At Global Village, with your support of our mission, we impact the lives of textile artists around the world. Our actions unite people globally by bringing their work into the fabric of our organization and community for it to be appreciated and used. The Beartooth Plateau to our south reminds us that there are women and children high in their own mountains and plateaus knitting to create a better quality of life for themselves and their children. It’s through Fair Trade that these artisans and younger generations have opportunities that their ancestors didn’t; we are making a positive global impact.
From the Altiplano of Southern Peru working with Andes Gifts, a Global Village partner…
“My 5 kids and I live in the Altiplano (plateau) of southern Peru. Women have very few work opportunities here at 13,000 feet. Knitting is one of our best options to improve our quality of life. The 35 women in our knitting cooperative work for Andes Gifts because they pay us well and we have work year round.” ~ Eleuteria
To the mountains of Nepal working with Ganesh Himal, one of
Global Village’s oldest partners…
“For Ganesh Himal knits, women gather together in village or neighborhood teams, select a leader who can travel to get supplies, learn a new skill which gives them confidence, make money they can manage, discuss problems in their lives and community, all while staying at home. Their income earnings and greater confidence result in greater voice in their homes and communities resulting, over time in an increase in status and community leadership. This income gives them a greater voice and ultimately leads to more choice for them, their families and their children.” ~ Ganesh Himal Trading
With your generosity, Global Village will continue to advance our mission by providing a visible presence in Billings representing the values of fairness, empathy, and caring for our fellow humans. We ask for your support again this year during our annual Friends Campaign.
October is National Fair Trade month here in the United States so throughout the month we will be offering local access for people to learn more about Fair Trade and its global impact. Knowledge of Fair Trade is the capital that Global Village has to invest in our community, and we are doing so with two opportunities – one with the general public and our friends and one in the local high schools:
- October
21st @ 6:30pm You have made it possible for us to partner once again with MSU
Billings’ Women and Gender Studies Center to bring “The Breadwinner” to the
Billings community on at the Art House Cinema and Pub (doors open at
6:00pm).
- In the beginning stages of development: A high school based “Fair Trade Ambassador Program” to work with service-oriented Montana high school students. The goal of the program is to inform a new generation of conscious consumers through learning the impact of Fair Trade Principles, by participating in mastery activities as well as committing time to volunteer at Global Village.
We have a lot in common, those of us in mountains of Peru, Nepal, and Montana. We all want and deserve dignified lives where we can work hard to fulfill our dreams. We all want to build our communities, raise our children, and lead productive lives. Together, we can continue to do this as well as support opportunities for others.
In order to build a peaceful and just world, there is much to do, to learn, to teach, and to share. THANK YOU for your gracious support – one purchase at a time, one person at a time, one program at a time, one purposeful action at a time.
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