Browsing: TARA projects

India is a remarkable country. After only a three week visit I’m hardly qualified to say that I know it well, but during my trip I certainly got a wonderful impression of the place, the people and the varied and colourful histories of the different areas.

It’s a country of extreme contrasts: from dry and arid deserts to humid jungles and back waters, but I think the starkest contrast is that of the way that people have, and still do live. With World Fair Trade Day around the corner, it’s a good time to recognise and reflect upon these contrasts, and give extra recognition and a round of applause to the people who are working towards making a difference.

Upon my arrival in Delhi, I was lucky enough to be introduced to the people behind Tara Projects, a long established Fair Trade organisation which is helping to make a difference for the people involved in their programmes. Having never visited a workshop of this kind before I was really excited to be able to visit and discover more of what goes on behind the scenes, and meet the driving forces behind the widespread good work that this organisation achieves.

Read the rest of Fair Trade in Action – My Visit to Tara Projects »

It seems to me that people are largely divided into two groups – the givers and the takers. On walking into a new job, a classroom or a party, there will always be those who are thinking “What can I get out of this?” and those who are thinking “What can I give to this situation?” You probably know which you are. Your friends most certainly do.

I have a suspicion that over the next months, President Obama will be aiming to inspire the givers and challenge the takers. He will be hoping to work out in practice these wise words of John F Kennedy,
“And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.”

We can of course widen that sentiment out to include us all. Ask not what the world can do for you, ask what you can do for the world. Do we take as much as we want of the world’s energy resources, or do we consider how to conserve energy for future generations? Do we choose the food and drink that we buy purely for our own pleasure, or do we consider the cost to the producer on the other side of the world? Do we use the household products that promise the most or do we consider the harmful effect of what is going down our drains?

Read the rest of Givers and Takers »