MariposaPaulette - The Blog

Entry #30 Group-Lending in Tanzania: A Foundational Tool in Microfinance

10/7/2016

Entry #30 Group-lending in Tanzania

I visited the village of Naitolia in Northern Tanzania (near the Serengeti) in May of 2016 on a Michigan State University (MSU) faculty team. Our visit was part of an on-going Tanzania Partnership Program (TPP) that MSU has conducted for over five years, and our objective was to explore the potential to assist citizens of Naitolia through microfinance. During our visit, we learned that citizens of Naitolia are already involved in one of the most basic forms of microfinance: group-lending. It is a tool involving extremely small loans among members of a group. The loans are not enough to support significant entrepreneurial projects, but

Entry #29: Giving Legal Rights and a Voice to Mother Nature

7/3/2015

Should we give rights to trees, rivers, and other entities of nature? Indigenous people in Ecuador, Bolivia, and New Zealand have convinced their governments to pass laws designed to protect Mother Earth.

I was introduced to the movement to protect Mother Earth through law by indigenous friends in Ecuador when I did research on sustainable development in that country in 2008. To this day, I continue my conversations with them. Ecuador is one of the most bio-diverse countries in the world; its territories include Andean mountains and valleys, Pacific coastal zones, Amazon rain forests, and the Galapagos Islands. Vast numbers of endemic species, many of which are endangered, live in the Galapagos which is where Charles Darwin conducted research leading to his theory of evolution through natural selection.

Entry #28 Monarchs, Milkweed, and Sustainability

11/7/2014

Monarchs, Milkweed, and Sustainability

How many monarch butterflies did you see during the summer of 2014? Most people in Michigan and the rest of the Midwest would answer, “Fewer than ever before.” That is true, but they may not know why. In fact, their dwindling numbers are closely related to unsustainable activities and practices of humans. Did you know that the activities and practices that are killing butterflies also contribute to the rapidly accelerating climate change we are experiencing?

Entry #27 Can you name a cooperative?

10/15/2014

Can you name a cooperative? A presenter at the 2014 International Summit of Cooperatives in Quebec, Canada, (October 5-9, 2014) reported that 78% of those people she surveyed in various countries could not name even one cooperative. In October of 2014, I gave a presentation on sustainability before a group of 119 undergraduate business students. In response to my written survey at the start of our session, 85% could not name a cooperative. Fortunately, that lack of familiarity is likely to change.

Entry #26: I love my Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Share!

11/7/2013

I love my Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) share! On Thursdays I pick up my CSA share from the Michigan State University (MSU) Student Organic Farm. I love it for multiple reasons. My share includes the freshest possible organic vegetables, varying each week according to the season.

Entry #25 Coffee as a vehicle to make positive economic change

6/29/2013

“Coffee is just a vehicle to make positive economic change”- Matt Early, co-founder of Just Coffee.

In May of 2013, I visited Madison, Wisconsin to learn about cooperatives and Fair Trade in that city. It was my pleasure to meet with Matt Early, co-founder of Just Coffees. Matt is a close friend of Chris Treter, founder of Higher Grounds Coffee of Traverse City Michigan. (See entry #14 of January 11, 2011.) Both men are committed to Fair Trade as a vehicle for economic and social change, and each supports and speaks highly of the other. What is special about Just Coffees and Higher Grounds? There are many attributes, but as an introduction I will focus on the words of Matt Early: "It’s all about Transparency, Cooperatives, and Small Farmers.”

Elvia's Guatemalan Textile Creations - A Grassroots Enterprise

3/23/2013

Entry #24 Elvia's Textile Creations

This is Elvia Minas of San Miguel Escobar. I met her on a research trip to Guatemala during the summer of 2012 when I traveled there to learn about the Direct Trade Coffee Cooperative known as As Green as it Gets. I was delighted by the beautiful patterns as well as the quality of Elvia’s creations and purchased several for myself and family members. After seeing mine, some of my friends even purchased items from Elvia, and I continue to put others in contact with her.

Entry #23: Love doesn’t figure on the balance sheet, but it’s the only thing that makes a difference.

11/1/2012

Entry #23: "Love doesn’t figure on the balance sheet, but it’s the only thing that makes a difference."

I attended the national Net Impact Conference in Baltimore October 25-27, 2012. As a side note, I am grateful that I got out of Baltimore on one of the last flights on Sunday, October 28 before the airport closed because of Hurricane Sandy. Hurray! But, let’s continue to think about and help those on the East Coast who are digging out from the losses.

Entry #22: Direct Trade & Creative “Vertical Integration”

7/27/2012

Meet Filoberto Salazár: He is a coffee farmer in Antigua, Guatemala as well as a barista in “Whiskey ADentro” Café (also called the “Whisky Den”) in Antigua, Guatemala. Sixty-year-old Sr. Salazár has been a coffee farmer all of his life. Additionally, in the spring of 2012, he became a co-owner of a coffee house in Antigua, Guatemala called the “Whisky Den.”

Entry #21: As Green as it Gets - and My Introduction to Direct Trade

7/10/2012

Entry #21: As Green as it Gets - and My Introduction to Direct Trade

Background: Earlier this year, Stephen Kelly, a Boston College law student contacted me to discuss a mutual interest: helping small entrepreneurs in developing countries throughout Latin America. My background is in Fair Trade and microfinance. Before law school Stephen volunteered with As Green As It Gets (AGAIG), a non-profit organization operating from San Miguel Escobar, Guatemala that focuses on “direct trade.”

Entry #20: Small Steps Get Things Done: Microfinance

11/9/2011

Entry #20: Small Steps Get Things Done: Microfinance

Background: When I speak with student groups or give public presentations, I often hear individuals remark that they feel overwhelmed by the multiple economic, social, and environmental problems we face in this world. They feel that their contributions would be too small to make a difference. My students prove otherwise. Anyone can do something to make this world more sustainable.

Why should I buy organic bananas?

10/18/2011

Entry #19: Why should we bother with organic bananas?

An experience: While I was selecting my breakfast from a buffet table at Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, New York last summer, a young lady was overseeing the apples and bananas. A woman approached and remarked, “Why would they bother with organic bananas?” The young lady responded that she wasn’t quite sure, so I spoke up.

Environmentalist in Process & the Second Anniversary of MSU’s Recycling Center

9/8/2011

Entry #18, September 10, 2011

Environmentalist in Process & the Second Anniversary of MSU’s Recycling Center

Reflection: Here is an example of my development as an environmentalist in process. Over the past several years, the amount of garbage I put out for pick up has dwindled as the amount I take to recycling has increased. Here is one week’s garbage and recycling: The white basket is for garbage and the two black bins are for recycling. I’m not perfect, but I’m getting better. I have a long way to go before I completely get rid of that white basket. Then again, perfection (no waste) may go beyond what I am able or willing to pursue at this point in my life.

Entry #17 Environmentalist in Process

6/13/2011

Entry #17 – June 13, 2011

Environmentalist in Process

Reflection: During our first class session for “Environmental Law and Sustainability” each year, I ask my students, “Are you an environmentalist?” Each responds on a note card. Next, I ask each to define “environmentalist” on that card. We then discuss that response. At the end of the discussion, each student answers the questions on the back of the card, “Are you an environmentalist?” and “Have you changed your response as a result of our discussion? Why or why not?"

Don't Let the Perfect be the Enemy of the Good - Voltaire

6/11/2011

Entry #16 – June 11, 2011

Don’t Let the Perfect be the Enemy of the Good – Voltaire

This photo includes my Business Law and Public Policy Students, officers of Spartan Global Development Fund, MSU Students for Fair Trade, and others from the Broad College of Business. The occasion was a visit by Dr. Kevin Danaher of Global Exchange for our Annual Fair Trade Bash. He spoke in my classes about “Green Careers.”

Everybody Reads - and Promotes Sustainable Practices

3/13/2011

Entry #15 – March 13, 2011

Everybody Reads – and Promotes Sustainable Practices

This is my friend Scott Harris: caretaker, guardian, manager, and owner of Everybody Reads Bookstore in Lansing, Michigan. He has devoted over five years of his life to creating and nurturing a welcoming, community-based bookstore. The store offers reading materials for underrepresented topics and provides a gathering space for community groups. Books and magazines include topics related to sustainability, human rights, and diverse ways of thinking and living.

The Talking Stick

2/12/2011

Entry #14– February 11, 2011

The Tool: The Talking Stick

Reflection: Native Americans use a talking stick to discuss important matters at their councils. The person who holds the stick holds the floor. It is a reminder to all to listen carefully to the speaker and to respect each other’s viewpoints. It is also a mechanism to ensure that everyone, from a small child to a one-hundred year old elder, has a voice within the circle.

Entry #13: Sustainability from Coffee, Cups, and Bikes to… a lot more!

1/17/2011

Entry #13– January 17, 2010

Sustainability from Coffee, Cups, and Bikes to… a lot more!

A simple way to help make the world more sustainable and avoid filling landfills is to carry your own coffee mug or cup. My friends in Fair Trade at Higher Grounds Coffees (http://highergroundstrading.com) in Traverse City, Michigan pursue sustainability in many significant ways, including the usage of reusable mugs.

Entry #12: Sustainable and Locally Produced Chocolates

1/8/2011

Entry #12– January 7, 2011

Highest Quality Chocolates - Produced in Michigan and Serving the World

I am a Fair Trade and sustainability advocate, and I love chocolate. So, it’s great to combine those passions. Mimi Wheeler is doing wonderful things with chocolates and foes them in sustainable ways at her company in Empire, Michigan: Grocer’s Daughter Chocolates. Walking into Grocer's Daughter is akin to walking into the wonderful smells and tastes of chocolate shop in the movie "Chocolat" but with the cheerfulness, inside and out, of bright colors typical of Mexico's Caribbean or Ecuador's coastal towns. The flavors vary including pear, ginger, apricot orange, sunflower seed, chilis, and more. Each handmade chocolate is gorgeous, too.

Entry #11 The Peace Pole: Que la Paz Prevalezca en La Tierra

12/13/2010

Entry #11– December 13, 2010

The Image and Message: The Peace Pole -- Que La Paz Prevalezca en la Tierra – May Peace Prevail on Earth

My wish for everyone is for peace as we celebrate Christmas and many other holidays around the world this month. This is one of many Peace Poles I have seen in Northern Michigan. I do not remember the rainbow being there when I took this photo, so its appearance is a fun surprise. According to the website for the Peace Pole Project, there are over 200,000 Peace Poles in about 195 countries. See http://www.worldpeace.org/index.html for the history of the Peace Pole, and stories and photos from around the world. I would like to plant one in my own yard in 2011.*

copyright© 2010 by Paulette L. Stenzel for text and photo.

P.S. I did add one to my yard after writing this blog entry.

Entry #10: De Un Corazón Roto Sale Nueva Vida

12/7/2010

Entry #10– December 6, 2010

The Image: De Un Corazón Roto Sale Nueva Vida – From a Broken Heart Comes New Life

A personal theme for my October 2010 trip to Chiapas, Mexico was “Ojos Abiertos, Corazones Abiertos” (Open eyes, open hearts).

Entry #9: Advertising Brings a Smile

12/1/2010

Entry #9 – December 1, 2010

The Image: A storefront in New York City.

It's time for a less serious blog! On Tuesday, November 23, 2010, at the end of three days in New York City, I went for a walk before my departure to the airport. As I returned from Times Square along 42d Street, I had to stop, laugh, and cross the street to take pictures. A security guard confirmed my observation: the signs and open doors had not been there the previous day. Just in time for Christmas and other holidays, Charmin offered a place every tourist and shopper seeks: a place to use the restroom. It seems fitting that folks in NYC would make the bathroom into a Broadway production.

copyright© 2010 by Paulette L. Stenzel for the photo and text.

Entry #8: Hospitality and an Open Door

11/27/2010

Entry #8

Hospitality and an Open Door

I have noticed that various themes follow me, and a current one is the need for open doors. Open doors represent hospitality, which is crucial in the classroom. When a teacher offers hospitality to students, he or she invites them into a learning community.

Entry #7: Learning Community

11/20/2010

Entry #7 – November 20, 2010

The Concept: Learning Community

The learning community is central to my teaching. I do my best to encourage students to work together, prepare thoroughly for class, and recognize that each of us has something to contribute and much to learn from each person in the community. For me, it is about gathering around a subject, concepts, and issues to explore them together in ways that go beyond what an individual can accomplish. My students and I have been particularly successful in creating a learning community our Environmental Law and Sustainability for Business class.

Enrty #6: ¿Hay Comunidades en Los Estados Unidos?

11/8/2010

November 8, 2010

Entry #6

The Question: ¿Hay Comunidades en Los Estados Unidos?

Reflection: Luís Ortega, the young Mexican taxi driver, asked me this question as we descended from the mountains of Chiapas after visiting the community of Acteal, the Maya Vinic coffee cooperative, and driving through many comunidades that day. Literally, he asked: “Are there communities in the United States?

Paulette L. Stenzel

I am a mom, learner, writer, lawyer, violinist, environmentalist in process, traveler, and avid reader. My profession is Professor of Sustainability and International Business Law in Michigan State University's Broad College of Business. My research, writing, and teaching coincide with my personal pursuit of a more sustainable world through the Triple Bottom line: economy, social equity, and environment. Through research and public speaking I share information and perspectives on the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), Fair Trade, direct trade, cooperatives, micro-finance, local production and purchasing, organics, and related areas.

Contact me at stenzel@msu.edu.

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