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The long-standing image of business in popular culture is that of one small business owner gradually climbing his (and it is always “his”) way to the top, where he is then the owner of a large business that has significant impact on his employees, his customers and his community. However, an integral part of this…

Sevya works with talented artisans all over India, so we thought it’d be fun to tell you a little more about each of those regions. This month we’re shining a spotlight on Gujarat! Located in the Northwest part of the subcontinent, this vibrant and diverse state of 60 million people has been an important commercial…

As we get closer to the holiday season here in America, it is a good opportunity for us to reflect on the choices we make when we select gifts for spreading holiday cheer. Purchasing fair trade gifts helps to spread that cheer far beyond the confines of our own country, and makes a very tangible…

Today is Gandhi Jayanti, which is the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi. At Sevya, we draw much inspiration from the wisdom and visionary leadership of Mahatma Gandhi. He was a beacon of political, economic and spiritual freedom, and spearheaded a non-violent movement for India’s self-reliance and independence. It is important to understand that Gandhi’s vision of…

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…