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January's
the perfect time to take stock of our lives and
make some resolutions for the coming year. So here
goes. In 2004, we resolve to:
- be
kind to ourselves
- drink
more Fair Trade coffee
- spend
more time biking (just as soon as the winter
cold subsides)
- drink
more Fair Trade Coffee
- work
to live, not live to work
- drink
more Fair Trade Coffee
OK,
so maybe our resolutions are a bit repetitive. But
it's worth repeating -- each time we drink a cup
of Fair Trade coffee, we make the world a little
brighter for our farmer partners and their
families.
In
this issue of Fair Grounds, we'll take a look back
at 2003 from the unique perspective of Global
Exchange co-founder Medea Benjamin, who manages to
find "10 Good Things About a Bad Year."
We've also got a Community Caravan update, a new
recipe, new trivia question, Fair Trade Fact and
more. Grab a steaming cup of Peace Coffee and read
on!
(Back
to Headlines)
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 Thank
you for selecting Peace Coffee in 2003! For
the six farmer cooperatives we work with, your
choice meant $170,214 in above-market Fair Trade
premiums on the purchase of 215,706 pounds of
coffee. Best Wishes for 2004 as we work
together to make Fair Trade the norm instead of an
alternative!
(Back
to Headlines)
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by
Medea Benjamin, Global
Exchange co-founder
No
two ways about it, 2003 was a demoralizing year for those
of us working for peace and justice. With George Bush in
the White House, Arnold Schwarzenegger in the California
State House, and Paul Bremer ruling Iraq, it was a chore
just to get out of bed each morning. But get out of bed we
did, and we spent our days educating, strategizing,
organizing and mobilizing. As we greet the new year, let's
remember and celebrate some of our hard-fought victories
in a time of adversity. more
(Back
to Headlines)
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 Church
Bells Ring
-- This past year numerous churches sold Peace
Coffee as a fundraiser for various causes, ranging
from buying art supplies for communities in
Nicaragua to contributing to a caravan purchase
for farmers in Mexico. Local initiatives included
the purchase of a washer and dryer for a woman’s
shelter and assisting youth group activities. Our
Saviors in Circle Pines, MN, has been selling
Peace Coffee for the last three years. They have
raised over two thousand dollars to directly
benefit the Ajusco Community Center in Mexico, a
daycare available to community members for a small
fee. Children receive supervision, nutritious
meals and educational stimulation from a team of
women trained in first aid and child development.
According to the 2000 official Census, there were
2,659 day care centers in Mexico, providing
attention for 256,553 children. Yet, the
population of children under the age of 6 equaled
12,886,043, meaning only 2% of children of this
target audience was actually being attended to.
Donna Campbell and Julie Smith, members and
organizers at Our Saviors, see the situation in
Mexico as a serious problem, considering the fact
that 50% of the children are malnourished and
sixty percent live in single parent homes. Both
have visited the day care and have met with the
six amazing women who staff the facility. They
believe the money generated by coffee sales at Our
Saviors has not only assisted the day care in
Mexico but has kept church members informed about
global issues and the importance of Fair Trade.
 On
the Eastside, by Katie Harrod
-- A big train pulled into a local Northeast
Minneapolis train station covered in festive
holiday lights and decorations. There were several
local childrens' choirs who performed their best
pieces in the box cars of the train. Amidst all of
this holiday cheer, volunteers from the Northeast
Chamber of Commerce sold hot cups of Peace Coffee,
cocoa, cider and delicious cookies. The profits
from the beverage and cookie sales went toward the
Northeast Chamber of Commerce fundraising efforts.
In addition, Captain Ray from the Salvation Army
was present at this event receiving an abundance
of canned food donations and a donation of bulk
coffee from Peace Coffee. The food donations
rapidly filled the Salvation Army trailer to its
brim. The event gave people the opportunity to
give something back to their community and to
celebrate the holiday together.
 Also on the
Northeast side, the much-awaited Eastside Food
Coop opened last month. The opening represents a
seven-year effort to re-establish a natural foods
cooperative in Northeast Minneapolis. Since 1999,
volunteers and board members of EFC have built
community recognition and participation in the
store project. At the store’s opening on
December 3, 2003, there were well over 800
owner-members. Peace Coffee has been a supporter
of the coop throughout its building stages and we
were happy to serve the first cup of Fair Trade
coffee to their members on opening day!
(Back
to Headlines)
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 Drink
your Peace Coffee in style this month with the Peace
Coffee Birchwood Cafe Tumbler. It's a 16 oz.,
double wall stainless steel interior coffee
tumbler with a chrome lid.
Minneapolis'
Birchwood Cafe is one part funky coffee house, one
part neighborhood cafe and two parts eclectic
organic kitchen. They share a commitment with
Peace Coffee to bring people closer to the farmers
who grow their delicious ingredients and produce
our rich coffee. This one of a kind mug incites us
to DRINK LOCAL, ACT GLOBAL! A local designer
created the vibrant artwork. This tumbler travels
well, is easy to drink from and the stainless
steel interior keeps your Peace Coffee hot. Click here to Order!
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"True
peace is not merely the absence of tension: it is
the presence of justice."
-
Martin Luther King, Jr.
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Fair
Grounds is produced by:
Cooperative
Coffees
Contact
Information:
Orders
and General Information
Phone - 612.870.3440 or 1.888.324.7872
Fax - 612-677-3989
E-Mail - info@peacecoffee.com
Web - http://www.peacecoffee.com
Peace
Coffee Crew*:
Anna
Canning
Beth Backen
Katie
Harrod
Melanee Meegan
Michelle Ramier
TJ Semanchin
Scott Patterson
*We
work together to get the coffee out to our customers.
Although we have specific job titles, we all take turns
switching roles and putting in time where it's needed
most.
Peace
Coffee Bikers*:
Brad
Wilson
*Our bikers pack a mean trailer full of coffee. They are
speedy as speedy gets. Watch out, when they are on the
street, they mean business!
Fair
Grounds is designed by:
Starstruck
Design
335 West Gill Road
Gill, MA 01376
Contact
Information:
Don Kruger - dkruger@starstruckdesign.com
Lynn Nichols - lnichols@starstruckdesign.com
Phone - 413.863.7752
Fax - 413-863-7752
Web -
http://www.starstruckdesign.com
You
are receiving your Fair Grounds e-newsletter
because you told us you wanted to get it, or a good
friend of yours suggested to us that you would like to
get it. If you like it, let us know. If you want to
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Our e-mail is info@peacecoffee.com
If
you would like to unsubscribe to the Fair Grounds
E-Newsletter because:
- You may have more than one e-mail address on our list.
- Your e-mail address may have changed.
- You're going on a six month visit of Latin American
Coffee Cooperatives (Take us with you).
- or any other reason
simply send an e-mail to: newsletter-off@peacecoffee.com
and put your e-mail address in the subject line.
Remember,
you are always welcome to visit our website at http://www.peacecoffee.com
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