SURES
SURES (Network “Fair Trade of the South”) is a Chilean association that was founded in January 2006 at the first “Fair Trade” meeting. The meeting was organized jointly by the Chol-Chol Foundation and the Avina Foundation . SURES is a network of small producers and entrepreneurs from the Bio-Bio and Araucania region in southern Chile.
The aim of SURES is to show the small producers from the south of Chile a trade that can be a real tool to overcome poverty and improve their situation, as well as value their work.
Principles
The majority of the producers in the SURES network are Mapuche women from poor, rural areas. By selling their products, they can improve their families' household incomes. Furthermore, the combined urban producers work particularly in the area around Concepción .
The organizations believe that fair trade can be a means to improve the poor living conditions caused by poverty and the marginalization of small producers. Fair trade means that transparent and direct business relationships between producers and consumers are promoted, the work of small producers is valued and a non-profit institution dominates and regulates business relationships.
Goals of the network
- Promotion of fair trade in southern Chile
- Spreading the network in the south of Chile to improve the quality of life of the producers
- Visualization of the small producers in the process of commercializing their products
Members
- Indigenous association Relmu Witral , founded by 120 Lavken women from the Tirúa community . Traditional textile producers.
- Cooperative Ngen , founded by 130 Mapuche women from the Curarrehue community who work with nine different artisanal businesses.
- The Chol-Chol Foundation helps almost 200 Mapuche-born artisans in Araucania.
- Trabajo Para un Hermano Foundation (TPH) from Concepción, which supports urban artists in the Concepción region in marketing and selling their products.
- Manos del Bio Bio is an alternative to conventional trade that tries to create a space for artists who are excluded from normal trade routes.
See also
Web links
- comerciojustodelsur.blogspot.com - Internet portal SURES (Spanish)
- www.cholchol.org - Chol-Chol Foundation (English, Spanish)
- www.relmuwitral.cl - Indigenous Association Relmu Witral (English, Spanish)