Trade As One

Our good friends at The Freedom Summit have compiled some great resources on the issue of Human Trafficking. They’ve uploaded their conference handbook, which is a really thorough description of the issue and the fight against it. They’ve also uploaded the full video of each of their plenary sessions, featuring some really talented speakers. The videos can be downloaded here, and feature Bethany Huang from the IJM institute, Francis Chan from Cornerstone Simi, David Batstone from Not for Sale, and our very own Nathan George. Click here to learn more .

Trade as One has been blessed with so many people who have given so much of their time and talent to support what we do. They’ve worked tirelessly to help us accomplish our goals, and we can honestly say that our success has hinged on their efforts. We call these people our stalwarts, and we’re going to profile them here on our blog so that you can see what they’ve done and why they do it. First on the list: Shelton Green. We’ve posted excerpts from an interview we did with him below. Make sure to read through to the bottom to see the radical decisions he’s made regarding his own consumer behavior. If you’d like to volunteer with us, please send us an email at (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

What sparked your interest in fair trade?

I first became seriously interested in fair trade when my faith community, Journey, hosted a Trade as One market in 2007. I had heard of fair trade before that and knew it was a good thing, but really only associated it with coffee and little knick-knacks and trinkets.

How did you get connected with Trade as One?

After the market at Journey I emailed ‘info@tradeasone.com’ saying that I wanted to help in any way that I could, and specifically to connect Trade as One with more churches in Texas.  I fully expected to get a very polite email back in a week saying ‘thank you, we will be in touch’ and for that to be the end of it.  However, I got a personal email back a couple hours later from Nathan George saying “Yes, would love to discuss how you can help Trade as One in Texas.”  From there we planned a speaking tour of Austin churches in spring of ‘07 and connected Trade as One with churches to host fair trade markets. 

Which product is your favorite?

The Hagar Laptop case.

What motivates you to give your time and talent to fair trade/Trade as One?

I am committed to fair trade for a simple reason…it is just.  I am committed to specifically helping Trade as One because they have a unique vision for the modern church and I want to be a part of that.  The people in churches across America want to do good and they want to help those less fortunate, however it is hard to find concrete ways for an entire church to do maximum good.  Trade as One has created a sustainable and replicable model to A) assist the church in redeeming the way we spend money and B) giving hope, justice and dignity to many across the world who produce fair trade products. 

How have you incorporated fair trade into your life? how is your life different?

After working with Trade in 2007 to set up the events in Austin I took a very critical look at how I spend money, shop and consume in general.  I decided to not buy any clothes in 2008.  It was an incredible experience.  Very hard for the first few months.  After a while the “habit of buying” started to break.  After the year of no clothes it was very clear to me that I didn’t need any clothes.  The only exception was that I did need some socks, underwear and undershirts.  Something unexpected happened, I got really comfortable with the clothes I already own.  I began to like them and feel like they were “good enough.”  That may seem weird.  Even now in 2009 I don’t find myself buying clothes for the sake of buying them or just on a whim.  I buy things when I need them.  Also, I learned to mend clothes.  I mended several items instead of throwing them out and buying something new.

What else are you passionate about?

Part of the reason I became so passionate about fair trade is it’s close link to work being done with victims of human trafficking. A group of us in Austin helped promote the film “Call + Response” and from that we launched our own organization to help folks in Texas end human trafficking.  “What’s Your Response?” is the name of our local organization (you can find the website here).  The major activity of what’s your response will be a coaster campaign that will tell the story of different trafficking victims from Austin, confronting them with the facts and asking “What’s Your Response?”

Joanna Johnson is a Christian who met us at The Freedom Summit about a month ago. She is a skilled writer who wants to share her experiences via our blog. If you’re interested in guest posting on our blog, email us at (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

The weekend of the Freedom Summit Conference in Mountain View, CA was the weekend I decided to commit to eating and drinking fair-trade chocolate only.
It was also the weekend I began to understand following Jesus in a completely new way.
Let me explain. I’m becoming increasingly aware of human trafficking, and its horrid grip on today’s society. When I attended ‘Abolitionist’ workshops that emphasized the importance of considering what I buy, I resisted a bit. I live on a tight budget, and much of the fair-trade products are on the pricier side.
But then I attended the Freedom Summit, where I heard Nathan George speak to guests about how Trade as One works with Hagar International in Cambodia, which employees 600 workers who have been rescued from slavery and abuse. I heard about the children both in fisheries and cocoa fields of Africa, forced to work for hours without breaks, and under brutal and sometimes violent conditions. I heard of the effort to make fair-trade a household name, and that this is already happening in the UK.

That’s when I thought, “Yeah, I could change my spending habits. Even if I start small, with just chocolate, it’s a start. What’s a few extra cents for a candy bar when I know it hasn’t come from the sweat and labor of a malnourished child? If I say I am a follower of Jesus, why not reflect that in the chocolate I buy?’
And so it began. Since then I’ve committed to buying solely fair-trade hot chocolate and chocolate bars.
But that isn’t enough, and that transitions into the spiritual unrest that I’ve been wrestling with. I have always believed in Jesus Christ and done my best to follow Him, but that weekend opened my eyes to the reality that my life as a Christian was too comfortable, devoid of the sacrifice and radicalism that defines the character of Jesus. Listening to speakers like David Batstone and Francis Chan, I realized my passion was shallow at best. I have since embarked on journey of re-discovering Jesus Christ, and am understanding that I am here to serve him through serving others. I’ve come away wanting to do more than just write about human trafficking. I no longer want to be on the sidelines; fat and happy in my church pew. I want the passion that Jesus had. I want a passion for others that hurts. The anti-trafficking movement is my opportunity. The Freedom Summit opened my eyes to the reality that something needs to be done, and I am one of those who needs to take action.

In the meantime, it’s good riddance to M&Ms.

Yesterday morning Secretary of State Hilary Clinton released the annual Trafficking in Persons Report (read analysis and summary here, or the full remarks here.)

“A striking global demand for labor and a growing supply of workers willing to take ever greater risks for economic opportunities seem a recipe for increased forced labor cases of migrant workers and women in prostitution,”

It’s a grim reminder for all us here at Trade as One that so many people in our world are facing this crisis with no safety net, forced to make decisions that we can’t even comprehend. We couldn’t help but notice so many of our producer countries on the watch list or blacklist, like Cambodia, India, Pakistan, and The Philippines.

News like this strengthens our resolve to work as hard as we can to make sure that you have every opportunity to fight poverty with your purchases. Let’s not forget that this recession is global, and that its consequences multiply in the developing world.

Our good friend Bart Edwards runs Hagar on Time in Cambodia. They produce many of the beautiful bags we sell here, (you can see their products here). At our event with Willow Creek Community Church last month, each person who placed an order received one of these luggage tags, and many of the folks at Willow Creek purchased Hagar bags. Bart recorded this message as a thank you. It’s a nice look in to their factory, and a welcome reminder that the purchasing decisions we make make every day have a direct impact in the developing world. Take a look: