Fair Trade at the Car-Free Commercial Drive Fest!
Can you believe it? Last year over 20,000 peeps left their four-wheeled, gas-guzzling hunks of metal at home to fest-out on our beloved Commercial Drive! If you were there, you remember the magic; if you missed it, you won't make the same mistake twice. Bring your dad, your friends, your dogs, your banana coloured hoola hoops! 'cause you'll want everyone to join the frolic and fun-foolery this Sunday, June 18th, from 12-6pm.
Let's get our hands dirty!
Fair Trade Drive will be there and this year we'll be hanging out between Joe's cafe and Ten Thousand Villages right at the intersection of William and Commercial. Come early and participate in our giant chalk drawing of the FAIR TRADE DRIVE "two-way arrow" - If you would like to help out, We'll be meeting at 10:15 AM to plan the drawing and hand out some chalk (or bring your own!)
www.commercialdrivefestival.org
WHAT IS THE ZONE?
With the amazing help and participation of so many ethical consumers and pro-ethical businesses along Commercial Drive, The FAIR TRADE DRIVE campaign has identified Commercial Drive as North America's first FAIR TRADE ZONE. Meaning: Commercial Drive is the best place to find Fair Trade products!
While you are at it, check out some of the businesses that are selling Fair Trade like The Flower Box at 1704 Charles Street (Fair Trade Flowers) and Commercial Drive's newest coffee shop: "Bump and Grind" (near Venables) featuring certified Fair Trade Coffee.
The Fair Trade Drivers behind these progressive businesses are committed to social equity, environmental sustainability, and making it easy for all Vancouver shoppers and concerned citizens to buy Fair Trade.
How can I help make the Zone work?
By encouraging all merchants between Broadway and Venables to host at least one Fair Trade product. talk to your friends and your favourite shop keepers, tell them that there is already solid support has from many local merchants, consumers, and politicians like Libby Davies. Tell them that The FAIR TRADE DRIVE has already been profiled in Common Ground, the Republic, and the Vancouver Courier.Tell them that The Fair Trade Zone is a way for us all to take a step toward sustainability and help create a framework that strives for fairness and equality for the most disenfranchised and poverty-stricken of the world’s citizens.
Let's make Fair Trade a choice of positive action!
BATTLING CHILD POVERTY
Child poverty is an issue that most of us think about and wonder – what can I do to help?
More and more people are seeing this issue in direct relation to the practices of international free trade. In the global South, children are often enlisted to work on cocoa or coffee plantations, usually as unpaid labourers in dangerous conditions.
There is a human story behind all imported products we buy. If we consider ethical issues when we shop, the results are tangible: better incomes for those living in dire circumstances, a healthier environment, and a brighter future for children.
WORLD URBAN FORUM and WORLD PEACE FORUM
Make the most of what Vancouver has going on these next few weeks, with both the World Urban Forum and the World Peace Forum gracing our city with talks, workshops, marches, and concerts to inspire us to build a healthier, more peaceful world.
and don't forget to check out Earth: World Urban Festival from June 21-25 at the Great Northern Way Campus (near VCC-Clark Station) Many of the performances are free, including a Hip Hop concert by youth from around the world on Thursday evening at 7:00PM
FAIR TRADE LINKS:
JOIN THE FAIR TRADE DRIVE
To become a supporter and subscribe to our newsletter:We are always looking for new Fair Trade leaders. If you can lend your time and talents, please contact Lindsay Marsh at central@fairtradedrive.org
Hope to see you on Sunday!!
Warm regards,
The folks at The Fair Trade Drive
www.fairtradedrive.org February, 2006
It's time to get out the love potion and take a stroll down the Fair Trade Drive ...
Highway 1 Expansion, Fossil Foolery
Café Etico
Love is Sweet, Love is Fair
Free Youth Forum
Fair Trade Links
February Newsletter
Stop the Expansion of Highway 1
“I've heard many bad ideas in my time, and expanding Highway 1 ranks with the worst of them. The scariest part is that Mr. Campbell actually knows better." — Jane Jacobs 2005Citizens Concerned with Highway Expansion, a grass-roots opposition to the BC provincial government's plan to expand the #1 Highway between Vancouver and Langley. Join them as they organize an opposition to more car-oriented sprawl, pollution and wasted public spending. They are exploring alternative solutions while remaining committed to local community development throughout the Lower Mainland.
Café Etico’s organic, fairly traded, bird-friendly coffee
CoDevelopment Canada is a non-profit agency that develops partnerships between organizations in B.C. and those in Latin America to create social change, promote global education, and work towards the empowerment of women’s organizations, labour unions, and various community groups.Café Etico guarantees the agricultural co-operatives wages that are well over the minimum international Fair Trade price
CoDev established Café Etico as a social enterprise to provide a way for coffee-producing regions to empower, rather than impoverish, their communities through trade. Café Etico uses a bottom-up, people-centered approach: eliminating the "middleman" to forge relationships with producers on a more personal level. Based on a model of solidarity and community development, they seek to find what we can all learn from each other.
Small-scale coffee growers are at the mercy of commodity speculators, fluctuations in world market prices, and major weather events such as hurricanes. These communities are often living in absolute poverty, lack access to education and health care, and experience high risks of disease, exploitation by transnational corporations, and further impoverishment through ‘free trade’ regulations. Thus, Café Etico was established to meet the needs of these coffee-producing families and to raise awareness in our own communities about these issues.
Their organic, shade-grown coffee is more than just a product; it is an educational tool, a way for us here to learn about the men and women who grow, pick, wash, dry, dehusk, and eventually send us their beans. The organic farmers in Cuba, Nicaragua, and Mexico are leaders in sustainable living practices; practices that Café Etico is proud to share with its supporters. All 3 of Café Etico’s delicious coffees have different organic certification. According to Tyrion Miskell, the organic industry has provided the infrastructure and resources needed to make alternative trade model a success.
Support Café Etico today! Use their coffee as a fundraiser for your school, community group, or take it to work to share.
Café Etico coffee is available along the Fair Trade Drive at The East End Food Coop and Ten Thousand Villages or contact them directly at:
Café Etico: http://www.codev.org/codev/cafe_purchase.cfm
CoDevelopment Canada: Canada: http://www.codev.org/codev/
Love is Sweet and So is Fair Trade Chocolate
What better way to show love on Valentine’s Day than supporting cocoa farmers in the South through Fair Trade? Rather than scouring the Lower Mainland for fair trade chocolate kisses to offer your loved ones and friends, here is a list of various sources around Vancouver:Ten Thousand Villages: http://www.villages.ca/
1204 Commercial Drive
2909 West Broadway
1387 Marine Drive (West Vancouver)
Capers Kitsilano - 2285 W 4th Ave, and Capers Robson - 1675 Robson St,
Choices Market - 3493 Cambie St, 1202 Richards St, 1888 West 57 St,
Drive Organics - 1045 Commercial Dr.
Green Earth Organics - 1864 Triumph St
Kerrisdale Benjamin Moore - 6511 West Boulevard
Land of Green Ginger - 2967 W Broadway
Lesley Stowe Fine Foods - 1780 W 3rd Ave
Mainly Organic - 4348 Main St
Lucky Shop 101 - Student Union Building, UBC
Move YOUR WORLD: A Youth Conference
Here is a chance for youth to get actively involved in the Fair Trade movement
in Vancouver…..
Event Location: SFU Harbour Centre (515 West Hastings Street, downtown)
Type of event: A FREE forum for youth to explore global issues and global
citizenry
Dates: Feb. 11th, 2006 Time: 9am-5:30pm
Description: The all-day forum will explore the themes of global citizenry,
small arms control, innovative problem solving, consensus building, and the
pursuit of positive global change through youth-initiated community actions.
Participants will become aware of other engaged youth both in Vancouver and
in other regions of BC, as well as receive invaluable skills in event planning,
consensus building, and active listening. Join us!
This is a BCCIC event, cosponsored with Amnesty International and the Global
Stewardship Program (www.amnesty.bc.ca/moveyourworld)
Contact: Megan Branson
Tel: (604) 899-4475, email:meganbranson@yahoo.ca
Fair Trade on the Web
George Monbiot argues that fair trade is the answer to world poverty. He proposes a radical new system that would also rein in corporate power and protect labour rights and the environment.
Source: http://www.theecologist.org/archive_detail.asp?content_id=360
According to a Mori poll in March 2004, the fairtrade mark is now recognised by 39 per cent of the British public, up from 11per cent five years ago. But what difference does fairtrade actually make to the lives of the producers? John Atkin looks at the Nicaraguan community of La Pita who sell half of their coffee on the fairtrade market.
Source: http://www.theecologist.org/archive_detail.asp?content_id=377
Eradicating Hope in Colombia: Fair Trade, Organic Coffee Farms Damaged by ‘Plan Colombia’ Herbicide Spraying
Source: http://www.lwr.org/colombia/docs/eradicating_hope_Colombia.pdf
Memorable Quotes
"We're not here at Equal Exchange just to be tools of farmers, but to
explore what it means to be of service. We learn from the farmers about life's
basic priorities, about getting by with less, about living in harmony with
the earth. They learn from us about international business, the marketplace,
promotion and finance. Our customers hold the web together. As more take part,
the web grows stronger and we all gain hope from our exchanges. That's alternative
trade."
--Jonathan Rosenthal, executive director, Equal Exchange
Warm regards on these rather rainy nights ...
Suggestion of the Month
Hi there
I like your idea.
I'm not so sure about the name "fair trade drive". I think it would have been better to call the zone "fair trade ride", considering the product oil......
Ride your bike - divorce your car.
Peace,
Yolanda
JOIN US!
If you know of businesses along Commercial Drive that would like to find out more about selling Fair Trade Products, please let us know. If you are already a supporter, we encourage you to consider selling at least one Fair Trade product, creating a stronger market for ethical consumer choices in Vancouver. Together with partners in the South, our sense of community will leap borders and allow local community trade to thrive. The Fair Trade Drive is always looking to expand our coalition of community supporters and volunteers. Please consider joining our team of volunteers by emailing us at central@fairtradedrive.org
This Valentine's Day, Buy Fair Trade!
Principles of Fair Trade
October, 2005
Fair Trade is a system whereby farmers (and other produers of goods) are guaranteed a fair price for their crops or products, often before the cycle of production even begins. Fair Trade monitors and ensures safe working conditions. This leads to a significant improvement in the income and lives of producers. Fair Trade farmers are not left at the whim of big business and natural disasters such as hurricanes, but rather are empowered to engage in more sustainable community development, which then leads to an improved local economy and a healthier natural environment. Consumers in the North also feel empowered, by choosing to purchase certified Fair Trade products in their stores, and feel connected to the producers in the South.
Tea, coffee, cocoa, bananas and other crops are exported in huge volumes from poorer countries to feed the wealthy ones. Fair Trade is the movement towards empowering both producers and consumers in making this exchange more socially equitable. The majority of farmers and growers in the South are exploited by multinational companies that keep prices down and deny whole communities a livable wage, shelter, education, and health care.
Goals and Aims of the Fair Trade Drive
September, 2005
- To educate our local community of neighbours, organizations, consumers and merchants about the benefits, principles and goals of Fair Trade.
- To be a role model or “pilot project,” so that other communities or organizations may build from our accomplishments.
- To think globally while acting locally, particularly as it pertains to community building and poverty alleviation.
- To advertise local Fair Trade developments, such as new products or campaigns, by profiling these initiatives and encouraging supporter involvement.
- To promote the Commercial Drive area as a unique North American destination for purchasing Fair Trade products.
Libby Davie's presents the Fair Trade Drive to her constituents
July 1st, 2005
Happy Canada Day!
Libby Davies, M.P. for the Vancouver East riding was kind enough to write a letter on the cover of her COMMUNITY LINKS BULLETIN. I have reproduced it here for everyone to conveniently read. A PDF version is avalaible here.
Community Links Bulletin
Dear friends,
I’m pleased to present the latest issue of the Community Links Bulletin that introduces a new East Van initiative!
A group of community volunteers is leading a campaign to declare Commercial Drive the ‘Fair Trade Drive’. They have been visiting businesses in the area and asking them to commit to the selling or the purchasing of at least one fair trade product.
The fair trade movement ensures producers take social criteria such as fair wages and working conditions, as well as ethical business practices like respect for human rights, into their business considerations. Fair trade labeling organizations provide a seal of approval so that consumers can readily identify products adhering to these principles.
The world’s first Fair Trade Town was declared in 2000 in the north of England, and the movement has quickly grown to over 100 cities with active campaigns in both Ireland and Belgium. Not only will the success of this project help to ensure small-scale producers in developing countries can improve their quality of life, but also it will make Commercial Drive the first Fair Trade Zone in North America!
Look for the “I Support a Fair Trade Zone” signs in the windows of Commercial Drive merchants, and let them know that you support Fair Trade Drive. To get more information, check out the website at: www.fairtradedrive.org
Have a wonderful summer!
Yours sincerely,
Commercial Drive Fest: "Community Defined"
June 27th 2005
Sean Osborne and Roxanne Cave hold up traffic at the Commercial Drive Festival
Thousands gather to celebrate the funkiest place in the west
Last June 19th was nothing short of amazing. The Commercial Drive Festival saw thousands of fun loving fest folks soaking up the sun and showing Vancouver what Commercial Drive is all about - a "C" of Community.
The Fair Trade Drive had a tent down near the music stage in Grandview park. We had many people come by, sign our form and pick up some info on the Fair Trade Drive. Some old faces as well as new faces. Thanks everyone for showing support for our idea of a Fair Trade Drive and thanks to the organizers, musicians and volunteers that made the Commercial Drive Fest such an outrageous success.
Wanna see more of this kind of thiing? Show your appreciation and support by following the links at:
Fair Trade Drive Gains Support Slow and Steady
Organizers make their way down the Drive
June 14th 2005
Since the exciting push surrounding International Fair Trade Weeks are over, our volunteer group needed a little breather to make sure that our businesses, jobs and families were still in tact. Now the "drive" to garner support for a Fair Trade Zone continues. We are moving a bit slower these days, though every block we canvass display signs of encouragement and enthusiasm for the idea.
In many blocks, the support rate is as high as 85% - much greater than we anticipated. It helps that the criteria for support of the idea is fairly easy to obtain and we hope that this ease of participation will subtly evolve into a more sophisticated and a deeper understanding of the issues and goals of Fair Trade. Since, for many merchants, the idea of a Fair Trade Zone is new to them, we have been taking our time to explain some of the fundemental benefits that may come with having a Fair Trade Zone:
1. A increased profile for the area - We would like Commercial Drive to become a place where tourists and local consumers can visit and find goods that are fair trade, local or in line with the principles of ethical purchasing. (let's not forget organics!)
2. A capacity to respond to consumer demand .... so many potential customers ask the question: What products are Fair Trade? Where can I buy Fair Trade Products? - By creating a commitment to a Fair Trade Zone, our community has the potential to become a leader in this progressive segment of the economy.
3. A unifying force - The merchants along the drive are very busy people and they are very interested and finding ways to increase their livelihood while maintaining the character and uniqueness of this special street. So many merchants along the drive are also members of the community and share the same progressive attitudes of our committed neighbours and community folk. The Fair Trade Drive is a an idea that crosses many barriers and allows our community to join forces by working together on a project that has lasting and significant value both on a local and global level.
We look forward to continuing this project and, as always, welcome your feedback and suggestions. Your ideas have the potential to inspire us by helping find new ways to make this work. There is nothing more satisfying than meeting neighbours who want to help us find a more equitable approach to International Trade.
Event Note: we'll be at the Commercial Drive Festival. Come and check us out!
Fair Trade Drive appears on the cover of Libby Davies Community Pamphlet
The Caption reads:
Bruce Macdonald, Libby Davies, Gail McDermott and Sean Osborne at 10,000 Villages (1204 Commercial Drive) Grand Opening - a fantastic fair trade store managed by local resident Roxanne Cave . They're working hard to create a Fair Trade Zone on Commercial Drive. For more information, please check out www.fairtradedrive.org
Group wants to make fair trade for funky drive
By Cheryl Rossi-Staff writer
A group of Commercial Drive residents hopes to designate the neighbourhood as North America's first fair trade zone.
Sean Osborne, president of the new Fair Trade Chocolate Company, and community volunteers started the campaign five weeks ago. They've been visiting businesses in the area asking them to sell or purchase at least one fair trade product. Osborne said even dentists' offices can participate by purchasing fair trade coffee for their employees.
The group hopes to get 51 per cent of businesses on the Drive to sign a list supporting the concept of a fair trade zone."[This] is basically a philosophical alignment," Osborne said. "They can support the idea of a fair trade Drive without actually having to do one of those two things. And that might sound wishy-washy but for a lot of merchants this is a brand new concept. We want this to be a very inclusive project. We're not about policing merchants and telling them you're good, you're bad, that kind of stuff. It's nothing to do with that at all. What that has to do with is education and information about fair trade."
Fair trade aims to help small-scale and poor producers in developing countries improve quality of life by providing a more profitable and stable trade relationship with First World buyers. To attain fair trade certification, producers must follow social and environmental criteria including fair wages and working conditions, ethical business practices and respect for human rights.
Fair trade labeling organizations such as TransFair Canada and Fair Trade Labeling Organization give a seal of approval to products that adhere to those principles. Fair trade products include coffee and tea, chocolate, beer and wine, cosmetics and flowers.
Eventually, the group will ask city council to formally endorse the zone.
Osborne and his cohorts are asking businesses to place Fair Trade Drive stickers in their windows to show their support. He said the onus will be on the consumer to ask whether the business is selling fair trade products.
As his group learns of additional fair trade products, it will share this information with business owners.
Stephanie Missler, co-owner of Dandelion Kids, which sells kids toys, clothing and accessories, has been in business on The Drive less than five months. She and her business partner have not yet put a fair trade sticker in their window because they weren't sure if they met the criteria. She wondered if the definition of fair trade could be broadened because her business sells items that have been hand-made by local artisans. "Philosophically we would be interested," she said.
Osborne said fair trade products cost consumers a bit more, but with items like chocolate bars the difference might be only 15 cents.
Fair Trade Drive, which launched the campaign with the official opening of Ten Thousand Villages on The Drive, had an information table at the Stone Soup Festival last week.
posted on 05/16/2005What is The Fair Trade Drive?
Please contact us for more information
"The Fair Trade Drive" is a citizen led campaign to declare Commercial Drive in Vancouver B.C. Canada as a "Fair Trade Zone".
The concept developed from a small town named Garstang in the north of England.
In 2000 Garstang became the first Fair Trade Town in UK and indeed the world. Since its premiere in 2000 the movement has snowballed to now include zones such as cities, boroughs, counties, valleys and islands. During Fairtrade Fortnight UK (1st to 13th March) Manchester and Salford jointly declared 100th Fairtrade Town. Due to the success in creating awareness and encouraging support for the Fairtrade mark, interest has spread to other countries. Fair Trade Mark Ireland is supporting Republic of Ireland to develop Clonakilty as its first Fairtrade Town this year. Max Havelaar Belgium started a campaign in Belgium this month.
Our group "Fair Trade Drive" is working to bring Canada on board.
The concept is simple. There are three major goals that must be reached.
1. A 51% positive response over a defined number of city blocks (indicated by signing our support list:
"I support a Fair Trade Zone")
2. A challenge to merchants to sell at least one Fair Trade product
and/or:
3. A challenge to merchants to use or purchase at least one Fair Trade product at their store (for example coffee for employees)
We endeavour to define the FAIR TRADE ZONE with
the over-arching goal of building our business community in an inclusive way through a positive intiative of endorsing Fair Trade.
In addition to these goals, certain criteria will need to be fullfilled once we build consensus.
These criteria are as follows:
1. Local council passes a resolution
2. Community organizations (schools, churches, groups, etc) are included in the initiative
3. A network of support is established for merchants actively supporting Fair Trade
and to ensure a continued commitment to a FAIR TRADE DRIVE.
The success of this project will allow Commercial Drive to become the first Fair Trade Zone in North America!
Please help us make Commercial Drive a "Fair Trade Drive"!
If you have any suggestions or comments to help improve our goals, or would like to volunteer or offer help:
Please contact us we are interested in your input!
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