Join us for this conversation with Nancy Jones, executive director of Chicago Fair Trade.
From “A Closer Look at the Hands that Make Apple iPads and Victoria’s Secret Panties” by Dan Beucke
“It’s an uncomfortable fact of modern life that many iconic consumer products are built by people who could never afford to buy them. Yet there is great risk to these big, rich brands if they come to be seen as exploitative employers. Consider the case of Apple’s iPads and Victoria’s Secret’s panties….”
Questions for Consideration
How can we ensure that distributors who label their clothes “fair trade” practice a sustainable and just model? What is the benefit of labeling items and products? Why does it matter where our products come from? What role does the American consumer have in advocating or requiring fair treatment of workers and sensitivity to the environment in the making of the products they purchase?
Want to learn more?
- The Whole Foods Paradox: Organics and Fair Trade Outgrow Founding Ideals
- Chicago Declared Nation’s Largest Fair Trade Town
- Child Labor Used in Victoria’s Secret ‘Fair Trade’ Products
- Is fairtrade still fair?
- FLO, Fair Trade USA, and Starbucks: A Critique
Nancy Jones is Executive Director of Chicago Fair Trade, a metro-wide organization that works with businesses, faith based organizations, non-profits, universities, and individual activists to expand support for Fair Trade through education, advocacy, and consumer campaigns. Nancy’s experience as a community organizer in Chicago combined with work experience in rural communities in El Salvador informs her approach to building global relationships based on justice and mutual respect. She holds an M.S.W. from the University of Chicago.
Free and open to the public. For more information please call 312.422.5580.
If you need a sign interpreter or require other arrangements to fully participate, please call 312.422.5580. For parking locations near the facility, please visit ChicagoParkingMap.com.