Generation Wonder - Shop Ethically - We value ethical trade

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Generation Wonder Web Site > What Matters to Us > Shop Ethically > We value ethical trade

When you have your own business you have to be proud that it represents you and your family. So ethics plays an important part in the way we make our decisions. That includes our purchasing decisions. - who we buy from, and whose stories we represent to you, our customer. Not all grass roots producers from around the world have the resources or capacity to be registered with IFAT, the International Fair Trade Association. Yet they still conduct their businesses in the spirit of fair trade. So we can't represent these producers as fair trade organisations because they are not registered, but we do admire their achievements in producing their goods, sometimes under hardship, while still maintaining high levels of labour standards - which includes pay, safety, welfare, absence of child labour, all in the spirit of empowerment and poverty reduction. These companies also consider the wider impact their businesses have on their communities - be it recognition for their local craftsmanship or empowerment for their breadwinners, or the associated trade that visitors to their centres bring to their communities.

Our felt products travel from two Australian based companies whose designers travel to India and Nepal and work with craftspeople there to extend their local craft of wool felting.

Our hand loom products (painting aprons and book bags) travel from a Hand loom Centre in Sri Lanka established after the devastation of the 2004 Tsunami. Funded by NGOs to help rebuild this renowned craft village, both men and women enjoy employment here with wages and opportunities much improved from before the tsunami.

We also took great pride last year in supporting the seaside business of ABay Surfwear after seeing them featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show (we're huge fans!). After having received funding from Oprah's Angel Network, and assistance from Mercy Corp, ABay Surfwear was slowing getting back to business. Well this was a great story that we just had to be a part of. So through a long and winding trail of emails we eventually tracked them down, and Ramesh the tailor was able to fulfill his first ever export order. We have attached his story to each pair of surf shorts. They even made Sydney Child Magazines, 2006 Christmas Gift Guide. They pretty much sold out after that, but we have a few pairs left - so be quick to be a part of this story.