| In this issue: • It’s a Bright Day! • Delegation Deadlines • Peaceful Holiday Ordering • Fair Trade Halloween • Fair Trade Holiday Ideas • Union for Reformed Judaism Biennial • Bringing Ethiopia to Virginia • Farmer news |
"The small scale coffee producers associated with ASPROCAFE are proud to share our joys, triumphs and difficulties with all those of you who have built the fair trade system: planting in our hearts and families seeds of peace, hope, and much progress. Thank you buyers, exporters, and consumers. We will always produce excellent quality coffee." - Maria Rocio Motato, ASPROCAFE de Ingruma, Colombia
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It's a Bright Day! New packaged coffee in our lightest roast You have asked for a packaged coffee in a lighter roast and we’ve heard you. Finally, we are ready to unveil our new Bright Day Brew. It is a balanced coffee with a malty aroma & hints of citrus from small farmer co-ops in Colombia & Tanzania. We hope you savor this coffee as you share a hopeful, bright day with the farmers who bring this coffee to you. Just $28.50 a case ($4.75 per package) - we hope it becomes one of your favorites!
 Order Bright Day Brew on our webstore: http://equalexchange.stores.yahoo.net/paccof.html |
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For more information about trips to visit farmers and updates see the following or please go to the Equal Exchange website. UUSC Coffee Project Trip to Guatemala January 12-20, 2008 Please join Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) and Equal Exchange in this JustJourney to the highlands of Guatemala to learn firsthand about Fair Trade and how UUSC and Equal Exchange have partnered together to support Manos Campesinas, an association of small-scale coffee farmers, and experience the coffee harvest as you learn from the experts: the families that grow it! For more information, click here. This trip is filling up quickly and spaces are limited. Presbyterian Coffee Project Trip to Nicaragua January 28 – February 5, 2008 This trip, co-sponsored by the Enough for Everyone program at the Presbyterian Church (USA) and Equal Exchange, will be an opportunity to learn about global economic issues and visit Fair Trade coffee and sewing cooperatives. You’ll get the chance to pick coffee and stay with coffee farming families, and learn firsthand the impact of Fair Trade versus conventional trade on communities and families in Nicaragua. For more information and to request an application, contact Amy Wisehart at awisehart@equalexchange.coop, or 774-776-7423. This trip is filling up quickly and spaces are limited. Interfaith Trip to Mexico January 25 - February 2, 2008 Join the United Church of Christ Jubilee Justice Taskforce, the Equal Exchange Interfaith Program and Witness for Peace on a delegation to Chiapas, Mexico. Meet and be briefed by participants in the movements shaping the social, economic and political life of the state. Visit an indigenous coffee farmers' cooperative; gain first-hand knowledge of the challenges that small-scale farmers face; learn about the effect of global markets and trade policy on the lives of the farmers; and see how Fair Trade impacts their lives. For more information: contact Peter Buck at the Equal Exchange Interfaith Program pbuck@equalexchange.coop, or 774-776-7414. | ||||||||||||||||
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Fair Trade Halloween Thank you to all who participated in either of our Fair Trade Halloween campaigns – Reverse Trick-or-Treating or the United Methodist Trick-or-Treat initiative. They were a great success with over 400 participants and the best part is that even more people are learning about Fair Trade. We have received many great notes from customers who brought Fair Trade into their Halloween activities and I’d like to share the one that follows.
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Fair Trade Holiday Ideas The holidays are a special time to share fellowship with family and friends and to consider how we affect the lives of our neighbors down the street and around the world. When you offer gifts of fairly traded coffee, tea, cocoa, and chocolate from Equal Exchange, you are giving not just once but twice: to your loved ones and to small farmers and their families around the world. Because 100% of our products are fairly traded, every package represents our commitment to social justice, environmental stewardship, and building long-term partnerships with farming communities. Supporting Fair Trade is one way to enact the true spirit of the holidays every day.
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Equal Exchange to attend the Union for Reform Judaism Biennial Conference By Susan Sklar 
The Equal Exchange Interfaith Program is pleased to be sending representatives to the 2007 Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) Biennial Conference, a gathering of Reform Jews from all over North America. Held in a different city each time, this year’s conference will take place in San Diego and will run from December 13-16th. The event features more then 150 workshops and includes Sabbath services, policy making assemblies, study sessions, discussion groups, speakers, and, musical workshops.
The Reform Jewish movement is the largest Jewish denomination in North America today. It compromises 1.5 out of the 6.8 million Jews who reside in North America. The URJ Biennial brings together nearly 5,000 Reform Jews from more than 500 congregations and 14 countries and includes rabbis, scholars, movement professionals, and students. The conference helps to determine policy and set programming for the Reform movement for the next two years. Equal Exchange will be located at a booth in the main presentation hall — among many other vendors. We're looking forward to meeting folks from the Reform Jewish community, while introducing them to fairly traded coffee, tea, and chocolate. Equal Exchange coffee will be served at meals throughout the conference. We'll bring a variety of materials which will offer congregants and leaders the opportunity to join our network through holding bazaars, fundraisers, or forming buying clubs. We'll be renewing old acquaintances from two years ago and forming new relationships, all of which will help us to continue to change the nature of trade for small farmers in Latin America, Africa, and Asia while we connect with the Jewish affinity for social justice. |
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Bringing Ethiopia to Virginia By Amy Wisehart  Pat Burslem knows how to get people excited about Fair Trade. Last month, she coordinated the third annual Ethiopian Fair Trade event at her church, First Presbyterian in Winchester, Virginia. The response was impressive – she sold $2,000 worth of fair trade handicrafts, and over $500 worth of coffee and other Equal Exchange products. She also helps to coordinate the sale of Equal Exchange coffee, tea, cocoa, chocolate and snacks to members of her congregation year-round every week after Sunday worship as a participant in the Presbyterian Coffee Project, a partnership between Equal Exchange and the Presbyterian Church (USA).
Burslem is quick to point out that the church is not trying to make money for themselves from fair trade sales. "We think of this as mission stewardship, not a fundraiser." In addition to her efforts in her own church, Burslem makes an effort to get other congregations in her area involved in purchasing fairly traded products through the Equal Exchange Interfaith Program. She’s already gotten one to start purchasing, and a second is about to. Asked if she has any advice for others trying to get fair trade projects started in their congregations, Burslem says, "Start out small, and be patient. Use whatever means you have available to get the word out." It took a year for fair trade to really start to catch on in her church, Burslem says, and now the church has agreed to serve Fair Trade coffee at most church functions. Fittingly, Burslem says that the most popular coffee at First Presbyterian is Organic Ethiopian. "We'd buy it no matter what," she says.  You can purchase our Ethiopian coffee on our webstore at http://equalexchange.stores.yahoo.net/paccof.html |
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Farmer News: Cecovasa wins the National Quality Competition for the Second Time! On October 12th in the city of Tingo Maria, a jury of five international cuppers and five of Peru's best cuppers determined, with 94.68 points, that Cecovasa's coffee was the best coffee in Peru. The coffee was presented by Wilson Sucaticona from the Tunkimayo sector, a member of the San Jorge Cooperative that is the base of the Association. This was the result of the Third National Quality Coffee Competition organized by the National Coffee Board, the Peruvian Chamber of Coffee and Cocoa, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Alternative Development Program. Miguel Paz, who received the award for CECOVASA, said: "This is a triumph for organic agriculture. The winning coffee is certified by the Rainforest Alliance, Imo and Naturland. It is a triumph for all of the producers that work to conserve biodiversity and we want to express our solidarity with our companions from Ayabaca and Huancabamba who recently voted by majority "Yes to Life, No to Abusive and Irresponsible Mining." This is a victory for the small producer who has the ability and patience of a jeweler as he takes care of his coffee. It is he who has today received a ranking of more than 90 out of 100 points. The Peruvian farmer has the key to quality and to be internationally competitive. Peru’s eight best coffees—not to mention the 40 finalists—are all from small producers. This is the triumph of Fair Trade that demands quality and pays a better price." Miguel Paz ended by saying, "We want to win a new competition next year. If it is the Cup of Excellence, that would be the best. Peru will win; the producers are organized to work for quality and HASTA LA VICTORIA, SIEMPRE." Rolando Cañas, head of the cupping team, emphasized the high quality of the coffees that competed. He affirmed that good Peruvian coffee is "Elegant and refined with a floral aroma and hints of chicha morada and cocona." Peru is the winner of this competition. You can find Peruvian coffee in many of our blends including Organic Breakfast Blend, Organic Decaf and Organic Fellowship Percolator coffee on our webstore: http://equalexchange.stores.yahoo.net Read more partner news on our website. |
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If you have a question about your order, the Interfaith Program or comments do not reply to this message. Please send an email to our fabulous Interfaith Customer Service team at interfaith@equalexchange.coop. Equal Exchange works in partnership with the American Friends Service Committee, Catholic Relief Services, Church of the Brethren, Lutheran World Relief, Mennonite Central Committee U.S., Presbyterian Church USA, United Church of Christ, United Methodist Committee on Relief, Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, as well as congregations and organizations of many other faiths. |
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