NEWS

Madison Locals Found a Fair Trade Organization

Reporting By: Stephanie Liebergen

Videography By: Stephanie Liebergen

“I wasn’t born in Africa. I’m a redhead. So yea, how did I get to this point?”

Madison local JD Stier has traveled around the world volunteering and connecting western society to art and artists in lower income countries.

Stier elaborated on how he first got connected with Africa. “It definitely came by just by chance in an English class I got to be friends with a guy named Ko who I moved in with sophomore year and he’s a Sudanese refugee. And so after sophomore year he said, ‘JD, would you like to come back to Africa with me?’”

Steir and his girlfriend, Anne Eichmeyer, co founded an organization called Fair Trade World in January of 2008 that connects Americans with volunteer trips abroad.

“The one thing they have to do for Fair Trade World is meet an artist, either someone within the network or a new artist…profile them, take their picture, write a little blog about their experience and buy, say, instead of one necklace, 50 necklaces, one basket. 20 baskets. That’s your Fair Trade World Volunteership,” explained Stier.

This home-grown organization works with a variety of artists in different countries around the world, and they currently have necklaces, beads, earrings and cards for sale.

Eichmeyer explained that any type of art would be a great asset to the organization. “My favorite quote is that there is no such thing as good art, there are only good artists. And so it’s more about the artist and the person who is creating a piece that might represent his or her culture.”

All the profits from the sale of the art get sent back to the artist. And after the original goods are sold, their business trade will continue.

“When you go to a place as far away as Africa and your completely lost and have none of the technical comforts of your world, all the sudden you find yourself very together with the people around you. And that’s the magic we want people to experience,” said Stier.