I’ve had the link to Trade As One on my Lists page for a while, but now I’m actually becoming an active participant.
If you don’t know what Trade As One is, it’s primarily an online store that sells Fair Trade (e.g., no child labor, living wages paid, gender equality, environmental stewardship), high-quality products from around the world. These products range from coffee and sugar to hand-made fashion accessories and housewares. And they are beautiful!
Read more about its mission.
A couple of weekends ago, BGP and I signed up to be Trade As One partners. What that means is that I can spread the word about Trade As One and track how my friends, family, and even strangers like you are making a difference. I don’t get any credit for it.
So why am I doing it? Because I support the ideal that it’s putting one’s faith into action. It’s beyond charity in that it actually provides fair employment for people around the world. It can mean that a woman will no longer have to turn to prostitution to support her family. Or that a child will not have to work in a miserable factory. I also thinks that it puts the responsibility on those of us who “have” to extend a helping hand…
As a Trade As One partner, I was assigned a partner ID (#127). When you make your purchase, it would be great if you could use this number as a reference. As I mentioned, I don’t get any credit or points for it. It just lets me know how your purchases have made a difference. For example, right now I have $50 worth of purchases, which has employed a woman in the developing world for 10 hours.
So what are you waiting for? Start shopping and start helping.
