Deborah James and Medea Benjamin pushing Starbucks to go Fair Trade, 1999.

We’re going to raise $25,000 by midnight on Dec. 31st.

Over the past 25 years, you have helped Global Exchange:

• transform the unfair practices of corporate giants like Nike, GAP, and Starbucks;
• build a thriving Fair Trade movement;
• monitor elections in Colombia, Mexico, and the U.S. and;
• build the Green Festival – the nation’s largest sustainability event.

Your support made all this, and much more, possible. Renew your commitment to social justice by making a donation today.

As we set our sights on the next 25 years, with your support we will reform U.S. gun laws, force Hershey’s to go Fair Trade, and continue to oppose unjust policies in the U.S. and abroad.

Your continued support will help us build an unstoppable movement for change.

Please donate today and make great things possible:

• One Hundred $25 gifts will cover the cost of a trip to Ethiopia to meet with Fair Trade cooperatives and develop increase relationships with local artisans.

• Fifty $100 gifts will tour a speaker from the frontlines of the drug war in Mexico, educating and inspiring thousands across the U.S. to change the broken policies that are fueling this tragic war.

• Five $250 gifts will sponsor a year-long youth fellowship to inspire and train the leaders of tomorrow.

• Twenty-five $1,000 gifts will support all creative actions we have planned in 2013 to expose the havoc that lobbyists are wreaking on our democracy.

Want to see what we have accomplished in 2012? Watch this video (or re-visit our winter, spring, summer and fall roundups) to find out:

If we can accomplish all that in one year, think of what we have in store for the next 25 years!

Give today and ring in another year full of social justice victories.

Here’s a very special video with highlights from our year, and we do mean “our” because we cannot do the work we do without YOU!

Please consider this your official invitation to JOIN US in this unstoppable movement for change. Together we are strong.

Haitian student holds a What About Peace? drawing from the United States.

For six years What About Peace? has attracted youth ages 14 -20 years old to creatively answer the question, ‘What About Peace?”. It has attracted submissions from all over the United States and a few from the rest of the world.

As the artwork collected over the years we thought it could do more for peace out in the world than stacked in the office.

This October, a Global Exchange Reality Tour was headed to Haiti and graciously agreed to bring five of our favorite What About Peace? paintings to a school in Haiti. We had our message of peace translated into Kreyol;

We are sending you this small gift from young people in the United States who are thinking about how to answer the question “What About Peace?” using art or creative writing. Peace and justice must be understood internationally or it can not exist. We stand with you as you work for peace and justice in your own country and we hope we can learn from you about what you think about peace.

Please receive this gift as a gesture of solidarity and connection – that people-to-people ties can build the world we want.

Zanmi Ayisyen, N ap voye pou nou yon ti kado ke yon gwoup jen ki fe aktivite kom atis ak ekriven pou brase lide sou repons keksyon “Sa Kap Fet Pou Lape?”. Toupatou sou late moun fet pou pran konsyans sou koze jistis ak lape sinon sa pap rive fet. Nou kanpe avek nou kap travay pou lape ak jistis lan peyi pa nou e nou espere aprann sa nou panse sou koze lape a.

Tanpri resevwa kado sa kom yon senbol solidarite lan mache tet ansanm – moun toupatou men lan men kapab bati mond nou vle a.

SOPUDEP students greeted Global Exchange Reality Tour participants.

The Reality Tour was welcomed by Rea Dol, the Director and Co-Founder of SOPUDEP, the Society of Providence United for the Economic Development of Petionville, which runs education projects in the outskirts of Port au Prince. The Reality Tour participants all agreed that Rea Dol represents the best of Haiti – tenacity, hope, and the indomitable spirit of the women and children to learn no matter what the physical circumstances are. The schools are still recovering after the January 12, 2010 earthquake that destroyed Port-au-Prince and killed more than 300,000 people.

Many of the students in schools run by SOPUDEP come from the street. They are “restaveks” – child domestic slave laborers – who were sexually and physically abused and so prefer street life to adoptive parents. They find shelter and community in SOPUDEP

Andrea Broad reported back from the visit to the SOPUDEP school: “The kids really marveled at the whole concept and responded to the paintings, sketches and photos. I read them each of the artists’ names and where they were from. They asked several questions, but were otherwise shy about saying much…. Two days later we went back to the SOPUDEP school, and one young man already had completed an entry.”

TAKE ACTION:

Tell teachers, students and community workers about What About Peace? They can get involved here.

Help us send more messages of peace to schools around the world by making a donation to Global Exchange’s What About Peace? contest. For $10 we’ll send you beautiful blank note cards with images from previous entrants. Order a set for yourself and your friends.

Global Exchange Gift Membership Package

We all have our own ideas on what the Holidays are all about. Family. Laughter. Good will.

Corporate greed and commercialization? They certainly don’t make the list.

It’s time to take back the Holidays.

The true meaning of the season cannot be packaged in a box. Instead of taking part in the corporate craziness, why not get the loved ones on your list something that brings them the true meaning of the holiday season?

A Global Exchange Gift of Membership is the perfect gift! You can give the gift of Fair Trade, peace, justice, people power, and human rights. You pick the gift and we’ll take care of the rest.

6 Gift Memberships to choose from:

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When your family and friends unwrap their Global Exchange Gift Membership, they will join a compassionate community of dedicated activists working for peace, justice and human rights.

We’ll send out the membership card and gift package, plus keep your recipient in the loop about Global Exchange programs and events with our newsletter and e-mail action alerts.

Order your gifts by December 14th at midnight to guarantee delivery by December 24th 2012.

Wishing you joy, justice, and peace this Holiday Season!

Now to set the mood, here’s a little poem written by Global Exchange Generation for Justice member Andy Klase:

Click on the poem to see larger version on Facebook

P.S. If you live in the Bay Area or DC, please be sure to join us for our Fair Trade Store holiday event on December 6 from 5pm – 8pm. Shop for all your Fair Trade gifts, meet our staff, and if you’re a member double your discount (20% for one night only.)

Are you a Global Exchange supporter? Yes? Well then, you are pretty incredible, it’s true.

Throughout our near-25 years we’ve been proud to share the esteemed company of thousands of passionate, bold, and dedicated people, like you.

Your volunteering, your steady contributions, your protesting (at home and on the streets), your consideration for socially responsible travel, your Fair Trade shopping and your faith in justice – all of these actions mean the difference between dreaming a better world for people and the planet and actually making it happen.

To express our gratitude, some Global Exchange staff members gathered together recently to come up with a way to thank the people who make all of our work possible. 

The result is this short n sweet video filled with messages of thanks that come from the bottom of our hearts. We hope you enjoy it! (Oh, and keep an eye out for Abad’s cameo – Global Exchange’s friendly Labrador – who got caught with his tongue out!)

Does the gratitude train stop here?

Not at all!

This week, we’re also sharing stories of a few (five, to be exact) of the amazing individuals, like you, who make our work possible:

• Matt Ramsden, member and supporter, who keeps buying prize drawing tickets even though he has not won yet, all to support the work he cares about.
• Jenny White, superstar volunteer, chocolate lover, and scourge to corporate lobbyists.
• Jennifer Carino, former employee turned Global Exchange Monthly Supporter.
• Lea Murray, took a Reality Tour to Venezuela and came home inspired to share what she’d seen.
• and Lyla Seo, puts her values first when she shops Fair Trade at our San Francisco store.

There you have it, two different mediums, one important message, to say:

Thank you.

P.S. If you want to see all of the thank you pictures from the video (plus a few extras!), you can check them out at your leisure on our Facebook page.

In this post, we thank Lea Murray, Reality Tours traveler extraordinaire! To read about others we’re thankful for, click here.

Lea Murray, Reality Tours Traveler Extraordinaire

Lea (left) with fellow Reality Tours travelers

Reality Tours travelers aren’t tourists.

They’re travelers on a mission.

What makes Reality Tours travelers so awesome is what they do when they get home.  They don’t just unpack their suitcases, they unpack a life changing experience.  Speaking to family and friends.  Hosting film screenings.  And in a few instances, starting their own volunteer efforts to address the issues raised on their journeys.

Lea Murray traveled with Global Exchange on a Reality Tour to Venezuela in June of 2012, and her life hasn’t been the same since.

“Now that I have seen with my own eyes and heard with my own ears, what will I do?  I will re-think my life.  I have a new vision.  I want to see how other people live and experience life.  I want to travel to even more places where black Africans were dispersed during the slave trade.  I will travel to Haiti and Cuba and examine the plight of my black brothers and sisters in these small island countries.  I will re-think my business…I will open my eyes — see the vision — and do something to make a difference.  I will participate,” said Murray.

All of us at Global Exchange are grateful for Lea’s efforts to inspire and educate others about what she’s seen, and for the work done by the hundreds of other Reality Tours participants each year.

Every traveler makes a difference.

So to Lea and all Reality Tours travelers, we say…

Thank You.

Know that wherever your journey takes you, we are honored to have joined you.

P.S. Have you watched our new Thank You video yet?

In this post, we thank the persistently giving Matt Ramsden. To read about others we’re thankful for, click here.

Matt Ramsden, Steadfast Despite Prize Drawing Losses

Matt Ramsden is indispensable.

For the past few years, Matt has supported Global Exchange in myriad ways.  He continues to enter our prize drawings, despite never having won the coveted grand prize (or any of the other prizes, for that matter).  He has treated his loved ones to Global Exchange Gift of Membership packages come holiday season.  He has responded to emails, letters, and phone calls.  I’m sure if we sent out a message in Morse code, he’d tap a response right back to us.

Donations from Matt and thousands like him turn ideas into action. People from across the globe contribute, confident that every dollar, every hard earned cent, is put to work right away towards the critical issues of our time.

This support means that when the Caravan for Peace trekked across the United States calling for an end to the tragic insanity of the drug war, weary travelers had a place to sleep and something to eat.

This support helped people set up their own Elect Democracy barbecues to bring their neighbors together to talk about booting the Big Banks from politics.  And as we go toe to toe with lobbying giants, we’ll have people power on our side.

When we respond to calls from communities across the country to help craft legislation that affirms the rights of community members to decide what happens in their own backyards, your donations fund our stand against corporate greed.

To Matt, and to the teachers, students, retirees, metalworkers, dancers, parents, children, dreamers, nurses, taxi drivers, farmers, and everyone else whose dedication and commitment truly make this work possible –

Thank you.

P.S. Have you watched our new Thank You video yet?

In this post, we thank Jenny White, volunteer superstar! To read about others we’re thankful for, click here.

Jenny White, Volunteer Superstar

Jenny White is a volunteer.

Around here, that makes her a superstar.

In the fall of 2011, Jenny ran into her long-time friend Kirsten Moller from Global Exchange at an Occupy Wall Street march in San Francisco.  Jenny was transitioning out of a career at UCSF Medical Center and was looking for something to fill her time.  Why not volunteer at Global Exchange, Kirsten asked.

“It just rang a bell for me.  I jumped at the chance,” said Jenny.

We’re sure glad these two old friends ran into each other.  For the past year, Jenny has been volunteering at the Global Exchange office, tackling project after project with aplomb — all while providing a friendly smile for everyone in the building.

Her first major challenge: digging into Hershey’s supply chain to examine the company’s record on child labor.  From there, she moved on to coordinating the We Want More from Our S’mores campaign, applying pressure on Hershey’s to go Fair Trade (and eating a few goodies along the way).  Now, Jenny has teamed up with our Elect Democracy campaign to investigate the link between lobbyists, corporations, and government agencies.

Volunteers form an essential part of the Global Exchange community, helping to deliver the impacts we care most about to Fair Trade producers, community members impacted by fracking, and victims of the drug war.  Nothing we do would be possible without folks like Jenny.

Volunteers research corporate criminals.  They paint signs.  Take pictures.  Edit videos.  Write blog posts.

In short, volunteers are indispensable.  To Jenny, and the hundreds of volunteers who have pitched in over the years:

Thank You.

P.S. Have you watched our new Thank You video yet?

In this post, we thank Global Exchange Monthly Sustainer (GEMS) Jennifer Carino. To read about others we’re thankful for, click here.

Jennifer Carino, Committed to the Cause

When Jennifer Carino stopped working at Global Exchange in 1998, she knew that she wanted to continue her support for an organization that had grown near and dear to her heart.  She was less confident, however, that she would remember to mail in her donation once a year.

So she became a Global Exchange Monthly Sustainer (GEMS).  Every month, her donation is made automatically by credit card.  Computers, as it turns out, aren’t all that forgetful.

We don’t mind licking a few less envelopes either. Monthly givers like Jennifer help reduce overhead by eliminating many mailing and outreach costs, allowing more of her donation to go towards our programmatic work.

More of each dollar goes towards crafting local ordinances to safeguard against corporate harm.  More of each dollar goes toward stopping lobbyists from hijacking our democracy.  More of each dollar goes toward ending the drug war and human rights abuses in Mexico.  More of each dollar goes towards communities, farmers, towards realigning our global social and economic order to meet the needs of people and ecosystems, not corporate shareholders.

Not to mention, fewer mailings means less paper, so giving monthly is more sustainable.  Over 250 people give each month, just like Jennifer.

So Jennifer Carino and all of our GEMS, for allowing us to focus on the work that matters most (and for saving us a few stamps)…

Thank you.

P.S.  Have you watched our new Thank You video yet?

2012 Global Exchange summer interns, including Megan (2nd from right) and Andy (holding down the middle.)

2012 Global Exchange intern Andy Klase announces the launch of our new alumni group, Generation for Justice, which he first previewed last month.

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Introducing Generation for Justice Intern Alumni Network!

This past summer I was lucky to be a part of an extremely talented class of twelve Global Exchange interns. Although we worked in a variety of Global Exchange departments, we also worked together on one group project; the creation and launch of Global Exchange’s brand new Generation for Justice Intern Alumni Network.

As one of three development interns who spearheaded the creation of this new intern alumni network, I am proud that two of the inaugural members of this network come from my very own Summer 2012 class of interns; Chelsea and Megan.

Generation for Justice member Chelsea (2nd from left) as a Global Exchange intern marching next to Javier Sicilia and others during 2012 Caravan for Peace.

Chelsea spent her summer at Global Exchange planning, coordinating, and participating in the Caravan for Peace with Justice and Dignity. Her efforts as a Mexico program intern helped to attract an immeasurable amount of attention and awareness to drug war violence around the U.S.-Mexico border.

Megan was an intern dynamo who dedicated her time at Global Exchange to Community Rights. She created compelling video interviews and handled media outreach for Global Exchange at the Rio +20 Earth Summit.

Although Chelsea and Megan have moved on from Global Exchange, their dedication to supporting Global Exchange’s mission will continue through their membership in our Generation for Justice network.

As Generation for Justice members, we will be able to keep in touch and welcome in the next generation of Global Exchange interns, as well as connect with past interns to provide each other inspiration as we forge forth in our careers.

Global Exchange’s Kylie Nicole with Generation for Justice Network intern alumni network member Megan (right) working a Global Exchange booth at Outside Lands Music Festival, Summer 2012.

So if you or someone you know is a past Global Exchange intern, we invite you to join our Generation for Justice Intern Alumni Network…We want to stay connected!

Generation for Justice members will receive:

• Invitation to Global Exchange’s Happy Hour Intern Alumni Party (which happens before our annual Open House);
• Job postings and career networking opportunities through Global Exchange and our allies;
• Discounted tickets to Global Exchange’s annual Human Rights Awards.

So…are you a former intern of Global Exchange?  If so, I hope you’ll join the Generation for Justice Global Exchange Intern Alumni Network. I’d love to connect with you, hear about what you did during your time at Global Exchange, and what you’re doing now. Of course, we hope you’ll reconnect with Global Exchange to continue your support of this amazing organization dedicated to achieving peace, justice and environmental sustainability.

TAKE ACTION!

• Past Global Exchange interns: Click to join Generation for Justice Intern Alumni Network;
• Friends and family of past Global Exchange interns: Spread the word about our new intern alumni network by clicking “like”  or “tweet” on the top right of  this blog post;
• Follow on Twitter: Follow hashtag #Gen4Justice to keep up with what’s going on in the lives of former Global Exchange interns;
• Share your Pics on Facebook: We have a Generation for Justice photo album on Facebook. Post your pic (of you as a GX intern and/or of you in action NOW) to our Wall and we’ll make sure it’s added to the album.

Let’s Stay Connected!