The summer delegation returned from a great trip to the Dominican Republic on July 22, 2011. Click here for details. On the itinerary was be a meeting and tour of the Knights Apparel apparel factory, Alta Gracia.

Standing in front of fabric bins at Alta Gracia Apparel, in Villa Altagracia, Dominican Republic, International Project Coordinator Maureen Casey (left) speaks with Sarah Adler-Milstein, DR Field Representative for the Worker Rights Consortium (WRC). A WRC report released in December 2010 described the facility as the first in the Global South where workers are paid a living wage and have organized a union without interference by management. The factory produces a new line of collegiate apparel now available at 37 campus stores across NY and online. Through EthixMerch, organizations are also able to order customized Alta Gracia t-shirts. Hear workers’stories here.

• Irondequoit High School student travels to Nicaragua to learn about fair trade, an interview with Sarah Bangs in the Irondequoit Post [PDF]
• Teacher gets a 'FAIR' SHARE of trade knowledge, featuring the experience of Joi Chimera in the Ken-Ton Bee [PDF]
• Click here for the February 2011 delegation news release.

Maureen is planning a similar trip during the 2012 Presidents' Week, February 18-25. Scroll down for more information about travel to Nicaragua, including Commonly Asked Questions, an application and health information form.

What's unique about Eyewitness Delegations?
Participants in a Fair Trade Eyewitness Delegation see an economic model which places people before profits. Like the Fair Trade Project itself, the idea for an Eyewitness Delegation evolved from the Coalition's experience leading Border Witness trips to the U.S./ Mexico Border where the human and environmental costs of corporate globalization are clearly visible. Click here for background information about the trips.

The 2010 Nicaragua Delegation
Before the 2010 Nicaragua trip, International Project Coordinator Maureen Casey also recommended two Web sites "to unravel the mysteries of coffee from plant to cup"— The Coffee FAQ and coffeeresearch.org, a comprehensive education site with sections on brewing, roasting, coffee agriculture, coffee science, coffee politics and coffee markets.

Also, see the tentative daily schedule [PDF]. from the 2010 trip and our Feb. 8, 2010 news release:"Students & teachers travel to Nicaragua to learn about Fair Trade" [PDF] The group of 18 included six students and five teachers on their school vacation.

View "Nicaragua: A Land of Paradoxes/ Un Pais de Paradojas" from the April issue of Latino New York, an illustrated essay by Maureen Casey, International Project Coordinator. See also an essay about the trip, "Help bring children out FROM THE DUMPS" [PDF version here] by Lee Cutler published in the March 4 issue of New York Teacher.

The 2009 Nicaragua Delegation
Several teachers beginning their summer away from the classroom were part of the Labor-Religion Coalition's 2009 delegation to Nicaragua. A stirring First Person essay, "Why are you sweeping?" [PDF] by participant Kathleen L. Martin was published in the Oct. 15, 2009 issue of New York Teacher.

With deep regret we have decided to suspend Border Witness delegations to the US/ Mexico border. See a fall 2010 message from Maureen Casey about this decision.

AN EYEWITNESS DELEGATION SNAPSHOT, JANUARY 12, 2009

To pick this bag of coffee beans, six inexperienced delegation members spent more than an hour! Usually, one person picks five times this amount in a day. A full bag weighs more than 100 pounds. Fair Trade Eyewitness Delegation members shown here are Jordan Wells, Nancy Close, Veronica Foley, Maureen Casey and Gloria Herman.

Last Updated:12/06/2011
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