October is Fair Trade month, and to start it off, TransFair USA is hosting a kick-off party this Tuesday, September 29th at the Fox Theatre’s new bar, The Den.  TransFair USA is a nonprofit organization located in Oakland which is committed to certifying Fair Trade products for the United States.  Part of their work addresses the issues of sustainability and sustainable business, which fits right in with OneCalifornia and their alliances with sustainable business and shop local campaigns.  Mingle with Fair Trade companies and activists and support a local Oakland business in the process!  To learn more, check out the event’s Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/event.php?eid=135320433836&index=1

Join OneCalifornia Foundation, Northern California Land Trust, Electric Embers, TransFair USA, Global Exchange, Mandela Foods, Inkworks Press,  and many other leading-edge Bay Area organizations as we celebrate and discuss just and sustainable alternatives to our economy at the JASEcon Festival. The festival is Saturday, September 26 from 10am to 4pm at the Humanist Hall at 390 27th Street in Oakland.

We’ll be on the Resources panel, and other panel session topics include Co-op 101 - Introduction to Worker Co-ops, Food Security & Urban Agriculture, and Building the Alternative.

The festival also includes an expo for related non-profits working to build a new economy, and a marketplace of like-minded businesses. A few table spaces are still available (Nonprofit tables are $40-50 and Marketplace tables are $75).  Delicious and healthy foods will be provided through the generous donations of Arizmendi, Cheese Board, and several other food co-ops.

The event is still seeking sponsors ($100-$200), if you’re interested in supporting the cause.

Contact Bernard at info@jasecon.org or 510 872 0930 to get involved.

Please come join us as we share ways to make our society a better place for all! See you there!

Do you love Oakland as much as we do?  Do you want to show your love and support for Oakland while helping others for a good cause?  Then check out the Oakland Pendants designed by Oakland Unwrapped vendor Mangosteen.  Featuring original photographs of classic Oakland scenes, from the Parkway Theatre to the cranes to Lake Merritt, these pendants will all remind you of this unique city.

Mangosteen founder Gabrielle Lessard first came up with the idea for these pendants when the Parkway Theatre closed.  Lessard took images of the Parkway’s marquee, which read “We Love You Oakland,” and shrunk the images to turn them into pendants to, as Lessard said, “express our collective sense of loss.”  While the Parkway Theatre pendant served as a lovely memorial to the now-closed Parkway Theatre, Lessard discovered a silver lining in her art; she realized she had many other photos of Oakland that would make fun pendants to commemorate the unique landmarks and everyday images Oakland has to offer.  These images include scenes from Downtown, Chinatown, Lake Merritt, the cranes, the Fox Theatre, Old Oakland Victorians, and more.  Check out this slide show of Oakland photos you can choose from.  Pendants can be purchased from the Mangosteen website on Oakland Unwrapped!  And check back to see what else Lessard creates from these iconic Oakland photos-designs for Oakland cufflinks, key chains, and wine glass markers are in the works.

Lessard, an Oakland-based attorney, community development leader, jewelry designer and photographer, is also an avid traveler, especially in developing countries.  The people she met and things she saw on her travels inspired her to create Mangosteen; through Mangosteen, she sells her jewelry along with Fair Trade imports from the countries she visits and educates her consumers about the social problems in developing countries, such as human trafficking.  Lessard donates the revenue generated from her sales to various development organizations in the countries she visits.  Besides her work abroad, Lessard is a proud Oakland resident, as shown by her Oakland pendants and affiliation with Oakland Unwrapped.  To see more of the unique stores on Oakland Unwrapped, check out the website here.