Fair Trade University
Mobilize the masses and start a group or coalition at your school or in your community to promote Fair Trade.
Sarah Mitts, co-founder of AWAZ Voice for Empowerment, first learned about Fair Trade while in college at Kansas State University and in 2007 teamed up with her friends to start a student organization to promote Fair Trade in their community. They teamed up with the national network of United Students for Fair Trade and Oxfam’s Make Trade Fair Campaign to organize education awareness events that encouraged consumers to think about their buying and buy Fair Trade in their community.
The group is going strong today and has been greatly successful in getting more businesses and community organizations involved. They have helped faith organizations link up to Equal Exchange’s interfaith buying program and convince the university to buy and serve Fair Trade coffee in the Student Union. They continue to create momentum for an annual Fair Trade Holiday Marketplace held at the university that grosses over $25,000 in sales for Fair Trade artisans and retailers. Below is a list of some of their work and a guideline for your group!
Resources and Actions for your group:
- Organize education awareness events and give talks about Fair Trade
- Oxfam Hunger Banquet
- Fair Trade documentaries
- World Fair Trade Day celebration in May
- Organize an annual Fair Trade Sale or event with local businesses/community organizations (Holiday sales are great!)
- Create a Fair Trade Buyer’s Guide that shows people where they can buy Fair Trade products in their community
Click our Fair Trade link to get more resources and learn how to bring Fair Trade into your
community!
