Fair compensation to eat and live was the topic of a presentation hosted by the Women's Outreach Center Thursday night titled A Partnership for Hope: Fair Trade Activism in Nicaragua.

"We are now waging an economic war [in Nicaragua] of cheap labor and raped resources," said Shannon Howard, director and founder of Esperanza en Accion, or Hope in Action, a non-profit organization. "This injustice is happening because I want cheaper products."

Howard, who is from Tulsa, founded the organization in April 2002, inspired by a week-long trip to Guatemala. She said the experience changed her life.

"My life, where I will never know what it's like to not have food, can only be a thanksgiving of prayer compared to some lifestyles in Nicaragua," she said.

Esperanza's goal is to buy directly from artisans and pay a fair price for their work to cover basic needs, said Howard. She said the organization also wants to educate consumers about the hidden costs of their "bargains."

Howard said that, typically, an artisan must sell his or her goods to a middleman who pays them 5 to 10 percent of the fair wage.

"Colombia also has a large population that is poor," said Yoana Walschap, adviser for the Colombian Student Association. "They use their resources and creativity to make beautiful items and people usually exploit them, and organizations like [Esperanza] really help."

Esperanza strives to keep long-term trade relations with artisans and promote their talents in ways that preserve their cultural identity, Howard said. Most of the art is pre-Colombian style and sometimes the skill has been passed down for generations, she said.

Howard said her organization is solutions-based. She warns against giving handouts and said that the pathway to hell is paved with good intentions.

"Don't give fish, teach people how to fish," Howard said. "Giving out handouts further perpetuates economic dependence."

Elizabeth Kiser, Women's Outreach Center graduate assistant and member of the board of directors for Esperanza en Accion, said students received many benefits from attending the presentation.

"You learn that you don't have to go to Nicaragua to be an activist," Kiser said. "You can simply buy a different type of coffee and make a big difference."

Audrey Kallenberger, international and area studies junior, said she wanted to attend the presentation because she is interested in fair trade.

"I plan on doing an internship with her and I think what she is doing is really great," Kallenberger said.

The coffee industry was also discussed during the presentation. Howard said that coffee is the No. 2 commodity in the world behind oil. She said that when consumers buy one pound of coffee, someone probably picked and hand-sorted 4,000 coffee beans for a few pennies. She said that people are turning to illicit crops like coca, which is used to make cocaine, for money.

"Consumers should think about what human hands made this and were they able to feed their family that day," Howard said.

However, Howard said fair trade is growing and she has seen a 270 percent increase in fair trade organizations.

"Businesses based on fair and equitable trade relationships can and is working," Howard said.

She said she encourages people to buy fair trade items. She also said buying these products does not necessarily mean higher costs. Howard said since fair trade organizations skip the middleman, they are able to cut costs and pay a greater percentage to the producers. Crossroads Restaurant, located in Oklahoma Memorial Union, and Cafe Plaid, 333 W. Boyd St., both offer fair trade coffee, she said.

Handmade items such as woven baskets, pottery, handbags and paintings from Nicaraguan artisans were for sale at the presentation.

Howard also showed slides of artisans and their work, and of the living conditions in Nicaragua.

Esperanza en Accion is offering a delegation to Nicaragua this summer.
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