Colored-in Valentine for Hershey

Valentine’s Day is a major chocolate buying holiday, but gifts for your sweetheart should not come at the expense of worker rights. Forced labor, child labor and trafficking continue in the cocoa industry in West Africa.

Here’s how YOU can make a difference:

Tell Hershey to Have a Heart

Make Valentines for members of the Hershey trust calling on Hershey to end child labor, forced labor and human trafficking in its cocoa supply.

• Create your own personalized Valentine telling Hershey to use Fair Trade cocoa for its products, like the iconic chocolate Kiss. Address your valentine to Hershey Trust at 100 Crystal A Drive, Hershey, PA 17033. Please mail your Valentines to Hershey by February 17, 2012.
• You can also download a Valentine to color and send here.
• If you make your own Valentine, please scan it and send the image to the Fair Trade Project at fairtrade@globalexchange.org. We’ll post some of our favorites online.

Why Hershey? Almost all major chocolate companies have begun to commit to using independent, third-party programs to certify that their cocoa suppliers comply with international labor standards, but Hershey continues to lag behind the industry.

Collect signatures on the Raise the Bar Hershey petition calling on Hershey to eliminate the child labor, forced labor and trafficking in their cocoa supply. Download a petition here.

Make your Valentine chocolate Fair Trade!

Fair Trade provides a solution to global economic injustice! Fair Trade principles include a fair price for producers, the prohibition of child labor, community development, environmental sustainability and direct relationships between consumers and producers. See Green America’s chocolate scorecard.

Host a Screening of The Dark Side of Chocolate

You can raise awareness by hosting a screening of The Dark Side of Chocolate in your school or community. This important documentary exposes the ongoing use of trafficked child labor in the cocoa industry. Visit our Dark Side of Chocolate page to obtain a copy and toolkit, including discussion guide and background information. Visit Fair Trade Towns USA to download a list of more films about Fair Trade.

Educate students about Fair Trade in the classroom with these Fair Trade curricula resources. These classroom activities are great for audiences of ALL ages.

Give a Global Exchange Valentine Gift Membership.

Show your love of social justice by giving those you love a Global Exchange Valentine’s Day gift of membership. (Hurry, these are available only while supplies last, and they’re going quickly!)

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Happy Valentine’s Day, from all of us here at Global Exchange!

FAIR TRADE PHOTO CONTEST IN FULL SWING: VOTING NOW OPEN

Scores of beautiful and insightful photos are now competing in the third annual Fair Trade Photo Contest. The 12 winning photos will be featured in the 2012 Fair Trade Calendar. Vote for up to 5 Photos by July 16.
Please help share positive and diverse Fair Trade stories by encouraging your contacts to vote in the Fair Trade photo contest, and don’t forget to vote yourself!

The 12 winning Fair Trade photos will be featured in the 2012 Fair Trade Calendar, produced by FTRN and Fair Trade Federation.

Pre-order your calendars today: The 2012 Fair Trade calendar is available for pre-purchase now. The savings are big if you order early. Check out the pre-order early bird prices here. The more you get the more you save.

HOW CAN YOU CELEBRATE FREEDOM THIS JULY 4TH?

By making S’mores with Fair Trade chocolate!

Be part of the Fair Trade S’mores revolution.

Rock your picnic, barbeque or campfire with gooey, chocolatey Fair Trade s’mores.
Why? Because you’ll send a message to Hershey that it’s gotta get child and forced labor out of its cocoa. And you’ll enjoy your s’mores so much more with chocolate that frees kids from child labor and empowers cocoa farmers to free themselves from poverty.

During your s’more-fest, be sure to:
1.    Collect signatures on this petition asking Hershey to stop using child labor and become Fair Trade Certified
2.    Count the s’mores you eat and register them online
3.    Take pictures and videos of yourself with our s’mores poster and email the youtube link or your photos to fairtrade@globalexchange.org

Visit Global Exchange’s Fair Trade Campaign page for more s’mores event ideas and free resources.

Traditional block printing meets modern design

LEARN ABOUT BLOCK PRINTING TECHNIQUE WHILE SAVING IN SF THIS WEEKEND

Introducing Summer Saturday Savings! Every Saturday this summer July 2- Sept 3, 2011, the Global Exchange Fair Trade Store in San Francisco will be offering 15% OFF on featured clothing, scarves, tablecloths & kitchen ware, AND much more!

Kicking things off this Saturday, July 2nd, there will be free blockprinting demonstrations, a kids’ station, and customers will enjoy 15% off all summer dresses – just in time for that Fourth of July barbeque.

Learn about the traditional block printing technique used on many Fair Trade pieces this Saturday! Plus, enter a raffle by sharing what ‘independence’ means to you for chance to win a gift certificate to the Fair Trade store.

Event Details
Where: Global Exchange Fair Trade Store
4018 24th Street
When: 1pm-4pm Saturday July 2nd
More info: Call (415) 648-8068

HAVE YOU WATCHED KERRY KENNEDY’S FAIR TRADE RALLY SPEECH?

Check it out here:

Help the Raise the Bar Hershey folks reach their target of 1,500 video views. They’re aiming for1,500 views. You can help by sharing this link to it on your Facebook page and/or sending out this suggested tweet: Have you watched Kerry Kennedy’s #fairtrade rally speech yet? http://ow.ly/5svir via @gxfairtrade.

Michelle Obama, fashion modeling with spunk Photo credit: ecouterre.com

LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT

• ecouterre.com: Michelle Obama Wears Fair Trade
• nctimes.com: SMALL BUSINESS: Angell Bars bring ‘kitchen simple’ to the candy aisle
• confectionerynews: Cocoa shortage by 2020 unless industry acts now, warns Mars
• Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade Review: Origin Wine launches premium Fairtade wine as part of new launches at Vinexpo
• Fair Trade USA: Fair Trade Helps Farmers in Kenya Build Schools
• greenwichtime.com: Greenwich teen champions fair trade movement
• Guardian.co.uk: To profit or not to profit. Is that the question?
• dw-world.de: Filmmaker Romano uncovers chocolate’s dark secrets
• TeaneckPatch: Committee Seeks More Fair Trade Products in Local Shops
  Inc.: Gianna Driver, Founder of Gianna Fair Trade

Fair Trade Models from Human Rights Awards Gala 2010

FAIR TRADE MODELS TO APPEAR AT UPCOMING HUMAN RIGHTS AWARDS GALA

Global Exchange’s ninth annual Human Rights Awards Gala is happening next week (June 1st) at the historic Bimbo’s 365 Club in San Francisco. Since 2001, the Human Rights Awards Gala has brought together activists, supporters, and friends to recognize the efforts of exceptional individuals and organizations working for human rights around the world. Find out who we are honoring this year by visiting www.humanrightsaward.org.

There will be many Fair Trade aspects to the evening, including:

• Fair Trade models: A bunch of us gals will be sporting Fair Trade outfits courtesy of Global Exchange Fair Trade Stores; dresses, scarves, jewelry and other accessories, and we (yes, we, I’m going for it!) will top our outfits off with a sash that reads “Ask Me About My Outfit”, an ice-breaking statement to encourage conversation amongst guests about Fair Trade.
  
• Fair Trade ice-cream! Ben & Jerry’s Co-founders Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield will emcee the event, and word has it they’ll be sporting tuxedos. Sweet! Yours truly will be helping to dish out Fair Trade Certified Ben & Jerry’s ice cream to all who attend, following an organic dinner of deliciousness.
• Silent Auction featuring Fair Trade gifts: Gourmet treats, handcrafted baskets & glassware and a whole lot more will be offered up for auction, all to benefit our human rights work.

If you’re in the Bay Area: We sure hope you come out next week to enjoy this exciting event!
To purchase tickets: Order online here
General event info: Visit www.humanrightsaward.org

If you’re not in the Bay Area: It would be great if you would help spread the word about the Human Rights Awards gala to your friends and family.
If you’re to ready spread the word, here are 3 easy ways to help:
1.    Share and Retweet this post using the buttons to the right;
2.    Send this Tweet out: Human Rights Awards Gala honors #pablosolon #javiersicilia Hosted by Ben & Jerry! Grab tix soon: http://ow.ly/512jQ #sf #sanfrancisco;
3.    Post this link to your Facebook Wall: www.humanrightsaward.org.

Thanks!

HERSHEY RALLY IN NEW YORK CITY 6/8

Have you heard about Raise the Bar Hershey Campaign’s upcoming rally in NYC’s Times Square, Wednesday June 8th at 10:30 AM?  Come join us in front of the Hershey Store and ask Hershey to make the switch to Fair Trade.

Who will be there: We are reaching out to local NYC social justice groups, students, schools and faith groups that care about this issue. Raise the Bar Hershey Campaign groups (Green America, Global Exchange, International Labor Rights Forum) and our other allies will be there as well.

For more information about the rally visit: www.raisethebarhershey.org/rally.

Global Exchange Fair Trade Campaign Director Adrienne Fitch Frankel making a Fair Trade s'more

WE WANT MORE FROM OUR S’MORES IS BACK!

Are you ready for some summer fun?  We Want More from our S’mores is back, to help you kick off your summer in a fun, Fair Trade fashion.  After all, what says summer more than s’mores?  It’s a classic, essential summer treat.
Please help the Raise the Bar Hershey Campaign reach the goal of making at least 1,500 Fair Trade s’mores.

Your delicious s’mores will help raise awareness and hold Hershey accountable for failing to eliminate child and forced labor from its supply chain and encourage the company to achieve Fair Trade certification.

How to participate
Plan your s’more event: Savor the chocolatey, gooey pleasure of Fair Trade s’mores anytime from Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day weekend.  Include Fair Trade s’mores in your barbeques and campfires this summer.  Or plan a We Want More from Our S’mores event with friends, family, coworkers, or the neighborhood. Check out these videos to see how much fun you’ll have.
Let the s’mores be counted! Count the s’mores you eat and register them online.
During your s’mores gathering, collect signatures on petitions asking Hershey to step up and become Fair Trade Certified.
Screen the Dark Side of Chocolate. Before or after you make your tasty Fair Trade s’mores, show this film to educate others about child labor in the cocoa fields and explain why it is so important to choose Fair Trade Certified chocolate.

More info about We Want More From our S’Mores Campaign: Visit our website

Fair Trade Federation's new Executive Director Renee Bowers Photo Credit: FTF

SHOUT OUT AND CONGRATS TO FAIR TRADE FEDERATION
Thanks Mary from the Fair Trade Federation (FTF) for spreading the word about our Fair Trade blog in the Spring Edition of Networks, FTF’s quarterly newsletter.

Published quarterly, Networks is the official newsletter of the Fair Trade Federation, the trade association that strengthens and promotes North America organizations fully committed to Fair Trade. You can sign up for this newsletter here.

Also, congratulations goes out to Renee Bowers, the Fair Trade Federation’s new Executive Director!

LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
Article: World Fair Trade Day-My History with the Movement
Petition: Change.org Asks Celebrity Chefs to Make Fair Trade S’mores
Video Link: Fair Trade or watch it here:

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Graphic Credit: www.benjerry.com

BEN & JERRY’S FREE ICE CREAM CONE DAY
Today is the day. Tuesday, April 12, 2011 from Noon-8pm it’s free Ben & Jerry’s ice cream cones for everyone! As their way of thanking customers for their support and to celebrate 33 years of scooping  deliciousness, Ben & Jerry’s scoop shops are giving away free ice cream cones.

Why am I mentioning this in our weekly Fair Trade Roundup? Because of Ben & Jerry’s growing commitment to Fair Trade, which you can learn more about here.

Graphic Credit: http://thecnnfreedomproject.blogs.cnn.com

CNN’S FREEDOM PROJECT INTERVIEW WITH THE DARK SIDE OF CHOCOLATE FILM MAKER

CNN’s Freedom Project posted an interview with U. Roberto Romano about The Dark Side of Chocolate which you can watch here. This riveting documentary goes undercover to reveal the bitter truth about child slavery in the cocoa industry. To host your own screening, visit our website.

Graphic Credit: Partners for Just Trade

2011 ARTISAN TOUR DATES ANNOUNCED
Partners for Just Trade announced their 2011 artisan tour that will visit the Pacific Northwest. Sonia Anahue Uscamayta from the Munay Rumi jewelry cooperative in Lima and Yody Gladys Moran Trillo from the El Mercurio knitting cooperative in Huancavelica, Peru will be traveling to the United States to share how Fair Trade has impacted their lives. The tentative artisan tour schedule can be found here, though date changes are possible, so you might want to double check the dates before making plans.

If you’re around Berkeley on Sat. May 14th (World Fair Trade Day!), this exciting artisan tour will be at our own Fair Trade Store!

NEW CHANGE.ORG ACTION CALLS ON HERSHEY TO FAIR TRADE THEIR EGGS
Change.org just launched a new action calling on Hershey to extend Cadbury’s commitment to Fair Trade cocoa to Cadbury Crème Eggs in the US. Go here to learn more and to sign the petition.

Teakwood Platter from Global Exchange Fair Trade Store

CURRENT AND FUTURE EFFORTS TO FAIR TRADE YOUR PASSOVER:
Passover is almost here. You can find Passover Fair Trade Ideas here. Already looking to next year, Fair Trade Judaica is launching a new initiative called Next Year – Fair Trade Kosher for Passover Chocolate to encourage Kosher manufacturers to source Fair Trade cocoa beans for Passover products.

(To purchase the beautiful teakwood piece pictured visit our Online Fair Trade Store.)

LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT:
Article: Sustainability of West African cocoa growing questioned
Article: A ‘divine’ fair trade policy for chocolate
LinkedIn Group Discussion: Is Criticism of Fair Trade Justified?
Events: World Fair Trade Day Event Listings (find events or post your own)
Resource: Easter and Passover Fair Trade Ideas

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Check back here on our Fair Trade blog for more Fair Trade News Round-Ups…your one-stop shop for current Fair Trade news and events. And if you’ve got big Fair Trade news to share, email me!

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Domincan Republic Fair Trade cocoa farmer/cooperative leader

INVITE FAIR TRADE TO YOUR EASTER OR PASSOVER CELEBRATION

Easter and Passover are two of the BEST times to ask Hershey to eliminate child and forced labor from its supply chain and start sourcing Fair Trade.
Why?
Easter:  More chocolate is sold in the US at Easter than any other time of the year, except Halloween. And Hershey manufactures Cadbury Crème Eggs and other products sold in the US.
Passover:  Passover is a time of reflection on slavery specifically, and an appropriate time to raise awareness about forced labor.

Here are some suggested actions you can take at your congregation and/or family gathering:

Easter and Passover:

• Screen the documentary The Dark Side of Chocolate in the weeks leading up to Easter or Passover. (Please order the DVD at least two weeks before your screening.)
• Collect signatures on the Raise the Bar Hershey Campaign petition.

Easter:

• Kids:  Color in this letter and send it to Hershey!
• Use Fair Trade Certified eggs, bunnies, minis, and other chocolates for Easter egg hunts, baskets, and festivities, listed here

Passover:
Use Global Exchange’s Fair Trade Haggadah insert during your Passover Seder.  The insert is written in the lyrical language of the Haggadah, and evokes the themes of Passover, to integrate modern social justice issues seamlessly into your Passover observance.

Graphic Credit: ILRF

BRAND JAMMING CONTEST DEADLINE APRIL 10, 2011

The window of opportunity to enter the Hershey Brand Jamming contest is about to close! This contest is part of the Raise the Bar Hershey Campaign’s efforts to urge Hershey to end child and forced labor and trafficking in the cocoa fields of West Africa, as well as shift sourcing to Fair Trade, which prohibits these practices. The winner of the Hershey Brand Jam contest will receive $1,000.

There are two ways for you to get involved:

1. Enter the contest yourself
2. Help spread the word by clicking the Facebook “Share” and Twitter “Tweet” buttons next to this post and encourage others to do the same.

In case you missed it, here’s a bit more about the contest: Brand jamming generally uses parody, satire, and humor to expose undesirable corporate practices, often with mock ads. The brand jamming contest has three categories:

1. Slogan/tagline
2. Advertisement, up to 8.5×11
3. Video, up to 2 minutes

For contest information, go to the Raise the Bar Hershey Campaign web page.

GREEN FESTIVAL HITS SAN FRANCISCO THIS WEEKEND, COMPLETE WITH FAIR TRADE PAVILION

The Green Festival is celebrating its tenth year, and this weekend it hits San Francisco once again. So if you’re in the Bay Area this weekend, head for the Fair Trade pavilion at the SF Green Fest to shop, learn, and explore!
Here’s a sneak peek of the event guide.

FAIR TRADE CONFERENCE REGISTRATION DEADLINE IS APRIL 18
FTF Annual Conference ~ Building Up Fair Trade
The US Fair Trade community will connect in Milwaukee at the Fair Trade Federation conference from May 6-8. They’re adding to the list of speakers, marketplace vendors, and participants all the time. So check here for registration info and updates.

LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT:

Article: ILRF Highlights of the 2010 Tulane University Report on the Cocoa Industry
Article: Hershey under fire for allegedly relying on child labor in cocoa supply chain
Press Release: New Premium, Minimum Price and Trade Standards in Coffee

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Check back here on our Fair Trade blog for more Fair Trade News Round-Ups…your one-stop shop for current Fair Trade news and events. And if you’ve got big Fair Trade news to share, email me!

Annual Mayan celebration--Guatemala, March 2011

P.S. I just returned from a trip to Guatemala where I traveled with some folks from WorldofGood.com by eBay to learn about Guatemala’s history, political landscape, and culture. We explored how Fair Trade and economic empowerment impact local artisan groups throughout the country. I’ll be sharing pictures and stories from our journey right here on our Fair Trade blog soon, so stay tuned!

FAIR TRADE MOVEMENT NEWS

Photo credit: Fast Company

Restaurant giant Bon Appetit announced a commitment to introduce Cordillera Fair Trade Certified chocolate in all of its kitchens. Fast Company’s Ariel Schwartz reports on this recent development:

Fair Trade Chocolate hit the big time this week as restaurant management giant Bon Appetit announced a commitment to introduce Cordillera Fair Trade Certified chocolate in all of its kitchens beginning on Valentine’s Day. This is a big deal–Bon Appetit provides cafe and catering services to corporations, colleges, and universities in 400 locations throughout 29 states. When the company makes a change in its food sourcing practices, it has a ripple effect. Read the entire article here.

Fair Trade Resource Network Webinars

-Fair Trade Webinar 105 Community Discussion of TransFair’s Name Change to Fair Trade USA, and Pending Service Mark Application took place on 2/9/2011. Panelists included Fair Trade USA CEO Paul Rice, Equal Exchange’s Answer Man Rodney North and United Church of Christ Justice and Witness Ministries Minister for Economic Justice, Edie Rassell. If you missed it, you can download the webinar for just $5 or wait until March 30th when it will become available for free on FTRN’s website.

-Fair Trade Webinar 106 Minimum Fair Trade Content Standards for Multi-ingredient Products is coming up. Here are the details of this highly anticipated webinar:
Date: February 28
Time: 2:00-2:50pm EST
Investment: just $5!
Details: Minimum Fair Trade Content Standards for Multi-ingredient Products
Presenters: Dr. Bronner’s CEO, David Bronner; Ben & Jerry’s Director of Social Mission, Rob Michalak

World Fair Trade Day 2011 Poster Design

Take Part in World Fair Trade Day
To join in the World Fair Trade Day celebration, the Fair Trade Resource Network is inviting you to host a World Fair Trade Day event during May 1-15 and post your event to their website to help promote it.

Download the free World Fair Trade Day (WFTD) Activities Guide for tips, ideas, and resources, plus order WFTD promotional posters and postcards, and Fair Trade products – most free of charge – all on their website www.FTRN.org.

ILO and Kuapa Kokoo partner to combat child labor in cocoa industry

The International Labour Organization (ILO)  has announced it will partner with Kuapa Kokoo Farmers Union in a two-year project to assist the government of Ghana in reducing child labour. The pilot will run in 15 cocoa-growing communities affiliated with Kuapa Kokoo, the only Fairtrade certified cocoa cooperative in Ghana. The project focuses on preventing and removing children from hazardous work on cocoa farms. This includes livelihood support for vulnerable families and setting up a child labour monitoring system. Learn more here.

GLOBAL EXCHANGE FAIR TRADE NEWS

Coco-Zen Chocolate Truffles

Fair Trade Chocolate Tasting

Join us this Sunday, February 13th, for a Fair Trade chocolate tasting. San Francisco-based artisan chocolate company Coco-Zen will be providing organic, Fair Trade Certified chocolate to sample this Sunday afternoon. Bring the kids to make Valentines cards, or use our color-your-own Valentines to ask Hershey’s to go fair trade.

When: Sunday, February 13. 1pm-4pm.
Where: Global Exchange Fair Trade Store in Noe Valley (b/t Noe and Castro).
Price: FREE!

Global Exchange Fair Trade Internship
March 7th is the application deadline for summer internships at Global Exchange. So if you’re looking for a Fair Trade summer internship, visit the internship web page for more info and to apply to our Fair Trade department. Global Exchange’s internship program offers great work experience, as well as fun weekly training seminars with dozens of other interns throughout the organization.

Send a Valentine Message to Hershey’s
Make valentines (or print out and color in this pdf) asking the Hershey’s CEO to start sourcing Fair Trade Certified cocoa. Global Exchange will email you a coupon for 10% off your purchase at any Global Exchange store if you scan your valentine and email it to us to be posted online. Deadline to email all valentines is Friday, February 18.  Visit our website for more details.

WIN Fair Trade prizes by telling educators about Fair Trade curriculum

That’s right…you can win Fair Trade prizes just by telling educators about Global Exchange’s Fair Trade curriculum. This information helps teachers teach the issues of child labor in the cocoa industry. Educators can win prizes by teaching the curriculum, too. More info here.

Host a Dark Side of Chocolate Screening during National Week of Action.

I did, which you can read about here. We make it easy for you to show this compelling new documentary about the continued use of child labor and trafficking in the cocoa industry. Order a copy plus a screening toolkit for just $6.

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Check back each week right here on our Fair Trade blog for more Fair Trade News Round-Ups…your one-stop shop for current Fair Trade news and events. And if you’ve got big Fair Trade news to share, email me!

Here’s why:
1. The Global Exchange Fair Trade campaign makes its easy to host this event (see below for just how easy.)
2. Many of my friends are unaware of what’s happening in the cocoa industry or what Fair Trade is all about. Hosting this screening seems like a great way to raise awareness with them and others who attend.
3. It doesn’t cost much (the film DVD and event toolkit cost just 6 bucks when you order online.)

Details for Dark Side of Chocolate Screening in San Francisco:

Flyer Design: Doran Shelley www.doranshelley.com

When: Sunday, February 6th 2011 at 8:00 pm (Super Bowl fans welcome!) Event Begins: 8pm Film Starts: 8:30pm
Where: Doc’s Clock 2575 Mission Street (Bet 21st & 22nd) San Francisco, CA
Price: $5-$25 sliding scale; no one turned away for lack of funds (must be 21+ years old with proper ID)
Event Highlights:

• Film Showing of Dark Side of Chocolate
• Fair Trade chocolate tasting courtesy of Alter Eco
• Make Your Own Valentines — supplies will be provided including color-your-own Valentines asking Hershey to go Fair Trade
• Fair Trade Introduction by Global Exchange Fair Trade Campaign Director Adrienne Fitch Frankel
• Stiff drinks courtesy of Amesia, bartender extraordinaire and Fair Trade advocate
• Proceeds benefit the Global Exchange Fair Trade Campaign

To Host Your Own Film Screening:

Now is THE perfect time to host a screening of your own. The National Week of Action for Dark Side of Chocolate screenings runs from February 4-14, 2011. So if you’d like to host your own screening all the info you need is provided on the Global Exchange website. You’ll be able to order the dvd plus download the Dark Side Toolkit.

Hosting a Dark Side of Chocolate film screening is not only a great way to raise awareness and action, but it is also a great way to raise critical resources for the Global Exchange Fair Trade campaign and help put an end to child labor and trafficking on cocoa farms. And I can tell you from experience, once you decide to host a screening, people will come out of the woodwork to help!

Dark Side of Chocolate movie trailer:

Reverse Trick-or-Treating

At this fall’s Green Festival in San Francisco, Marie addressed an attentive crowd as she exposed the dark side of chocolate and explained what Fair Trade is doing to fix it, “one bite of chocolate at a time.” She relayed her experience of participating in the Sweet Smarts program and advocated for ways that everyone could get involved in the Fair Trade movement. From tabling, getting Fair trade in supermarkets, to Reverse Trick-or-Treating, Marie has educated her community about the appalling child trafficking and slavery on cocoa farms and how Fair Trade prohibits these practices.

Watch a clip of her presentation at the Green Festival and hear her urge the crowd about the necessity of Fair Trade to end child labor in the cocoa industry and for everyone – especially the youth – to get involved, because it’s not about kids helping kids, it’s about kids fighting for kids.

Sweet Smarts Captain Marie Hogan Presents at Green Festival 2010 from Global Exchange on Vimeo.

Find out how you can start your own Sweet Smarts chapter in your community. Get started with your first event by hosting a screening of the latest documentary, The Dark Side of Chocolate.

This documentary reveals shocking and disturbing new evidence that child labor, trafficking, and slavery are continuing in the cocoa industry, nearly ten years after the cocoa industry pledged to end it.

If you’re in the D.C. area tonight (Tue. Oct. 26th.), the film will be shown at Bus Boys and Poets at the 1025 5th St NW location from 6-8 pm. Expect to hear wonderful speakers and take part in discussion following the film. Divine Chocolate, Fair Trade Federation and Global Exchange (that’s us) staff will be in attendance.

If you’re interested in organizing your own showing of this important (and timely given that Halloween is almost here!) documentary, check out our action center.

Filmmaker Roberto Romano has generously offered for you to screen this film for free; participants will be asked to pay only to cover the cost of DVD replication and postage, which will be approximately $3-5.

“The spookiest thing about Halloween should not be the chocolate.”
~anonymous