Ideas for Change in America

I don't know if you have heard, but a few weeks ago America voted for some change and elected Barack Obama into office. He spoke of hope of change and now it's your turn to show our next President what change means to you. To facilitate that, Change.org has launched Ideas for Change in America, which asks YOU to submit an idea to the Obama Administration that you think needs to "change" in this country and be on the top of his agenda list.

How does it work? Anyone can submit an idea and comment and vote on others. The top 10 rated ideas will be presented to the Obama Administration on Inauguration Day, January 20, 2009 as the "Top 10 Ideas for America." We will then launch a national campaign behind each idea and mobilize the collective energy of the millions of members of Change.org, MySpace, and partner organizations to ensure that each winning idea gets the full consideration of the Obama Administration and Members of Congress.

Fair Trade is a largely consumer based movement that calls out to consumers to demand for more Fair Trade products to be available in stores everywhere and for more people to buy Fair Trade products everyday. Fair Trade Towns are popping up all over the U.S. and in cities across the world. Now, it's time to make an even bigger statement. April Thompson submitted a great idea to Declare the White House a Fair Trade Zone.

Fair trade coffee is already served in the US Capitol – why not extend this practice to the White House next door?  From Milwaukee, Wis., to San Francisco, Calif., cities across the nation are passing historic resolutions to maximize purchase of fair trade products with public funds and make fair trade products available to consumers. Citizens are making it clearer and clearer they want their dollars as taxpayers to be spent in ways that support fair labor practices and protect the environment. Bringing such conscious consumption to the highest office in the land would set a new, more ethical standard for government procurement, often known for inane and unwieldy rules.

London has already declared itself fair trade capitol of the world, with almost 1,000 retailers and 600 catering outlets selling fair trade-certified products. We in the US have some catching up to do.

Thanks for the great idea, April. There's no better endorsement for Fair Trade than having it served at the White House. It makes the statement that we all should be concerned about where our products come from and that human rights and environmental protection should be respected when those products are made and sourced.

Like the idea? Go ahead and vote for it. Got an idea of your own? Write it up and your idea could make it over to Obama and your 'change' can happen.