The Holidays are approaching, and that means the buying season is upon us.  What a perfect time to learn about the impact of fair trade, and how your holiday spending impacts women around the global.

Come participate in the “Gender and Fair Trade: Women in Developing Nations” summit to be held at the Hobart and William Smith Colleges on November 3.  The topic for the conference is the impact of fair trade on women workers in developing nations, and will focus on the following questions:

• How are fair trade and gender are interconnected?
• What is the best way to go about empowering women in developing nations, what are some of the ways we have an impact?
• How can students become involved in fair trade, both in their personal lives and at their colleges or universities?

Furthermore, there will be workshops lead by fellow students that will empower students to strategically discuss these issues with their peers, coordinate an event around fair trade, or organize a campaign to get fair trade products at your campus.  

You can register to participate in the summit by clicking here.

The tentative schedule is provided below.  The summit will take place at Albright Auditorium on the HWS campus in Geneva, NY.

9:00- 9:45 Registration and Breakfast
9:45- 10:15 Welcome and Introduction
10:15- 11:15 Keynote Speaker--Marceline White, Executive Director of Americans for Informed Democracy
11:15- 12:00 Workshops
12:00- 1:15 Lunch and Breakout Discussions
1:15- 2:15 Panel Presentation & Q&A
2:15- 3:00 Closing Remarks

The summit will feature an exciting keynote address by Marceline White, AID President and former Deputy Director of the Greater Access to Trade Expansion (GATE) Project funded by USAID's Office of Women and Development. Also on the agenda is a panel discussion with high-profile experts who can inspire interesting discussion about gender and fair trade. Among the confirmed panelists are Edward Kowalewski, professor of International Business at the University at Buffalo and head of international trade and investment for Empire State Development; and Debbie Naybor, organizer of the non-profit group With Both Your Hands, which raises money to start businesses and build schools in Africa.

Finally, sustainable and fair trade breakfast and lunch will be offered to give participants an opportunity to immediately interact with fair trade products. This conference is free for students to attend!

You can register to participate in the summit by clicking here.