Shalom.
So I've been reading a book called "God's Politics" by Jim Wallis. It's about what Biblical prophesy has to say about politics and it has a huge focus on povery, social justice, and peace.
Well, one of the key poverty issues is fair trade. This is a movement that helps farmers and produces, like coffee growers, to get fair prices on their products so that they can better their standard of living by providing more nutritous food for their families, recieve health care, and send their children to school. The fair trade movement helps save lives in developing countries.
This movement has really taken off in the U.K. and other European nations and is beginning to make headway here in the U.S.
Here's a way simple idea to help out the fair trade movement in Orlando:
-Get UCF students to fill out the survey at the bottom of the post.
-Give the results to local grocery stores and promise to promote fair trade and distrube lists of stores that stock and/or set aside special sections for fair trade products. Speical notice will be given to stores that set aside sections of fair trade products.
-Follow through on the promise.
One thing that I'm learning from this book is that major social changes come about because ordinary people decide to do something to combat an injustice. Jubilee 2000 is an excellent example of this. What started as a grassroots campaign among some churches has now played crucial role in getting powerful wealthy nations like the UK and the US to cancel the debts of some of the world's poorest nations.
...So I'm going to do this. And I'd love it if folks would join me in it. We may even be able to make the surveying a part of the 30 Hour Famine activities.
Here's a sample survey
1. How often do you shop for groceries?
a) less than once a month b) once a month c) once every two weeks d) once every week e) more than once a week
2. On average, how much do you spend on groceries a week?
a) less than $10 b) $10 - $15 c) $15 - $25 d) $ 25 - $35 e) more than $ 35
3. At which of the following stores do you do the majority of your grocery shopping?
a) Albertsons b) Big K b) Food Lion d) Publix e) Save Rite f) Sedanos
g) Super-Target h) Super Wal-Mart g) other:____________
4. How much do you know about the fair trade movement?
a) Never heard of it b) It sounds vaguely familiar c) I know a little bit about it d) I am very aware of it and actively seek inforamation about it e) I am very aware of it and support it in a tangible way
Fair trade is a movement to ensure that farmers and producers in developing countries recieve a fair price for their products, many of which are sold in the United States. This helps families to rise from abject poverty, buy nutritous foods, practice more environmentally friendly farming practices, send their children to school, and take a more active role as citizens in their nations. It literally saves lives. It helps defeat poverty and protect the dignity of the poor.
5. If a local supermarket was to stock fair trade products and/or set aside a speical section for fair trade products, how much would this influence your decision about shopping at that supermarket?
a) not at all b) a little c) I would make a point of buying fair trade products and supporting stores that stock them.
6. If you found out that your grocery store did not stock fair trade products, but another did, would you switch grocery stores to support fair trade?
a) No. b.) Maybe c) Yes.
7. How helpful would you find it if supermarkets were to set aside a special sections of fair trade products?
a) not at all helpful b) somewhat helpful c) extremely helpful
Thank you for your time and for completing this survey.
******************************************************
So, let me know if you have any ideas/questions/comments.
Well, one of the key poverty issues is fair trade. This is a movement that helps farmers and produces, like coffee growers, to get fair prices on their products so that they can better their standard of living by providing more nutritous food for their families, recieve health care, and send their children to school. The fair trade movement helps save lives in developing countries.
This movement has really taken off in the U.K. and other European nations and is beginning to make headway here in the U.S.
Here's a way simple idea to help out the fair trade movement in Orlando:
-Get UCF students to fill out the survey at the bottom of the post.
-Give the results to local grocery stores and promise to promote fair trade and distrube lists of stores that stock and/or set aside special sections for fair trade products. Speical notice will be given to stores that set aside sections of fair trade products.
-Follow through on the promise.
One thing that I'm learning from this book is that major social changes come about because ordinary people decide to do something to combat an injustice. Jubilee 2000 is an excellent example of this. What started as a grassroots campaign among some churches has now played crucial role in getting powerful wealthy nations like the UK and the US to cancel the debts of some of the world's poorest nations.
...So I'm going to do this. And I'd love it if folks would join me in it. We may even be able to make the surveying a part of the 30 Hour Famine activities.
Here's a sample survey
1. How often do you shop for groceries?
a) less than once a month b) once a month c) once every two weeks d) once every week e) more than once a week
2. On average, how much do you spend on groceries a week?
a) less than $10 b) $10 - $15 c) $15 - $25 d) $ 25 - $35 e) more than $ 35
3. At which of the following stores do you do the majority of your grocery shopping?
a) Albertsons b) Big K b) Food Lion d) Publix e) Save Rite f) Sedanos
g) Super-Target h) Super Wal-Mart g) other:____________
4. How much do you know about the fair trade movement?
a) Never heard of it b) It sounds vaguely familiar c) I know a little bit about it d) I am very aware of it and actively seek inforamation about it e) I am very aware of it and support it in a tangible way
Fair trade is a movement to ensure that farmers and producers in developing countries recieve a fair price for their products, many of which are sold in the United States. This helps families to rise from abject poverty, buy nutritous foods, practice more environmentally friendly farming practices, send their children to school, and take a more active role as citizens in their nations. It literally saves lives. It helps defeat poverty and protect the dignity of the poor.
5. If a local supermarket was to stock fair trade products and/or set aside a speical section for fair trade products, how much would this influence your decision about shopping at that supermarket?
a) not at all b) a little c) I would make a point of buying fair trade products and supporting stores that stock them.
6. If you found out that your grocery store did not stock fair trade products, but another did, would you switch grocery stores to support fair trade?
a) No. b.) Maybe c) Yes.
7. How helpful would you find it if supermarkets were to set aside a special sections of fair trade products?
a) not at all helpful b) somewhat helpful c) extremely helpful
Thank you for your time and for completing this survey.
******************************************************
So, let me know if you have any ideas/questions/comments.