2002
Saturday, June 22, 7:30 pm	Report on Chiapas
Mama Gaia's Cafe Community Room 401 Massachusetts Ave. Central Square, Cambridge (at the intersection of Mass. Ave., Columbia St. and Main St.) Central Square T stop on the red line	Come hear the latest news! Tonantzin members will report on their May visit with Zapatista communities and other indigenous and human rights groups in Chiapas, Mexico. Featuring: * Slide presentation * Crafts for sale * Join us after the report for Noche Latina at the Cafe * Live music, delicious food Sponsored by: * Tonantzin: Boston Committee To Support the Native Peoples of Mexico * Hosted by Mama Gaia's Cafe, www.mamagaiascafe.com
Fair Trade Coffee Campaign	Support Latin American Coffee Farmers in Crisis Drink a Cup of Justice Every Day!
	Millions of Mexican and Central American coffee farmers and workers face unemployment, land seizure and hunger due to historically low world coffee prices. We invite you to support coffee farmers by promoting and/or purchasing Fair Trade coffee in your local stores and cafes. Consumers can make a difference in farmers' lives! Together we can promote organic Fair Trade Certified coffee. We can expand the desperately needed market for coffee that benefits the farmers who grow it and does not harm the environment. Fair Trade: * Pays farmers a fair, stable price for their harvest * Creates direct trade links between consumers and farmer cooperatives * Provides access to affordable credit, helping farmers stay out of debt * Promotes environmentally sustainable practices HOW YOU CAN HELP: * Buy fair trade coffee! Our favorite is Equal Exchange coffee, sold in Harvest Co-op Markets (Central Squ. Cambridge, Jamaica Plain), Trader Joe's (Pajaro and Bolivian Blends in soft, black packages), Shaws Supermarkets, Ten Thousand Villages, Java Stop Cafe (Brookline), Pemberton Farms (Mass Ave., Somerville). See www.transfairusa.org for a national list of stores and websites that carry fair trade coffees. Choose "Fair Trade Certified" every time you buy coffee. * Send this announcement to friends and colleagues and post it on your group's website or newsletter. To join the on-going campaign, see sponsor contacts below. See www.globalexchange.org/economy/coffee for articles and stories from farmers about the importance of Fair Trade to their communities. * Host a Fair Trade Bazaar to raise money for your group. The Mexico Solidarity Network has Fair Trade starter packs from Casa Bonampak (coffee, crafts, t-shirts and more. See below). SERRV International also provides coffee, chocolate, crafts, and information on hosting Fair Trade bazaars: 800-423-0071, www.serrv.org. Consignment and wholesale options available. SPONSORS: * Equal Exchange: Virginia Berman, vberman@equalexchange.com, 781-830-0303 www.equalexchange.com * Oxfam America: Liam Brody, lbrody@oxfamamerica.org * Mexico Solidarity Network www.mexicosolidarity.org, 415-621-8100, msn@mexicosolidarity.org * Global Exchange Deborah James, deborah@globalexchange.org, 415-255-7296 www.globalexchange.org Organic Consumers Association: Simon Harris, simon@organicconsumers.org, 510-525-7054 * Fair Trade Federation * Nicaragua Network * Coop America Other endorsers include: International Forum on Globalization, Friends of the Earth, NISGUA, CISPES. MORE BACKGROUND As a result of historically low coffee prices, tens of thousands of Mexican coffee farmers have abandonded their fields in search of incomes to feed their families. The Salvadoran government acknowledged the loss of over 30,000 jobs due to the price slump. In Nicaragua, thousands of displaced coffee workers have set up makeshift refugee camps in regional cities to demand work, land, and food for their families. Some 30,000 Panamanian indigenous families, who depend on seasonal coffee-picking wages, face hunger from plummeting prices. The World Food Program has estimated that this crisis has created 150,000 refugees. YOU can make a difference in small farmers' lives. Find out how the coffee you choose affects the farmers who grow it, and start brewing organic Fair Trade Certified coffee every day! THANK YOU for particiapting and spreading the word!

Note: For more information write us or call (617)629-2449.

Updated on June 6th, 2002