My Teeny Tiny Sibling
Oz Fair Trade
by ozfairtrade
3y ago
You never know when life takes an unexpected turn. Today was like any other day, except I met Fiona Kirk, 2016 ACT Local Hero Nominee, founder of Angel Gowns Australia and an incredibly smart and inspirational woman. It is humbling that Fiona approached Oz Fair Trade to be a part of her new project, My Teeny Tiny Sibling. Similar to Fiona’s previous charitable work, My Teeny Tiny Sibling is also about children and families faced with challenging times. The first book is for siblings of premature babies and their journey to bringing them home. The second is for siblings and how to cope if ..read more
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Back to school :D
Oz Fair Trade
by ozfairtrade
3y ago
Twenty years ago, my father bought me a back-to-school gift. It was a utility knife for school. Twenty years later, I still remember the joy I felt when I received the gift, and I still use it today. Looking back, I have given away or destroyed almost all my childhood toys, but a few stationery items have stayed with me and they constantly remind me of the carefree days and my parents’ love. The thought that some of Oz Fair Trade’s back to school items will bring the same joy to some kids brings a big smile to my face Choose from bookmarks, school bags, pouches, pencil cases, tablet covers… a ..read more
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5 Reasons Why I think Protectionism Will Hurt Fair Trade
Oz Fair Trade
by ozfairtrade
3y ago
1. Trade protectionism will reduce overall trade between countries, and the poorest countries often rely heavily on export. 2. Trade protectionism will force some businesses to find ways to reduce cost, hence putting downward pressure on wages especially in countries where labour law is non-existent or non-enforced. 3. Trade protectionism will encourage consumers to think only of fair treatment of their fellow countrymen instead of fair treatment of all workers. 4. Trade protectionism will encourage businesses to withdraw from overseas production, some of which have taken significant positive ..read more
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What’s harder than running a half marathon?
Oz Fair Trade
by ozfairtrade
3y ago
I recently ran my first half marathon for Lifeline. I completed it in 2 hours and 17 minutes. You know what’s harder than running a half marathon? Stop snacking, and watching Trump win. Honestly though, I think we all saw it coming, but we didn’t want to believe it. If I am a cynic, I would say that compassion is dead. Brexit, Trump, what’s next? 2017 German election may well fall into the hands of far-right Alternative for Germany. Meanwhile, back at home, MPs are debating whether asylum seekers who arrive by boat should be banned from ever applying for Australian visas. Is com ..read more
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Fair trade vs Fair trading
Oz Fair Trade
by ozfairtrade
3y ago
I receive numerous phone calls each week from people who want to complain about unfair trading practices that affected them personally. I often scratch my head and tell him they got the wrong number and that they should google “fair trading” instead of “fair trade”. The misunderstanding is a little bit annoying, and highlights the problem that only a small percentage of Australians know about fair trade. While laws are not perfect in Australia and may occasionally be breached, unfair trading practices are the norm in many developing countries. We are indeed privileged. Read more on fair t ..read more
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Laos revisited
Oz Fair Trade
by ozfairtrade
3y ago
Laos, a small and poor nation in Southeast Asia, has recently become the center of attention as the 2016 East Asia Summit unfolds. Many world leaders, including Barack Obama and Malcolm Turnbull, have gathered there to discuss important topics. What interested me most, was what Obama would do as the first sitting president to visit a country that US bombed relentlessly during the Vietnam War. Would he acknowledge the pain and suffering that Lao people endured as a result? Would he apologize? I held my breath. To my disappointment, Obama fell short of an apology. What h ..read more
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My little reflection on fair trade and human rights
Oz Fair Trade
by ozfairtrade
3y ago
I was recently interviewed by a Masters student from UK about the impact of the fair trade movement on economic and social rights advancement in the Cambodian context. This is because Oz Fair Trade has been supporting fair trade producers from Cambodia for over three years. My attention was particularly drawn to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) which is part of the International Bill of Human Rights. I must admit that I don’t regularly read up on such things. Perhaps I have when I was setting up Oz Fair Trade, with all the passion bursting out of ..read more
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A brick’s story
Oz Fair Trade
by ozfairtrade
3y ago
During my recent European trip, I painted a brick in Prague. The Beneficial Brick Initiative is a charity fundraiser to protect mentally handicapped people from being excluded from society and to help them live with others in shared spaces. I felt proud to have contributed to this great initiative. A brick costed about €7. Each brick is unique, and I spent quite a while looking through all the bricks. What a wonderful idea to add some colours to the city of Prague while doing something good ..read more
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Flower Bomb
Oz Fair Trade
by ozfairtrade
3y ago
Flower Bomb – this is the new name for our most popular recycled bombshell category.  I recently came across this phrase in a magazine,  and it just seems to be the perfect description for Oz Fair Trade’s recycled bombshell products. Flower represents life, and these products represent the incredible resilience of Lao and Cambodian people who suffered decades of war and are still suffering from the landmines. Subconsciously, when I took photos of the recycled bombshell products for the website quite a while ago, I took them with flowers from my garden.     &n ..read more
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My Selfish Reason To Help Nepal
Oz Fair Trade
by ozfairtrade
3y ago
I was in Nepal in 2013. The earthquake could have struck then. It could have killed me and my fellow travellers. I was lucky. But thousands are not two years later. Sometimes people ask me why I spend so much time and effort on Oz Fair Trade, a charity that I founded that helps people who I’ll most likely never meet. My answer is usually “why not?”. I don’t deserve a better life. Since I am so much luckier than so many others, why not help them? My preferred approach to poverty alleviation has always been fair trade not aid. But when disaster like this strikes, timely and efficient aid is abso ..read more
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