Handcrafting Justice

Handcrafting Justice (HCJ) was an alternative trading organization established in New York City in October 1997 as a project of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd. Its purpose was to create a fair-trade marketplace for handcrafted goods produced by women participating in projects sponsored or supported by Good Shepherd communities in developing countries. Rather than functioning solely as a conventional retail brand, HCJ combined product marketing with a social-mission model: sales were intended to provide income and employment for women, help them support their families, and contribute to improvements in their living conditions. The organization also used its marketplace role to draw attention to the circumstances of women in the developing world. Its products therefore served both as merchandise and as a vehicle for communicating the stories and needs of producer communities. At its peak, HCJ worked with approximately 2,000 women in 18 developing countries, according to the organization's Wikipedia description. The model linked U.S. consumers with international artisan production while retaining an institutional connection to the Sisters of the Good Shepherd and their wider mission work. HCJ was associated with the organized fair-trade movement through membership in the Fair Trade Federation and Co-op America. These affiliations placed it within a network of organizations focused on ethical sourcing, producer support, social responsibility, and consumer education. Available reference material does not establish a detailed catalog of product categories, a specific founder apart from its originating religious organization, or a separate corporate parent. The organization ceased operations in early 2016. On January 14, 2016, the fair-trade ministry of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd in the United States announced that HCJ would close, and the board's closure date was January 31, 2016. During January, much of the remaining U.S. inventory was offered through online discount sales, with buyers purchasing remaining goods at cost. Goods that remained afterward were donated to charity. Following approval from the Good Shepherd Membership Board and HCJ's board, the organization planned to ask the relevant attorney general to release any remaining funds to the Good Shepherd Mission Development Office in Rome so that the work of building women's organizational and economic capacity could continue. The HCJ website subsequently closed, and the organization published a statement thanking its supporters and notifying visitors that its office and operations had ended.

Handcrafting Justice was created in New York City in October 1997 as a fair-trade initiative of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd. The organization developed a marketplace for handcrafted goods made through projects sponsored or supported by Good Shepherd communities in developing countries. Its operating concept connected commercial activity with social ministry: by selling artisan goods, HCJ sought to create income-generating opportunities for women, help them provide for their families, and contribute to improvements in their personal and community circumstances. The organization also treated commerce as a form of public education. Marketing handcrafted goods enabled HCJ to raise awareness among consumers about the situations of women in developing countries and about the broader social conditions addressed by Good Shepherd ministries. This made the organization an alternative trading body rather than simply a conventional gift retailer. Its producer relationships and mission were central to the value proposition of the goods it distributed. At its height, HCJ worked with approximately 2,000 women in 18 developing countries. The available reference material does not provide a complete list of producer locations, detailed product ranges, revenue figures, or the names of individual executives. It does, however, identify HCJ as a member of the Fair Trade Federation and Co-op America, affiliations that reflected its participation in the U.S. fair-trade and socially responsible business ecosystem. After nearly two decades of operation, HCJ's board announced that the organization would close on January 31, 2016. The U.S. fair-trade ministry of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd communicated the decision on January 14. The organization then conducted online discount sales for much of its remaining U.S. inventory, allowing purchasers to buy goods at cost. Any goods left after the liquidation were donated to charity. Closure arrangements also sought to preserve part of HCJ's social mission. With approval from the Good Shepherd Membership Board and Handcrafting Justice's board, the organization planned to ask the attorney general to release any remaining funds to the Good Shepherd Mission Development Office in Rome. Those funds were intended to support continuing capacity-building work for women. The organization's website later closed and carried a notice confirming that HCJ and its office were no longer operating, together with a message thanking its benefactors and supporters.

• 2016

  Operations end

  [1]Handcrafting Justiceen.wikipedia.org

  The board announced that Handcrafting Justice would close on January 31, ending the organization's operations after nearly two decades.

• 1997

  Handcrafting Justice is established

  [1]Handcrafting Justiceen.wikipedia.org

  The Sisters of the Good Shepherd created Handcrafting Justice in New York City in October as an alternative trading organization for handcrafted goods made through Good Shepherd-supported projects.

• Membership in fair-trade organizations

  [1]Handcrafting Justiceen.wikipedia.org

  Handcrafting Justice became associated with the Fair Trade Federation and Co-op America, linking its work to organized fair-trade and socially responsible commerce networks.

Mission-led fair trade and alternative trading organization connecting U.S. consumers with handcrafted goods made by women supported through Good Shepherd projects.

• Fair-trade artisan goods · 1997

  Fair-trade handcrafted goods

  Handcrafting Justice marketed handcrafted goods made through projects connected with the Sisters of the Good Shepherd in developing countries. The available sources do not provide a verified itemized catalog or identify specific product lines. The goods were presented within a fair-trade and social-mission framework, with sales intended to support women's employment, family income, and wider capacity-building efforts.

• 2016

  Wind down operations and redirect residual resourcesStrategy

  Background

  The board decided to close Handcrafting Justice, and the Sisters of the Good Shepherd announced the end of the organization's operations in January 2016.

  Action taken

  The organization set January 31 as its closing date, sold much of its remaining inventory at cost, donated unsold goods to charity, and planned to seek transfer of remaining funds to the Good Shepherd Mission Development Office in Rome.

  Aftermath

  Handcrafting Justice ceased operations and its website and office closed. The proposed fund transfer was intended to continue capacity-building work for women through the Good Shepherd network.

  Source

1. 1Handcrafting Justiceen.wikipedia.org