Make 2009 a Fair Trade Year! Opposites Attract

Hello everybody, and welcome to this series of exciting swaps. There are 12 swaps in total, one for every month, and I'll be running both European and International versions.

The point of this series is to become more aware and inquisitive about fair trade and what it has to offer. We shall be fighting poverty and inequality through contributing to ethical trade, and will have great fun putting packages together, aiming to make our partner happy in the process.

Each month has a theme. Each participant has one partner. You do not have to take part in all twelve swaps. The swaps are open to everyone and are newbie-friendly.

We are continually torn between the desire to energize ourselves and the need to relax. What better, then, to send your partner a packet of Fair Trade coffee to help them regain some vigour as they go about their day, and a packet of Fair Trade tea to calm them down as they chat to their friends and family at the end of the day, read, watch TV, listen to music, craft, journal, write letters, or just curl up under a blanket?

Please contact your partner and state your preferences whether you want beans or ground or instant coffee. As for tea, anything goes, including fruit tissanes. If you have very strong dislikes, let your partner know.

As always, any additional information about ethical and fair trade would be very welcome, though it’s not a requirement in this swap as many people may not have access to such resources. Always feel free to send brochures, leaflets, advertisements, information in any form.

Enjoy sipping, slurping, gulping, ingesting! :-)