Fair Trade Day 2009: May 9

Here at the Green Connoisseur, we’ve brought you a lot of information on products and companies that take part in fair trade. There’s a great reason for that – when a company takes part in fair trade, they are providing fair wages and compensation for the workers that produce their products or parts of their products. These workers are able to receive decent payment for their work, obtaining benefits and being able to care for their families and contribute to their communities. Fair Trade Day is about celebrating that, and working toward fair trade for everyone. Typically, Fair Trade Day is celebrated around the second weekend in May, but the official date this year is May 9th. This May 9th marks the 60th anniversary of Fair Trade Day, which is difficult to attribute to any one organization or person. However, the original roots don’t matter that much when considering the fact that Fair Trade day is now a global event in which members all over the world participate. Companies and products that are fair trade are celebrated and companies which don’t participate in fair trade are asked to do so. Different events, conferences and celebrations will be held throughout the world, so finding a celebration near you shouldn’t be too difficult. It’s really easy to join an event, or if you feel inspired, create your own event and invite others to celebrate Fair Trade Day with you. As Paul McCartney says, “World Fair Trade Day is a great idea. Fair Trade is essential for millions of people who work and struggle for survival everyday. It’s all about justice and human rights.” If you’re unable to get out and create or join an event, participate online by joining Fair Trade Groups and celebrations, like the Twitter group or the Fair Trade Woman Facebook group. Create a blog post to inform others of the importance of Fair Trade and the kinds of benefits workers can receive if companies would just be willing to pay them their fair share. This May 9th, do something to show the world that you support Fair Trade for workers around the globe! You can also learn more about fair trade products here. Photo Courtesy of www.Examiner.com