HandCrafting Justice (HCJ) was an

alternative trading organization An alternative trading organization (ATO) is usually a non-governmental organization (NGO) or mission-driven business aligned with the Fair trade movement, aiming "to contribute to the alleviation of poverty in developing regions of the world by e ...

that at its prime worked with approximately 2,000 women in 18 developing countries. It was started in October 1997 as a project of the

Sisters of the Good Shepherd The Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd, also known as the Sisters of the Good Shepherd, is a Catholic religious order that was founded in 1835 by Mary Euphrasia Pelletier in Angers, France. The religious sisters belong to a C ...

and was dissolved in January 2016. HCJ was a member of the

Fair Trade Federation The Fair Trade Federation (FTF) is a nonprofit trade association that provides support to and promotes North American businesses that they identify as being fully committed to the principles of fair trade.The Fair Trade Federation. http://www.fai ...

and Co-op America.

History of HCJ

HandCrafting Justice was created in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

in October 1997 to develop a fair trade marketplace for handcrafted goods produced at locations sponsored by

Good Shepherd Sisters The Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd, also known as the Sisters of the Good Shepherd, is a Catholic religious order that was founded in 1835 by Mary Euphrasia Pelletier in Angers, France. The religious sisters belong to a C ...

in many developing countries. Through the marketing of these handcrafted goods they were able to raise awareness of the situations of women in the developing world. HandCrafting Justice also supported the women financially through their employment, allowing them to provide for their families and to improve their own lives. The HCJ Board of Directors announced that HCJ would be closing on January 31, 2016. The fair trade ministry of Sisters of the Good Shepherd in the USA announced the news on January 14. HandCrafting Justice sold much of its remaining U.S. inventory in January through online discount sales. Buyers purchased what was left at cost and the remaining goods have been donated to charity. With the affirmation of the Good Shepherd Membership Board and the Board of Directors, the Attorney General will be asked to release any remaining funds to the Good Shepherd Mission Development Office in Rome to continue the work of capacity building for women. The HandCrafting Justice website has closed and has a statement thanking all of the benefactors who have supported HCJ over the years. The website also carries a statement notifying visitors that HCJ is closed and the office is closed.

References

{{Fair trade Alternative trading organizations Fair trade organizations Non-profit organizations based in New York (state) Organizations established in 1997