a peek inside the fishbowl

I’m really happy to welcome Ten Thousand Villages to the Fishbowl family. Not only are they one of my favourite shops in Westboro Village but I really admire what they do.

Are you familiar with Ten Thousand Villages? Did you know that a purchase from Ten Thousand Villages is arguably one of the best ways of ending poverty worldwide? So if you buy your last-minute mother’s day gift at Ten Thousand Villages, not only are you buying something pretty, you’re helping others too.

It’s a great deal if you ask me.

Ten Thousand Villages began in 1946 as a one woman show. The idea belonged to Edna Ruth Butler, who helped women in rural Puerto Rico sell their crafts. Today, Villages has become North America’s largest and oldest non-profit Fair Trade organization with 47 stores and hundreds of traveling “Festival Sales” across Canada.

Their wares include artisan-crafted jewelry, accessories, home decor, CHOCOLATE, and other gift items fairly traded from around the globe. I love their housewares. And everything is VERY reasonably priced. Every time we go I am surprised by what lovely things we find there.

Here’s my new favourite fair trade coffee, Freakin’ Good! And it’s roasted in Almonte. Cool eh?

This is conscious consumerism folks. Our friends at Villages want us to pause a moment and think about the people behind the product and the difference our purchase can make in someone’s life. I do not think this is asking too much.

Fair Trade principles state that just as people in developed countries expect to be treated fairly for their work, so do people in developing countries. While the goal of conventional trade is to make a profit, Fair Traders work to build long term trading relationships in which workers and producers in developing countries are paid fairly and treated with respect.

Fair Trade means paying artisans a significant advance when an order is placed (Ten Thousand Villages pays 50% up front) and the remainder when it is ready to be shipped. It means committing to long term partnerships and paying premiums to Fair Trade food producers (as important to them as the fair wages they earn).

This weekend also happens to be World Fair Trade Day. You can donate 15% of your purchases to Fair Trade Ottawa Equitable (FTOE) and the Engineers Without Borders University of Ottawa chapter (EWBuOttawa). Just enter CFTN at checkout!

For online shopping (and nationwide shipping!) visit www.TenThousandVillages.ca.

Thank you Ten Thousand Villages, for everything that you do. And welcome aboard!