What Does Wanderlust Have to Do with Fair Trade?
If wanderlust (a strong, innate desire to rove or travel about) defines you, most often it is the people and cultures that spark that desire. Hungry to see the world, we love new exciting places and welcome intriguing beliefs, customs, and ways of life. It becomes part of our souls’ calling, and with each experience abroad, we further gain respect and deep appreciation for the cultural diversity existent across our globe; unique to the country, unique to the individual, and yet now a part of us. With this new gained respect and appreciation that we didn’t have before, comes the never-ending desire to see and experience more. This respect for all fellow humans and an understanding of “we are one” thus seems to be symptoms of wanderlust.
From that connection comes a desire to want to help others around the world as you would a friend and visiting countries where poverty is rampant pulls at your heart. Charity although helpful often does not help provide long-term solutions. If this appreciation and love of humans around the world is a part of who you are, then doing what you can for them after you leave has probably crossed your mind. There is an answer and this is where Fair Trade comes into play. Through Fair Trade you can make a difference to individuals around the world with each purchase that you make.
Fair Trade verified groups pay fair prices for goods in a timely manner and support each artist's rights. It provides an opportunity for personal growth in all aspects of their lives which spills over to their communities. Fair Trade embraces multiple other principles for equality and sustainability - fair wages, child and women’s rights, respecting cultural identities, and safe working conditions. Buying Fair Trade products is the best way to that assure our friends in other countries are being treated justly in their working environments.
Buying Fair Trade Certified products help individuals, families and communities, and assists preserving their culture. With our increased commodification and materialism the who, what, when and where of what we are buying has been lost and sometimes has resulted in the mistreatment of the amazing people working to make the items we buy. Fair Trade helps give a personal identity back to the items we consume. It helps far beyond what any spare change can do by providing safe and reliable jobs to talented people around the world.
Great satisfaction comes when ordering an item from Fair Trade verified groups, as you know the story of the artisans that made them. You are helping provide the individual artist the opportunity to freely design, create, and explore their talents, builds individual and community moral and leads to the preservation of art forms. Allowing for artists to take care of their families, Fair Trade items are the connection to help support them, their communities, and their culture. Through Fair Trade purchases you can continue that appreciation and positive impact. Fair Trade is making the world a more balanced equal place while expressing love to fellow humans across the globe. Purchasing Fair Trade products and goods has everything to do with Wanderlust. Through Fair Trade purchases you can continue that appreciation and positive impact for the people and cultures you respect around the globe.