A pair of Fair Trade artisans from Peru will visit cities across Northern California and the Northwest US on May 11-25, 2011. Crafting Change: A Fair Trade Tour, sponsored by Partners for Just Trade, Green America and (Name of Local Group), will help to put a human face on the enormous impacts that Fair Trade can make in the lives of individuals in developing nations. Fair Trade is an ethical alternative to conventional trade that ensures that farmers and artisans receive a fair price for their products, among other benefits such as long-term and direct trading relationships, and social development funds.

The two artisans, Sonia Anahue Uscamayta (member of a cooperative of jewelers) and Yody Gladys Moran Trillo (the founder of a cooperative of knitters), will be visiting from Peru. The pair will provide firsthand accounts of how the purchase of Fair Trade products directly improves the lives of farmers and artisans in the global south. Through Fair Trade, Anahue and Moran found a way forward - exporting their handiwork at a fair price - and the quality of their life increased dramatically.

Anahue and Moran will be available to meet with the news media one hour before and after each event.

For the bios of the artisans and more details about the Partners for Just Trade/Green America media tour, titled, go to www.FairTradeTour.org.

The Tour Dates and Locations are located at: http://www.greenamerica.org/programs/fairtrade/tour.cfm. The tour starts in San Francisco on May 11 and ends in Leavenworth, WA on May 24.

Crafting Change: A Fair Trade Tour is grateful for the generous support of Fair Trade Towns USA, http://www.fairtradetownsusa.org, and Equal Exchange, www.equalexchange.coop.

ABOUT THE GROUPS

Green America is the nation's leading green economy organization. Founded in 1982, Green America (formerly Co-op America) provides the economic strategies, organizing power and practical tools for businesses and individuals to solve today's social and environmental problems. For more information, visit http://www.GreenAmerica.org.

Partners for Just Trade (PJT) is a nonprofit Fair Trade organization that cultivates global partnerships between impoverished producers from Peru and Cameroon and conscientious consumers in the U.S. PJT addresses root causes of poverty through education, solidarity, a commitment to trade justice, and the sale of Fair Trade products. For more information, visit http://www.PartnersForJustTrade.org on the Web.

CONTACTS: Leslie Anderson, (703) 276-3256 or landerson@hastingsgroup.com.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Photographs of the two Peruvian artisans are available by emailing carrie@partnersforjusttrade.org.

Green America

Green America

Green America is United States' leading green economy organization. Founded in 1982, Green America provides the economic strategies, organizing power and practical tools for businesses and individuals to solve today's social and environmental problems. Green America's green economy programs encourage corporate responsibility, tackle climate change, build fair trading systems, advance healthy, local communities, and provide green purchasing and investing information for families and businesses. To receive Green America's popular publications, including the Green American and the National Green Pages™, participate in Green Festivals, or to get its free e-newsletter, providing the latest green news, green discounts, and opportunities to take action for a green economy, visit http://www.GreenAmerica.org, email info@GreenAmericaToday.org, or call at 800-58-GREEN.

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