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<title>My One Reason</title>
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<description>My One Reason</description>
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<title>Fair Trade intro and so many geat reasons!</title>
<link>http://www.myonereason.com/story.php?id=30</link>
<guid>http://www.myonereason.com/story.php?id=30</guid><description><![CDATA[A Fair Trade presentation by Ingrid Heinrichs Pauls, Education and Media Coordinator for Ten Thousand Villages Canada. www.tenthousandvillages.ca]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 20 Mar 2009 11:03:10 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Love the Transformative Mission Empowering Women, Helping Them Gain Independence</title>
<link>http://www.myonereason.com/story.php?id=34</link>
<guid>http://www.myonereason.com/story.php?id=34</guid><description><![CDATA[I shop and work at Ten Thousand Villages to advance transformative work, thinking and development activity to end the abuse of women. Violence and mistreatment against women sometimes results from the use of force or threat to achieve and maintain control over others in intimate relationships, and from societal abuse of power, economic clout, accomodating domination of women.]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 20 Mar 2009 13:22:39 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>I can’t imagine a more honest and worthwhile cause and organization.</title>
<link>http://www.myonereason.com/story.php?id=98</link>
<guid>http://www.myonereason.com/story.php?id=98</guid><description><![CDATA[It is exceptional &amp; essential that Ten Thousand Villages generates a market for handicrafts by these skilled artisans, thereby serving as a lifeline for traditions that might otherwise fade into extinction while upholding as its highest commitment the moral business ethic of creating a long-term &amp; sustainable economy for these economically &amp; environmentally fragile communities.]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 26 May 2009 14:58:10 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Preserving tradition in craft and culture</title>
<link>http://www.myonereason.com/story.php?id=28</link>
<guid>http://www.myonereason.com/story.php?id=28</guid><description><![CDATA[Through their fair trade relationship with Ten Thousand Villages, artisans around the world are able to use their craft to create a sustainable livelihood. Using and adapting traditional skills and materials, artisans translate communal traditions such as basket weaving, textile weaving, wood carving and silverwork into a vital and reliable source of income for themselves and their communities.]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 20 Mar 2009 10:58:18 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Inspiring design, with a purpose</title>
<link>http://www.myonereason.com/story.php?id=27</link>
<guid>http://www.myonereason.com/story.php?id=27</guid><description><![CDATA[Ten Thousand Villages designers and buyers work with artisans to build on traditional skills with trend and color information and new product suggestions. The goal is to translate traditional art techniques into jewelry, home decor items, personal accessories, gifts and artwork that appeal to the American consumer.]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 20 Mar 2009 10:58:00 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Making cultural traditions profitable</title>
<link>http://www.myonereason.com/story.php?id=95</link>
<guid>http://www.myonereason.com/story.php?id=95</guid><description><![CDATA[Ten Thousand Villages helps cultural traditions survive by allowing artisans to make money by creating things that are unique to a particular region or culture. If there were no markets for these items then young people would have no motivation to learn the cultural traditions that have been passed down for generations in their families and these traditions would be lost.]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 13 May 2009 15:16:52 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Cash advances that advance lives</title>
<link>http://www.myonereason.com/story.php?id=26</link>
<guid>http://www.myonereason.com/story.php?id=26</guid><description><![CDATA[Artisans receive up to 50 percent in cash advances when an order is placed, and payment in full when an order is shipped. Many artisans are too poor to qualify for traditional bank loans, and advance payments provide the necessary funds to let them cover the costs of materials and equipment without going into debt.]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 20 Mar 2009 10:57:44 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Inspiration and Optimism</title>
<link>http://www.myonereason.com/story.php?id=96</link>
<guid>http://www.myonereason.com/story.php?id=96</guid><description><![CDATA[Working and shopping at Ten Thousand Villages gives me a sense of optimism. I am inspired by working for a company that empowers women around the world, and that provides dignity and hope for many artisans. Working here gives me a window into other traditions and cultures with gorgeous, distinctive products.  Above all shopping and working here allows me to align my values with ideas and action.]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 15 May 2009 09:03:07 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>Freedom</title>
<link>http://www.myonereason.com/story.php?id=97</link>
<guid>http://www.myonereason.com/story.php?id=97</guid><description><![CDATA[The artisns have freedom to create beauiful art that is from there heart. What a gift to do what you love and get pay well for it.]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 15 May 2009 18:52:24 -0400</pubDate>
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<title>People paid fairly, working safely</title>
<link>http://www.myonereason.com/story.php?id=22</link>
<guid>http://www.myonereason.com/story.php?id=22</guid><description><![CDATA[Artisans and Ten Thousand Villages agree on a fair price that covers the cost of labor and materials and enables artisans to earn fair compensation for their work. A fair price takes into account the length of time it takes to complete a product, a comparison with local wages for similarly skilled jobs and the local cost of living.]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 20 Mar 2009 10:56:30 -0400</pubDate>
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