Fun Christmas decorations at the conscious consumer

Put a smile on your face this Christmas with these fabulous Fair Trade  Christmas decorations hand crafted in Nepal.  By buying Fair Trade you are helping disadvantaged women and communities work their way out of poverty and in turn increase their self-esteem. 

Be part of the change…

Available at the conscious consumer an online ethical boutique.

Natural flower lights – a perfect ethical gift

Natural flower lights

 

Want to give a gift that gives more?  Pretty natural flower lights have arrived at the conscious consumer.   These lovely lights are made from preserved rubber tree leaves. The leaves are handmade into flowers and attached to a static light set 4 metres long…. Each set has 35 light bulbs. The plug is 3 pin BS and wire is CE certified. Ideal for home and shop decoration and a unique gift. Available in different colours and red roses too for that special person.

New in: Fair Trade silk flower brooches/ corsages

Fair Trade silk flower corasage                 Just arrived at the conscious consumer. Hand crafted gorgeous flower corsages made from Silk, Taffeta and Beads. Fastened at the back with a simple safety pin and presented on a card with the name of the maker on the back. A fabulous accessory to any outfit. Can be used as a brooch, as a fastening, added to a hat, bag or scarf.

Made by the Izimbali group which is a group of previously unemployed women working in Soweto South Africa. The group presently consists of 2 full time and 5 part time “flower girls”. The women undergo an intensive initial training period and thereafter work from home in their own time,which enables them to look after their children whilst earning an income. The flowers are all hand made from taffeta, silks and satins and organzas and the more goods we sell the more women can be employed.

Eco and Fair Trade new arrivals at the conscious consumer

I’m so excited about the the arrival of my new products.  The first range for next season  have started to arrive and these bags and accessories are not just Fair Trade they are earth friendly too (sorry for those of you that haven’t had a summer as yet, but autumn is pending)!  

Our supplier Saffron Winds supports organisations in Cambodia that represent disadvantaged groups of people including landmine victims, extremely poor villagers, single mothers, those disabled including polio, street women and teenagers, and those that assist in development projects.

Your purchase will help someone to have a better quality of life…

Bags and accessories made from recycled mosquito net and rice and fish bags that are just a little different from the mass produced bags you find on every high street.  Available now at the conscious consumer .   Be part of the change.

New arrivals: Fair Trade gemstone jewellery

Beautiful “one off” individually designed pieces of jewellery packed with semi-precious stones and Fair Trade have arrived at the conscious consumer.    

Fair trade bracelet

Our supplier amba nature works directly with producers in the micro cottage industries in the Philippines and specialises in sourcing ethically and fairly traded products from non-profit voluntary cooperatives, foundations and ngos, and livelihood communities and community based enterprises and families.  

Created by skilful craft workers using traditional methods.  Quality products for you and a better quality of life for the producers.

 

 

black onyx

                                                    

 

 

 

 

Available now at the conscious consumer.

Will Women Be an Afterthought at U.N. Crisis Meet? Jun 23 (IPS)

When I read something that is so important it needs to be passed on I like to share it through my blog as well as other mediums.  This article reinforces a previous post of mine where I claimed the global recession hits women first and the hardest. 

The following article can be found on the ipsnews.net

Ben Case for IPS wrote:

UNITED NATIONS, Jun 23 (IPS) – A groundbreaking U.N. General Assembly conference on the global economic crisis and its impact on development, set to begin Wednesday, may sideline women’s numerous concerns, civil society groups say.

About 70 percent of the world’s poor are female, and women are typically hit the hardest by economic downturns. The most recent meltdown has been no exception, and its fallout is expected to deepen before getting better.

Taina Bien Aime, executive director of Equality Now, a human rights group focusing on women’s issues, stresses that the ways such crises impact women in particular are profound and complex.

“The repercussions of this financial crisis on women are enormous,” Bien Aime told IPS.

“First, it will affect women’s ability to remain financially independent. Then increased poverty is associated with increased violence in the home. If money is too short, girls often get sold into slavery, either sexual or servitude,” she said.

Some impacts will continue to harm future generations. “If parents have to make a choice of which child gets educated, girls get left out, which is hugely detrimental to the future of that country,” Bien Aime said. “Women and girls are the centre of a community, and these effects on them will impact the entire community.”

The General Assembly conference is considered by some observers to mark a key moment for the future of the United Nations, particularly in terms of its role in forging a new, more democratic roadmap for global financial and economic governance.

The three-day meet does include a Women’s Working Group for Financing and Development, and the draft text to be debated by diplomats and heads of state, which was submitted and finalised Monday, mentions the differential impact the economic crisis is having on women.

However, the working group’s participants are gender equality and rights activists, not member states or delegates.

“We are counting on member states to recall their commitments to gender equality and women’s economic empowerment,” Yassine Fall, economics advisor for the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), told IPS.

“UNIFEM has a limited role in the conference itself, which is essentially for member states,” she explained. “What we have been doing is to provide support to a wide range of gender equality advocates and civil society partners to increase awareness among member states of the importance of gender equality issues.”

Last week, an international coalition of non-governmental organisations, mostly comprised of women’s groups, issued a four-page declaration calling for a “gender equitable” response to the global financial crisis.

“The United Nations, not the international financial institutions (IFIs), must lead this process,” Gigi Francisco, general coordinator of Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era (DAWN), told IPS.

According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), 51 million people are projected to lose their jobs by the end of 2009, 22 million of them women.

These numbers appear to show a heavier toll on men, especially in more developed countries, since a larger number of men have reported losing jobs than women.

But Radhika Balakrishnan, director of the Centre for Women’s Global Leadership at Rutgers University, which focuses on women’s issues in the United States, told IPS that figure alone is misleading.

“More men have lost jobs, but more women have lost their homes, since one of the main targets of predatory lending [in the U.S.] was single mothers,” she said.

“Furthermore, when resources are short the time women spend on care increases. Cooking, laundry to save money etc. expand the amount of hours women work. This leads to an increase in stress as well,” she noted.

Women who lose their jobs may also have less flexibility to relocate, switch careers or acquire new employment, and the extra labour women pick up in care further reduces their ability to earn an income.

The ILO also acknowledges the likelihood that more women will be pushed into informal and insecure jobs than men, a fact often overlooked by national economic policies.

“Unfortunately, it is unlikely that women will benefit equally from the stimulus packages or fiscal policy measures that only industrialised and middle-income countries can adopt to stimulate renewed growth,” Fall told IPS.

“The assumption that men are heads of household too often result in plans that omit targeted strategies to shore up the economic roles that women play and that fail to provide opportunities for women to fully contribute to the recovery process,” she said.

And while the General Assembly conference includes a women’s working group to address these issues, according to Bien Aime, that is part of the problem.

“The U.N. is very good at segregating women’s issues,” she told IPS. “It is critical to incorporate gender into all issues, that’s where the U.N. fails a lot.”

“They reserve an afternoon for women, almost as an afterthought,” she added.

Gender is an issue the U.N. has long struggled to properly address, even within its own structure.

According to a 2008 report by the office of the secretary-general, progress in the percentage of women represented in professional and senior appointed posts at the U.N. over the past decade was “disturbingly slow”, with only a three percent increase in female representation since 1998.

“It’s very necessary to have women in politics, to have women in society who come into power,” Barbara Prammer, president of the Austrian parliament, told IPS in May. “We need women in leading positions in the economy, everywhere, I’m deeply convinced.”

The U.N.’s official summary of the conference states explicitly that one of its main goals is to mitigate the impacts of the crisis on “vulnerable populations”, but nowhere are gender issues specifically noted.

The draft resolution, submitted Monday, makes simple mention of gender issues and asserts the importance of “correcting imbalances… and having a strong gender perspective.”

The conference was originally scheduled for Jun. 1 to 3, and General Assembly president Miguel d’Escoto completed a draft outcome document in May, but it made no mention of gender issues whatsoever and was scrapped when the conference was postponed.

The new statements mark a possible change in attitude towards gender issues, and Fall told IPS she is confident this resolution will be approved. “The draft outcome is virtually agreed upon,” she said.

Still, the voice women’s rights groups have in the conference and the action taken as a result remain to be seen.

Prammer expressed pessimism to IPS in May. “Whenever the situation is difficult, you hear – like I hear in Austria – ‘Oh, it’s not simple at the moment. We have the financial crisis. We have to solve the problems there. Please do not speak about the gender issue. Do it afterwards,’” she said.

Creating new spaces for social outcasts in India â OneWorld South Asia Home

Creating new spaces for social outcasts in India — OneWorld South Asia Home

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Christmas gifts that give more

Would you like to buy gifts this Christmas that give more?  Visit The Conscious Consumer at one of the events below and see how you can make a difference.  Or, can’t make it to an event then jump on to www.theconsciousconsumer.co.uk

 

11^th Nov – St Aiden’s Xmas shopping evening

 

13^th Nov – Pannal Primary school shopping evening

 

15^th Nov – Bradford Peace Fair – Saltaire

 

18^th Nov – Wharfedale hospital stall

22^nd Nov – Mum’s World xmas event – Harrogate ladies college

29th Nov – Leeds Fair Trade Fayre, Chapel Allerton

4th Dec/7th Dec – Lightwater Valley Christmas Festival

9th Dec – Wharfedale Hospital

13th/14th – Masham Victorian Fayre

Feeling the cold?

We seem to have hurtled into winter!  Keep warm and cosy in the conscious consumer’s new selection of fun,  stylish, fashionable and practical accessories.  For most people clothes is a form of expression, they become a representation of their collective and individual identities.  By wearing Fair Trade clothing you are literally wearing your heart on your sleeve.

 

 

 

 

 check them out at www.theconsciousconsumer.co.uk

Diamond hat

Hot pink mitts

hot pink scarf

Charity Christmas cards 100% profit to Esther Benjamins Trust

This year, to help raise funds, The Ether Benjamins Trust have Christmas Cards available for sale with a full 100% of the sale price being donated to the charity – to help raise funds for the rescue and rehabilitation of trafficked children.

 

 

So, if you haven’t already bought your cards this year, before you do, please take a look at the cards and information on their website.  

 

http://www.ebtrust.org.uk/news/wild_goose_news.php

 

If you have a shop and can sell them in the shop, please contact Chris on T: 020 7600 5654 (sorry, no commission available, 100% of the sale price really does go to the charity)

 

If you need any further information about the cards or The Esther Benjamins Trust, please contact Chris in their London office T: 020 7600 5654  or chris.kendrick@ebtrust.org.uk

COMPETITION – FREE PRIZE DRAW win a Fair Trade felt bobble bag

Fun, funky and unique…the bright colours of Nepal are reflected in these bags that will reflect your unique style, and they make a difference in another woman’s life.

You can win one of these fabulous bags all you need to do is answer the following question:

Where in Nepal are these bags made?

Send your answer via http://www.theconsciousconsumer.co.uk/pages.pl?s=content&dc=1&dp=4  put your answer in the message box.  (Answer can be found on http://www.theconsciousconsumer.co.uk/ /closing date Wednesday 3d of December.

Competition rules:

One entry per person

Only open to UK residents

No cash alternative

Closing date Wednesday 3rd of December any entries received after that date are not valid

Winner will be drawn from entries on Thursday 4th of December

Any queries should be sent to info@theconsciousconsumer.co.uk

Last chance – FREE PRIZE DRAW ends on Wednesday 3rd of December!

Not long to go now – so you need to get your entry in if you would like to win a free hand felted bobble bag.  Would make a great present for Christmas.  Just answer the following question:  Where in Nepal is the bobble bag made? Your answer to info@theconsciousconsumer.co.uk  answer can be found at http://www.theconsciousconsumer.co.uk/index.pl?c=BAGS.  Good luck!

Let it snow…

I should be travelling this morning to finish setting up my stand at the Lightwater Valley Dickensian Festival, but as forecasted it’s snowed!  I haven’t seen snow this thick for a while and the child in me is excited, but the practical part of me is concerned.  My husband phoned me to tell me he’s had to abandon his car as it doesn’t like the snow particularly up hill.  Luckily he’s got all the right gear on and it isn’t too much of a walk fo him.

We are told not to go out if not necessary, so, I am going to delay my journey today.  After all if I can’t get to Lightwater Valley then I assume the shoppers can’t either.   I do wonder though how quickly this country comes to a stand still.  It’s not as if we haven’t had snow before?  Yet, the main roads have not been cleared and everyone’s trying to go about their daily business, but it’s nearly impossible.  I would hate us to have any real extreme weather!

Rather than worrying about getting to my event I would love to be walking in the snow with my husband and dog – Lady.  She loves the snow and makes her own snowballs for us to throw!  Real life as to go on and when you’ve got a business to run at the most important time of the year you dream of the walking in the snow and save the experience for the quiet times…

WINNER! Congratulations to our winner.

The correct answer for the Fair Trade bobble bag competition was: Kathmandu and the lucky winner is sarah young  from Scarborough.  Well done Sarah, the bag will be arriving very soon…

Thanks to all of you that entered the competition.

Jan

Reflecting on the year just gone – birth of the conscious consumer

2008 was an interesting year in many ways.  I was fortunate to go to Nepal to meet some of the charities the business supports and put some faces behind the products I sell…and managed to do a fabulous trek with a great group of people.  Happy memories and a motivational boost for my business. 

I had a busy year doing a lot more events than I normally would – spreading awareness of the difference a purchase can make in another person’s life.  The presentations I did and thanks to those who listened attentively and for giving me such positive feed back, it means so much to me.

The dare I say dreaded ‘credit crunch’ hitting the second half of the year quite abruptly.  The bombardment of media coverage causing confusion and fear among consumers.  My own personal conclusion is that the ‘credit crunch’  adds to the consumer wanting to add value to their purchase and no better way than that than buying Fair Trade / Ethical products – birth of the conscious consumer. 

Achievements – the business managed to sponsor a young girl’s education in Nepal on a regular basis and of which will be doing for the duration of her educational needs.   Fundraising for different charities including, New Futures Nepal, Save the children and other small charities that support disadvantaged women and children in poor countries. 

Frustrations – ideas that I just did not manage to follow through in 2008 but  will be on the agenda for 2009.  I didn’t manage to fundraise for more localised charities that support women and children and these will be on the agenda for 2009.  The success of the business is instrumental to the development of the social responsiilities the business holds so dearly.

Here’s to 2009 and a happy New Year to you all and remember life is for living not enduring…

Jan

Ethical Valentine’s Gifts

Share your love…  What better way to show your love for someone by buying a gift that shows you care for others too. Here’s a selection of ideas from the conscious consumer and as we like to share our love too we will gift wrap any valentine’s gifts for free.  Just write ‘valentine’ and order number on the contact page after placing your order and we’ll do the rest.

          

      

   

 

Just a few suggestions many more can be found on the conscious consumer’s website.

Empowering women through Fair Trade

Why is Fair Trade important to women?  Around 70% of the 1.3 billion people who live in extreme poverty are women and girls.   For, too many of these women these statistics  mean a life of grinding poverty and few opportunities.

 

Poverty traps women in multiple layers of discrimination and hinders their ability to claim their rights.  Not only do women bear a disportionate burden of the world’s poverty, but in some cases, globalisation has widened the gap, with women losing more than their share of  jobs, benefits and labour rights.   With too few seats at the tables where economic decisions are made, women themselves have very little chance of rectifying the inequalities (Unifem.org 2009).

Yet when able to generate income, women tend to use their income towards the well-being of their family, paying for their children’s schooling, better nutrition and medicine.

Fair Trade gives women new opportunities to prosper.  Fair trade offers an alternative opportunity to exchange goods in a way that promotes care of both the artisan and the environment.  For the Conscious Consumer the important thing is not only providing employment for the artisans who actually craft the handmade goods, but also to see the change that occurs when the earning power of women increases.

“The young women of the production centre are over the moon, to them this means that they are no longer ‘charity cases’ and they can hold their head up high and tell people they are seamstresses for a foreign owned fair trade organisation.” Emma Triplett, Hatti Production Pvt Ltd who makes a difference to stigmatised and disadvantaged young women in Nepal.

Your purchasing power can empower women to increase their status and self-esteem in a sustainable way and assist women to achieve economic independence and alleviate poverty at grass roots level.  Together we can make a difference in another woman’s life.

Fair Trade fortnight starts on the 23rd of February and International Women’s day is on the 8th of March.  A good time to reflect and do a little something for someone else…

  

Celebrate Fair Trade fortnight 10% discount

Fair Trade fortnight, for those who did not realise starts today the 23rd of February.  

Let’s celebrate the difference Fair Trade makes to artisans and producers in developing countries.  Fair Trade makes a tangible difference in peoples lives for the better.  Fair Trade creates a sustainable income for disadvantaged people whom otherwise would be working in sweat shops or not working at all.   Fair Trade helps to develop and empower individuals and groups alike.  Fair Trade encourages equality.  Fair Trade producers tend to use local sustainable materials which in turn helps the environment. 

If you are going to make any purchases this fortnight write Fair Trade on the top of your shopping list!   We want to celebrate and promote Fair Trade with you… get 10% of your Fair Trade purchase at The Conscious Consumer this Fair Trade fortnight, just put FAIRTRADE09 in the box at check out to get 10% discount on your order.

Thank you for being partners in Fair Trade.

Fair Trade fortnight.

Fair Trade products are normally associated with food and the Fairtrade Foundation have shown the value of fairtrade bananas sold in 2007 was £150m, while coffee sold £117m in 2007.  It’s also a lot more convenient for the consumer to be able to buy Fair trade food products in their local supermarket.

But, there’s a lot more to Fair Trade than just bananas and coffee yet the positive impact on people’s lives is just the same and as important.  Fair Trade fortnight is a great opportunity for you to source a gift or a new item of clothing from the great array of Fair Trade retailers out there.  Each showing that business can be done differently and not at the expense of people or planet.  Fair Trade has grown to suit all tastes and budgets. 

Experts say that the global crisis had put the accent on quality rather than quantity as well as creating a trend towards responsible buying of ethical fairtrade products.   There is a growing ethical consciousness, consumers want quality products and want to know the origin of what they buy.  Despite the economic downturn there is still a real opportunity for growth for Fair Trade retailers.  After all most Fair Trade retailers are not competing in the ‘fast fashion’ market but are the pioneers of the ’slow fashion’ market – creating a new awareness of fashion and fairness.

Cadbury Goes Fair Trade and Traffik Free‏!

Just want to spread the good news… below is an email from Stop The Traffik

 

CADBURY GOES TRAFFIK FREE

Let’s celebrate the amazing news that by the end of summer 2009, Cadbury’s Dairy Milk bars can be part of our diet again!

We congratulate Cadbury on their commitment to justice and now look to their policy being adopted across their entire product range.
 
Cadbury’s decision demonstrates the power of ordinary consumers in bringing change and freedom. Two years ago, STOP THE TRAFFIK met with Cadbury and was told that a fairtrade Cadbury’s bar was impossible and impracticable.
 
This is a victory for every person who has complained, campaigned and spread the message. But most of all, it is a victory for every child held in exploitative labour on West African cocoa farms. It is important to remember though that all exploited children will not be free until Mars, Nestle, Lindt, Hershey and all the others have put human rights before profit and make similar announcements.  Click here to find out more about the trafficking of children to work on cocoa farms.  
 
STOP THE TRAFFIK has been calling for individual companies to take responsibility for the chocolate they sell and asking for it to be traffik free. This is a very significant step in our campaign.
 
If you’ve been part of this, e-mail it to your local press and tell them of the campaigning you did.
 
Together we will STOP THE TRAFFIK
 

www.stopthetraffik.org

Vacancy for Party Plan Agent.

’supporting disadvantaged women through trade’

 The Conscious Consumeris looking for party plan agents in the Yorkshire area to sell a beautiful collection of Fair Trade fashion and acessories.  It’s easy to become a party plan consultant and you can work hours to suit your life. There’s no ‘hard sell’ and no ‘must do this, that or the other’. This is an ethical business that supports a work life balance. It offers you a way of working that can earn extra income without disrupting your family routine.

 Key benefits

• Having fun whilst earning.
• You will have access to training and coaching in all aspects of running your own consultancy.
• You set your own goals.
• Your rewards are commensurate with your efforts.
• You work the hours that suit you, at the times of the day that fit in your lifestyle.
• You will be helping others through trade not aid.

Becoming a Party Plan Consultant

• Ask for an information pack.
• All you need to do is order a sample kit; there are different sample kits available.
• Start by holding a party or coffee morning with friends, family, acquaintances and neighbours.
• Earn commission on all your sales.

Experience is not essential just believe in what you are selling and enjoy meeting people…

Or, maybe you would just like to hold a party for yourself and earn 10% commission on the sales to spend on any products of your choice.  Parties are currently available in the Yorkshire area. 

Contact Jan via email jan@theconsciousconsumer.co.uk for more information.

G20 summit – demand justice for women

Women tend to be last to be hired and first to be fired during times of economic hardship.  Challenge the G20 not just on the Global crisis but for justice for women.

Approximately 70% of the worlds poor tend to be women and girls, ironically too few seats at the tables where economic decisions are made are held by women therefore women have very little chance of rectifying these inequalities.  

In the past decade the number of women living in poverty has increased disproportionately to the number of men, particularly in the developing countries.  Growing inequalities among and within countries show that the economic downturn has a particularly harmful effect on poor women.   ‘There is a very large percentage of women in the agricultural sector providing food for families, [so rising prices] creates more hardship for women and families, and has an impact on communities. In turn, those stresses create increased tension, which in turn increases violence against women (Rosa Lizarde of GCAP, Global Call to Action against Poverty)’.  

Today over 1.2 billion people live on less than one dollar a day. And a majority of the world’s absolute poor are female. Worldwide, women on average earn slightly more than 50 per cent of what men are earning. Poverty is particularly destructive of women’s health, especially their reproductive and sexual health: women and girls are often the last to eat; women’s health problems are considered less important than other family priorities; girls may be sold into prostitution; and mothers sometimes are forced to sell their bodies just to be able to feed their children (UNFPA, working to empower women ).

What I am trying to stress is that each one of us have a responsibility to speak up for those that can not.  Otherwise decisions will be made on our behalf without our input and we can actually make a positive impact on another woman’s life just by taking action.  Make your voice heard, leave a message for G20 leaders from your phone just follow the link http://www.moblog.net/voice/

I would love you to share your thoughts and make any suggestions on how we can effectively get our message across to those in power.   Or, you know of any organisations that are advocating women and justice at the G20.  And, how do you think we can actively get women involved in the decision making process (cue my next blog)  .  Leave a comment…

New Fair Trade spring collection

 

The sun is shining as I write this blog and I have just returned from a camping trip to the Lakes. So, I’m refreshed and feeling content with the world. I’m also feeling really motivated and excited about all the lovely new products that I have sourced for spring and summer.

 

The new spring collection is now on the Conscious Consumer’s website and there is still more to add…

Here’s a peek of some of the beautiful Fair Trade hand crafted items available.

Fair Trade clutch

Fair Trade capiz shell necklace

Fair Trade floral and stripe dress

 

 

Recession hits the poorest of the poor hardest

Reuters.com reports 

“The impact of the financial crisis may be much more severe in Africa than in developed economies as falling income pushes families below the poverty line, the World Bank has said. Africa was at first thought to be at least partially insulated from the crisis as a result of its relative isolation from the global banking system, but the effects of falling aid, investment, remittances and export income could damage the world’s poorest continent deeply. Meanwhile, charities are laying off staff and cutting back aid programmes as the global recession bites, and the prospects for 2010 also look bleak, a report by the UK-based Charity Commission says. Some agencies face the “double whammy” of a drop in income as well as an increased demand for services, IRIN reports.“

The poorest of the poor will be the first to be affected  by the Global recession.  All developing countries have and will feel the effects of the Global recession.  It is not the poorest of the poor that started or played any part in creating a recession, yet sadly they will be the most affected.  We all have our opinions to whom and what but fundamentally there is a constant in those opinions and as I see it… 

…the banking system and the capitalist growth of large corporate organisations played a major part in the current situation and sadly they are not being held accountable for their actions.  Banks became sales orientated, their primary concern was to sell loans, credit and mortgages; earning commission through each sale.  Large corporate organisations championed the ’must have now’ philosophy of marketing.  Consequences of fast fashion and wanting the consumer to buy more frequently is lower prices - growth of sweat shops. 

There should be a balance between business and social responsibility and many of these large corporate companies are still publishing obscene amounts of profits and do not have the forsight to invest those profits in the people who need it.

Things have to change and each and everyone of us can play a part in that change.  Change your shopping habits. Question business ethics.  Remind government that they are in power on our behalf…I rant on.

Be in charge of your own future.

I get a daily good e-letter from charityfocus.org and just had to share their daily good comment today.  It’s all so simple if we let it be…

“Anything else you’re interested in is not going to happen if you can’t breathe the air and drink the water. don’t sit this one out, do something. –Carl Sagan”  www.charityfocus.org  

The Conscious Consumer is now a member of BAFTS

The Conscious Consumer is pleased to be accepted has a member of British Association of Fair Trade Shops (BAFTS).  

 The British Association for Fair Trade Shops (BAFTS) is an association of retailers who, although independent, unite in a core purpose which is to bring about fundamental changes in the status of working producers through Fair Trade retailing and campaigning. 

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 organisations (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.

Why Shop at a BAFTS Fair Trade Shop or eShop?

By shopping at a BAFTS retailer you are ensuring that your money is spent on Fair Trade goods. All BAFTS retailers must buy at least 70% of their stock from recognised Fair Trade sources. BAFTS recognises the following sources as Fair Trade: Fairtrade marked products, members of the International Fair Trade Association and BAFTS recognised Importers. 

By shopping in a BAFTS shop you will:

• Get connected with the people behind the products. BAFTS retailers know about where the product came from and who made it.

• BAFTS retailers are independently owned, which means that each shopping experience will be unique.

• Ensure the money you spend goes back to supporting the producer, as the BAFTS shop can purchase more Fair Trade goods from those same producers.

• By shopping at an independent local business you are supporting the local economy.

• Find out more about Fair Trade and Trade Justice from people who know what they are talking about.

• Find the biggest selection of Fair Trade products around. See the continuously expanding and improving range of Fair Trade goods- from food to crafts to clothes.

Be part of the change and support Fair Trade.

World Fair Trade day

World Fair Trade day 9th of May 2009.  Be part of the change… by supporting Fair Trade you are reinforcing a positive way in which to do business, where people and planet are acknowledged has an important resource to be valued and supported.  

Fair Trade ensures not just that a fair price is paid for the product but the artisan is given support and in many cases much needed equipment to help with the production of their goods.

Fair Trade encourages skill sharing and development to empower artisans to work their own way out of poverty, building their self-esteem and independence.

Fair Trade retailers know their products from conception to the consumer and take pride in ensuring no person is exploited in any way.   Still need more reasons to buy Fair Trade?  Check out these sites to help you make the right decision and become a partner in Fair Trade today.

http://www.theconsciousconsumer.co.uk/pages.pl?s=content&dc=1&dp=11

http://www.worldfairtradeday09.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=57&Itemid=61&lang=en

http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/

http://www.bafts.org.uk/

Maiti Nepal requests for your urgent attention in the following case of stranded Nepalese Girls.

BACKGROUND:

Human Trafficking has been emerging as the third largest source of profit for organized crime, following weapons/arms and drug trafficking. Recently, Nepal has become a major source country for trafficking of Women and Children to India as well as Gulf Countries. India has emerged as a source, destination and transit for both in-country and cross border trafficking. New Delhi is one the major Cities in India where the women and children from Nepal are trafficked.

The crime of human trafficking is a serious global challenge violating human rights which results in the denial of all those human rights which make for a life of dignity, including the right to mobility, freedom from violence and abuse, security, health, education, family life and livelihood.

Maiti Nepal coordinates with the Indian government including the Indian Police and organizations based in India to rescue and repatriate trafficked survivors. It has also been extending interim shelter support through Maiti India for an immediate intervention approach after rescue, women and children deceived with fake documents in the process of labor migration and in the cases of trafficking through the route of India to Gulf Countries. One of the recent cases of trafficking has been large number of Nepalese girls being stranded and lodged into the Tihar Jail of Delhi, India (where the most hard core criminals are kept) upon the case of Passport, Name, Age and Photo tampering. These girls were promised with domestic work in Kuwait and many other Gulf Countries, but their unfortunate fate of producing fake documents at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi, India landed them as culprits with different offence act of Indian Panel Code. Due to the lack of required mechanism and financial resources, the Embassy of Nepal in New Delhi could not extend support and the case was referred to Maiti Nepal.

NEED:

• Liberate the stranded innocent Nepalese girls immediately.
• Advocate to make government committed regarding the issue of migration of women to foreign countries.
• Government should make prompt action of facilitating to sanction visas for all the foreign countries in Nepal itself rather than transporting them via any transit countries, especially India.  
• Maiti Nepal and Maiti India with the efforts from its lawyers has been fighting to liberate 291 girls out of the total.
• Repatriate and handing over the girls to their parents. Since Maiti Nepal does not have the capacity to shelter all those girls, an alternative interim shelter should also be searched for. 

• Supporting to meet the total financial amount of INR 15,000 (US$ 306.87) required as court expenses to liberate one girl, out of 291 and in long run all the 500 plus sufferers from Tihar Jail, Delhi, India, repatriate them to their homeland, Nepal and reintegrate back to their family.

New arrivals Fair Trade clothing and bags

I am so excited about my new arrivals they are just beautiful Fairly Traded and I wanted to share the news with you…

    

 

 and many more…. find them on http://www.theconsciousconsumer.co.uk

Conscious Consumer will be at Country Festival Kendal

The Conscious Consumer is to be at the Country Festival, Kendal this May bank holiday weekend.  You can find us in the eco zone where we will be showcasing our lovely range of Fair Trade clothing, accessories, jewellery and spa products.

The Conscious Consumer will be at the Humber Environment Fair

The Conscious Consumer is pleased to support The Deep’s Environment Fair and will be showcasing a large range of Fair Trade and ethical products for the fashion conscious on Saturday and Sunday 30th and 31st of May.

The Deep has recently received two green accolades for its environmental work; a Gold award in the Green Tourism Business Awards, making it the country’s most environmentally friendly aquarium and a Silver for sustainable tourism at the national Enjoy England awards. This month, The Deep is hosting the annual Humber Environment Fair. Now in its 3rd year, this event is an opportunity for visitors to enjoy demonstrations, hands-on activities and 30 stalls all on a green theme.

There will everything from environmentally friendly clothing for children, reclaimed wood furniture, cycles and Fairtrade jewellery to organic food, pet products and green computers. The fair is sponsored by the Environment Agency and takes place indoors at The Deep over the last weekend of May. There will be a chance to win a “green hamper” of containing goods kindly donated by the stall holders and the Environment Agency – visitors in a quiz trail when they visit The Deep.

This event will be held within The Deep and included in the normal ticket entry to The Deep.

Fair Trade Conscious Consumer prize draw winner

Congratulations goes to Sandra Szikora on winning the FREE Fair Tradeprize draw for May at the Conscious Consumer.  Some beautiful Fair Trade spa products will be on their way to Sandra.

Thank you for all of you that entered the draw.

Perfect summer dress

Most women struggle to find  a dress that not only fits well but also compliments her figure.    The wrap over dress is the answer.  This figure flattering and easy to wear dress is suitable for most body shapes according to the experts.  And the great thing is that the wrap over dress transcends all ages; suitable for both the young fashion conscious and the more mature trendy woman.

 

 

This hand crafted Fair Trade floral wrap dress  is both flattering and feminine – perfect for summer.  Dressed down with jeans or quirky with bright tights or, just with some fabulous sandals everyone should have one wrap over dress in their wardrobe.

Up-coming events for the Conscious Consumer

The weather’s changed of course now the conscious consumer’s events are outside…glorious sunshine last week when I was inside The Deep! 

I’m hoping the rain will hold off this afternoon as I will be at Pool Feast (2-5pm) in Pool-in-Wharfedale.  I’ll be taking mainly my jewellery and less items likely to blow off the stall!

Thursday the 11th of June (10am-4pm) I’ll be doing my regular stall at Wharfedale hospital.  I’ll be taking my new collection of summer stock with me this month.

Friday the 12th of June (7pm-9.30pm) Pamper Evening at Copmanthorpe School, York. 

Saturday the 13th of June (2pm-4.30pm) it’s a summer fair for St Nicholas School at West Tanfield villlage hall, North Stainley.  All welcome.

If you want to know where the conscious consumer will be just email and put event dates in the subject box and we will keep you up to date.

Joanna Lumley sends message of support for Harrison Trek

This will be it’s second year for the Harrison Trek at Castle Howard North yorkshire  A great fundraiser for New Futures Nepal and I am pleased to play a part again in supporting this event. New futures Nepal have the support of Joanna Lumley who kindly sent them the following message:

 Joanna Lumley sends message of support for Harrison Trek

“I wholeheartedly support the wonderful work the charity does with the orphans of Nepal, a country and people so close to my own heart due to my family’s life-long connection with the Gurkhas.  I shall cheer every step taken by every generous walker; the practical and the morale-boosting help that those energetic souls will be giving is immeasurable.  Send them my love and regrets that I can’t be with them”.

 Joanna Lumley  2009

Join us for our  2009 Trek & help us to beat last year’s total of 14,350.00

The base camp this year will have a lot more stalls and activities and the Gurkhas are cooking a selection of meals for everyone.

The weather forecast looks good for the weekend …. High pressure is building up just in time.

It you have not already decided to join us it is not too late. 

You can download registration forms from the website  http://www.challenge4nepal.org/ or fill them in on the day.

I do hope you will be able join us. If you do not have time to stay all day why not pop in and pledge your support for the work we do. Perhaps you could even drop off a raffle prize.

 Hope to see you there…

Events November and December

The Conscious Consumer will be at the following events in November & December:

November

8th Sunday – Christmas gift fair at the Clarke Foley Centre

10th Tuesday – St Aidens Harrogate Christmas shopping evening

12th Thursday – Wharfedale hospital

13th Friday - Ben Rhydding Pre-school playgroup, Burley-in-Wharfedale Christmas shopping evening

19th Thursday – Oatlands School Harrogate Xmas Fizz shopping evening

21st Saturday – Bradford Peace Fair, Saltaire

24th Tuesday – University of Leeds Fair Trade Fair

26th Thursday – Wharfedale hospital stall

27th/28th/29th Fri/Sat/Sun -  Simply Christmas shopping experience the Conference Centre Harrogate

December

3rd/4th/5th/6th  – Lightwater Valley Dickensian Fair

10th Thursday – Wharfedale Stall

12th/13th, Sat/Sun – Henshaws Knaresborough, Christmas Festivities

17th Thursday – Wharfedale Stall

Poor women turn company directors — OneWorld South Asia Home

Poor women turn company directors — OneWorld South Asia Home

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Poverty main cause of trafficking.

I was struck by the clear message that comes through the article below.  Poverty is the main cause of trafficking of people and approximately  80% of those trafficked are women and girls.  And yes we all can do something to combat this slavery.  We have a responsibility to stop being bystanders because it doesn’t affect us directly.  Get involved with campaigns, there are some amazing organisations dealing with these issues.  Buy Fair Trade it helps women work there way out of poverty and takes them away from the vulnerable position of trafficking…whatever you do you must do something.

Dubai, New Destination on Trafficking Map

Claudia Ciobanu
BUCHAREST, Jun 29 (IPS) – On May 26, the U.S.-based Center for Investigative Reporting published ‘The Price of Sex’, a vast multi-media project by photojournalist Mimi Chakarova who spent nearly seven years doggedly unraveling the web of sex trafficking.

Chakarova has charted hundreds of journeys across countries in Europe and to the tiny emirate of Dubai in the Gulf, where the sex trade is booming, seemingly condoned by authorities, according to a rights activist. The Bulgarian photojournalist currently lives and works in the U.S.

“I wanted to address the complexity of trafficking, how it works, and how deeply it breaks the human spirit,” the photojournalist told IPS in a detailed email interview about her work – a series of many videos, photos and text. “The impact I hope to achieve is first and foremost to inform and educate my viewers.”

“Ultimately, the viewers can make a decision whether they want to take the next step and help,” she says. “My goal has been to find a way to connect non-governmental organisations that work with trafficked women with those who want to make a difference. Launching http://www.priceofsex.org/content/price-sex-women-speakwas all about linking the two in addition to storytelling.”

Chakarova’s work sensitively presents the tragic stories of women from countries such as Moldova or the Ukraine sold into brutal sexual slavery often by neighbours or acquaintances. The few women who manage to escape find themselves facing not only serious health issues or psychological trauma, but also the social stigma associated with having worked as sex workers.

One of the young women interviewed by Chakarova, Jenea, from a small village in southern Moldova, was sold into prostitution by a neighbour who had promised to help her get a job in Moscow. At 18, Jenea found herself locked in a hotel room in Turkey, forced to sleep with as many as 50 men on some days. She escaped after one year.

Back in her village, she now lives in a two-room house with her sister and niece, unable to find a job because of prejudice, and health problems – incontinence, a direct result of the sexual abuse suffered in Turkey. “It would have been better for me not to have been born,” Jenea says softly, on camera.

Chakarova’s research certainly goes further than telling the terrible stories of trafficked women. The detailed personal accounts highlight the problems that need to be addressed if sex trafficking is to be controlled. Poverty emerges time and again as the main cause in each of her stories.

“Why do young people have to go somewhere else to work?” asks the desperate father of Natasha, a young Ukrainian woman who together with her 13-year-old daughter, would be considered as very vulnerable to being tricked into sex work. “Here we don’t live, here we just exist,” he tells Chakarova. The father pins the responsibility for the widespread poverty in his country on the closing down of factories after the collapse of state socialism in Eastern Europe after 1989.

According to the photojournalist, it is crucial to inform and educate the women who are potential victims of trafficking, about the risks associated with going abroad in search of new opportunities. “Education is the biggest and most important step, in my opinion,” she emailed IPS.

The project establishes the close links between authorities and traffickers that is crucial to keeping the sex trade going. Aurica, a Moldavian, tells of how when she managed to escape from pimps in Turkey, it was the local police who returned her to them, and even tried to have sex with her.

Chakarova pursued the trails of the sex trade to rich Dubai, one of the seven United Arab Emirates which has undergone explosive oil-fuelled development over the last few years. The massive presence of male foreigners, attracted by the job opportunities in Dubai, is considered the main cause for the high demand for sex workers there.

“We are an extremely globalised place with minimal regulations, and this is where it is exploited,” an unidentified human rights activist from Dubai says in an interview. “And our legal system isn’t really growing fast enough to catch up, because our government is scared of regulating, in case it turns off business and development.”

According to the U.S. State Department, up to 10,000 women from all over the world are being forced into prostitution in Dubai. As Chakarova’s report indicates, the number of women selling sex voluntarily in Dubai is much higher.

In her documentary on Dubai, ‘Night Secrets’, the photojournalist contrasts the apparent social conservatism in the Muslim emirate with the wide availability of information on popular clubs for picking up sex workers and the price ranges, from 150 euros per night for Asian women to a bit more for African and Eastern Europeans, and up to 1,000 euros for Middle Eastern women.

The high prices paid for sexual services in Dubai mean that many women are in the trade voluntarily. “Some women choose to sell their bodies. And some are forced into it and then they choose to stay because they have nothing to return to,” Chakarova told IPS.

“If you were sold to a pimp or a madam who put you through a “break in” period during which men violated your body every 15 minutes, 24 hours a day, there is hardly anything left. A lot of women perceive themselves as dirty and unworthy of anything else after that!”

Much of the responsibility for the sexual abuse lies with the clients, thinks Chakarova. “The men who purchase sex need to understand that not every woman they pay for is willing (to do what she does). If a woman is visibly bruised and locked in a room with blankets on the floor and bars on the window, she is hardly a willing participant.”

“I am not naive to think that men will cease paying for sex,” the photojournalist continues, “but I do hope that those who engage in this act would realise that they are equal contributors to one of the ugliest and darkest criminal industries in our time.”

Just like in Turkey, trafficking in Dubai seems to be silently allowed, if not encouraged, by some of the authorities.

As she states at the end of the ‘Night Secrets’ documentary, the filming was not without risks. Chakarova’s hotel room was ransacked on her last day in Dubai. None of the other rooms in the hotel were broken into, and the front desk initially refused to call the police.

Even more, as Chakarova’s camera-woman was preparing to fly out of Dubai, the airport security confiscated all her tapes. “We had been watched and followed all the time,” Chakarova observes.

“It was only after making a spectacle that they returned her tapes saying that they had mistaken her identity. Her luggage did not arrive until a month later, but a few of Dubai’s night secrets did make it out,” she admits, wryly. (END/2009)