Workshop for Dharamsala producer groups

No. of participants: 47 artisans (20 from Lungta tailoring group, 17 from Tara beads and 10 from CUDP Recycle paper unit)

Purpose of the workshop:
- To create awareness amongst the artisans about fair trade and the ten principles of fair trade. -
-Relation of IM and their organization.
- How their organizations are working with each principles of fair trade.

Supported by:
- Resource person Mrs Alka from Delhi trained by national network of fair trade organization- Fair Trade Forum-India
- IM fair trade coordinator Mrs. Tsering Youdon with the help of Mr. Kalsang Thupten (IM project officer)
- Mr. Tsering Phuntsok, Manager of CUDP Recycle paper unit who also helped in organizing the workshop.

Materials used:
- Fair Trade Principles translated in Tibetan Language
- Charts from Fair Trade Forum-India
- Ten principles of fair trade translated in tibetan Langauge
- White board

Venue: Clean Uppper Dharamsala Project (Environment Section)

Session 1:
CUDP Recycle paper unit
The first session began with an introduction of each participants.This is the first ever kind of workshop for them.So, most of them were reluctant to come out and speak infront of all. But the session helped them to know some more things about each other.

Session 2:
Trade and Fair Trade:
The resource person asked them about the traits of the market.They shared the following:
1) Some said the attitude of the seller hurts them a lot.
2) When they go to buy something, the shopkeeper do not let them touch any products or do not let them see the products.
3) Since they do not speak the local language i.e. Hindi, they charge more price.
4) One recounted one of his experience while buying a radio, he asked the seller to sell it a lesser price and the seller said if you want to buy cheap products, go to China. He said he will forget the remark in his life.
5) The resource person also told them about duplicate products.

We also told them that when we sell the products, we share information about the people behind the product through our website or fliers or exhibitions etc. They do not know that IM has nine shops in Sweden. They have never thought about their role in the Supply Chain and how important their role is. We told them that customer is the most important person.

Session 3:
Paying fair wages: The resource person played a game where the artisans had to get their monthly salary.
Lungta artisans
What they did was to collect the salary without signing the salary record or counting their salary.We explained to them that there are lots of cases where the artisans are not paid according to the time or absence of salary record. But in their organizations, they have a salary record where they sign it. We found that they can sign their names.

Session 4:

Lungta artisans
Transparency and Sample Development:The participants were divided into 2 groups each and one of them had to see the sample picture and intruct the other to draw it. When they came up with the sample, only few could come up with the exact picture.
After finding out reasons, each came up with the following:
1) The instructions were not clear.
2) Paying not proper attention
3) Not having the sample picture with them

Session 5:
Working Conditions:The working condition of an organization was explained through picture analysis. If we just say working conditions, it's difficult to make them understand. Each participants were given a picture for analysing and they were also asked about whether their organizations works in providing better working conditions for example sanitation, ventilation, space for movement, safety equipment etc.

Session 6:
Supply chain:We explained them about the role of each person in the supply chain. Each were handed a paper with their role as trader, producer, artisans, IMO, exporter, Retailer and customer.We also explained about the product goes from the paper unit to the IM fair trade shops.
Lungta artisans

At the end, they were asked about the learning from the workshop:
1) Supply Chain
2) 10 principles
3) Environment
4) Cooperation
5) Meaning of fair trade
6) What is IM and IMEX?
7) Chance to participate
8) Importance of customer
9) Stakeholders
10)Health
11) Transparency
12) Interaction
13) Fair wage
14) Creating opportunities

Tsering Youdon
IM Fair Trade Coordinator