FTL at Zeytouna Bay

Our 10 Fair Trade Principles

Principle One: Creating Opportunities for Economically Disadvantaged Producers
Principle Two: Transparency and Accountability
Principle Three: Fair Trading Practices
Principle Four: Payment of a Fair Price
Principle Five: Ensuring no Child Labour and Forced Labour
Principle Six: Commitment to Non Discrimination, Gender Equity and Freedom of Association
Principle Seven: Ensuring Good Working Conditions
Principle Eight: Providing Capacity Building
Principle Nine: Promoting Fair Trade
Principle Ten: Respect for the Environment

For more information about Fair Trade click on this link for French text, and on >this one for English.

Group picture from WFTO conference in Mombasa, 2011

Be Inspired Before you Expire!

If you are a dreamer, a believer, a person looking for a meaning to your actions, then it's never too late to BE INSPIRED and to go for it.

The WFTO 11th biennial conference was launched with the theme of:
WFTO: A global partnership for a common good.

...What is a common good? It is the present, it is us, working together hand in hand and putting the interest of small producers in our hearts and minds, in order to walk towards the ultimate goal of reaching a fairer and more transparent trading system.

Despite the global shaky economy that affects our understanding of the "common good", we all gathered here in Mombasa to reaffirm the foundations, the principles and the beauty of an organization uniting more than 700 Fair Trade actors worldwide.

This global conference, of just a few days, was a great opportunity to share expertise and stories! I've met artisans from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Swaziland...as well as Asian participants from India, Bangladesh, Philippines, Nepal and the list goes on.

I can't describe the thrill that sprinkles in ones heart in such a rich gathering, but I can try and give you a small idea by quoting this sentence:

"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams" -Eleanor Roosevelt.

Headed to Mombasa, KENYA!

So I left Lebanon today at 4:00 AM and headed to Mombasa, the second largest city in Kenya, renowned for its beautiful coastal view and its location by the Indian Ocean!

I’ve taken 3 flights:

Departure: BEIRUT -> to Doha, Qatar (3 hours) -> to Nairobi, capital of Kenya (5 hours) -> arrival to: Mombasa, internal flight (1 hour).

I got here at 4:00 PM, May 21st….total journey of 12 hours.

I’ll be staying in Kenya until the 28^th and representing Fair Trade Lebanon at the 11^th Biennial Global Conference of the WFTO.

I’m very excited to participate in this global gathering of worldwide Fair Trade actors. I’m also looking forward to witnessing the huge organizational effort that was done by the WFTO global office and the KEFAT NGO in order to put together the entire event. Not to mention, all the positive networking and outcome expected for Fair Trade Lebanon *fingers crossed*! J

More updates will be posted soon...