Last Sept. 27, 16-year-old Andres Damian Florez Rodriguez was on his way home from school when he was forced into a van by three armed men. Andres is the son of Jose Domingo Florez, a leader of the Coca-Cola bottling union in Santander. The assailants drove along, beating the boy while they received radio instructions. Then they gave him a message to convey: "Tell your papa that we won't rest until we see [the union leaders] quartered in pieces."

DEARBORN — It's a concern that enters the minds of citizens every time a new Wal-Mart comes to town: What's going to happen to the small businesses in the area?

With the recent opening of the Wal-Mart in Dearborn, one local group is hosting a meeting for concerned citizens, government officials and business owners. The group, called Wake Up Wal-Mart Downriver, fears that more Wal-Marts will go up in the future in the Downriver area and also wants to make sure that citizens of Dearborn have a chance to let their voices be heard... 

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Didier Leton, from Costa Rica, spent 18 years picking pineapples and bananas for Del Monte, earning minimum wage in inhumane conditions.

Savin Phal, from Cambodia, was recently fired from her sewing job for trying to form a union at her factory.

Goshen College students along with faculty and community members heard stories like these last Sunday night at the Sweat Free Communities Presentation held in Newcomer.

By Charlotte Eyre

Increased consumer sensitivity to ethical shopping will send the global fair-trade market rocketing to over £800m (€1,000m) by 2012, according to a new report.

The report, compiled by market analysts Datamonitor, indicates that ethical trading is a trend that the food industry cannot ignore, especially since many fair-trade operations relate to products such as tea, coffee and chocolate.