TREES ~ Theological Roundtable on Ecological Ethics and Spirituality

Join TREES in Celebrating "Buy Nothing Day" on Friday, November 25, 2006 and come to our "Just Giving" Alternative Christmas Fair at the Pacific School of Religion's Mudd Building on Thursday December 1, 2005

How has Christmas become such a consumer holiday? If you are interested in alternative ways of gifting that are environmentally and socially responsible, please join TREES at our Alternative Christmas Fair this season!

Websites with Fair-trade and Just Gifts

www.give.org
An excellent website that gives information regarding charities, and their financial practices. Want to know which Charity does the most with its money? Want to know which Charity spends 50% of donations on staffing? Check this site for all the information you need.

www.thehungersite.com
This website donates food every time you click on the link on the main page, and its free! This site also has a fair trade gift section. For every purchase from the on-line store they donate a certain amount of food. Cool gifts and it supports a good cause.

www.therainforestsite.com
This site is similar to the hunger site (see above), but its proceeds go towards rainforest preservation and restoration. Check their catalog for cool gifts!

http://www.tenthousandvillages.com/home.php
This website partners with hundreds of organizations around the world that work with indigenous people in creating crafts and other products. All items are fair trade and help offer alternative means of income for people in impoverished nations.

http://www.globalexchange.org/campaigns/fairtrade/stores/
"Our crafts stores in the San Francisco Bay Area and online feature products from around the world. Fair prices for you -- and fair prices paid to producers around the globe. Our stores are part of the international Fair Trade movement, generating income for thousands of artisans, farmers and their families in dozens of countries throughout the world. As an alternative to sweatshop production, we offer consumers the opportunity to purchase beautiful, high quality Fair Trade gifts, house wares, jewelry and clothing, as well as delicious coffees, chocolates and teas."

http://www.agreatergift.org/
"We bring you fair trade handcrafts and foods from around the world. We strive to promote living wages, women's rights and eco-friendly production through our partnerships with small-scale artisan and farmer groups. No child exploitation is used to make our products."

http://www.globalcrafts.org/
"Our Mission is to offer income-generating opportunities to craftspeople in developing countries by following fair trade practices including paying in advance at least the market price for items, ensuring that craftspeople receive payment, and ensuring that the craftspeople work in fair working conditions. We work directly with artisans, craftspeople, and producer groups to achieve these goals and hopefully help improve the lives of some of the people with whom we share this planet. While we specialize in African Art and Crafts we also carry an wide international range."

http://www.syrculturalworkers.com/
A website dedicated to creating a true "global community." Tons of good info as well as some cool gifts. Check it out!

http://www.novica.com/referral.cfm?cellid=ggl362005061412&c=8&l=2
An organization linked with National Geographic. The bill themselves as an alternative to IKEA and other home furnishing stores. Not officially "fair trade" but they rank high according to the BBB standards (see first listing). Also they profile certain artists.

www.crsfairtrade.org
Catholic Relief Services and A Greater Gift bring you high quality, fairly traded handcrafts and gourmet food items from low-income producers all over the world through the Work of Human Hands program. What does it mean to say that these items are fairly traded? It means that the people who produce them earn a fair price, get access to credit and training, and maintain long-term relationships with A Greater Gift rooted in the principles of human dignity and economic justice

Alternative Gifts
The idea of alternative gifts stems from a desire for meaningful and purposeful gifting. Instead of giving a Santa statue one can help feed hungry school children in Romania. Instead of a wine glass set you can help build wells in Sudan.
Check them out and give a "just" gift this year!

www.altgifts.org
"The global mission of AGI is to send authentic, life-giving gifts to a needy world -- gifts that build a partnership with oppressed people in crisis and that protect and preserve the earth's endangered environment -- to nourish and sustain a more equitable and peaceful global community." Example- For the price of a video game: Provide medicine for 100 impoverished, people in Central America who lack access to even the most basic health care.

www.heifer.org
Bringing an End to World Hunger Through Unimaginable Blessings
Today, millions of people who were once hungry will be nourished by milk, eggs and fresh vegetables. Families who for generations knew only poverty will be building new homes and starting businesses. Children who once headed out to the fields to do backbreaking work will be heading into schoolrooms to learn to read. And people who never thought they'd be in a position to help someone else will be experiencing the joy of charitable giving. How is this possible? With Heifer's proven approach - almost 60 years in the making - to helping people obtain a sustainable source of food and income.

http://www.crwrc.org/giftcatalog/index.html
Offers unique ways to give and support people and cultures around the world. Example-Seed & Tools. In the Darfur region of Sudan, more than 1 million black Africans have fled for their lives and are now living in refugee camps. CRWRC is helping these refugees get a healthy start on rebuilding their lives, by providing them with seeds and tools to grow food. $25.00 US can help one family.

www.greatergifts.org
A UK site that features a very comprehensive list of alternative gifts. Great resource for holidays, birthdays, weddings and other celebrations. Don't be scared off by the prices listed in Euros!

To view summaries of Past Forums and Special Events, please click here.

Other Local Events of Interest

For more information, please contact:
TREES at the GTU
Phone: 510-848-0528, ext. 1316
Fax:510-845-8948
Email: trees@gtu.edu

This website sponsored in part by the Strong Foundation