Center for Reflection, Education and Action

Hunger Rumblings will periodically highlight the work of organizations that received financial support through an ELCA Hunger Education/Advocacy grant in 2008.  We hope you are as inspired by these stories of our faith in action as we have been!

CREA – Center for Reflection, Education and Action (www.crea-inc.org)

2008 ELCA World Hunger Education Grant Recipient

Poverty, and the hunger it causes, is directly related to the ability of workers and their families to achieve sufficient income.  CREA works to bridge the gap between cooperative artisans in countries around the world and consumers in the United States.  We educate U.S. consumers about Fair Trade, expose them to Fair Trade-Peace Trade products made by global artisans, and create a market so that these workers can achieve a sufficient income.  We have named our program “Fair Trade-Peace Trade” to help consumers understand that economic, social and environmental peace are just as important as cessation of fighting with weapons.

Our educational message helps consumers understand that the “lowest” price is not always the “best” price, and that the people who bear the true costs of cheap products are the workers who produced that product.  In our Fair Trade work, we are able to tell that story and challenge those who are buying the craft items, coffee, tea, and chocolate to understand that what we buy and how we buy directly affect the lives of men, women and children around the world.

Our reports on Sustainable Living Wages are available for congregations and schools and directly connect the Fair Trade – Peace Trade products with the goal of sustainable living wages in countries around the globe.

We have also developed a Systemic Analysis program which teaches people how to understand globalization, its inequities and impacts.  It also highlights the economic components of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (www.udhr.org/UDHR/default.htm).  We continually create story boards and educational materials for use by various congregations and groups.

CREA works to ensure that global artisans have the means to feed their children, send them to school, and provide access to better healthcare.  Working with these global artisans reminds us that Fair Trade is a year round commitment, not just during the holiday season. 

To learn more visit the CREA website at: www.crea-inc.org

Ruth Rosenbaum, Executive Director

posted by Erin Cummisford