Campus Trekking for Fair Trade Month
Although Fair Trade Month is over, the CRS Fair Trade team is just now coming up for breath. Across the country Catholics celebrated Fair Trade by holding Work of Human Hands Sales and educational events featuring Fair Trade coffee and chocolate. Fair Trade program advisor, Katy Cantrell, trekked throughout the Northeast and Midwest to visit colleges and universities celebrating Fair Trade month. Here’s a peek at her travel journal.
September 26th
John Carroll University, OH
Ohio Fair Trade Expo
“Ok, so technically September isn’t Fair Trade Month. But let’s be honest, when it comes to organizing and educating folks on Fair Trade an early start is always a good thing. I’ll start by saying what a beginning to Fair Trade Month! This event was incredible. Organized by CRS Fair Trade Ambassador, Chris Kerr and Fair Trade interns on campus, they pulled together a diverse audience of Fair Trade experts and Fair Trade beginners. Myself, CRS Fair Trade partner, Equal Exchange, and many CRS friends were on hand to give workshops throughout the day. And in between presentations was a fantastic Fair Trade marketplace. I was very glad the CRS Fair Trade Fund was able to help sponsor the event and hope it fuels the Fair Trade movement in Ohio. A special thanks to Natalie Terry for being my local guide. To find out more about the Ohio Fair Trade Expo visit their facebook page or watch the video on youtube.”
Marketplace at the Ohio Fair Trade Expo. Wetzler Studios for CRS
October 6th
Cabrini College
LaSalle University
Philadelphia, PA
“A busy and exciting day for me! First things first. A visit to Cabrini College for their Fair Trade Day, a kick off to Fair Trade month. With amazing effort from Cabrini staff, students and dining services, Cabrini’s cafe brought in coffee from CRS Fair Trade partner, Peace Coffee, to be served throughout October. Not only is it from Peace Coffee, but the coffee itself was grown by farmers of the APECAFORM cooperative in Guatemala, a cooperative CRS has been working with for a few years. Talk about directly supporting CRS beneficiaries! I was lucky enough to be around for the free tastings CRS Campus Ambassadors held that morning to introduce the coffee to the students.” Check out the photo of Bit, Nicole and Shannon working the coffee pots!
“Now fully caffeinated, I headed over to LaSalle University to meet Brother Bob Kinzler and give a presentation on Fair Trade. I’d never been to LaSalle before and wow, what a campus! LaSalle is just getting involved in Fair Trade and Fair Trade month is the perfect opportunity to start holding events for students. What I found really intriguing was when Brother Bob told me that the school asked students to write on different “essay” questions related to the LaSallian mission of the university. One of the questions this year was how economic justice is related to the Catholic faith. I’d say that’s a pretty good place to start as they build a fair trade movement on campus.”
Bit, Nicole and Shannon serving Peace Coffee at Cabrini
October 8th
DePaul University, Chicago IL
Meeting with students
“Full disclosure here. I’m a DePaul University alum. So it was great returning to campus and finding a group of students ready to take fair trade beyond the coffee they drink in the dining hall and make it a movement. Not just at DePaul, but starting to plan an event that would bring together the Catholic colleges within Chicago. In the meantime, they’re planning a chocolate fundraiser with CRS Fair Trade partner Equal Exchange. I’m not being biased when I say, I was very impressed with the students at DePaul. The people in the room knew Fair Trade and had very specific questions about the movement and how to make it happen on campus. I knew I was talking to the right people. Thanks to Julie for pulling it all together.”
October 9th and 10th
University of Notre Dame, IN
Renewing the Campus: Conference on Sustainability
“This was one of those conferences you go into thinking you know the subject pretty well, and come out realizing all the different perspectives you never thought of. For me it was the theology of sustainability. However, it was also a good time for me to realize how many people may not consider Fair Trade to be a part of the sustainability movement. We talk a lot about climate change and how it will affect the poorest of poor, the people who had very little with causing climate change, however we rarely talk about how to involve those very people in the adaptions to and prevention of climate change. Which to me begs the question, are we really addressing the issues of the people who need the most help. While many colleges and universities associate sustainability with green buildings, recycling and composting, local and organic purchasing (all good things), fair trade is our opportunity to participate in a system that not only helps these disadvantaged populations economically, but also stresses dialogue and mutual understanding. I really thank Notre Dame for inviting me to hold a workshop at this conference, to add to the voices saying sustainability isn’t just about the environment. But in fact, we need also to pay attention to the social and economic aspects of sustainability for the concept of sustainability to really be sustainable.”
October 13th
Dominican University
River Forest, IL
Presentation to students
“This visit started off right! I got to campus in need of a coffee and found Dominican’s Pura Vida Cafe. Not just Fair Trade, but a CRS Fair Trade partner! And then, the room where our talk was happening was filled with Fair Trade products. Coffee and chocolate samples galore. Before I began my talk I was informed one of the classes present had spent the previous class learning about Fair Trade. So Fair Trade’s not just in the cafe, but also in the classroom. And again, I was so impressed by the questions of the students. Focusing not just on the price of the product, but the quality of life of the producers. Thanks to the Students for Peace and Justice for organizing the event and celebrating Fair Trade Month!”
Final Thoughts
Thank you to all the universities that hosted CRS this Fair Trade Month and for our CRS regional offices for inviting me out to do these talks. It’s not only great to see all the activities being done on college campuses around Fair Trade, but it’s great to see the diverse groups involved in those activities. For those interested in being more involved in Fair Trade on campus, ask around! It may be a peace and justice student group, campus ministry, the “green” committee/group, etc., that’s already working on it. If you need help bringing Fair Trade to your campus, our regional offices are ready to help connect you to the right people, or you can check out CRS College to get information on the variety of CRS activities happening on college campuses around the country.
While I had an insider view of Katy’s travels, I can honestly say that reading these journal entries inspires me all over again. CRS staff, Ambassadors, and fans are amazing with their efforts for economic justice!
Also, I wanted to let you all know that Katy is on the road again. Tomorrow she travels with CRS consultant Eileen Davenport to meet with CRS and SERRV partners in Madagascar. Please hold Katy, Eileen and her hosts at CRS Madagascar in your hearts as they travel. The goal of the trip is to assess a Fair Trade Fund project with artisans who participate in CRS nutrition programs. We also hope for their safe travels and return!
Jackie DeCarlo
My school just held a fair trade holiday sale that myself, my classmates, and my professor participating in organizing. Our sale was for three days last week and it was a great success! Thanks