New categories for ethical clothes makes holiday shopping easier!

Check out the new list below that contains over 100 websites categorized by type of product for you justice filled holiday gifts! Below you will find a wonderful selection of ethical products in these categories-

Clothing for Women Men and Children, Underwear/Socks, Shoes, Indigenous Clothing, Handbags and Accessories, Jewelry, Bath & Body (Lotions, Soaps, Shampoo, Etc.), Handmade Gifts/Art, Kitchen Items, Home Textiles/Decor (Rugs), Toys/Stuffed Animals

The vast majority of these businesses are the highest ethical certification-fair trade federation.The logo will be found on the website and looks like this -http://www.fairtradefederation.org/logo/

 Clothing-Women's

http://onemangotree.com

http://www.ravenandlily.com

http://www.matatraders.com/

http://www.serrv.org

http://www.alternativeapparel.com/

http://no1without.com

http://www.globalmamas.org/Default

http://www.bludem.com

http://www.cuipo.org

http://www.threadsforthought.com

www.amaniafrica.org

http://www.goodandfairclothing.com/

www.awavamarket.com

www.cometogethertrading.com

www.connectedgoods.com

www.fairtradewinds.net

http://www.greenamerica.org/green-gifts-guide/

http://www.marketplaceindia.com/

http://www.buyherbagnotherbody.com/

http://www.oneworldfairtrade.net/collections/all

http://www.serrv.org/category/shop

http://www.maggiesorganics.com/

 

Clothing-Men's

http://www.serrv.org

http://www.alternativeapparel.com/

http://no1without.com

http://www.globalmamas.org/Default

http://www.bludem.com

http://www.cuipo.org

http://www.threadsforthought.com

http://www.goodandfairclothing.com/

www.cambodianthreads.com

www.cometogethertrading.com

http://www.buyherbagnotherbody.com/

http://www.serrv.org/category/shop

http://www.maggiesorganics.com/

http://www.marketplaceindia.com/

 

 Clothing-Children’s

http://www.serrv.org

http://www.bludem.com

www.amaniafrica.org

www.cometogethertrading.com

http://haiti-projects-3.myshopify.com/

http://www.buyherbagnotherbody.com/

http://www.serrv.org/category/shop

http://www.maggiesorganics.com/

 

 Clothing-Underwear/Socks

http://www.globalmamas.org/Default

http://www.goodandfairclothing.com/

 

 Shoes

www.cometogethertrading.com

 

 Indigenous Clothing

http://www.asantenetwork.org/store.php

www.fairtradewinds.net

http://www.marketplaceindia.com/

http://www.oneworldfairtrade.net/collections/all

www.ayindisa.com

Handbags and Accessories

http://texstylebags.com

http://onemangotree.com

http://www.ravenandlily.com

http://www.matatraders.com/

http://www.serrv.org

http://no1without.com

http://www.globalmamas.org/Default

http://www.cuipo.org

http://www.threadsforthought.com

http://www.sevenhopesunited.com/

http://www.allacrossafrica.org/

www.amaniafrica.org

www.awavamarket.com

www.ayindisa.com

www.baksheeshfairtrade.com

www.beadforlife.org

www.beloveds.net

www.betterwayimports.com

www.cambodianthreads.com

www.cometogethertrading.com

www.connectedgoods.com

www.earthlovershopping.com

www.educationandmore.org

www.eternalthreads.org

www.fairtradedecor.com

www.fairtradedesigns.com

www.FairTradeQuilts.com

www.fairtradewinds.net

www.fairtrademilwaukee.org

www.sharingthedream.org

www.tilonia.com

http://www.globalgiftsft.com/collections/all-products

http://globalgoodspartners.org/

http://www.handcraftingjustice.org/

http://www.greenamerica.org/green-gifts-guide/

http://livafrika.com/collections/

http://www.marketplaceindia.com/

http://www.mayaworks.org/featured-fair-trade-products

http://www.mybolgabaskets.com/main.sc

http://www.buyherbagnotherbody.com/

http://www.oneworldfairtrade.net/collections/all

http://www.plowsharing.org/

http://www.rtfairtrade.com/collections

http://www.serrv.org/category/shop

http://www.tenthousandvillages.com/

http://www.tenfoldfairtrade.com/shop-now-c-184/

http://www.worldtravelart.com/default.asp

http://www.worldcrafts.org/shop.asp

http://www.afairtradeworld.com/home

http://www.acaciacreations.com/index.php/

 

Jewelry

http://onemangotree.com

http://www.ravenandlily.com

http://www.matatraders.com/

http://www.serrv.org

http://www.globalmamas.org/Default

http://www.sevenhopesunited.com/

http://africanallure.com/store.asp

http://www.allacrossafrica.org/

www.amaniafrica.org

www.amarkontheworld.com

www.awavamarket.com

www.ayindisa.com

www.baksheeshfairtrade.com

www.beadforlife.org

www.beloveds.net

www.betterwayimports.com

www.cholchol.org

www.cometogethertrading.com

www.connectedgoods.com

www.earthlovershopping.com

www.educationandmore.org

www.eternalthreads.org

www.fairtradedecor.com

www.fairtradedesigns.com

www.fairtradewinds.net

www.fairtrademilwaukee.org

www.sharingthedream.org

www.tilonia.com

http://www.globalgiftsft.com/collections/all-products

http://globalgoodspartners.org/

http://www.handcraftingjustice.org/

http://www.greenamerica.org/green-gifts-guide/

http://livafrika.com/collections/

http://www.marketplaceindia.com/

http://www.mayaworks.org/featured-fair-trade-products

http://www.oneworldfairtrade.net/collections/all

http://www.orijyn.com/default.asp

http://www.plowsharing.org/

http://www.projecthavehope.org/bead-store.html

http://www.serrv.org/category/shop

http://www.tenthousandvillages.com/

http://www.tenfoldfairtrade.com/shop-now-c-184/

http://www.worldtravelart.com/default.asp

http://www.worldcrafts.org/shop.asp

http://www.wovenjoy.com/

http://www.afairtradeworld.com/home

 

Bath & Body (Lotions, Soaps, Shampoo, Etc.)

http://onemangotree.com

http://www.globalmamas.org/Default

http://www.sevenhopesunited.com/

www.beadforlife.org

www.cometogethertrading.com

www.earthlovershopping.com

www.fairtradedecor.com

www.fairtrademilwaukee.org

http://www.greenamerica.org/green-gifts-guide/

http://www.tenthousandvillages.com/

http://www.canaanfairtrade.com/products/cosmetics/

https://www.drbronner.com/

 

Handmade Gifts/Art

http://onemangotree.com

http://www.ravenandlily.com

http://www.serrv.org

http://www.globalmamas.org/Default

http://www.sevenhopesunited.com/

http://africanallure.com/store.asp

http://www.allacrossafrica.org/

www.amaniafrica.org

www.amarkontheworld.com

http://www.lovingafrica.com/

http://www.asantenetwork.org/store.php

www.awavamarket.com

www.ayindisa.com

www.baksheeshfairtrade.com

www.beloveds.net

www.betterwayimports.com

www.cholchol.org

www.cometogethertrading.com

www.connectedgoods.com

www.earthlovershopping.com

www.educationandmore.org

www.eternalthreads.org

www.fairtradedecor.com

www.fairtradedesigns.com

www.FairTradeQuilts.com

www.fairtrademilwaukee.org

www.sharingthedream.org

www.tilonia.com

http://www.globalgiftsft.com/collections/all-products

http://haiti-projects-3.myshopify.com/

http://www.handcraftingjustice.org/

http://livafrika.com/collections/

http://www.mayaworks.org/featured-fair-trade-products

http://www.muraho.com/?gallery=bowls

http://www.mybolgabaskets.com/main.sc

http://justapparel.org/wordpress/shop/

http://www.oneworldfairtrade.net/collections/all

http://palcraftaid.org/store/

http://www.plowsharing.org/

http://www.projecthavehope.org/bead-store.html

http://www.serrv.org/category/shop

http://www.tenthousandvillages.com/

http://www.tenfoldfairtrade.com/shop-now-c-184/

http://www.worldtravelart.com/default.asp

http://www.worldcrafts.org/shop.asp

http://www.singingrooster.org/art/

http://www.acaciacreations.com/index.php/

 

Kitchen Items

http://www.serrv.org

http://www.globalmamas.org/Default

http://www.sevenhopesunited.com/

http://www.allacrossafrica.org/

www.amaniafrica.org

www.fairtradedecor.com

www.fairtrademilwaukee.org

www.sharingthedream.org

http://globalgoodspartners.org/

http://www.greenamerica.org/green-gifts-guide/

http://www.muraho.com/?gallery=bowls

http://nansuhome.com/shop/

http://www.serrv.org/category/shop

http://www.tenthousandvillages.com/

http://www.tenfoldfairtrade.com/shop-now-c-184/

 

 Home Textiles/Decor (Rugs)

http://www.matatraders.com/

http://www.serrv.org

http://www.globalmamas.org/Default

http://www.sevenhopesunited.com/

http://africanallure.com/store.asp

http://www.allacrossafrica.org/

www.amaniafrica.org

http://www.asantenetwork.org/store.php

www.baksheeshfairtrade.com

www.basketsofafrica.com

www.cholchol.org

www.cometogethertrading.com

www.connectedgoods.com

www.earthlovershopping.com

www.educationandmore.org

www.eternalthreads.org

www.fairtradedecor.com

www.FairTradeQuilts.com

www.fairtrademilwaukee.org

www.sharingthedream.org

www.tilonia.com

http://globalgoodspartners.org/

http://haiti-projects-3.myshopify.com/

http://www.handcraftingjustice.org/

http://www.greenamerica.org/green-gifts-guide/

http://livafrika.com/collections/

http://www.marketplaceindia.com/

http://www.muraho.com/?gallery=bowls

http://www.mybolgabaskets.com/main.sc

http://www.oneworldfairtrade.net/collections/all

http://www.plowsharing.org/

http://www.serrv.org/category/shop

http://www.tenthousandvillages.com/

http://www.tenfoldfairtrade.com/shop-now-c-184/

http://www.worldtravelart.com/default.asp

http://www.worldcrafts.org/shop.asp

http://www.acaciacreations.com/index.php/

 

 Toys/Stuffed Animals

www.baksheeshfairtrade.com

www.cometogethertrading.com

www.eternalthreads.org

www.fairtradedecor.com

www.fairtradewinds.net

www.fairtrademilwaukee.org

www.sharingthedream.org

http://globalgoodspartners.org/

 

An Introduction to Garments of Justice at Christ City Church

It’s been growing- our concern for the poor and the marginalized, for justice, for righteousness and shalom. We are seeing God’s heart for all people and his compassion for those the world has neglected or used up. Each soul enlightened and compassion awakened is like a drop of water into a dry riverbed. I am praying that as these droplets collect they will form a movement rolling down like waters, like an ever-flowing stream.

This awareness has caused some of us to begin to ask serious questions about the things we buy. We are starting to realize that our cheap clothing is directly the result of employing the poor and the powerless to work for miniscule wages, in unsafe working conditions and with little semblance of human dignity. Almost every American department store does this from Urban Outfitters to Target to Gap to Macy’s and Wal-Mart, etc. These companies know they can’t make the gross profits they currently enjoy by employing people in the states because we have laws and unions protecting us from the working conditions seen overseas. So they go elsewhere to find places with weak labor laws or that are desperate for economic growth that will look the other way toward these issues of justice and righteousness.

What can we do to lift the burdens of the oppressed and the poor and show we are not at peace with these decisions? Well a lot as it turns out. It won’t even cost us that much. Check out the quote below and prayerfully consider your part in the movement-

“If every American made just ONE Fair Trade purchase a year, it would lift ONE Million families out of poverty.“ -http://www.sevenhopesunited.com

Click here to see 10 ways you can join the movement of Garments of Justice

 Click here to see options for ethically created clothing in the US and abroad

 Click here to read more about the movement and why it matters to the Church

Garments of Justice 10 Ways

 10 Ways You Can Be A Part of the Movement Towards Justice in the Clothing Industry

But let justice roll down like waters,
    and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. Amos 5:24

 

1. How You Shop

Check out my website-jaminzcarter.com. On the blog you can see a list of ethically conscious clothing companies you can buy from.

 

2. Read and Pray

Read the book of Amos and ask the Holy Spirit to bring wisdom, clarity and conviction to you about your stance on this issue.

 

3. Serve

Pray about being involved on a team. We need volunteers to start researching, passing the word along, calling companies, writing letters, helping to organize events, etc. If you think you might want to get involved email me-jamin@christcitymemphis.org.

 

4. Talk

Talk about it! Find times to talk in your church small groups, non profits, and living rooms looking at Amos and doing your own investigations, read about things like “The Accord” and upcoming blogs on the Christ City website and... Google it.

 

5. Abstinence

No not that kind. Pray and dream about what it would look like to only buy what you need when it comes to clothing. Ask God to give you restraint in your shopping habits

 

6. Second Hand

 Check out second hand clothing like Salvation Army, or Plato’s Closet. Support small second hand clothing boutiques like the ones on Broad Avenue.

 

7. Support Local Artists

Find out who’s making clothes in our city and make a group commitment to support them if you like their clothing.

 

8. Boycott

As a church, community group or other organization agree to boycott department store clothing such as JC Penny, GAP, and OLD NAVY etc.

 

9. Letters to Clothing Companies

Send letters to companies that you like but don’t follow fair trade practices. If you are boycotting inform them of your boycott and the number of people committed to doing so.

 

10. Politics

Inform your politicians that you are unhappy with the unregulated, outsourced, clothing industry in America and that this is an important political issue that you want to see addressed.

Where to Shop for Garments of Justice

Let justice be woven into the very fibers of your soul… or at least the fibers of your clothing. –Me

 

Richard Foster…”Reject anything that breeds the oppression of others.”

 

Here’s a list of clothing companies that strive for high ethics and concern for workers rights to get you started on your new socially conscious clothing journey.

Preface- I have done some research on these companies but if you find any of them to be less than upstanding please let me know so I can take it off the list.

http://fairtradeusa.org/products-partners/apparel# - great website I just found that has links to several fair-trade clothing certified sites including but not limited to clothing

http://www.guiltfreeclothing.com/start-here.html

outdoorsinc.com - carries many american made brands and fair-trade certified brands such as prana.com

http://fairtradeusa.org/tags/shoes

http://www.ethicalconsumer.org/buyersguides/clothing/shoes.aspx

 http://onemangotree.com

http://www.ravenandlily.com

http://www.matatraders.com/

http://www.serrv.org

http://www.alternativeapparel.com/

http://no1without.com

http://www.globalmamas.org/Default

http://www.roozt.com/home.html- has many stores all on one website

http://www.bludem.com (blu democracy)

http://www.cuipo.org

http://www.fairindigo.com

http://www.threadsforthought.com

http://hrbmovement.com

 

http://www.fairtradefederation.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/FTF-Member-Directory.9.12.14.pdf - A list of Fair Trade Federation list of members- This seems to be the highest and most effectively monitored brand that requires very clear and high standards for their products. 

Shalom ya'll

Pastoral Residency in Creativity and Justice

I’m writing to invite you into an exciting development in my life and the life of my burgeoning family. At the end of August I will begin a pastoral residency at a young but thriving Church in Midtown Memphis (Christ City Church). My work at CCC will be primarily in the areas of justice and creativity.

In the area of justice I will be working with our parishes (a form of community group) to help them determine and live out a common mission. Much of this will involve, but is not limited to, helping them meet neighbors, discover everyday acts of kindness and mercy towards each other and those affected by poverty and homelessness. Becky and I will also begin leading a new parish that we are prayerfully hoping will morph into a new intentional community! A part of what makes this exciting for us is that we spent several years pastoring a house church in our inner-city neighborhood Binghampton and we are grateful to have the opportunity to apply the wisdom and experience we gained in a larger and more formal church body.

In tandem with the work in the parishes is a plan I have written to begin to raise awareness of sweatshop-produced clothing and to organize group abstinence from buying such clothing while providing alternatives and working toward a more just and less consumerist Christian culture. Over the course of the year I plan to lay the foundations of this work but it will be a deliberately slow process. You can read about my proposal in another post on this blog!

In the area of Creativity I will be working to establish relationships with the large group of creatives and artists both in our congregation and the midtown area. The goal is to support them, help connect them to opportunities for grants, shows, and other resources as well as galvanizing them together as a group that can affect culture in our city for the glory of God.

Becky and I are very excited about the possibilities and challenges that this year will bring and we believe the Lord has orchestrated this time in our lives. We have also come to intimately understand that the Christian life is no solo act and that we are all laboring for the same Kingdom and the same goals.

It is with that heart that I am humbled and honored to ask for your support. Would you considering partnering with us by helping to support this mission through prayer and finances? We are raising $20,000 for this year. This will allow me to devote the time and energy to bring forth the ideas and plans that God has given us. The remainder of my income will be through my part-time employment with Focus 5                                       ( http://artsintegrationconsulting.com ). I’m hoping Becky, Benjamin and I can have our daily needs met as well as continue to be hospitable to neighbors and friends. We have lived below our means for many years and will continue to show discernment with any support we raise.

Would you consider contributing anywhere from $25 to $250 a month during this time? Of course if you want to give some other amount or make a one-time donation we would be very grateful however you feel led to contribute.

To make a donation please go to christcitymemphis.org/giving to make your tax-deductible donation. Be sure to designate your gift to the Justice Resident.

If you have any more questions please do not hesitate to email me at jaminzc@gmail.com, or you can visit the CCC website at http://www.christcitymemphis.org. I would love to talk to you about what God has been doing in our family’s life.

Grace and Peace,
Jamin Carter 

jaminzc@gmail.com 

A Proposal Concerning the Church and Sweat Shop Labor

Garments of Justice 

Proposal

The proposal for my residency is to spend a year at Christ City researching, developing and beginning implementation of a program that works against sweatshop garment labor and supports creative and ethical production and consumption of clothing.

Context

In the big picture when we look at the clothing industry in America we see the vast majority of the labor is outsourced to other countries. By relying on vulnerable countries American clothing companies are able to maximize their profits because the lack of labor laws and/or the lack of the enforcement of those laws. In these scenarios they are legally (most of the time) able to pay their workers far below a living wage as well as allowing them to work in terrible and dangerous conditions (Bangladesh being the prime example recently*).

Vision

In response to these practices is a vision to make an organized and concerted effort to unite churches in Memphis in a mission to exclusively support fair-trade clothing companies for a set period of time and therefore boycotting the companies that do not. The means of informing and educating believers about why this is such an important cause will be the obvious dissemination through pamphlets, print outs, blogs, websites and talks that urge believers to join in the fight but also and most importantly through community (Parishes and Huddle groups).

The idea is not only to support these growing clothing industries that create fair- trade and organic clothing, but to do so exclusively for a specific period of time, say 6 months (for the first run). Before this time starts all the participating churches will have signed a document/letter of intent/letter of protest that will be sent to the major clothing companies as well as the local and federal government informing them of our activities. This way when companies’ sales are adversely affected they will know why. This will make said companies far more interested in what we have to say as a significant portion of their consumers who are abstaining from their products. The signed document/protest letter will also explain the church’s desire and intent to do business in the future with these companies if they choose to change their practices (we will develop a list of “demands”).

Community and abstinence

Another aspect of this vision is the aforementioned community piece. I believe that discipleship and intimate community through the Parishes and Huddle groups as well as mentorship from other intentional communities will be what allows this project to become a way of life that helps distinguish believers’ life styles from that of the world.

*April 24th, 2013, an eight-story factory building in the Bangladesh capital of Dhaka collapsed, killing more than 1,100 workers. The disaster at Rana Plaza brought new attention to safety conditions in the country's booming garment industry. Zarrouli, Jim. “After Bangladesh Factory Disaster, Efforts Show Mixed Progress.” NPR.org. 24, April 2014.

 

This looks like small groups of believers in Christ City who are willing to work together, hold each other accountable and be creative in finding and creating alternatives to supporting sweat shop labor. This is also an opportunity for some of us to say “not only are we up for buying different and more costly clothing but maybe we might be willing to decide that we don’t actually need to buy as much stuff as we thought.” Loosening the grip of consumerism on our souls is an important aspect of this idea that can make this more than just a social justice project but a means of drawing closer to God, transforming our priorities and perspective on consumerism and our spirituality, about what we need and what we want.

Below is a list of ways I believe this will make a positive contribution to Memphis and beyond:

1. Connections to jobs abroad and at home

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to Justice everywhere.” Letter from a Birmingham Jail, MLK

This is a truth that goes back to that first bad decision in the garden, sin has cosmic implications. On a practical level we live in a global economy in which everything is very visibly and concretely interconnected. Because of our system of free market capitalism American companies can look for the countries that have the most lax or non-existent labor laws and insurance requirements in order to maximize their profits. All of this is at the expense of thousands upon thousands of our overseas brothers’ and sisters’ ability to live simple and sustainable lives. But this affects American citizens as well. In fact a huge factor in job loss of US citizens is outsourcing jobs *.

A company like Gap looks at American workers and sees people who are protected from working in unsafe conditions with unreasonable hours and says we cannot “afford” to create the conditions for factories here to employ these people without significantly damaging our profit margin. Imagine what could happen if companies were forced to produce a clean supply chain for clothing production and pay workers fairly. Perhaps some of these overseas jobs might return to America and raise our unemployment rate since the profit margin compared to shipping costs would shrink. These jobs could be especially helpful among the working poor and those without a decent opportunity for a job that can provide enough income to make getting off welfare a viable option.

*Nothink economists assume that new, better jobs are on the way for displaced Americans, but no economists can identify these jobs. The authors point out that “the track record for the re-employment of displaced US workers is abysmal: “The Department of Labor reports that more than one in three workers who are displaced remains unemployed, and many of those who are lucky enough to find jobs take major pay cuts. Many former manufacturing workers who were displaced a decade ago because of manufacturing that went offshore took training courses and found jobs in the information technology sector. They are now facing the unenviable situation of having their second career disappear overseas.” Roberts, Dr. Paul Craig. “The Offshore Outsourcing of American Jobs: A Greater Threat Than Terrorism”Globalresearch.ca. 09, November 2013.

 

2. Non profits and Christians’ perspective on money and charity

You keep meticulous account books, tithing on every nickel and dime you get, but manage to find loopholes for getting around basic matters of justice and God’s love. Careful bookkeeping is commendable, but the basics are required-Luke 11:42 The Message

Christians in Memphis are very generous supporters of non-profits and this is overall a good thing. Still it seems that non-profits are often forced to react to systemic problems and have little power to do more than bandage those hurt by systems full of corruption. So we have a scenario where many Christians try to save money by finding good deals on clothing and other material goods and use a portion of their savings to support non-profits. This is a broken system because many of the problems non-profits seek to correct could be minimized and in some cases eliminated by smarter and more sacrificial consumer decisions. So imagine a scenario where Christians are united and organized in spending their money on higher priced clothing (and eventually other products) knowing that this clothing was made by people overseas or in the US making a living wage under fair and just working conditions. Would Compassion International need us to support as many children? Would cities still have an unsupportable tax base? Would we need as many non-profits to deal with evictions and provide shelters? Would there be as many men and women locked away in prison that may have never turned to crime if they had the opportunity for a good job? Would there be workers dying in building collapses and fires in factories overseas? I believe the answer to all these questions is no! Who has the power to change this? The consumer and specifically the organized, empowered by the Holy Spirit, Christian consumer.

3. Light to the world

“Proclaiming the Year of the Lord’s favor”

In the US the church is losing a measure of effectiveness and relevance for a number of reasons but what if we as a church said that this injustice in our supply chain for clothing couldn’t be ignored? How could this change the way the world views us? Not to mention how are actions actually reflect the gospel. On an individual level it seems insurmountable but as a church we can change the course of history. What kind of message would it send to the entire world from the city of Memphis to the villages of Bangladesh and the towns of Cambodia? That the Christian church wants to see what Christ proclaimed, The Year of the Lord’s favor –good news to the poor, liberty for the captives, sight for the blind, to free those who are oppressed. That we refuse to be passive recipients of products made from the labor of those working like slaves and actual slaves. We will both find alternatives and curb our spending on material goods and the world will see that we do not worship our comfort over justice and mercy, and that the poor and disenfranchised of the world need not suffer for us to have convenience and “great deals” on clothing.