Amnesty International has a new campaign to improve the human rights situation worldwide. Please please please go to www.protectthehuman.org and sign the petition to, among other things, stop violence against women (“Women hold up half the sky” after all), help free political prisoners like Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung Sun Suu Kyi, and take a stand against torture. All that, just by adding your name to their petition.

We began donating $1 per order to Global Exchange at the start of this year. I spent the mid-90’s doing human rights work in Chiapas, Mexico in the aftermath of the Zapatista rebellion, and I worked quite a bit with Global Exchange when I did that. There wasn’t a part of my life that wasn’t thoroughly transformed by that experience, so it’s my way of giving back to an organization that was such a vital part of that.

And at least now you know what inspired me to make sure our Rebagz™ are made under fair trade conditions. After what I saw in Chiapas and in many other places I’ve traveled, working in China or India was not an option as far as I was concerned. Besides, if you treat the people sewing and weaving your bags well, they’ll take more care and be more productive. It’s just good business or, as I’ve been know to say, “That’s just a big duh.”

We like to say Rebagz are “human-friendly fashion.” We’re kind to nature – and humans are a big part of the natural world – by making our bags using recycled materials and by using eco-friendly practices in our offices. And, as I just mentioned, we take care of our workers. Just as importantly, however, is that we offer excellent customer service because the humans who buy our bags deserve fair treatment as well. You keep coming back to us, even in these difficult times, and we really appreciate that. And besides, talking to you on the phone has become part of our office social life and we truly enjoy getting to know you.

Business takes place along a long spectrum of people, and I believe every single person along the way should feel like they got a fair shake. It’s soooo obvious. And yet so many companies ignore one part of the spectrum or another. We do our best to make sure everyone’s taken care of. That’s just good business, as far as I’m concerned.

XOXO Marty