Responsible Consumption Campaign (RCC*), NYC 2008

Summer 2008, NYC

Agent* of Social Change Curriculum

2 hour Wednesday meetings 5pm

Week 1: How to conduct an in-store Responsible Consumption Campaign (RCC*)

Week 2: Individuals: Responsible Consumption, Work, Investment/ Empowerment

Week 3: The Local Movement * Fair Trade and Organic Certification

Week 4: Marketing and the Growth of the Conscious Consumer

Week 5: Organizations: Social Change * Integration of Public and Private Interests

Week 6: Socially Responsible Supply Chains, from the seeds to the consumers

Week 7: Participation: Fair Trade in a Neo-Liberal Paradigm

Week 8: Social Entrepreneurship and Non-Profits; Field Trip: LES Girls Club

Week 9: The Global Fair Trade Movement & Market

Week 10: Bringing Fair Trade to your school and community; Guest speaker Amanda White, a lifelong interrupter* & the NYU Oxfam President 2007

Quantitative Results

Number of Agents* hired: 14

Number of Agents continuing to work: 3

Number of RCC* sessions: 216

Number of Consumers contacted in-store: 15,327

Number of units sold and amount of Social Premiums generated per product

interrupcion* fair trade (InFT*)

InFT* Oil	InFT* Chimi	InFT* Green Olive	InFT* Black Olive	Totals
625	1026	293	509	2453 UNITS
$171.88	$143.64	$32.82	$57.01	$405.34

Qualitative Results (Agent* Evaluations)

Questions: What was your favorite Wed session? What did you learn? What do you wish you would have learned? What was your favorite part of this internship? What was your least favorite?

­­­­­­­­­­ AGENT* OF SOCIAL CHANGE: Emily*, Hamden, CT

 

My favorite part was getting to know more about fair trade and becoming more confident and comfortable talking about it. My favorite Wednesday session was our field trip to the Lower East Side Girls Club.

­­­­­­­­­ AGENT* OF SOCIAL CHANGE: Jesse*, Boulder, CO

Working with a company that is pursuing a green sustainable future for all world citizens was my favorite part. Being an environmental science and history major I enjoyed actually getting out in the fireld and spreading the ideology.

 

Being very shy the RCCs were tough at times, but it was a good learning experience. I learned about the many steps it takes to running a successful, new, green business.

AGENT* OF SOCIAL CHANGE: Leigh*, Ringwood, NJ

I really enjoyed the meetings, especially the one about certification.

 

I learned a lot about the economics of fair trade, which is great! I tend to be more people focused with is what drew me to fair trade to begin with but it was good to learn about different aspects of the movements.

AGENT* OF SOCIAL CHANGE: Kelly´e*, Atlanta, GA

My favorite part of the internship was being taken out of my comfort zone and thrown into speaking to people in the grocery stores. I have no fear with going to people and speaking about fair trade. My favorite Wednesday session was when Amanda came. I feel really confident in reaching out to ‘the other´ now!

I learned that along with the growing need for people to change the way they are consuming there are people who really care enough to teach. I have become the person who wants to change my patterns and am the person who wants to teach. I´ve also learned patience.

I would love to be a part of interrupcion* in the futureI never want to stop being a apart of it. I never want to stop being a part of it. If there is a way more offices can pop up around the country I´m down! If there are future trips to Argentina to meet the farmers and do any kind of work I am down! This Summer has been life changing for me. I have changed the way I think the way I interact with people, and the way I life life in general. I a m so thankful for this opportunity that interrupcion* has given me and even more thankful that I can bring what I have learned to the South and share with family, friends, and strangers. Becoming an Agent* of Social Change allowed me to change the lives of others and like I said, mine! I couldn´t have chosen a better Summer to be a part of interrupcion*. I am 21 and am in the prime of my youth and looking forward to the future and bringing interrupcion* with me. Thank you.

AGENT* OF SOCIAL CHANGE, Claud, Washington D.C

I enjoy just getting to talk to different people, who are genuinely interested to hear about fair trade. I enjoy hearing customers tell their family say, “Hey, you should ask her about the cool story behind these products.” I thoroughly enjoy discussing responsible consumption and answering their questions about fair trade, but most of all leaving them empowered even just at the end of those few minutes.

My favorite Wednesday session was when we went to the Lower East Side Girls’ Club. It was very inspiring to meet those girls, who were making such a big impact in their community.

I learned a lot about communicating to different people and how to sell to them, not only the product, but also a lifestyle of consuming responsibly. I learned that I shouldn’t judge people’s appearances nor assume their knowledge and preferences.

 

AGENT* OF SOCIAL CHANGE Tara*, NYC, NY

My favorite part was definitely opening my eyes to a lot of consumer options and responsibilities that I wasn´t aware of before. As for the Wednesday sessions, I actually really liked in the beginning where we shared our experiences because it made me feel like I wasn´t so alone in any frustrations or oddities which may have happened.

My least favorite part was definitely the frustration of having people tell you they didn´t want to hear what you had to say, or that the didn´t want to support Argentina in any way.

I learned a lot. Coming into this internship I didn´t know much about fair trade, organic, or even all of the consumption talks that we did.
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AGENT* OF SOCIAL CHANGE: Tanya*, Fort Lee, NJ

My favorite part was realizing there is hope for the world. My favorite Wednesday session was learning more about connection chains and linkages. I learned about that in school so it was great to be able to apply the theory to something tangible.

I learned that fair trade and sustainability is marketable to people who appear as if they won´t care. I wish I would have learned a little bit more about other fair trade markets.

 

I´d love to continue learning about fair trade / doing RCC* session. Interrupcion* has found a successful and positive way to create development techniques that help instead of hurt and that is what my goal for the future is.

­­­­­­­­­­ AGENT* OF SOCIAL CHANGE: Erica*, NYC, NY

My favorite part was getting t know other people who feel passionate about fair trade and having such great discussions. I really loved the session where we talked about fair trade verses local.

RCC* sessions were sometimes a little hard to handle. I didn´t realize how much marketing / sales would be involved when I applied for the internship, and I think talking about that more on the job description would be beneficial.

 

I learned SO much about fair trade, organics, social movements, certification, etc! I love how I feel more confident in my knowledge and feel comfortable holding conversations on these areas and telling others.

­­­­­­­­­­ AGENT* OF SOCIAL CHANGE: Shaunagh*, Boston, MA

Favorite Part= Getting to know everyone, and having thought provoking discussions on Wednesdays. Favorite Wednesday Session= All!

Least Favorite Part= Lugging supplies to stores

 

I learned how much impact I as an individual can have on the lives of other individuals, and also how the efforts of many can reflect such REAL change.

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