Paul Calvert spoke with Suzan Sahori, the Executive Director, of Bethlehem Fair Trade Artisans.

Suzan Sahori

Small producers in Bethlehem face huge obstacles when trying to make a living from their work, with restricted movement and Chinese imports make a difficult situation worse. However in the midst of the hardship, groups like Bethlehem Fair Trade Artisans, are making a real difference in the community. Operating with fair trade principles, they support marginalised producers of olive wood crafts, embroidery and ceramics. Paul Calvert heard all about their work when he spoke with Suzan Sahori, the Executive Director, of Bethlehem Fair Trade Artisans.

Paul: What is the Bethlehem Fair Trade Artisans?

Suzan: It's a non-governmental organisation. It was established in 2009, obliged to the fair trade principles. It is established to support the very marginalised producers, men, women and special needs groups, in order to provide them with skilled development, product development and mainly to support them to get into the domestic and international market. They are unable to directly reach these markets themselves, due to many obstacles, so we facilitate connections between them and the international market, through the fair trade principles.

Paul: What projects do you run?

Suzan: We run many different projects, including educational projects. We have also run a project with the EU and our Italian partner and Israeli partner, doing empowerment for the producers. Through this skill development in their language, the English language and the computer language, we have done a few courses in cooperation with the ICP Bethlehem University, to provide them with 40 hours for every course. The English language is to teach them how to use a language when a group visits them, so they are able to express themselves and speak about themselves and their work. The computer language is to teach them how to use the computer, in order to research and Google similar production in the world and to learn about the international world and the other samples that people do in other countries. We have also done technique in embroidery, colour mixing and how to make a product that is sellable. I don't want to make a product to stack on the shelves.

Through our network, we explain to them the international market and the need and we teach them how to follow on these needs and train them wherever it's needed.

Paul: What sort of producers do you work with?

Suzan: Today we are an umbrella for 53 family olive wood producers. The olive wood history and hand craft is for hundreds of years, generation after generation. The family is the father, mother, son and maybe two cousins working in the same workshop.

We work with four special needs groups in the Bethlehem district. They are working with recycled glass and cards, producing special greeting cards and also working with cards and sand, making greeting cards. They make really beautiful items.

We have a handicraft group that works with felt. It's the most amazing production and of course, the production is all around the Holy Land.

We also work with the Women's Union, which is an umbrella for about 50 women cooperatives and clubs all over Palestine.

Paul: Is there a lot of artistic talent in Palestine?

Suzan: I have been working with producers for many years now and I have discovered such a talent that only needs to be guided.

Recently we met a group from the city of Beit Sahour, who called on us and asked, "How can you offer our women job opportunities?" When we met with this group and saw some of the work that they are doing, they are really artistic, we have women who do drawings on the glass, women who do furniture from recycled glass, and they are such talented people.