Have yourself an alternative Christmas?

Salt shakers
December 2000

Have yourself an alternative Christmas?
This month's Salt shaker is you, the would-be ethical consumer. In the Christmas/Hanukkah consumer frenzy we are all painstakingly trained to endure, we suspect that you still want to do the right thing—that is have a joyous and holy holiday season, have some good times with family and friends, and buy your holiday presents from ethically sound retail shops and producers.

An effort to explore your consumer options through the alternative world of fair trade networks often allows you to build the kind of connections between producer and consumer the anonymous world of free trade actively discourages. Learn about the people behind the products as you shop.

Your first stop might be your local church and synagogue to see if they're planning to hold a fair trade sale day or better yet run their own fair trade shop year round. (If not, why not?) But you can find an increasing number of fair trade outlets online. The list below is by no means comprehensive, nor does a listing here indicate any sort of endorsement from Claretian Publications. Do a little homework yourself and decide whom you're comfortable giving your dollars to, then shop well, not often. Good luck!

Ethical shopping resources on the Internet
AFL-CIO Do buy and Don't buy page

Co-op America

Ethicalshopper.com

Fair Trade Federation's online catalog list

Fair Trade Federation's retail store list
Shops near you.

Global Exchange

Globaleather
Setting standards in ethical and environment friendly leather goods production. You can now choose sympathetically produced leather goods and promote sustainable economic and social development in countries around the world

At the GreaterGood.com and iGive shopping portals, Internet users can shop at leading online merchants—including Amazon.com, Priceline, Nordstrom, Land's End, Dell, Office Max, 1-800 flowers, and more—and up to 15 percent of each purchase automatically goes to an organization you select at no extra cost. Shoppers can support local and national charities, the nation's K-12 schools, and college and university scholarship funds.

Heifer Project International directly combats poverty by giving livestock and trees, along with training for their upkeep, to families throughout the world. This year, you can give the gift of geese ($20 per flock), sheep ($140 for a whole one or $10 per share), heifer ($500 whole or $50 per share) and much more to those on your list who already have it all. You'll also be helping to combat hunger, support women's businesses, and care for the environment with each donation.

Maya Traditions

PEOPlink

SERRV International

The Shopping Mall for green and ethical goods—Not-for-profit organizations across Europe.

Ten Thousand Villages

Commodities (Coffee)
Cafe Mam

Equal Exchange

Find out more about Fair Trade
Ethical Consumer magazine (from England)

Fair Trade Federation

Global Exchange

Tell us about a link you want included in the sections above.

Ethical shopping resources from U.S. Catholic and Salt of the Earth

Shop till they stop: A confused consumer's guide to shopping for a better world

Hang your stockings with care

How U.S. Catholic readers celebrate Christmas

Do you take your values shopping?

Claretian Publications: Catholic Wisdom on Consumerism
This Acrobat Reader file is © 1999 by Claretian Publications and intended for your one-time, private use only. No other use is permitted. This document may not be reprinted, reproduced, or redistributed in any way without the permission of Claretian Publications. Download a free version of the Acrobat Reader from Adobe. Find out more about our entire Catholic Wisdom on . . . series.

Other ethical shopping resources
The National Interfaith Committee for Worker Justice publishes Conscious Giving: Steps Toward Sweatfree Holiday Shopping. Call them at 773-728-8400 to order Conscious Giving or to receive a gift suggestion list of union-made products.

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