NYC Fair Trade Newsletter Sept-Oct 2008 Next Meeting Tues 14th Oct
NYC Fair Trade Coalition
Dear Fair Trade Supporters,
We had a notably larger and more energetic September meeting than during the summer months; let's hope we can keep up these energy levels through the winter and spring! We'll be moving forward with the following events and activities. Your help, ideas and support are much needed for future meetings and to make things happen!!!
Our next meeting will be Tues 14th Oct 08, downstairs at Think Coffee, 248 Mercer St, please put a note in your diary and get involved!
September 08 Events:
Fri 19th Sept, 8pm: 'Battle in Seattle' Angelika Cinema, 18 W Houston St (@ Mercer)
This is not strictly a Fair Trade film, but the film highlights some of the key issues surrounding trade inequity focusing in on the protests at the 1999 World Trade Organisation meeting in Seattle. A group of Fair Trade Coalition volunteers watched the film on Fri 19th Sept, there may perhaps be additional viewings, please contact Scott for more details. scott...@gmail.com
Sun 28th Sept, 5-8pm: Bona Fide Fair Trade Fiesta at The Boat Basin Café, W. 79th St www.projectbonafide.com ($20 entrance includes wine, hors d'oeuvres, & bar drink). Project Bona Fide is a Nicaraguan-based permaculture project working towards sustaining culture through organic agriculture, food security, and food forest projects. Colourful stories, pictures, arts & crafts and a fair trade information table are some of the highlights of this fiesta event. If you would like to volunteer at this event please contact Michael or Scott mic...@projectbonafide.com or scott...@gmail.com
Fair Trade Month Events, October 08:
Thurs 9th Oct Time 4-6pm: Representatives from Kuapa Kokoo/Divine Chocolate will be speaking about Fair Trade chocolate at the NYU Wagner 296 Lafayette St, NY, contact Katie for more info contact kate....@gmail.com
Tues 14th Oct, 7pm: Think Coffee, 248 Mercer St. NYC Fair Trade Coalition Monthly meeting
Thurs 16th Oct Screening excerpts of 'From the Ground Up' at whole foods on Houston. Film director, Su Friedrich, (suf...@princeton.edu) will also be present to talk about coffee production. The coalition will be holding a full screening of the film in the next few months, so keep your eyes peeled!
Sun 26th Oct, 2-6pm: Day of canvassing Manhattan Fair Trade retailers to provide an updated list of NYC Fair Trade Retail Outlets.
In order to raise the profile of the NYC Fair Trade Coalition, and to build a stronger coalition which better represents retail outlets providing fair trade products in NYC we will be identifying, then canvassing fair trade retailers in the city. We will aim to provide an updated and comprehensive list of Fair Trade retailers on the NYC Fair Trade Coalition website. In addition, we will encourage retailers to participate in the coalition, providing links from their own website to the coalition website, and using the coalition as a resource for discussion and support. Contact Onome onom...@yahoo.com or fair.tr...@gmail.com to volunteer and get more info about this event (See attached for draft introductory letter and questionnaire)
Sun 26th Oct, 6-10pm: Evening event to mark the end of our Fair trade month activities. Location to be confirmed
Oct- Dec 08, Opportunities! NYC Fair Trade Paid Internships at Interrupcion Fair Trade. Contact michela....@interrupcion.net or brandon...@interrupcion.net for more info about opportunities and to make an application (Deadline 26th Sept 08)
December 08 events:
Fair Trade Holiday Fair, Place & Date to be confirmed.
This event invites fair trade retailers in the city to sell their goods to fair trade supporters, and promote the sale of fair trade products to the wider community. Please get in touch if you have ideas of a potential location, and to get involved in planning this event fair.tr...@gmail.com
Website Design & Development:
We can start to get things going here, and have been offered help with our website makeover by Lynda of the www.coffeeandteanewsletter.com If you have any specific ideas on design and structure and would like to be more involved in revamping the website, please contact Freya freya...@gmail.com and Sol sol....@gmail.com
Calendars for Fair Trade events which would be useful for publicising our events have been identified on the Fair Trade Resource network, Fair Trade towns, and Transfair. A volunteer to routinely publicise events using these media would be welcome. If you would like to volunteer, please contact fair.tr...@gmail.com.
Next Meeting 7pm, Tuesday 14th October 08 @ Think! Coffee, 248 Mercer St:
We will continue with monthly meetings for the coming months... We would also like to rotate the monthly chair of meetings, so whether you have a lot of experience or are relatively new to the group, please feel free to sign up and chair one of our meetings in the coming months. Our next meeting will be mid-October.
Get involved! Share your ideas, enthusiasm and interest in Fair Trade by supporting events by coming along or volunteering whenever you can, and by coming along to monthly meetings!
Hope to see you all at our Fair Trade Month meetings and events in October if not sooner!