NEW SMYRNA BEACH -  Do you know what Fair Trade is?  Do you confuse Fair Trade and Free Trade?  Fair Trade is a worldwide program that seeks to promote the products of workers and artisans while recognizing their right to fair and equitable treatment. more...

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -  The hand-carved soapstone sculptures are made by Kennedy, a young Kenyan man whose picture lies on a shelf at Global Crafts on Flagler Avenue.  Sculpted African busts, depicting members of Kenya's many tribes stand nearby. more...

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -  The sound of African drums Sunday afternoon at the Flagler Avenue gazebo drew the curios and those who knew the Ngoma Thunder African Drummers and the Spirit of Life Dancers would be performing there. more...

While technological advances are often blamed for the dilution of indigenous cultures around the world, select organizations are using the Web to do the opposite: They are preserving artisanal traditions by connecting an international community of artists to consumers via the Internet.  From Indian silk rugs to Peruvian pottery, authentic, unique crafts can now be bought with the click of a mouse.   Best of all, these e-tailers are committed to fairly compensating the artisans. more...

Rossmoor resident Anita Kahn is happy to make a difference in a nation or another continent.   In approximately three months, she's helped raise more than $3,000, which will pay a one-year salary for a school teacher in the African country of Kenya.  Anita Kahn's daughter Judith Kahn and the members of Anita Kahn's Rossmoor walking group are happy, as well. more...

A decade ago, a typical Peace Corps experience might consist of building outdoor toilets in rural villages lacking public sanitation.  Toilets might be made of basic hand-mixed concrete poured over a banana-leaf-lined pit, and plumbing, a bucket of water poured into the bowl.. more...

Wednesday, June 13, 2001 - "International Crafts Join the Net Marketplace"
By Tracie Rozhon, New York Times, New York, NY

LOVE the sound of Panamanian molas, those colorful fabric panels with their handstitched charms? Like the idea of Haitian tin sculptures? African carved soapstone dishes? Indian beaded necklaces?  International crafts, with their one-of-a- kind aura, have joined the Internet marketplace. But like swiftly shifting sands, the final shape of these sites is still not clear. more...