The article takes an insight into power and empowerment in the modern world, as power defines that “ one person is able to control another”, empowerment refers to “increasing the strength of individuals and organizations” that will probably benefit others. According to the debate, power is commonly thought as political power while empowerment is relate to human rights. Personally, I agree with the point that “empowerment is an affecting and transforming power but not a controlling power”, since an economic transformation results from a fundamental change of political power’s dominant position in distribution, especially in developing economies. Take China and Soviet as examples. In the 1980s, China started market economy, so the government has no total power over the market any more, all the market participants could benefit from the free market. Since then, China’s economy began to explode. By contrast, Soviet’s planned economy was carried out under the dominant control of the government, which led to the terrifying efficiency and people’s resistance, and finally the collapse of its economy. Thus, no only the nation, we will not have lasting change unless organizations and communities acquire the assets and means to transform through proper empowerment.
In another part of the article, the author explains three forms of empowerment: “power with”, “power to” and “power within”, which gives positive definitions to empowerment. What’s more, the three terms of empowerment can be applied to individuals and organizations. Since “power with” can help us better establish partnership and collaboration with others, individuals are treated as full equals. As for “power to” refers to exercise agency and to realize the potential of rights citizenship or voice, it is more helpful in decision-making process, for this action will possibly create an understanding among citizens and eliminate the resistance if the government is about to carry out a certain policy. Also, “power within” means that gaining the sense of self-identity, confidence, and awareness that is a pre-condition for action. It is more practical for us individuals that we are willing to devote our power to communities, taking an active part in following social norms and establishing a close relationship with the authority. On balance, the conflict between control and resistance will be mitigated, thus citizen can build up smooth cooperation with the government and make sustainable development.

The article shows the power of human, as everyone is capable of changing the world. Firstly, the author puts forward “collaborative entrepreneurship”, because the society has developed from individually to globally, so that the power can be multiplied with joint hands. Meanwhile, he stresses that our world is inspired by the best entrepreneurs since they are likely to know the world and has extensively social influences. Indeed, these entrepreneurs has better skills obtain information from all over the world, as they own adequate resources, including money and human resource to support the poor regions. Further, the author points out that empathy has become more and more essential. As the world is developing rapidly with conflict and competition, it is more important to educate children to understand as well as respect each other and cooperate together. More significantly, empathy education encourages children to think about the world and come up with creative ideas to solve the problems. By doing so, they are able to learn responsibility and achieve abilities to renovate the society when growing up.
Another part of the article describes the importance of leaning and practicing lots of skills today. I cannot agree more with the point. Actually, the world changes so quickly and it is not enough to just know the rules, we have to equip ourselves with enough skills to adjust to the social change. Also, we have to be more comprehensive with critical skills. That is, although we can better practice empathy, we need to learn teamwork when we are going to become a group member, and we are asked to obtain leadership as we can organize a group. What’s more, it is surprise to know that many countries will fail if they don’t have adequate change-makers in fifteen years, including the well developed country like U.S. Frankly, most of the teenagers are focusing on their homework, even they know the problems and solution in the world, they lack confidence to practice it, thus, both schools and parents should take responsibilities to encourage them, just as what the author stresses, “ everyone can be change-maker”.

The article takes an insight into fair trade market, as it puts forward an essential part to build up a mutual business---the cooperative that brings farmers together to fulfill benefits. Meanwhile, the author points out that because these cooperatives are lacking in investment to renew their outdated techniques, many of them cannot continue their business. According to one example in the article, a vanilla field in southern Mexico should have been successful since it associated farmers together and organized itself to approach to the market, but it unfortunately failed because it was short of capital to run the business. It is not uncommon that numbers of small business cannot receive loan from the banks, for it is indeed risky for bank to offer loans as well as properly assess their repayment abilities. Under this condition, they need certain financial institutions who know them well to help solve the funding matter by showing investors the huge potential of the growing fair trade business and their good credit. Just as Quinacho, which achieves great succeed and expands its business after it getting loans to renew the milling equipment that enhance the producing efficiency.
In another part of the article, the author describes how his organization improves farmers’ life after they obtaining investment to change and renovate equipment as well as get trained. In an example, a business in Haiti gains delightful development after it suffering from huge disaster, as it produces high-value home decor for Macy. Hopefully, such a big order gives the producers a higher income, but also inspires them to continue the business and improve their life. I am looking forward to that other places like Congo can help the poverty by the same way, for there are thousands of children-slaves working under severe condition while they earn little. Worse still, they may hold negative attitudes toward a better future and lack inspiration to change their life. If they can be associated together, obtaining loans to get trained and apply machine in production, millions of the poor can live a better life. Also, they can build up cooperative to run business themselves so that they don’t have to be threatened by military. What impresses me a lot is the ending of the article, children are able to take music classes because their parents earn from business, as I hope more and more children go to school like us and have opportunities to chase their dre

RE: A brilliant idea
Teresa
The book is thought provoking and compelling, as its author, John Bowes stresses that fair trade refers to the healthy environment, growers and consumers. Specifically, in the article “A brilliant idea”, he introduces the goals of fair trade organizations and the business process under fair trade condition. Also, as we have gained visibly achievement from the fair trade movement, he points out that fair trade market has far more potential to grow, which will positively affect on developed countries such as the UK and the US.
In the opening part of the book, the author tells us that a woman who spends her lifetime working in producing cocoa, had never eaten chocolate before. The impressive story reminds us the millions of producers at the end of the supply chain, since the fair trade situation nowadays is on the opposite. It’s quiet amazing that fair trade benefits to about 7 million of the poor, but is still in its infancy when compared to the 1.4 billion needy people. However, the fair trade is supposed to succeed so long as we spare efforts to establish sustainable farming as well as improve the life of producers in the developing countries.
Personally, the article helps me understand the fair trade movement profoundly, in which more international business should actively participate. Besides giving a reasonable wages to the farmers in the developing countries, the fair trade certification helps ensure the origins of agricultural products and maintain the basic needs in the farms. I am glad to know that in Europe, amounts of small fair trade farms has grown into strong organizations that can protect women labors and manage the business under transparency.
However, the movement needs more development, and more international corporations should take responsibilities for a fair business environment, as it is known that today 500 companies control 70% of world trade. Take coffee as an example, the US consumes one-fifth of the world’s coffee, but many small coffee farmers stay in poverty because they receive prices that lower than the costs. Thus, the big coffee retailers like Starbucks is asked to buy coffee directly from cooperative farmers and pay them a wage which supports their basic needs. Coffee is an important source of foreign exchange in the global market, if the big coffee companies like Starbucks, Costa and Illy can take action to change their business structure, profiting the producers under fair trade, then millions of the poor in the developing world can improve their life.

This book provides us history and cultural overviews of major agricultural products, including banana, coffee, cocoa, handicrafts from Asia, Africa and Latin America. It is quite impressive since it uses vivid images and brief content to demonstrate those farmers and their lives. The text encourages us to participate in international social and environmental justice movement towards, which also gives us clear concepts of fair trade.

By displaying certain data, the book appeals for our attention to the condition of fair trade nowadays, since it is a long term commitment that needs further development. It is surprising to know that about 70% of the world’s soccer balls is made in a community in Pakistan, while the balls used in the World Cup are made by slave-like children. Even more, only 3.7% of soccer balls are made under fair trade, which is really ironic as those players earned millions of dollars from the game yet those children still suffering from harsh living condition.

It is very depressing to read that people in Bangledesh are suffering daily under terrible condition. The densely populated country makes it harder for them to make a life, woman are allowed to be raped and not able to get justice because she is poor, girls may be forced into sex trade in order to support her family. Although The Mennonite Central Committee programs spare much efforts to help those women, they chances to renew their life under fair trade, so that they can feed their family and educate their children. More importantly, they are able to lead a life with justice and dignity.

Both the images and stories in the book give me a profound understanding of fair trade, it is a global movement that aspires social justice as well as environmental sustainability. Meanwhile, fair trade products are often high quality, and consumers are supposed to do shopping ethically with the belief that the producers deserve a basic right to obtain fair wages and living conditions, and we should buy non exploitative products, thus, the majority of the money can go back to the original farmers.

It shocked me a lot after knowing that most of our electronic devices, including computers, cell phones, are made of countless lives in Congo. Referring to the documentary, numbers of local people, especially children are working day and night under harsh condition to dig out coltan to make lives. Generally, they can earn only ten dollars after working several days, which is insignificant in comparison to the western companies. Also, since the precious mineral should have brought wealth to the region, the war prevents it from being rich and the militaries spend large amount money buying weapons.
What impressed me most is the part that some women described their experience of sexual assaults. It’s annoying to know that the man regarded them as sexual slaves. A young woman build up a small organization to protect and help them, yet I believe there are far more unfortunate young girls who are still suffering from it.
Personally, I have never been aware of my cell phone is actually a “bloody” device, and it’s amazing to find that it’s our huge demand for the new technology that indirectly drives this dirty business. Meanwhile, although the fast technological progress fuel the high demand for coltan and increase it’s price, the people working in Congo benefit nothing from it, as rape, violence, war still happening everyday, and they are unprotected because of the weak government.
The film did good job to remind us of the truth, the problem exposed is not just relate to Congo government or the traders, we should know that such precious minerals lack strong protection, and the technological development should not rely on privative route of exchange, and the corporations are supposed to take responsibilities for a transparent trade, so that both the policies makers and customers can be inspired to keep a moral economy growth.