Shopping, anyone? FTB'09 presents over 15 vendors!

Large_shopping_bWith only ONE day left till the big event on Saturday, get excited about being able to meet the numerous vendors and be able to to SHOP at Fair Trade Boston 2009! Here are a few…

Interrupcion: : “We are interrupcion, a stakeholder community that is working to build a sustainable future through responsible consumption, sustainable development, organic farming and fair trade.” They began in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 2001 selling mostly candles and now have a huge collection of products, ranging from fair trade cherries and blueberries to fair trade chumichurri steak & vegatable sauce. Although they mostly sell in NY, if you are a MA resident and want to purchase something from them, go to “Cambridge Naturals” (www.cambridgenaturals.com). For more info on Interrupcion, visit their website: http://www.interrupcionfairtrade.com/index.php ANNNND definitely visit their table on Saturday!

shop_counter_0Bikes not Bombs: “Bikes Not Bombs promotes bicycle technology as a concrete alternative to war and environmental destruction.”  They sell from 50 to 60 recycled and repaired bikes every day in Jamaica Plain in Bartlett Square. If you’re interested in learning about bike mechanics, you can even take classes with them for an extremely good price! You can also now take FREE summer classes with them if you want to learn about such topics like commuting in the city or fixing a flat tire…learn more about them on their website: http://www.bikesnotbombs.org/

 

Fair Trade Flowers: People are ALWAYS buying flowers..Birthdays, Graduations, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, etc. With the Fair Trade Certified label on your bouquet that you buy, you ensure that “flower workers, most of whom are women, can put food on their tables, send their children to school, invest in community development, and use sustainable farming methods” (http://www.transfairusa.org/content/flowers/). With Father’s Day coming up, you might want to stop by this table!

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Remember, it’s not too late to RSVP to the event on Facebook (“Fair Trade Boston 2009″) or cancel all your other plans this Saturday :) Trust me, you won’t want to miss this!

June 12, 2009 | Posted in: Culture, Fair Trade, Fair Trade Boston 2009 Event, Fair Trade Flowers | No Comments »

Can Sports be Fair Trade?

Looking at the title of this blog, you might be wondering, “How in the WORLD can sports fall under the category of Fair Trade?!” Fair Trade coffee…got that one down…fair trade chocolate…yes please! Fair trade sports…how is that possible? Why wouldn’t it?

ballsFair Trade Sports (http://fairtradesports.com/) will be present at Fair Trade Boston 2009 as one of the vendors! Based in Seattle, WA, They are the FIRST company to bring North America sports balls that are certified green and certified Fair Trade. So now you can play soccer, basketball, rugby, volleyball, football and many more sports with fair trade balls! Take a soccer ball, for example, is made out of natural material. Do you know what this means? This means that the rubber that is used for the balls is literally tapped from a tree.  This means that when you purchase a Fair Trade Sports’ ball, you are making sure the workers are receiving fair wages for what they make.  In addition, FTS donates to kids’ charities, like Boys and Girls Club and Room to Read International  once taxes have been taken out. As a B Corporation, they “use the power of business to solve social and environmental problems.”  Go Fair Trade Sports!

 

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Fair Trade Boston 2009 will be having an awesome mini soccer match, so if you have kids, make sure to bring them to the event this Saturday for them to get all their energy out and run around with a Fair Trade soccer ball! They might not know the difference, but at least you’ll know that you’re helping other kids around the world by supporting their families! 

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June 10, 2009 | Posted in: Environment, Fair Trade, Fair Trade Boston 2009 Event | 1 Comment »

SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE???

So have you ever seen any of these dance shows and said to yourself “I can do that!” I know I sure have. Have you ever wished you were there live? Well, you finally have an opportunity to witness all the action first hand. At Fair Trade Boston 2009, we will have premier dance crews. Come check out United Roots as they defy the laws of gravity while finding the beat in every note. This crew of b-boys and b-girls are insane!!! They have the hottest routine and even inspire the youth to break dance with their youngest member, Victor, being only 9 years old. Don’t let Vic’s young age fool you—he will do flips around any and all of the old school breakers—this kid is on fire!

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Another interesting act at Fair Trade Boston 2009 is our step performance. “This Is Us” will be representing New England with their unique and eclectic step performance. Did you know that stepping is a dance tradition made popular by African American fraternities and sororities that involves a complex performance of synchronized percussive movements: singing, chanting, etc. It’s African lineage traces itself back to the “Gumboot Dance” which focused on precise foot movements and hand clapping. Check out 2 of the step team’s founders practicing some moves:

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All I know is that the ”This Is Us”  is representing New England!

This is MUSIC to my ears…and YOURS

BostonRebelSoundsSo once we get your adrenaline rushing at our show with such fabulous performances, we will play some of the best music on this side of the hemisphere. Join us as we enjoy tunes from BOSTON REBEL SOUNDS who masters anything in: Hip Hop, R&B/Soul, Dancehall, Reggaeton, Top 40, Salsa, Merengue, Bachata, and Cumbia.

TAKEOVER SOUNDS (http://takeoversound.com/) And if a little bit of African beats is more your style, prepare for Takeover Sounds to take over the party! They will be drumming to Haitian beats as well as performing a few reggae pieces. So, if your feet have been iching to dance—-Fair Trade Boston on 6/13/09 will not only show you how—but we will also play some of the hottest music that we will make a dancer out of you!!

June 6, 2009 | Posted in: Culture, Fair Trade Boston 2009 Event | No Comments »

It’s not just what you WEAR, it’s WHAT you wear

20080819_17-15-29_smallI have to admit that I love putting outfits together and keeping up with the latest fashion trends. Some people may thing clothes are just a superficial necessity, something that people just have to wear because of our culture and for sanitary reasons. However, I see it as an art that expresses who you are and is fun. Before I started interning for Fair Trade Boston, I had my own reservations about fair trade clothing because, honestly, I thought it couldn’t keep up with the latest trends. I had my own picture of what fair trade apparel looked like, but fortunately I discovered that I was wrong! Once I started researching different fair trade clothing websites, I learned that this is an industry that is progressing quickly and has styles to meet the needs of everybody: whether it’s classy and chic that you like or maybe you prefer athletic and casual or even urban and hippy! There’s clothing for children, teens and adults, males and females! The best part about fair trade clothing is that you’re helping the people who made your clothing by paying them a fair wage for the work they put into what you’re wearing! You’re supporting thier families and economies instead turning your eye to and ignoring sweatshops and chil labor. If you would like to learn about the various fair trade retailers that currently exist, you can do so in a very exciting and entertaining manner at Fair Trade Boston 2009…what can be better than a FASHION SHOW!!! Let me introduce you to some of the participants that will be displaying their clothes on our models:

20080819_17-22-17_resizeAutonomie Project (AP): One of the main sponsors and organizers of FTB 2009, AP will be modeling their clothing, footwear and accessories. They are very unique in that they combine three important characteristics of ethical fashion: fair trade, eco-friendly AND vegan! They have a very hardworking crew that makes sure to stay on top of the most relevant trends that youth will want to wear! I love their mission: “To supply high-quality, stylish garmnets to consumers that seek to make purchases that align with their values without having to sacrifice their own personal style. All while making a positive social impact on our earth and raising awareness about today’s most pressing global issues.” So if you want the ultimate fair trade clothing experience, check them out: www.autonomieproject.com:

They offer sneakers with “custom screen painting and private label [s].” Check out the UK-based sneaker Ethletic at http://www.autonomieproject.com/footwear.html AP offers 9 styles of the ethical shoes along with eco-friendly flip-flops!

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Other fashion retailers that will be represented at the Fashion Show include: Avatar, Amias, Fair Indigo, Kingdom Ventures and more! Don’t miss the most amazing Fashion Show on June 13th!!!

June 3, 2009 | Posted in: Fair Trade, Fair Trade Boston 2009 Event, Fair Trade Clothing | No Comments »

FTB 2009 presents Art for ALL ages

afhauctionRegardless of your age or level of fascination of art, I am confident that you will find something artsy that will spark your interest at Fair Trade Boston 2009!

Artists for Humanity, one of our main sponsors and host, will be doing most of the art at the event. AFH has been around for almost 20 years now and has a mission to “provide underserved youth with the keys to self-sufficiency through paid employment in the arts.” Only five years ago, they moved into the Artists for Humanity Epicenter, which in 2005 was recognized internationally as “one of the twelve most environmentally sustainable buildings” and is currently the greenest building in Boston with its 100% renewable energy!  At AFH young urban teens are able to learn about social change and entrepreneurship through the creative arts by completeing a four-year program and learning from professional designers and artists. Sooo…we are extremely excited to have AFH doing a lot of the art at Fair Trade Boston 2009! Just to mention a few of the activities they’ll be putting on…

  • 2995401179_39aa578d64_mFace Painting: If you haven’t gotten your face painted recently, decide what you want now because AFH painters will paint  it! (Butterflies, superheroes, animals?)
  • Silent Auction: The youth have custom painted sneakers, produced by Autonomie Project (a fair trade fashion company and major sponsor…read more about them in our upcoming blog!) . Their inspirations vary from red hot race car driving to peaceful, serene symbols of love. If you win the shoe, your contributions support AFH´s mission.
  • Fair Trade Boston goodie bags: individually designed goodie bags will be made once again by the talented AFH artists, so you can have a unique tote to put all the cool treats you pick up at the vendors!
  • Sneakers and T-Shirts: we made sure to give you the opportunity to purchase the goods you see designed by AFH…and the best part is..nobody else will have the same thing because whether you buy a pair of sneakers or a T-shirt, it’ll be one of a kind.

Lastly, Spontaneous Creations will be bringing their very own STILT WALKERS!!! A community center that serves the neighborhoods of Jamaica Plain and Roxbury with art programs, dancing and music, Spontaneous Creations will add to the excitement of FTB 2009 with the talented giants!1363167968_a31a918dce_m

So as you get greeted by the stilt walkers and pick up a goodie bag, enjoy your time shopping and observing the artists as they go all out on June 13th!

June 1, 2009 | Posted in: Fair Trade, Fair Trade Boston 2009 Event | No Comments »