With the holiday season upon us, the whirlwind has begun, and yet you can still easily make a difference with your holiday shopping! There are 57 different cultural and religious holiday celebrations around the world, and with them comes great joy and celebration to the families across our planet. No matter the festivities or cultural jubilees, we all celebrate by giving what we can and sharing love and happiness with family, friends, and our communities. Winston Churchill couldn’t have said it better,
“We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.”
As you have become aware of your purchasing power and are working to choose gifts this holiday season that are ethically made, give back, and overall benefit the greater good, looking for Fair Trade verified products is the way giving a little goes a long way. Fair Trade guarantees your gifts are doing good right now. Presents bring cheerfulness, both to the receiver and the giver; now by buying Fair Trade gifts, we can rest assured, our purchase benefits the artisans, their families, and brings well-being all around. Seeing the smiles of relatives and friends opening their holiday gifts, you will smile a little larger knowing that you also put a smile on the person who handcrafted it. Your purchase gives them the financial stability to provide to their own family.
As you are shopping online it is easy to find products that are cheap, cheaply made of cheap material and cheap labor, and we all hope to stay away from those products. Known as conscious consumers, you impact humanity through your purchases. With cheap products often money is funneled through corporations at the expense of the people working with their hands to make the product itself. Many are not paid a living wage and often become subjected to working extremely long hours, in dirty unsafe working conditions, with even forced child labor. As consumers, we must ask ourselves, “at what cost did we purchase the gift?”
Because of you, the movement to assure there are no sweatshops, work equality and fairness are protected, and social and environmental sustainability standards are gaining ground. Fair Trade helps people in developing countries by guaranteeing them better trading conditions and thus a better life. The stories abound on the positive impact buying their Fair Trade goods has made on individuals and communities lives. From providing much-needed shelter and nourishment they didn’t have before in Kenya, to giving their children an opportunity to go to school in Guatemala, Fair Trade products lead to happier healthier lives.
Continue your support of the global movement to make the world a better place this holiday season by buying Fair Trade gifts for your friends and family. They will find joy in knowing they are part of a group of people who put people and the planet first. The presents you purchase through Fair Trade are directly connected to the livelihoods of others, and we can change the world by what we choose to buy.
Supporting Fairtrade supports a brighter tomorrow for many underprivileged peoples of this beautiful world, and this change is occurring because of your amazing conscious choices. Unique World Inspirations proudly offers quality handmade gifts from 31 Fair Trade artisans groups from around the world. The stories of the impact these purchases make on their lives are shared and the smiles are plentiful. We are one global family and together we can change the world.
Give this holiday season by giving the greatest gift, that of Fair Trade, and see how easily you make an impact on the world.