Making a difference in an unfair world

from The Lantern, OSU

Theresa Attalla

Sometimes people just want to be acknowledged for their work.

This is the simple goal of Global Gallery, located 682 N. High St. in the Short North. Established in 1991 by four local area churches, Global Gallery has taken it upon itself to spread the message of fair trade by selling products and educating the community about the importance of fair trade and the cultures it represents.

"The mission of Global Gallery has been an important driving force in my life," said Connie De Jong, arts scholars coordinator at Ohio State and executive director of Global Gallery.

De Jong began as a volunteer worker and fought to keep it open when at one point it was going to close. Now, there are four locations in the Columbus area: Short North, Easton, Yellow Springs and German Village. Boards of directors and local volunteers of the communities support the locations.

How it works at Global Gallery is simple. The gallery follows the fair trade guidelines according to the Fair Trade Federation: create opportunities for economically challenged people, create equal opportunity for gender classes, provide safe working conditions and environmental protection and give payment of full price to the producers of the product.

Global Gallery has been able to develop relationships with markets of countries that are marginalized in typical trading structures. Workers must demonstrate that they are able to meet market requirements for quality, consistency and continuity of supply. In addition, a minimum guaranteed price that covers the cost of production is established and paid to the company beforehand.

"It's an alternative method to conventional trade," said Megan Fitze, current manager of Global Gallery. "Nobody gets cheated."

The store sells items such as coffee, chocolates, jewelry, scarves and CDs of music from around the world. In addition to selling products, Global Gallery does numerous educational programs and activities to promote cultural awareness.

At the German Village coffee shop location, locals are able to listen to live music and practice yoga. At the Easton location, there have been workshops and activities involving paper making and Tibetan Monks.

International Fair Trade Day is another important event for Global Gallery and fair trade where numerous culture representatives come to show off their skills and educate the public.

De Jong and Fitze both have big plans in mind for Global Gallery and fair trade with the idea of expanding and increasing the education about the issue at hand. They said it is also important to them to open additional locations and continue to make a difference in underprivileged countries.

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