Purchasing Policy

(last updated in 2016)

The Peace & Justice Store is a program of the Peace & Justice Center, a nonprofit organization which has a mission to create a peaceful and just world by addressing the intersecting issues of racial and economic justice, peace and human rights, through education, advocacy, training, non-violent activism and community organizing.

In our retail store and online, our products reflect and support our mission. Therefore, we focus on fair trade, local, and educational products. Through educational displays and conversation, we introduce people to fair trade principles, communities around the world where products are produced, social justice issues related to trade, as well as our Center’s work as a whole.

Specifically, we select products that are:

Fairly traded goods sourced from small producers and artisans in the global South:

  1. Fair trade certified products
  2. Fair trade membership organizations’ products
  3. Direct trade products verified through PJC Vendor Questionnaire

Local goods from nearby regions including New England, New York, and Quebec:

  1. Made according to fair labor practices
  2. Emphasis on eco-friendly or up-cycled products
  3. Local Artists

Educational and cultural materials:

  1. Books on social justice issues
  2. Portable politics (e.g., bumper stickers, buttons, t-shirt, etc.)
  3. CDs and DVDs

Through this store policy, we strive to express the conscience of the Peace & Justice Center.

Fair Trade Principles, from Fair Trade Federation:

  • Create Opportunities for Economically and Socially Marginalized Producers
  • Develop Transparent and Accountable Relationships
  • Build Capacity
  • Promote Fair Trade
  • Pay Promptly and Fairly
  • Support Safe and Empowering Working Conditions
  • Ensure the Rights of Children
  • Cultivate Environmental Stewardship
  • Respect Cultural Identity