FAIR TRADE DESSERTS, DRINKS AND A MOVIE

World FAIR TRADE Day
May 7th, 1pm-4pm
The Ideal Hotel, 542 3rd Ave, 92101 mapquest

On May 7th, in celebration of World Fair Trade Day, Fair Trade San Diego is hosting a free afternoon of Fair Trade desserts, drinks and a movie at the newly renovated Ideal Hotel, a project of The Red Lotus Society, in downtown San Diego.  The powerful documentary, The Dark Side of Chocolate, investigates how human trafficking and child labor in the Ivory Coast fuels the worldwide chocolate industry.  After the movie, a discussion will be held with local leaders in Fair Trade and representatives from Global Exchange and Cal Poly.

Over a two week time span, Fair Trade San Diego will be joining people across North America to celebrate World Fair Trade Day and encouraging 100,000+ people to do the same at numerous events.  Coordinated by the Fair Trade Resource Network, World Fair Trade Day is a global celebration of Fair Trade held each year with hundreds of thousands of people in over 80 countries participating. In 2009, World Fair Trade Day in North America involved 65,020 people at 456 events.

This is an entirely free event with the purpose of raising greater awareness of Fair Trade, so that all trade becomes fair. Fair Trade helps producers in developing countries get paid a fair wage and work in healthy conditions.  U.S. consumers are currently supporting millions of farmers and artisans who make the goods we consume and enjoy buy purchasing over one billion dollars of Fair Trade products annually.  If fact, Fair Trade imports of coffee, vanilla, honey, tea, cocoa, sugar, and more have skyrocketed in the past 5 years even while sales of "green" household products decline. A new report out by Fair Trade USA shows that Fair Trade Certified™ organic imports skyrocketed in 2010 with more than 9,500 Fair Trade Certified consumer products offered by more than 700 industry partners at more than 60,000 retail locations.

This year’s World Fair Trade Day event will be located at 542 3rd Ave, at the Ideal Hotel in downtown San Diego from 1pm – 4pm. Guests will be treated to fair trade tastings of Theo Chocolate, Marcie Sweets Chocolate, Angell Organic Candy Bars, fair trade flavors of Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream and Café Virtuoso’s coffee and tea. Door prizes also include unique fair trade gifts from The Purpose, Lucuma, Exotic World Gifts, Karma Market and Cafe Virtuoso.

FREE PARKING
Free 3 hour parking at Horton Plaza. No purchases necessary. Visit one of the self-validating machines.  The lot is just 1 block away (2 minute walk) at 3rd and G.


ABOUT THE RED LOTUS SOCIETY
The Red Lotus Society’s mission is to promote peace through meditation by creating environments for the study and practice of mindfulness, community, and cultural awareness.