Posts by Joan Rasch

Consumers beware: if you knew exactly how that cheap item of clothing was made you would probably think twice. Behind that bargain item could be atrocious conditions, sometimes even slave labor. Many examples of abysmal conditions in the textile industry including forced labor highlight the extremes of an entire spectrum of inhumane conditions. These examples…

In my latest blog for Sevya I discussed the importance of loving rituals in our lives and how fair trade products could be understood in this context. Now I would like to piggyback on these ideas by discussing values that underlie expressions of love in our lives. When we stop to think about it there…

Rituals are important in our lives in many ways. The ways we create and use rituals have the potential for profound effects, either positive or negative. The more conscious we are of how we create and act out our rituals, the better off we will be. This is quite clear when we think of rituals…

Mom always said, “play fair.” This is just one of the many lessons we have taken to heart from the loving voices of our mothers. Fair trade embodies the sense of fairness our mothers wanted to instill in us. A good mother wants to bring out the best in her children, witnessing them take others’…

An artisan embroiders a garment in the chikankari style for Sevya’s fair trade clothing collection. Heirloom Quality For the past few months I have been referring to some of Sevya’s finest creations as “heirloom quality” items. At first I was simply referring to the most common definition of “heirloom”; but after a little reflection, a…

As many scholars and thoughtful observers have so often pointed out, environmental issues are really social and cultural issues as well. This Earth Day, we at Sevya would like to take a look through a particular lens to observe some of the ways the health of our planet depends upon trading practices that respect the…

Young women enjoying the Holi festivities. It could be said that color is the spice of life. Consider what this world would be like if we only had browns and greys to look at. It is no accident that vibrant color is found in nature. In fact, most natural dyes are made from various plant…

After a long, tiring day at work our beds are safe and comfortable havens. Yet there is always room for improvement. For instance, if we take the simple step of switching to natural fibers and dyes in our bedding we have created a less toxic environment that could very well contribute to our overall health.…

When we are finding ourselves encumbered it is a great practice to become more playful and creative. This applies in all areas of life, including family time, work, hobbies, and whatever else occupies us. Such times call for an infusion of child-like sense of wonder and readiness for capricious fun. Here is an exercise you…