Artisan-crafted items from more than 30 countries will be available for purchase at Indiana University’s eighth annual Fair Trade Holiday Sale from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 1, and Friday, Dec. 2, in the Frangipani Room at the Indiana Memorial Union.
The event is a part of the Fair Trade Bloomington project, a nonprofit organization created by IU’s Students in Free Enterprise, or SIFE, to increase support and awareness of enterprises that build sustainable businesses in the developing world.
The sale will feature handmade jewelry, holiday ornaments, baskets, woolens, tableware, textiles, toys and other items. It will also include items from the Indianapolis-based The Village Experience, a socially proactive business that sells fair trade products produced by artisan groups visited during international trips.
IU’s SIFE formed Fair Trade Bloomington to help educate area residents about contributing to global economic development and poverty relief through promotion of products that adhere to fair trade principles. The organization’s activities are supported by the IU Department of Apparel Merchandising and Interior Design in the College of Arts and Sciences both financially and with guidance from faculty advisers who facilitate the students’ ability to design and execute their projects.
