In recognition of World Fair Trade Day, I asked four friends and longtime supporters of Mirembe Kawomera to contribute to an interfaith commentary on the fair trade movement. Special thanks to the contributors: Reverend Will Scott a pastor at Grace Cathedral, in San Francisco; Nyla Khan a teacher at the Islamic Foundation School, in Villa Park (West Chicago); Rabbi Brant Rosen, rabbi at the Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation of Evanston; and Reverend Anne Myosho Kyle Brown, of the Kumeido Zen Center.
Reverend Will Scott, Grace Cathedral
There seems to be a real movement happening in the United States and all around the world – a movement of “staying awake” – becoming more aware of how deeply we are connected to one another, and how much our choices affect the well being of others. The Internet and other communication technologies have helped many of us become more aware of the ways in which our lifestyles affect other people. Fair trade is one way to allow our love for God, our care for our neighbors and for the earth to infuse more of what we do.
Many Christians advocate simplicity, i.e. consume less of the world’s goods, buy less. The motto “live simply so that other’s might simply live” comes to mind. More and more Christians in addition to consuming less are also seeking to contribute to the good of the global and local community by how they engage in the marketplace. From fair trade gifts to buying livestock
for poor villages during the holidays, Christians and other people of faith are waking up to new ways of serving God and bringing hope to others.
Recently, my brother shared with me how college students around the country are asking that their campuses serve local produce to support family farms. As a priest, I think all this conscientious consumption is connected to the deep human longing to be awakened to God’s purposes, to be part of God’s realm of love and peace. I think this concern for where our food comes from, for how something is made and by whom is all about waking up, is all about loving our neighbors —even strangers— as ourselves. This conscientious consumption may be a spiritual discipline inviting us to consider how we seek and serve God in all persons, including those that made the clothes on our backs, or picked the vegetables we eat, or harvested the coffee we drink or bagged all these items at the store.
Our faith insists that we tell the truth. A modern Christian confession asks us to confess the evil things we have done, and those evil things that have been done on our behalf. We must name the cruelty, injustice, ecological devastation, and the greed that is part of our contemporary economic system. The Fair Trade Movement helps us get real, to be more honest about who we are and what we are doing to make the world a better place. May the Fair Trade Movement help us all stay alert, keeping awake to the urgent message of God’s love for us, and our responsibility to share that love with all people in all our words and deeds.
Grace Cathedral recently began serving fair trade coffee at all our church events. We have partnered with the Interfaith Council of San Francisco and Thanksgiving Coffee Company’s Mirembe Kawomera Cooperative, an interfaith co-op in Uganda. On Easter Sunday, we were treated to a visit by a group of these coffee farmers, and together celebrated in song God’s life among us.
Nyla Khan, Islamic Foundation School
Fair Trade – A Muslim’s Perspective
Fair trade is in total congruence with Islam and Islam is in total congruence with fair trade. The teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (may peace and blessings be upon him) have related over and over the ideas of fairness and justice – on the part of the buyer and the seller.
“A truthful and trustworthy trader will be in the company of the Prophets, the very truthful, and the martyrs.” (Tirmidhi)
This Hadith underscores the importance of a trader’s integrity. At the time of the Prophet Muhammad (may peace and blessings be upon him), traders wanted wealth so badly, they didn’t care how they acquired it, thus the basis of this Hadith. I think that these days, as consumers, we want THINGS so badly, we don’t care where we get these things from. It is our duty as consumers, Americans, Muslims, and human beings to be very careful about where our food, clothing, necessities and accessories come from and where our money goes. By engaging in fair trade, we can at least uphold our end of the bargain.
Rabbi Brant Rosen, Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation
One of my favorite Talmud passages comes from this discussion about the blessing after eating:
“It is written, ‘The earth and its fullness are God’s’ (Psalms 24:1), and it is written ‘He has given the earth to the children of man’ (Psalms 115:16). This is no contradiction. The first verse is before man’s blessing, and the second verse is after the blessing.” (Talmud - Berachot 35a)
As it is often fond of doing, the Talmud presents two Scriptural verses that seem to contradict on another. In this case, they are two verses from the Psalms: one claims that the earth belongs to God, and the other holds that the earth belongs to humanity. So which is it?
The Talmud points out that while the world indeed does belong to God, the earth becomes ours to enjoy in direct proportion to our recognition of God’s dominion over it. If we fail to properly acknowledge God’s proprietorship of the goods we use, in a sense we commit a kind of thievery when we dare to use them for our own ends. That’s why as Jews, we dare not enjoy the blessings of this world without first saying a blessing.
I find a great deal of spiritual power in this teaching: that the world becomes ours to enjoy only when we acknowledge that it really doesn’t belong to us. I also believe that this insight has profound implications for a world in which humanity too often claims exclusive proprietorship over its bounty – where increasingly powerful interests are claiming ownership over increasingly diminishing resources.
I sometimes find myself wondering, what would it mean for our global world economy if we truly took this teaching to heart: that none of it was ever really ours to begin with? One thing I do believe is that it would force us to confront the chronic sense of entitlement we have toward the earth’s resources. And I also believe it would give us a much deeper sensitivity to the process by which goods and services reach our door.
I think that more than anything else, this is why, as a Jew, I am so drawn to the Fair Trade movement. Fair Trade is a discipline that demands mindfulness of a greater good when we consume certain goods: of fair prices to those who actually produce the products we enjoy, to safer working conditions, to sustainable development in their communities, to the sustainability of their farms.
I do believe, as I learn from the Talmud, that when we consume with a sense of personal entitlement, we are guilty of a kind of theft. Much like the utterance of a blessing, when we support Fair Trade we demand conscious consumption.
Revered Ann Myosho Kyle Brown, Kumeido Zen Center
Dear Friends,
On the occasion of the celebration of World Fair Trade Day, I would like to express my deep appreciation and gratitude for Thanksgiving Coffee Company and the Mirembe Kawomera Coffee Cooperative in Uganda for their fine work in helping to alleviate global poverty and promote sustainability.
To move individuals and communities from a position of vulnerability and to a position of security and economic self-sufficiency is a noble task, springing from the essence of the Buddhist principle of Right Livelihood which states that Buddhist practioners not engage in trades or occupations which either directly or indirectly lead to harm to individuals or systems.
Right Livelihood is but one element of the Buddha’s Nobel Eightfold Path to enlightenment which includes: right view, right aspiration, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration.
Though the path is numbered one through eight, it is not a series of linear steps through which one must progress; but rather the simultaneous development of wisdom, ethical conduct and mental discipline, as far as possible according to the capacity of each individual. They are all linked together and each helps the cultivation of the others.
As such, JJ Keki, founder and director of Peace Kawomera Cooperative, was truly inspired with Right View to have conceived of the idea of bringing together his Jewish, Christian and Muslim neighbors to work for their mutual benefit and the benefit of all.
For these neighbors to bridge their historical differences and operate with trust and cooperation clearly required Right Speech, Right Effort and Right Mindfulness. For the Katzeff family to recognize the great value of their endeavor and commit to supporting and promoting not just their coffee but their values is a remarkable manifestation of Right Aspiration and Right Action.
This is an enlightened project which fills me with hope and faith in these troubled times around the world.
May all beings realize their true nature of oneness. May all beings be free from fear and danger. May all beings be happy and able to protect their happiness. May all beings be peaceful.
Deep bows to all of you.
Sincerely,
Rev. Ann Myosho Kyle Brown
Kumeido / The Little River Zen Center
A Soto Zen Buddhist Sangha