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About our Artisans | |
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Justice through Empowerment |
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| About Us |
    HandCrafting Justice is a project of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd. We work in cooperation with women struggling for economic justice and independence in the developing world. We support them and assist them in their efforts to create employment for themselves in order to provide for their families and better their lives. Our Mission A Holistic Approach The Need for Fair Trade The Sisters of the Good Shepherd Our Mission As an international network, we work in partnership with women and those in social and economic distress. We promote human dignity and justice by creating opportunities for economic and social transformation.
   A Holistic Approach Our focus is on the development of the whole person. Through various partnerships and projects, the network of HandCrafting Justice (and of the broader international network) work with artisans to effect positive and long-term changes in their lives. These changes include the development of literacy skills and a sense of self-worth, outreach to marginalized, disabled and isolated persons (such as those with HIV/AIDS) and the provision of day care for children. Back to Top The Need for Fair Trade As consumers, we are often not aware of how a product was produced or of the individual stories behind the label. In fact, the goods we buy are often produced in sweatshops, under unjust working conditions. By supporting Fair Trade initiatives, we are supporting individuals and farmers who face unjust wages and conditions, and are vulnerable to exploitation. Our Fair Trade marketplace is a smart investment that helps women in developing countries break the cycle of poverty by using their skills and cultural traditions to market and sell authentic crafts. The dollars you spend on our products provide women in developing countries with hope and the economic, educational, health, and spiritual assistance that can transform their lives, families and communities. Increasing globalization has brought much suffering to the poorest people of the world. Many countries with underdeveloped economies cannot offer social protection to the most vulnerable. Many people become unemployed or lose income because of declines in the demand for unskilled labor, decreases in cash crop prices, or lost land, to name but a few factors. On the other hand, globalization offers new possibilities for cooperation. Good Shepherd Economic Justice Ministries International is working to utilize these possibilities. We wish to play our part in helping globalization work for the poor of the world. Back to Top The Sisters of the Good Shepherd The Good Shepherd Sisters are in 67 countries, including Bangkok. Their mission is to empower women and girls and their families who are marginalized in society for various reasons. They believe passionately in the dignity and unique value of each person. This commits them to join with all who struggle for a world which is just and fair for all. For people in many parts of the world, poverty is the major enemy. This poverty is caused by the behaviors of companies and major players on the global economic landscape, by war and violence, by natural disasters, or by the corruption of national leaders. Yet the effect on the lives of the people is the same. They suffer malnutrition, ill health, unemployment, illiteracy, homelessness, and constant anxiety for the future of their children. Women and children are the ones most likely to bear the heaviest burdens of poverty. The Good Shepherd Sisters have established many skills training and employment generating projects for many individuals, and especially women, who face such poverty. These employment projects often have a local market focus, such as a cooperative laundry run in Davao, Philippines, a jam-making enterprise in Baguio, Philippines, a leather goods site in Bangalore, India, a small bakery in Peru, and a welding project in El Obeid, Sudan. Other projects need markets outside their local areas. This is where the international network of the Good Shepherd Sisters is able to assist, through organizations like HandCrafting Justice in the US, Sharing Fair in the UK and Canada, and the Good Shepherd Trading Circle in Australia and New Zealand. Back to Top |
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 17:04:31 Thursday, July 29, 2010 |
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