Students of Fair Trade

Student Experience Profiles. Volume 4. 

              Featuring: 

 Bianca Pasquel 

GSAS '15

Applied Psychological Methods Major 

In her final year of study at Fordham's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Bianca offers an interesting perspective on Fordham's Fair Trade course offerings and how her experience with Fair Trade has shaped her outlook on future career paths. We reached out to Bianca to see what more she has to say about Fair Trade: 

1. How did you initially get involved with Amani? 

I initially became involved with Amani in my junior year of undergrad at Gabelli. I took the class Spirituality, Fair Trade and Social Justice in the fall semester and was immediately drawn to the concept of fair trade. I began working as a research assistant for professor Kate Combellick and never looked back.

2. What is your favorite part of managing Amani? 

I would say my favorite part of Amani and how it stands out from other Fair Trade stores is the entrepreneurial spirit holding the organization together. 

3. What makes Amani stand out from other Fair Trade organizations? 

The store is run almost entirely by students dedicated to alleviating worldwide economic inequality. If someone has an idea for a potential artisan partner, he or she can independently contact the source and create a design for a product marketable in the Fordham community. 

4. Do you plan to continue your advocacy of Fair Trade post graduation? 

I definitely plan on continuing my advocacy for Fair Trade after I graduate. Like any student in their final year of school, I have no idea where I will be living after graduation.  While Fair Trade programs in America are getting off the ground, organizations in countries like the UK and Netherlands are well-established. As a woman, it is also good to hear that there are more female CEOs in the nonprofit sector than there are males. So I can't really say how or where I will be involved, but I know I will definitely pursue a career in social business.

5. Can you tell us a little bit about your experience in India? Your favorite part? A key takeaway? A realization you may have had? Anything about the trip you'd like to share with other students. 

This hands-on approach to business relates to the bi annual trip to India offered to students in the Fair Trade program. I was fortunate enough to be a part of the first trip during the winter break of my junior year. Needless to say, my perspective on life shifted during this time. While words cannot describe the experience of seeing both urban shantytowns and rural villages, I can say that whatever you take away from the trip will never leave you.

Not only were the students we stayed with more than welcoming, it was amazing to learn how much we did have in common. The simple fact that we were taking classes about Fair Trade from opposite sides of the world (physically and economically) ensured we were all working toward a future of change within current market structures. 

6. Do you have any advice for students whose experiences with Fair Trade and Amani are just beginning? 

My final piece of advice for students starting to learn about Fair Trade is to stay open minded. The simple fact that you have chosen to study this topic shows you think a little differently about the way business should be conducted. Do not become discouraged, as there are numerous industries from chocolate to clothing to cell phones that take advantage of workers in underdeveloped nations. See this variety as an opportunity to learn more about the supply chains in your favorite and most used products. 

Patagonia Introduces Fair Trade Certified Apparel

In May, the outdoor apparel and gear company Patagonia announced it would sell Fair Trade clothing! The new Fair Trade line features 10 women’s sportswear items including hoodies, tank tops, and yoga pants. By Spring 2015, Patagonia plans to add an additional 33 clothing items and to also begin using Fair Trade Certified cotton. This step makes Patagonia one of the first major clothing companies to join the Fair Trade cause.

“Offering Fair Trade products is an important new tool for us to help ensure fair wages and workplace safety for the workers in the supply chain who sew Patagonia clothes," says Cara Chacon, Director of Social and Environmental Responsibility for Patagonia. “We are also empowering the people purchasing our products. This effort is part of a larger strategy to raise awareness with our customers on how they can make a difference in the world with their purchasing decisions.”

According to Patagonia’s website, the money from the Fair Trade clothing sales will go into a special account for the factory workers in India who produce the clothing. These workers then vote to decide how best to use this money to serve their community. The funds can create scholarships, help build a school, or be invested in another developmental project. Workers can also vote to use the funds as a cash bonus, which may be worth an entire month’s wages.

To learn more, visit Patagonia’s website and Fair Trade USA.

Business Profile: Lakshya

The Story Behind Lakshya:

Located in Faridabad just outside of New Delhi, Lakshya is a self-help group of street children working to provide shelter and education for themselves and other children. Many of these children had previously been pulling rickshaws, polishing shoes, or rag picking instead of attending school. Ramesh Kumar Gupta, who ran away himself, founded Lakshya as a co-op to create sustainable lifestyles for the next generation of street children.

Children who are age 6-16 attend local schools and learn about different social issues. When children graduate from the Lakshya program at age 19, they can either work as full-time employees or look for other employment. By offering opportunities for education and job skills, Lakshya aims to point New Delhi’s street children in a positive direction.

Lakshya Products:
The Lakshya co-op children and adults create various types of jute bags and paper bags. These colorful products are made from recycled paper and cloth meaning that buyers can purchase something that’s both beautiful and eco-friendly. Current products include backpacks, wallets, tote bags, laptop bags, and toiletry bags.

How You Can Help:
You can purchase Lakshya products at the Amani Cart and online on Lakshya’s website. Every purchase helps Lakshya provide a better life for the street children in New Delhi. The more purchases Lakshya receives, the more children can be helped!

Students of Fair Trade

Student Experience Profiles. Volume 3. 

           Featuring:                         

                                                                      Michael Billotti

                                                       Class of 2015 

        Business Administration Major 

Putting his managerial skills to work on a daily basis, Michael is heavily involved in Amani and has played a large part in helping Fordham's Fair Trade business grow. Michael is enthralled by the fact that in the world of Fair Trade, AWARENESS is just as important as selling Fair Trade products. He believes that just making noise on campus about Fair Trade can have a huge impact. Awareness is pivotal part of any successful Fair Trade Campaign. We reached out to Michael to see what more he has to say about Amani and his coursework in Fair Trade. 

1. How did you initially get involved with Amani? 

I got involved with Amani specifically during my time in Kate's classes and I really didn't do much selling to be honest.  However Kate asked me to be her teaching assistant.  It wasn't until this past summer that Kate wanted me to undertake the management of the business. 

2. What is your favorite part of managing Amani? 

My favorite part of all this work was my trip to India, which also forced me to see how special Amani is.  When I went to India we got to see firsthand where all our work went.  We visited women's empowerment groups, companies that employed handicapped individuals, and a group that takes in abandoned street boys.  Put quite simply, it was one of the most moving trips in my life.  (See question 5 for more about Michael's trip to India). 

3. Do you plan to continue your advocacy of Fair Trade post graduation? 

I hope to continue to be active in Fair Trade, however I'm unsure as to my specific career path.  Regardless, my work with Fair Trade has caused me to be a more conscious consumer which will always continue to have an impact on everything I do.

4. Do you have any advice for students whose experiences with Fair Trade and Amani are just beginning? 

My advice for students just beginning with Fair Trade is to think of the big picture.  The work they might be doing by either working the cart or creating an event on campus has a much bigger impact than they probably imagine.  If they sell $20 worth of merchandise in a day at the cart its important to realize that that money could be buying schoolbooks for a child in India.  It could be providing dinner for a group of women workers in Dehradun at the foothills of the Himalayas.  Its easy for us to overlook the impact our actions can have because we don't immediately see them, but its important to realize that we make a difference.

5. If you attended the class trip to India, can you please tell us a little bit about your experience there? Your favorite part? A key takeaway? A realization you may have had? Anything you’d like to share about the trip with other students. 

Additional advice for students traveling to India would just be to have an open mind and be adventurous.  Its mentally and emotionally tough to put yourself into a situation where you're surrounded by so much poverty but it can be framed properly to be a motivating factor to continue moving forward with your efforts in Fair Trade. 

 Also, a random point of advice: bring granola bars.  The Indian food is fantastic, however I don't think our bodies are ready for the repetition of a single cuisine three times a day.

Students of Fair Trade

Student Experience Profiles. Volume 2. 

           Featuring:                         

                                                             Shannon Kelsh 

                                                  Class of 2017 

         Economics and Mathematics Major 

             

         

This week, we reached out to Shannon to see what she has to say about Amani and her coursework in Fair Trade. 

1. How did you initially get involved with Amani? 

I first became involved with Amani as a project for my Fair Trade and Microfinance class with Prof. Combellick during the fall semester of 2013. Every Friday during the semester I went to Lincoln Center to sell Fair Trade products and engage with the students there.

2. What is your favorite part of managing Amani? 

My favorite part about managing Amani was getting to meet people at Lincoln Center. The atmosphere is very different than the one at Rose Hill, and I doubt I would have interacted with the students and faculty there had I not helped manage Amani.

3. What makes Amani stand out from other Fair Trade organizations? 

The energy going into Amani is entirely student generated!

4. Do you plan to continue your advocacy of Fair Trade post graduation? 

Ideally I will go on to work with Fair Trade after I graduate. I currently am interning at Modavanti, an ethical fashion startup in SoHo.

5. Do you have any advice for students whose experiences with Fair Trade and Amani are just beginning? 

Get into it! There are so many opportunities out there in the ethical business world, use Amani as a stepping stone to effect positive change on the world.

6. Tell us about your experience in India! 

In January 2014 I went to India with around a dozen of Prof. Combellick's other students. It was my first time going to a developing country, and it really changed my outlook. It made me realize that businesses themselves must want to change, because regulations can have loopholes or lax enforcement and consumers can be duped by non-transparent claims. My favorite part of the trip was meeting and exchanging culture with Indian EMPI students. 

Students of Fair Trade

Student Experience Profiles. Volume 1. 

           Featuring:                         

                                                             Shawna Ostiguy

                                                  Class of 2015 

         Business Administration Major 

             Concentrating in Management & Marketing 

        Minoring in Communications 

Putting her managerial skills to work on a daily basis, Shawna is heavily involved in Amani and has played a large part in helping Fordham's Fair Trade business grow. We reached out to Shawna to see what she has to say about Amani and her coursework in Fair Trade. 

1. How did you initially get involved with Amani? 

I dropped a liberal arts class last fall and my friend had told me that Kate Combellick ran an amazing class that involved a student run business and a trip to India (all surrounding fair trade) I just switched into it and took the management role of the business the first day.

2. What is your favorite part of managing Amani? 

Getting to know all the new student sellers each semester.It is amazing how different each class is and I enjoy learning about my peers and giving them the support to take their unique ideas and putting them to action.

3. What makes Amani stand out from other Fair Trade organizations? 

Amani is completely student run. From the sales, to management, to marketing. We all collaborate inside and outside the class room to make this business the best it can be. Amani is special because not many classes (well none I have taken at Fordham) have a business as the core of the class. By the end of the semester Kate Combellick's classes are the most close knit environments. It is a great way to run a course and business because not one person feels that they can not contribute their ideas. Kate Combellick's classes are the best three classes at Fordham. 

4. Do you plan to continue your advocacy of Fair Trade post graduation? 

Yes, and I hope to continue to support Kate and Amani as much as I can. I really hope we can get a hired Business Manager one day so that we can actually make big changes. We are doing great now with the business being student run, but it would run even smoother knowing that there is one person in charge of the behind the scenes of the business. 

5. Do you have any advice for students whose experiences with Fair Trade and Amani are just beginning? 

Take full advantage of this wonderful experience. It will not only be eye opening but it will give you a whole new perspective on things. There is so much good that can come out of Amani and Kate's classes. You will love it!