As a follow-up to Mayu‘s visit to the Victory Alpaca Ranch last week, check out more photos of these adorable and sweet Camelids.
Connect with Mayu’s Twitter, Facebook and blog for more on alpaca, eco-fashion, and fun Fair Trade adventures!
Posts Tagged ‘Fair Trade’
PHOTOBLOG: CUTE & FUZZY PROVIDERS OF ECO-FRIENDLY ALPACA FIBER
Wednesday, July 21st, 2010
WHAT ARE MAYU CUSTOMERS SAYING ABOUT OUR FABULOUS HAND-KNIT ALPACA?
Sunday, July 11th, 2010
We at Mayu can wax on all day about how great our products are, however, the best way to find out is to read our customers’ comments! Read their feedback for yourself!
Mayu’s “great handmade products” are of “high quality, with a beautiful appearance, and a good cause.” Our customers “love the socially responsible-ness 
” and think our “beautiful products” are “original, practical and so comfortable“! The Mayu experience is all about our “excellent cause; excellent product; and excellent service“.
“Beautiful and stylish products with a social conscience? Of course!”
You heard it here first!
Don’t take our amazing customers’ word[s] for it! Visit our website for more information and gorgeous photos of our alpaca accessories, and keep up with our blog, find us on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook!
SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE TRAVEL : VISIT FAIR TRADE ARTISANS
Friday, July 9th, 2010
Mayu loves to blog about traveling, especially the type of travel that enables visitors to connect and volunteer with local people, like our Fair Trade Artisans. Courtesy of our friends at Green By Design, we are able to present to you the fundamentals of “Socially Responsible Travel.” We already know that for many developing countries like Peru, tourism plays an integral part in sustaining the economy. Why not get more “bang for your buck,” so to speak, and volunteer with the local people or learn more about the culture and language of the people you visit? It also helps to ensure that you are minimizing your ecological footprint when you travel.
Click for more resources on traveling responsibly
CUSCO TRAIN REOPENS : GOOD NEWS FOR PERUVIAN ARTISTS SELLING ALPACA CLOTHING
Wednesday, July 7th, 2010
Mayu is pleased to announce that as of July 1st, the train to Machu Picchu, Peru’s top tourist destination, has been fully reopened. Barring a four-day hike in the Andes, this rail service is often the only way to reach the ancient citadel. Having suffered earthquakes, landslides, and heavy flooding for the first half of the year, it is great news to hear that the railroad is now fully operational. Machu Picchu is the most visited tourist site in South America, and revenues from the site contribute to ninety percent of Peru’s tourist trade per year. On average, more than 2000 visitors from all over the world travel to the site every day and provide the country with sixty-four percent of its GDP. The train’s reinstatement means very good news for Mayu’s Peruvian artisans, who (along with the rest of Peru), depend very heavily on the tourist trade for their livelihoods.
Connect with Mayu on Twitter, Facebook and our blog for exciting news about Peru, artisans, sustainability, eco-fashion, fair trade, and hand-knit alpaca.
TOO WARM IN YOUR ALPACA SWEATER? GRAB A FAIR TRADE ICE CREAM!
Monday, July 5th, 2010
So, as many of you may have heard, it is summer. This means that you will probably “scream for ice cream” at some point during the next couple of months. Why not make that primal scream a shout out for Fair Trade as well? As of earlier this year, the famous Ben & Jerry’s ice cream company has completely committed to sourcing every possible ingredient for their delicious treats from Fair Trade producers. This means that all the coffee, cocoa, bananas and vanilla in their ice cream comes from small-scale Fair Trade farmers and producers the world over. This is a great step towards Fair Trading your supermarket, and incorporating Fair Trade into your summer (in a very delicious way!). For more on Fair Trade, and stuff Mayu loves, check out our blog, find us on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook! What’s your favorite flavor?
CURL UP UNDER OUR ALPACA THROW AND WATCH LA TETA ASUSTADA
Sunday, July 4th, 2010
La Teta Asustada is a 2009 film, co-produced by Peru and Spain. This groundbreaking masterpiece is the first Peruvian film to ever be nominated for the Foreign Film Oscar. Directed by Claudia Llosa and starring Magaly Solier, the film discusses the fear experienced by Peruvian women during 1980-1992, a period of severe government and radical left-wing violence against villagers in the Andes. The title “Teta Asustada” translates colloquially into “The Milk of Sorrow” and refers to the folk belief that the trauma experienced by women who were raped by members of security force was passed on to their children through the milk from their breasts. Thus, this period of violence continues to affect not only those who experienced it, but also the next generation. The film is based on the book Entre Prójimos by Kimberly Theidon, Associate Professor at the Department of Anthropology at Harvard University and Director of Praxis, Institute for Social Justice. The film presents a memorable and haunting portrait of a period of great injustice told from a rare perspective: that of poor, rural, WOMEN. In this way, La Teta Asustada is relatable to Mayu. Fair Trade practices and hard-hitting documentaries target alternatives that lead to the alleviation of social injustices, and allow small voices to be heard in a big way. Go see La Teta Asustada, now playing in a [small, arty, independent] theatre near you.
For more on stuff Mayu loves, check out our blog, find us on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook! Happy Fourth of July!
“ECO-FASHION : GOING GREEN” NOW AT THE FIT
Friday, July 2nd, 2010
The term “eco-fashion” might seem a little oxymoronic if one thinks about the more wasteful aspects of this high-turnover industry. However, we at Mayu and the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) know that this does not have to be true. Whether it involves hand-knitting Peruvian alpaca garments, producing vegan leather purses, or repurposing vintage clothing, several measures can be taken to contradict the excesses of “Fast Fashion.”
Read about the new exhibit at the FIT…
USSF FOLLOW UP: FAIR TRADE AND SOLIDARITY
Wednesday, June 30th, 2010
As a follow up to Mayu’s trip to the U.S. Social Forum last week, here is a quick photoblog. Detroit was beautiful and sunny, and the 17,000 USSF attendees nicely complemented Hart Plaza and its surroundings. Mayu attended several workshops dealing with Fair Trade, sustainability, and the “solidarity economy.”. The workshops were very dynamic and marked by a high level of comments and involvement from the participants. All types of folks from far and near were present, young and old, rich and poor, housed and homeless, capitalists and communists. Several buildings in the Motor City played host to the “Un-Conference,” including the mighty Cobo Hall, to the tiny Woodward Academy. Detroit proved a gracious and welcoming host to this congregation of activists. Thank you, Detroit, for a refreshing, engaging, and rewarding experience! (Thanks, too, for the balmy weather!)
WORLD CUP WINERIES (JUST DON’T SPILL ON YOUR ALPACA BLANKET)
Sunday, June 27th, 2010
Attention all wine-o’s! As the World Cup season is upon us, Mayu thinks that now is the perfect time to enjoy a tall glass of fairly-traded wine from South Africa! The international Fair Trade Foundation has launched the “Sip for South Africa” campaign to raise awareness about Fair Trade, and to help support Fair Trade farmers, workers and their communities. Some of the award-winning brands that are taking part in this campaign include Fairhills, Thandi, Origins, and Stellar Organics: all located in the Western Cape region of South Africa. Intriguingly, part of every bottle sold of Stellar Organics goes to helping youth soccer clubs in the country. Soccer in this region has a double purpose of provide recreation and helping to prevent youth crime. Other profits from Fair Trade sales go to projects such as housing for workers, day care centers, college scholarships, computer labs, adult education classes and retirement funds. Now, if that doesn’t mean making your money work twice, we don’t know what does!
DEDICATION TO FAIR TRADE AT U.S. SOCIAL FORUM 2010
Monday, June 21st, 2010
This week marks the second United States Social Forum, a gathering of activists, organizers, working people, poor people, and indigenous people from across the country. The aim of the Social Forum is to provide community leaders with the tools and knowledge to affect change in their cities, states, and countries. Known as the “Unconference,” the forum features a series of workshops, plenaries, work projects and arts & culture events. The workshops will discuss issues as diverse as race, social justice, sustainability, international relations, history, worker’s rights, and Fair Trade.
This year’s Social Forum will be held June 22-26 in Detroit, Michigan. Mayu will be attending the event, with a special focus on the events related to Fair Trade and the idea of a “solidarity economy”, of which Fair Trade practices form a part. Mayu is very excited to be a part of the Social Forum, for us it forms an important precursor to the landmark Fair Trade Futures Conference in September. For a follow-up on the U.S. Social Forum, stay tuned to Mayu’s blog, Twitter, and Facebook for more on human rights, fair trade, and development news!
