Ten Thousand Villages

Celebrate Fair Trade!

At long last, it seems that spring has arrived! And along with warmer weather, many new items have just reached our store as well. After such a long, gray winter, it was a joy to unpack brightly colored glass, ceramics and textiles that are well-suited to spring sunshine.

Now that the sun has come out and the last of the snow has melted, we are feeling celebratory at Ten Thousand Villages, which is perfect because World Fair Trade Day and Mother’s Day are right around the corner. Join us!

[Photo: New York Times]

“Fair Trade” means fair working conditions

On April 24, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, an eight-story factory building collapsed, killing over 350 people and injuring over 1,000 of the 2,500 people who worked there. This collapse follows a fire in November that killed 112 employees of another Bangladeshi factory. Both locations made clothes for American and European markets.

Tragic events like these underscore the importance of fair trade in the global marketplace. While earning a wage that pays for basic necessities is important, fair trade is about much more than that – it ensures safe working conditions for all employees.

Ten Thousand Villages purchases items from nine artisan groups in Bangladesh. Along with paying their workers a living wage and providing other benefits, all artisan groups must ensure that working conditions are healthy and safe.

Our thoughts and prayers are with those affected by the collapse, and we hope this tragedy is the last of its kind.

Save the Date – Fair Trade Oriental Rug Event, September 11-15

We’re excited to announce the return of our Annual Fair Trade Oriental Rug Event – for five days in September, we will fill the store with fair trade rugs in all shapes, sizes, patterns and colors. Each rug is unique, but all were handknotted by fairly paid adults in Pakistan. Don’t miss it!

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