Sunbula: Positive achievements despite economic hardships and barriers

I'm working on incorporating some new things in my blog, in order to keep it interesting and to give everybody something that they will enjoy reading. With a lot of negative news that comes out of this place, it is important for me to also emphasize positive. This year, I've become more and more interested in issues of fair trade and local sustainable agriculture. I've learned a little bit about a few organizations, but I would like to learn more. In order to do that, every once in a while on the blog, I'd like to highlight organizations of these types working in Palestine.

Why focus on Palestinian fair trade and sustainable organizations? The economic situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (oPt) is bleak. A recent report by the UN Conference of Trade and Development (UNCTAD) stated that the unemployment rate in the oPt is 30% and 26% of the population live in poverty. Despite the fact that the oPt experienced a 9.3% economic growth rate last year,

Private-sector revival is still constrained by the construction of the separation barrier, movement and access restrictions, limited access to external markets for the export of goods or the import of production inputs, and a much reduced productive and natural resource base. The movement of Palestinian people and goods in the West Bank last year was obstructed by more than 500 obstacles and checkpoints...Restrictions on the movement of people and goods to, from or within the West Bank and Gaza have fostered small-scale cost inefficiencies and technological decline and have blocked the emergence of an export sector capable of substantial contributions to economic development.

Due to the obvious obstacles to economic growth, positive contributions by local businesses and farmers in Palestine should be celebrated even more.

Today I would like to highlight the work of Sunbula. Sunbula is a fair trade organization that is "committed to promoting social justice and economic empowerment of the marginalized." Established in 1996, Sunbula is celebrating their 15th anniversary this year. Sunbula works with 18 craft-producing organizations throughout the West Bank, Gaza Strip, East Jerusalem and other 1948 areas. Hundreds of women, refugees, people with disabilities, and farmers work to create marketable, modern products that incorporate traditional Palestinian designs and techniques. Products include: embroidery, Bedouin rugs, handmade olive oil soap, ceramics, olivewood carvings, paper and felt crafts, and jewellry. Sunbula strives to make these products available across barriers and checkpoints through their two fair trade stores in Jerusalem as well as their online shop.

So for all of you who don't live in Jerusalem, you can also benefit from the products of Sunbula. Go online and check out their website as well as their Online Craft Market. I have the flower purse pictured above and I love it!

As their website says: "Sunbula - Arabic for spike of wheat - is the flower that makes bread. As its name symbolises, Sunbula helps people provide themselves with a gift of a more dignified life."

Information sources:
UN warns of economic crisis in Palestine
Sunbula's website
This Week in Palestine - January 2011 Issue

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