Dreaming of a
Green Christmas?
Shopping for a more just world and a healthier planet this season—and throughout the year
by Bruce Johansen
Wondering where to find safe gifts for the children on your list this holiday season?Looking for toys and games not manufactured in sweatshops? Maybe you’d like to sustain the lives of indigenous artists from around the globe—or are searching for healthy, eco-friendly, North American or fair trade products for your pets. Perhaps you’re hungry for a festive meal at a restaurant that serves locally grown and produced free range meats and seasonal produce....
If you’re looking for any of these things, you’re in luck. Proprietors of many stores and restaurants in and around downtown Takoma Park and Silver Spring are committed to socially responsible business practices. They’ve taken the first step, seeking out products provided by entrepreneurs with similar values. The next link is for us, local consumers, to put our pocketbooks where our values are and support these stores, not only during the holidays, but all year long.
Join us on a walking tour of a sustainable holiday.
A world of fun, fashionable, fair trade choices
As The Culture Shop (341 Cedar St NW Washington, DC, 202-726-2211, enters its third holiday season, co-owners Mona and Valentine Davies want shoppers to know that purchases at their store sustain the livelihoods—and lives—of people in economically disadvantaged countries.
According to the Fair Trade Association, fair trade is a system that:
Supports fair wages and participatory workplaces
Ensures environmental sustainability
Supplies financial and technical support
Respects cultural identity
Offers public accountability
Educates consumers about the choices they can make in their regular shopping habits |
A model of socially responsible purchasing, the Culture Shop offers items made by indigenous crafts people from around the world, including the United States. The Davies’ store promotes the social and economic progress of these artisans by marketing their products in a fairly-traded manner. It also hosts events, including readings and performances, to help educate patrons about the value of supporting such efforts.
What’s noteworthy about the Culture Shop is that its owners adhere to a mission of social responsibility while at the same time providing a warm and inviting environment in which to shop. From the minute you walk in the door, it’s clear that shopping responsibly doesn’t mean sacrificing style or pleasure
Valentine points out that the shop is arranged as a United Nations of cultures. There is no Central American or African section. Part of the delight in shopping there comes from turning over tags to learn the origins of goods.
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| Culture Shop offers international flavor, fair trade, recycled materials and beauty in their array of gifts. Photo: Julie Wiatt |
Among the fun, eco-friendly fair trade products you’ll find this season are Vietnamese handbags and backpacks made from recycled aluminum cans. There’s also a sculpture of a musician made of recycled sparkplugs. It’s from the West African nation Burkina Faso. And check out the motorcycle sculpture produced from recycled wire in South Africa.
Other pieces to look for include: hand-dyed robes from Ghana, Guatemalan cotton scarves, Ecuadorian sweaters, Japanese kimonos, pillows made in Pakistan, lamps from Peru, and Egyptian purses. Oh yes, and then there are foods, soaps, candles, cards, books, and beautifully designed journals from Indonesia that are made of recycled paper.
Want the latest title by Al Gore, Noam Chomsky, or Walter Mosley? What about children’s books, poetry, or cookbooks? The Culture Shop has a nice selection of each, courtesy of the not-for-profit Teaching for Change.
Mona observes that if we want to preserve the feel of our community, the responsibility lies with all of us to support what we’ve got. Empty storefronts in the vicinity are cause for concern, she says, because they deter other unique businesses from coming in.
One other reminder: Places like the Culture Shop will survive only if customers patronize them year round, making them regular sources for coffee and tea, chutneys and rice, books and cards
www.cultureshop.com
Hungry? Walk across the street to Savory (314 Carroll St NW, 202-545-8800) where the menu features vegan cordon bleu, vegan croque, and Sun Rise vegan ham and cheese sandwiches. Also available at the Metro-convenient location: bagels with vegan cream cheese, vegan soups, and vegan desserts, including a chocolate cake and vanilla and chocolate cupcakes.
Next page: Support local economies and eco-friendly producers
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