|
|
|
Uploaded: Friday, November 6, 2009, 11:52 AM
Trick-or-treaters turn the tables
Girl Scouts deliver 'fair trade' message on Halloween
|
|
by Kelsey Mesher
Mountain View Voice Staff
Though Halloween has come and gone, a troop of Mountain View Girl Scouts is hoping a message they delivered Saturday night will live on in spirit.
Nearly 20 girls in Troop 61176, most from Graham Middle School, participated in a program called Reverse Trick-Or-Treating, which seeks to educate the public about fair trade in the cocoa industry.
Global Exchange, the membership-based human rights group sponsoring the program, distributed kits of fair trade chocolate for free, along with info cards about human rights violations in the cocoa industry, to participating groups. They encouraged trick-or-treaters to give the candies and cards to houses they visited Halloween night to promote awareness about their cause.
"Fair trade" describes a political movement intent on helping growers in developing countries obtain fair prices for their products, especially when those products are grown through sustainable means.
"I presented the situation with fair trade," said troop co-leader Page McDonald. "I explained what was happening in places like Sierra Leone, where kids the same age as Girl Scouts are being mistreated."
"I think it touched a nerve with some of the girls," she said, adding that the scouts voted unanimously to take on the project this Halloween.
"When I first heard about fair trade I thought it was a great idea to give back and spread awareness," said Carly Miller, 12, a seventh grader at Graham, who dressed as lifeguard who couldn't swim.
"I had no idea how people were being treated," said Elyse Fitzsimons, another Graham seventh grader, who is just shy of 13 and dressed in masquerade garb. "I was like, 'Oh chocolate, I love chocolate.'"
The girls distributed 150 candies and info cards last weekend, and said they received mixed reactions from the houses they visited.
"People were friendly," Miller said. "Some people thought we were selling it (even though) we weren't. And some people kind of ignored us. There were definitely some people who seemed interested and wanted to look it up."
"I had one guy actually acknowledge what we were doing," Fitzsimons said. "It was a good feeling because we made a difference."
Of course, most of the chocolate given out on Halloween isn't fair trade, putting some of the girls -- who still hoped to collect candy while trick-or-treating -- in a "tricky" spot, Miller said.
"We grew up on candy and it's just now we found out that they're not treating people nicely," she said. She hoped that next year more fair trade chocolate will be offered to trick-or-treaters.
Adrienne Fitch-Frankel, a campaign manager for Global Exchange who helped launch the Reverse Trick-Or-Treating project two years ago, said the group distributed more than 260,000 pieces of fair trade chocolate and information cards this year. The demand was so great, she said, that they ran out of kits several weeks before the holiday.
As a result of the Scouts' efforts, Halloween "turns from being a gimme-gimme holiday into a holiday that's rich, because they're giving back to their neighbors," Fitch-Frankel said.Are you receiving Express, our free daily e-mail edition? See a sample and sign-up for Express.
|
|
| Comments
|
Posted by Kathryn, a resident of the Cuesta Park neighborhood, on Nov 6, 2009 at 2:27 pm Although I have been aware of Fair Trade products for a few years now, and purchase those products, our younger generation might not. This is typical for Girl Scouts: learning about a good cause, and taking action to help it along. I commend these young ladies for taking action, and on such a festive occasion as Halloween. Thank you.
|
|
Posted by Brent, a resident of another community, on Nov 6, 2009 at 3:16 pm As a father of one the girls in this troup, I was touched by my daughter's thoughtful explanation about fair trade and am impressed that these girls are learning about issues and people far beyond our borders and taking action. Whether you believe in the cause (or approach) or not, it gives me some hope for the future.
|
|
Posted by Sheri, a resident of the Monta Loma neighborhood, on Nov 8, 2009 at 12:11 am I learned about the abuses in the chocolate industry from a high school student in our neighborhood a couple of years ago when he gave a presentation at his school. Since then, I've made it a policy to only buy fair-trade chocolate.
I applaud the girl scouts for taking action on this issue! As for Halloween treats, I give non-candy treats: snack bags of pretzels or crackers, stickers, etc.
|
|
Posted by Bike Snob, a resident of the Cuesta Park neighborhood, on Nov 8, 2009 at 5:43 pm I was handed one of the ReverseTrickOrTreat.org cards by the rudest child to visit my house. After she gave me the card, she reached past me, handing out treats, and into the bowl of candy. I was even giving out two moderate sized treats per child. This went past 'gimmie-gimmie' to 'takie-takie'.
She exclaimed, "Oh, I like these!"
It's cute when a five year old does this, but not a tweleve year old girl.
The fair trade card is only surrounding yourself in the Cone of Smugness, like driving your hybrid SUV. So all of you parents, get over yourselves. Your kids are learning from you, and they aren't learning anything - except to be grabby.
Why is it Fair Trade Certified(tm)? Because 'they', say it is. And the certifying agency is in Germany, so it must be Euro-cool. And the picture of the school children isn't because of your precious fair trade, it's only *provide* by the Equal Exchange.
The follow-up after taking candy was "Trick or treat for UNICEF". Sorry, that scam went out of style in the Seventies. Even the Canadians have stopped this door-to-door mugging.
|
|
Posted by Star Gazer, a resident of the Old Mountain View neighborhood, on Nov 8, 2009 at 6:58 pm I was disappointed this year to note that the vast majority of kids can't even say thank you when trick or treating, and many can't even force out the obligatory trick-or-treat. The worst are the ones that search through the bowl looking for something they want (one such Girl Scout as well). I tolerate it with an open mind, but wonder what kind of parenting and education goes into our youth.
I agree with Bike Snob, I have less a carbon footprint with my 42MPG twenty old honda then the new hybrids these types have to buy or lease every 3-5 years.
|
|
Posted by Gus, a resident of another community, on Nov 9, 2009 at 4:42 pm Just because a 12 year old girl is rude, is hardly a reason to dismiss a cause such as this.
The majority of the world's chocolate (roughly 70%) comes from Africa, where it is a common practice for children to be used as slaves to harvest the cacao.
I'm glad that you feel so smug about your 42mpg Honda, that you find the exploitation and enslavement of children to be acceptable. I wish that I could be so smug. Perhaps you should educate yourself on the matter.
Slavery and human trafficking are thriving industries, not just in Africa, but here in the Bay Area as well.
Perhaps this girl this 12 year old girl was rude, and she missed the point...but that doesn't mean that everyone else should miss the point as well.
|
|
Posted by Mark Chesney, a resident of the Old Mountain View neighborhood, on Nov 9, 2009 at 10:26 pm that's such a beautiful story. I hope these girls remain true to causes like these as they grow into young adults.
|
|
Posted by Bike Race Winner, a resident of the Old Mountain View neighborhood, on Nov 10, 2009 at 8:50 am Oh please Bike Snob. You were looking for a reason to "snark" about the issue so you find it in the 12 yr old girl who was hyper excited by candy and trick or treating on Halloween? REALLY?
OK, if that's your reasoning.
I'm not going to put much value in the statements of individuals like that though. Enjoy your opinion.
|
|
|
| |
|
Send this story
Print this story
