Fair Trade
If you missed the articles in May’s Southern Cross given out last Sunday (or maybe if you no longer read the paper version), here’s a link to a series of articles on fair trade.
Many will know I’ve been an advocate of buying Fair Trade Coffee. On my holidays I was again reading James in my ‘quiet times’, and was struck again by chapter 5:1-6. This warns ‘rich people’ to pay their workers fairly. V4 says, “Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.”
This word is especially addressed to property owners like farmers, but also those able to live in luxury and self-indulgence (v5; which I reckon = most most middle class westerners!!!) In our case the middle-man means the problem is out of sight, out of mind. But I keep on urging you to consider buying Fair Trade products.
You can get Fair Trade tea, coffee and chocolate at Swell Cafe (now down the alley near the two CD shops in Crown Street Mall), and also at major supermarket chains. If you attend Night Church, you can also order Fair Trade coffee beans of Matt Martin, who is also kindly helping out with coffee at the Men’s Breakfast soon!
One of my wild ideas for Connecting with the community is for St Michael’s to start a stall in the mall every Friday with the markets there. If we could staff such a stall with volunteers consistently, we could perhaps sell:
- Fair Trade coffee and tea (at our cost price);
- Kibera cards (a micro industry raising money for women slum-dwellers from Nairobi;
- other selected FairTrade items?;
- a small selection of Bibles and Christian books;
- + give away Gospels and tracts and info on our church.
I wonder if my crazy idea will attract any interest? Tell me if it grabs you. It would fit right in with Connect09.
Update: see the discussion on this topic over one the solapanel blog here.