History
Global Village Gifts opened to the public Nov. 7, 2003 under the umbrella of Ten Thousand Villages, Utah. In September 2005, with the blessing of Ten Thousand Villages, Utah, we incorporated independently as Global Village Gifts. The company is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation committed to promoting intercultural understanding. Global Village Gifts (GVG) provides vital, fair i
ncome to third world people by marketing their handcrafted items and telling their stories. We educate volunteers, customers and the Cache Valley community about our artisan's cultures and the opportunities and challenges they face. Volunteers
Volunteers are the life-blood of our organization. The donated labor makes possible the fair trade compensation we offer our artisans. We encourage the active involvement of volunteers at all levels of Global Village Gifts. Because our intent is to broaden and expand the volunteer involvement of our community, recruitment is always pro-active and ongoing. How we practice Fair Trade
Fair Trade Organizations (also called ATO's, or alternative trade organizations) help connect consumers in North America to third world artisans. The fair trade relationship benefits under-employed artisans by establishing guidelines which are observed by the artisans as well as the vendors. All of our merchandise is handmade by under-employed artisans. Exceptions to this are supplemental items such as books and CDs. Many of the items produced have cultural significance for the craftspeople. Some of our artisan cooperatives are associated with faith organizations. Items include baskets, boxes, clothing, collectibles, ethnic nativities, musical instruments, personal accessories, plant and garden articles, handmade paper, toys and games. Tea and chocolate are also available. Most artisans work in cooperatives and family workshops in which they govern themselves. Many of the artisans are women. According to the United Nations Development Program, women provide the primary support for a quarter of the world's families, and the sole support for another quarter. In order to provide the artisans with a stable source of income, vendors establish long term working relationships. Artisan cooperatives are paid up to 50% when orders are placed and the remainder when the entire order is completed. This advance helps them to purchase the raw materials and have money for living expenses so they can focus attention on completing the contract. Artisan cooperatives are in Asia, Africa and South America. Follow us on Twitter
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http://www.globalvillagegifts.org//