Good People, Good Gifts, Fair Trade

I bought a hand-painted wooden cross for my daughter for an Easter gift that came from El Salvador. It depicts a Central American woman carrying a bundle on her head and walking through a village. It captures the Truth of faith--the cross of Christ--with a practical, living expression of it. It's beautiful, lively, bright, and exotic. This little $10 cross that teaches many lessons at once came from The People's Market by way of Wisdom House in Litchfield, Connecticut.

Here are some things I learned about the source of this gift:

The People's Market was created in 2000 to support fair trade and ethical sourcing of crafts produced by small cooperatives and women's group in El Salvador. Since 2000 it has been working with 25 groups of artisans scattered throughout the country. Most artisans combine their craft production with some agricultural work if in the country side, industrial or informal work if in the city.

The People's Market is a project of Crispaz, Christians for Peace in El Salvador, which was founded in 1984. This is a faith-based organization dedicated to the mutual accompaniment with the church of the poor and marginalized communities in El Salvador. It strives for peace, justice, and human liberation. As an organization, it is politically non-partisan and committed to nonviolence.