers
2. Sustainable and equitable trading relationships
3. Capacity building and empowerment
4. Consumer awareness raising and advocacy.
Check out the Wikipedia site on Fair Trade for lots of good info and important links http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_trade#cite_note-2
Where I am living now I have access to CNN and BBC. Last night I watched summary coverage of the G20 meetings in London. I have some hope that the decisions made to put $1 trillion in to the IMF to support developing countries coupled with a commitment to more transparency will provide some hope for the further growth of the fair trade movement.
And on a much smaller scale I am hoping to ask a friend in Santiago to produce some Mayan embroidery for me, for which I will reimburse her at fair trade prices. She does exquisite work and the embroidery will provide lovely gifts for my family and friends.
Finally, I have read that Music Fest www.islandmusicfest.com is setting a new standard in festivals by requiring its merchants to sell only products acquired in fair trade. Bravo!
Best, Colina
LIFE School
These doors open to the school office and library.
Chalking
On my last day I did a school assembly on Canada. I capped the 45 minute lesson with an activity near and dear to the hearts of most kids in Canada in the spring - drawing with chalk on the sidewalk.
A LIFE School Classroom
Not nearly as high tech as most of the classrooms in Canada and full of us much learning and excitement as any I have been in.
Guatemala
Department of Solala
Like a province or state, the department is the regional political entity. Santiago Atitlan and Panajachel are located on opposite sides of Lago Atitlan
Garden Gate
on the lowlands of Santiago Atitlan
Statue of Christ on the cross
The statue has been cleaned, tied to the cross which is raised at the front of the church.
The casket as it begins the procession.
Sixty men, each with a tag on his shoulder noting his place move the casket along the route. A second team of sixty men take over at the half way point, about 7 to 8 hours after the procession begins.
Statue of Mary
Mary's statue follows the casket on the first part of the procession.
Santiago
Saint James as he follows Mary and the casket of Christ on the church Plaza
Building the Alfombra #1
The pattern elements are chalked on to the cobblestone and the first strips of carpet are laid.
Alfombras #2
The stencils are placed on the sections of coloured sawdust to build layers of contrasting colours.
Alfombra #3
A section of the completed carpet laid in the church plaza.
Catholic Church of Santiago
Friday evening - all is quiet
Photo for Mom
For Kate
A photo she would take
Local Transport
Pickup (notice the bar in the centre for balance) from a tuc tuc
Towards Santiago Atitlan
Strip market gardens roll down to the Lake
Vista Dorado
View from our front steps
Microscopia Amigos
Two grade six students study an onion skin slide with the microscopes we donated to the schools.
Soccer is Serious Play in Guatemala
This is one of a number of games played during a week devoted to basketball and soccer tournaments. Thats the Chacaya Lower School Junior Team in the blue jerseys donated by a league in the Comox Valley.
Dental Lessons
Prior to the arrival of our team dentist many of us were engaged with supporting dental lessons for about 500 kids who live in villages around the Lake. Kids learned the importance of brushing their teeth and had a practical lesson in how to do it.
Water
At Chukamuk Uno the women have to come here to get their water. This settlement built after Hurricane Stan as no water in its pipes because the well water is full of sulfer. The water in this cistern is pumped directly from Lago Atitlan and trucked to the settlement.
Astronomy Lesson
Pedro shows his primary students how the earth (a ball used to play soccer) rotates on its axis.
Coffee Berries
The berries are picked by men who are paid about $7 for a 100 lb sack. The seed is what becomes the coffee bean.
Hauling the Soil for the Garden
A group of boys went with Nicholas and hauled this very rich soil from for spots on the mountain. Then the students used a variety of innovative techniques to get the soil up from the road to the garden plots - about a 50 foot rise.
Working on the Garden
One of the few pictures of me - working with the kids to plant the garden
Stove project - after
This stove, modified to minimize the amount of wood used as well as the amount of smoke generated provides families with a relatively smoke free environment and a place to warm up in the rainy season.
Stove Project - before
Women cook on open fires with minimal ventilation. Kids are often straped to their backs meaning both Mom and baby breathe in the fire smoke
I know what is healthy food
Food groups a la Guatemala
Mother and daughter in tipico ropas
The huipile (embroidered blouse) and corte (wrap around skirt) are typical clothing for women in Guatemala.
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