Fair trade gift sale to be held in IMU today

For senior Leela Summers, Christmas is about more than just receiving presents.\nThe project leaders of Fair Trade Bloomington, a nonprofit organization that sells international goods made by independent craftsmen, began the initiative three years ago when IU alumni Nichole Common and Meghan Cutsumbis wanted to bring the principles of fair trade to IU’s campus, project leader Summers said. \nFair trade gifts will be sold from 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. today in the Indiana Memorial Union. Paying workers fair wages for their services, creating safe and healthy working conditions and complying with child labor laws are all fair trade principles.\n“The overall goal of this project is to build awareness about Fair Trade Bloomington and our initiative to open a fair trade store in Bloomington in the near future,” Summers said. \nShe said the project is supported by the organization Students In Free Enterprise from the Department of Apparel Merchandising and Interior Design.\nStudents from the organization and Fair Trade Bloomington will sell the items, she said. \nItems available for sale include “beautiful hand-made jewelry, hand woven baskets, ornaments and other holiday items, instruments, unique ceramics, as well as other great gift items,” Summers said.\nSome items are made by the Women’s Multipurpose Cooperative, which began in order to create jobs for women who are skilled weavers.\nThey also create crocheted and knitted items and bags from recycled newspaper, Summers said.\n“The Women’s Multipurpose Cooperative helps women work together in groups, obtain government help in skills training, buy raw materials, provide an access to low-interest loans to capitalize the industry and obtain titles to their land,” she said. \nThe fair trade sale will be carrying their recycled newspaper hot mats, place mats, coasters and frames at the sales, she said.\nFor more information, visit www.tenthousandvillages.com.