Welcome to the Sankofa newsletter.

In this Issue

	Mother's Day is nearly here!
	Fair Trade Fortnight 2008
	What is Fair Trade?

In Other News

Where to find us!

Visit us at the Fair Trade Fiesta at the Atrium (Federation Square, Melbourne) on Friday 9th May - 12pm to 8pm.

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Mother's Day is nearly here!

Mother's Day is Sunday May 11th - so if you're looking for a Mother's Day gift then look no further!

We've got baskets, silk shawls, jewellery boxes, music, handbags and more - as many of our products are made by mothers, buying fair trade gifts is a great way to appreciate mothers close to home and around the world.

Click here to see our Mother's Day Gift Ideas

Mother's Day Special - All orders over $50 receive one of our beautifully hand embroidered greeting cards from Fancy Stitch in South Africa - valued at $9.50.

Mother's Day Gift Pack - Putumayo Music from the Coffee and Chocolate Lands, Ethiopia Gold Coffee and Cocolo Chocolate - $54 ($59.50 worth of value). Click here to buy this pack.

Or why not make up your own gift pack - just select the products you want and we'll gift wrap them for you.
 

Fair Trade Fortnight 2008

Fair Trade Fortnight (FTF) '08 is nearly here - 3rd to 18th May - put it in your diary so you don't miss out on this global fair trade event.

FTF is a global celebration of fair trade and this year the fortnight is focussed on the diversity of fair trade products - it's not just about coffee and chocolate any more - there's an ever increasing number of high quality fair trade products - homewares, jewellery, clothing, toys, accessories, sports balls and much more.

You can be part of FTF by supporting one of the events happening around Australia and New Zealand.

The 'Big Ticket Item' for Melbourne is the Fair Trade Fiesta at Federation Square on Friday 9th May 2008. The day starts off with a Fair Trade Market in the Atrium with over 20 retailers selling their wares and then the grand finale is the Fashion Fights Fair fashion show - a showcase of fair trade, ethical and sustainable fashion.

Click here to find out what's happening in Melbourne for FTF;

Click here to find out what's happening in Australia for FTF;

Click here to find out what's happening in New Zealand for FTF;
 

What is Fair Trade?

What is Fair Trade? Good question - I'm glad you asked!

In a nutshell fair trade is an alternative system of trade based on equality, respect, fairness and communication - a system where everyone in the supply chain (from producer to retailer) gets paid fair and pays fair - sounds reasonable doesn't it?

The fair trade movement's primary aim is to support producers in developing countries as they are the most vulnerable to exploitative trading practices.

One of the great things about being a consumer is that every time we buy a fair trade product we're sending a message (to the fair trade market and the free trade market) about how we expect producers to be treated.

Want to know more about fair trade - check out the website of the Fair Trade Association of Australia and New Zealand (FTAANZ) www.fta.org.au.

Want to know more about Sankofa's fair trade principles and purchasing practices then check out the "Our Principles' and 'Our Producers' pages on our website www.sankofa.com.au.