Making a difference: One bauble at a time

ByDave Hall

Making a difference: One bauble at a time

Hand-blown by Muslims, hand-painted by Christians and shipped by Israelis, Bethlehem Baubles are seeking to renew the authentic Christmas spirit.

Each product arrives on a bed of straw in its own presentation box along with a certificate of origin with no plastic used.

Founded by Ros Pollock (pictured above) while she was posted to Jerusalem with the UN, Bethlehem Baubles aims to provide a grass roots, fair living wage to a struggling community.

‘Christmas should be about connecting with the things that really matter,’ said Ros. ‘In an age of mass production and commercialisation, we are offering you the chance to return to these simple origins and renew the authentic spirit of Christmas. Together we can make a difference for some skilled artisans, by offering an original and thoughtful gift that represents a deep sense of connection and community.’

With a unique design for the collection each year, Ros believes her baubles have the potential to become an abiding part of the Christmas experience – perfect for stocking fillers and ‘that tricky relative who you never know what to get.’ 

‘We’ve paired up with Bethlehem Fair Trade Artisans (BFTA) who work closely with Muslim and Christian communities at an individual level,’ she explained.

BFTA is a non-profit NGO established in 2009. It works to spread the fair trade message in Palestine and links Palestinian producers to global fair trade markets. In 2015, BFTA became the first guaranteed member of World Fair Trade Organisation (WFTO) in the Middle East. Its mission is to empower the most vulnerable producers in Palestine, support them to become active agents in their own livelihoods and develop their social rights and communities.

Order now for Christmas.

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