About the Author

  • NAME: Denise Davis

    EDUCATION: University
    of Redlands, 2006

    MAJOR: Social Psychology
    of Gender and
    Multiculturalism

    PROGRAM: Study abroad
    program: LEXIA
    International    —London

    RECOMMENDED
    BOOKS: Culture Shock—
    London at Your Door     by
    Orin Hargraves and
    After Multiculturalism by
    Yasmin Alibhai-Brown

    ADVICE: Take advantage
    of every opportunity, even
    if you seem too busy;
    you’ll be glad later, when
    you return home and
    reflect on all your experiences
    abroad

    FAVORITE SIDETRIP:
    Bath, England

Fair Trade Begins at Home

By Denise Davis
This article was printed in Abroad View Fall 2005

Having grown up in Las Vegas, a town shimmering with diversity, I developed an appreciation for multiculturalism. Once I arrived at the University of Redlands in California, the budding activist inside me seized every chance to learn about and promote issues of social justice. Realizing the possibilities of using education as a tool for activism, which in turn can lead to social change, was all the assurance I needed to create a major with this at its heart. Through the Johnston Center for Integrative Studies at the University of Redlands, I’ve designed the major “Social Psychology of Gender and Multiculturalism for Social Change.” My concentration is focused on issues of prejudice and discrimination, mainly on the basis of identity characteristics such as race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and social class.

As my junior year approached and I began thinking about where to study abroad, I knew that I wanted a place that fit in with my unique major. While I saw the benefits of going to specific countries to learn a language and immerse myself in a particular culture, I wanted to go somewhere where I could experience a variety of cultures at the same time. All my reading proclaimed London to be the “most multicultural city” in the world. In fact, I picked the LEXIA program because of its specific focus on this topic, and because it offered the possibility for an internship. Once I arrived in London and met with my course tutor, I explained to her my passion for social justice and my desire to work for a non-profit organization. She suggested the Fairtrade Foundation.

I didn’t know much about the Fairtrade Foundation, www.fairtrade.org.uk, or its U.S. counterpart, Transfair USA, www.transfairusa.org, until I started working there. However, shortly after arriving and seeing what the organization does, I was completely on board. The Foundation’s brochure says it best: “The Foundation does not buy or sell Fairtrade products itself, but works to bring everyone together—from the farmer to the shopper on the street—in an ambitious vision of tackling poverty through fairer trade.”

Through my internship twice a week, which consisted of long days spent packaging campaign materials, assisting the director, and working with the press team, I learned how the organization was putting its social ideals into action. Each year FairTrade hosts the annual “Fairtrade Fortnight” campaign in March, which I helped plan. It’s a two-week period when Fairtrade events happen continuously all over the U.K., drawing massive amounts of media attention and public awareness to the Fairtrade logo and all it stands for. Businesses, grocery stores, churches, schools, and universities as well as many other organizations are involved in hosting these events. Along with the campaign work, I also had the opportunity to work with the director and her personal assistant in their office. My favorite project was doing research for a speech she was to deliver.

Knowing that I have an interest in Women’s Studies, she and her assistant graciously assigned me the research on issues surrounding women as ethical consumers. They also suggested that I brainstorm topics surrounding women and Fairtrade to pitch to the press team. I loved that I could even take something as seemingly broad as the Fairtrade Foundation and tailor it to my interest in Women’s Studies.

It’s important to highlight that women are heavily involved in every aspect of Fairtrade—from the producers to the consumers (women statistically purchase more Fairtrade products than men). Fairtrade is also creating cultural shifts, especially in developing countries where its presence generates enough money to educate girls as well as boys. There are many other issues that can be discussed on the topic of women and Fairtrade, which I was excited to be able to voice to the press team for the possibility of a magazine or a freelance article. The whole process was enlightening because I’m very interested in how the media can work to enhance and promote issues of social justice.

The timing of my internship at the Fairtrade Foundation couldn’t have been better. After being named the 2004 U.K. Charity of the Year, the Fairtrade Foundation is now an integral part of an important movement going on in 2005. On my second day of work, a member of the press team handed me a white bracelet that said, “Make Poverty History.” The bracelet was a way to show support as well as to spark conversations about the global campaign to end poverty and persuade world leaders to take action and eliminate the debts of poorer countries. In the U.K. more than 200 organizations have joined together in this noble quest, which is described at www.fairtrade.org.uk/get_involved_makepovertyhistory.htm.

Between working at the Fairtrade Foundation, learning about social consciousness in class, and going on our weekly excursions, which sometimes involved visiting organizations such as Tourism Concern, my habits began to change. For instance, at the grocery store I started noticing and even seeking out products with the Fairtrade logo. From bananas to honey to chocolate to snack bars, I not only enjoyed the great quality of the products, but I also felt better about buying them. I started wishing that more products carried the Fairtrade mark and thinking about how sad it is that the world even needs this type of organization. Shouldn’t all products be fairly traded?

Some of my most lasting memories from working at the Fairtrade Foundation are not from the work itself but from conversations with my international coworkers. During my internship, I happened to be the only person from the U.S. One day I was working in the “dispatch” area with other volunteers. In the midst of filling boxes and mailing out campaign materials, a Dutch woman, a South African woman, and I talked about what had drawn us to the Fairtrade Foundation, which then led to a discussion about social justice on a global scale. In that moment, and even some days in these months since I’ve returned, I felt more in common with my coworkers than with many of my classmates in the U.S.

Seeing the inner workings of a non-profit from top to bottom was invaluable. I was initially surprised by how large the organization was and that the number of volunteers nearly matched the number of staff. There seemed to be a constant stream of people willing to donate their time and effort to promote this cause.

Having my first experience working directly for a charity, especially in another country, and feeling so at home has taught me a lot about myself and what I’d like to do in my future. As I enter my senior year of college and begin to plan for life after graduation, I know that the most satisfying work that I can do will involve my passion for social justice and social change. The way in which academia has shaped my drive and passion has inspired me to consider teaching as a profession, hopefully at the university level. Being able to challenge and encourage young minds as my professors have done for me would be a rewarding way to take my knowledge, experience, and activism into the classroom and the larger world.