Ethical and supportive Christmases : Viajes Tumaini

Ethical and solidary Christmas

Now that I am in Spain, I wanted to write a post about responsible consumption, especially at this time of year when we all seem to go a little crazy with shopping. Here I propose some alternatives so that those who lose their heads can at least do so in an ethical way:

- Recycling: Why not rescue something that has broken, or that T-shirt that we have stopped using and customise it to create a totally different product? There are many ideas if you look on the web, more and less elaborated and some products that are really wonderful. Especially recommended for creative people who enjoy crafts or experiments... This way we will get a unique and original gift. You can find numerous references on the website:

http://elmundodelreciclaje.blogspot.com.es/
http://www.decoralia.es/category/reciclando-objetos/
http://floresyabejas.blogspot.com.es/

- If you don't use something, donate it: Although most of us are far away, there are many families (and we don't have to go to countries in the South but in Spain itself) who cannot afford the cost of buying clothes or toys. I think this is a very nice way of instilling values such as solidarity in your children by explaining that not all children receive gifts at this time of year and that they themselves can contribute to changing this. Ask your children, nephews, nieces, etc. for a toy they would like to give and come together to make the donation, I'm sure it will be a moment to remember!

- Back to bartering: At your children's school, with family, friends, etc. you can propose to take toys/clothes... and exchange them. There are also numerous pages that invite you to barter, and you can see that there are people who even exchange cars!

http://www.cambia.es/

http://www.quierocambiarlo.com/

http://www.etruekko.com/

- If you are one of those who send Christmas cards, do it with charity postcards as they are a source of funding for the NGOs that offer them. They are usually beautiful and there is usually not a big difference in price compared to those that do not support any cause, so I think they are a very good option, not only for individuals but also for companies. There are also e-cards for those who are more environmentally responsible!

- Before buying anything, it would be good if you could investigate whether the products are made with respect for labour rights or the environment.

Any organisation that sells Fair Trade has to comply with these parameters (and many more, such as ensuring that there is no child exploitation, gender equality, etc.). From Fair Trade I recommend an organisation called Afrikable with which I have been collaborating for some time and which has some beautiful products made by women from an island in Northern Kenya.

http://www.afrikable.org/images/docs/Cat.Afrikable2012.pdf

Another alternative to Fair Trade would be to buy products offered by organisations that work with groups at risk of social exclusion. And if you do not find anything that convinces you in these places, my recommendation is that you try to avoid large supermarkets, full of articles manufactured thousands of kilometres away by people who have more than dubious working conditions. It is important to consume as locally as possible to promote our economy, in this way we will be more sustainable by saving time and travel. We can support with our purchases the many talented designers who are trying to make a niche for themselves in our country's market. Some of my favourites:

http://www.pisaverde.org/
http://www.baloccoandbambola.com/
http://www.peseta.org/'

If you buy cosmetics, make sure that the company does not test on animals and that the ingredients it uses have not been tested on animals. To give you an idea more than 12 million animals in the EU are used for research every year. This equates to 137 animals undergoing experiments every 10 minutes, experiments that are very cruel and painful. If you buy cosmetics with this logo you can be sure that the company is audited to certify that it complies with the requirements.