Design workshop at El Puente February 2018 : Artisan Participated: Jiad Qumsieh The goal of the workshop is to give HLHCS artisans the opportunity to study the requirements of the German market in general and the Fair Trade market, in particular, meeting their staff and buyers, showing their designs and start working on new designs based on their knowledge of the production processes and the new experience they made during their training. The idea of the workshop is also to develop a joint concept together with the trainer and all participants.

In 2017, Tilingo Nepra (Centrum Mondiaal) and the designer Fanny Hofstra, from the Netherlands and HLHCS worked together to develop new products, the aim of the project was to offer suitable crafts to consumers, helping the artisans to understand the market' needs, developing their creativity and skills. The same year, HLHCS attended a WFTO Global Conference held in New Delhi, India, during which HLHCS participated with a Mohammed Islam Design Awards competition were HLHCS was one of the top winners with this new line.

The Catalogue (PDF)

1. Product Quality
Please note that due to their handmade nature, actual items might look slightly different from the photos on our website.

2. Turnaround Time
We will start processing your order immediately after receiving and ship within a few days if all items are in stock.  If any items need to be brought from the producer groups, we will contact you with a time estimate. 

3. Shipping
Shipping rate is calculated according to the weight of your order.  We ship via international express mail services, and use EMS or other services depending on the country of destination.  We will provide you with tracking information when the shipment goes out.  

4. Exchanges
All sales are final and we do not offer refunds, but will be happy to arrange exchange of items. We do not cover the shipping cost unless the exchange results from our mistakes, such as sending wrong items.  

5. Wholesale / Discount Price
Because we purchase our products with a fair price from the producers and market with minimal a mark-up, our ability to offer a discount is limited.  However, we will be happy to provide a small discount on a bulk purchase for reselling our products in your community.  Please contact us at info@hlhcs.org for further information.

Help us to keep supporting our hundreds of Artisans, The CoronaVirus Covid-19 outbreak is destroying our economy,

Holy Land Handicraft Cooperative Society (HLHCS ) located in Bethlehem district, is a Guaranteed World Fair Trade organization, strongly committed to ethical and sustainable practices.
HLHCS has been lockdown since the 5 of March 2020, The dramatic plunge comes with “tragic consequences” for the region, where tourism is a significant part of the economy, 85% of the economy turns around tourism, where now is completely blocked to tourists. Bethlehem’s Nativity Church, all churches and mosques are closed. The Corona Virus Covid-19 outbreak is destroying our economy. The world is facing an unprecedented challenge everywhere affected by the growing COVID-19 pandemic.

This campaign is to help HLHCS to raise the necessary funds to support our artisans, covering our expenses so we will keep supporting our community. We hope that we can raise $100,000 which are needed for the coming 3 months.
This fund is more important than ever, with your help, we can minimize the impact of coronavirus on our mission of keep supporting our people.
A Small Donation Can Add Up To Make a Huge Impact for our Organization
Thank you for support our organization, despite the world wide crisis

Ways to Give
1. donate by bank transfer:

BANK OF PALESTINE PLC. - BETHLEHEM BRANCH
P. O. BOX: 765 BETHLEHEM - WEST BANK VIA ISRAEL

BANK NO. 89
BANK BRANCH NO: 450
SWIFT CODE: PALSPS22
BENEFICIARY NAME: HOLYLAND HANDICRAFT COO

ACCOUNT NUMBER: 375029

IBAN NO. (ILS): PS24PALS045003750290993000000
IBAN NO. (USD): PS12PALS045003750290011600000
IBAN NO. (EUR): PS44PALS045003750290333000000
IBAN NO. (GBP): PS24PALS045003750290023000000

BANK TEL: 972-02-2777316
BANK FAX: 972-02-2765517

E-MAIL: info@bankofpalestine.com

OUR CORRESPONDENT

USD: CITI BANK N.A . - SWIFT CODE: CITIUS33
GBP: COMMERZ BANK - SWIFT CODE: COBADEFF
EUR:BANCO BILBAO VIZCAYA ARGENTARIA S.A-SWIFT CODE: BBVAESMM
EUR:ABN AMRO BANK N.A., AMSTERDAM-SWIFT CODE:ABNANL2A

2. HLHCS is pleased to offer more options for donors wishing to make a contribution, please contact us at info@hlhcs.org

We all can Work, but, Together we Win 

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The Holy Land Handicraft Cooperative Society is the first (1991) World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO) in the Arab world to qualify for and benefit from WFTO membership.   In 2015 started to be a Guaranteed World Fair Trade Organization.

DEFINITION OF FAIR TRADE

"Fair Trade is a trading partnership, based on dialogue, transparency and respect, that seeks greater equity in international trade. It contributes to sustainable development by offering better trading conditions to, and securing the rights of, marginalized producers and workers – especially in the South.

Fair Trade organisations have a clear commitment to Fair Trade as the principal core of their mission. They, backed by consumers, are engaged actively in supporting producers, awareness raising and in campaigning for changes in the rules and practice of conventional international trade." They can be recognised by the WFTO logo.

Fair Trade is more than just trading:

• It proves that greater justice in world trade is possible.
• It highlights the need for change in the rules and practice of conventional trade and shows how a successful business can also put people first.
• It is a tangible contribution to the fight against poverty, climate change and economic crisis.

https://wfto.com/fair-trade/definition-fair-trade

WFTO GUARANTEE SYSTEM (GS)

The GS is not a product certification system. It is an assurance mechanism that Fair Trade is implemented in the supply chain and practices of the Organisation. Members that passed the GS process attain the ‘Guaranteed Fair Trade Organisation’ status and may use the WFTO Label on their products.

The WFTO GS Product Label is more than just a Fair Trade symbol. It signifies not only that the practices across the supply chain are checked against the WFTO Fair Trade Standard, but it also represents support to the battle against poverty and inequality. Products carrying the WFTO Label are made and traded by Guaranteed Fair Trade Organisations dedicated to the sustainable Fair Trade economy. Every purchase of products with the WFTO Label supports small producers and their communities.

https://wfto.com/standard-and-guarantee-system/our-product-label

Fair Trade in Palestine, Vision: As the first organization in the Arab World to qualify for and benefit from WFTO membership, we seek to share our experiences with other groups of farmers and artisans in the region. We aim to be a part of creating awareness that leads to action with regard to Fair Trade in Palestine.  Our Goal is to promote WFTO membership to aid Palestinian artisans and producers in marketing through international fair trade channels. Fair Trade principles represent the cornerstones of the Cooperative's philosophy and values. These principles include:

https://wfto.com/fair-trade/10-principles-fair-trade  

The Benefits of Fair Trade for Palestinian Handicrafts

• Helps maintain fair and stable prices
• To maintain a Fair Trade certification, workshops are unable to engage in cutthroat, price-slashing competition.
• Artisans benefit, since they are properly compensated for their hours of labor, their skills, and their creativity.
• Tourists and international clients know that the people who produced the products that they buy are compensated fairly for them.
• The local community benefits, since if its citizens are assured of a more stable income they are much less likely to be tempted to emigrate.

• Helps decrease discrimination within the community
  • Fair Trade principles mandate that all artisans and producers are treated fairly, regardless of religion, race, or gender. For us, primarily, this signifies not favoring a particular workshop or its products simply because the artisans are Christian or Muslim.  Working together to advertise, produce, and sell our products helps us overcome endemic discrimination of this kind.
  • Fair Trade also emphasizes the role of women within the workforce. In our more traditional communities, women’s roles are usually restricted to the domestic sphere, but economic pressures have created opportunities (and sometimes pressure) for women to work outside the home.  Fair Trade ensures that their work is equally valid, respected and fairly compensated.
  • One of the workshops that partners with our Cooperative focuses on training local handicapped people, who would not otherwise have opportunities for work, let alone for their personal artistic development, to make beautiful greeting cards. Our communities, unfortunately, sometimes view the handicapped as a burden rather than as full and potentially productive members of society.  Fair Trade encourages us to address these inequalities.

• Environmental Issues and work conditions :

• Fair Trade emphasizes sustainable, environmentally friendly products. We try to address these issues in many different ways:  In environmental terms, handcrafted items are much more sustainable than those which are mass produced.  The materials that we use are natural, organic, and whenever possible, local, like our olivewood.

• The production of handicrafts in Palestine is the chief means of livelihood. Usually workshops are located in individual homes which has posed a health challenge as production processes generate a lot of dust. With the help of Catholic Relief Services (CRS), HLHCS has become aware of these challenges and is intervening to reduce risks and ensure healthy and safe working conditions for the artisans and the surrounding communities. Many workshops have been renovated in the Bethlehem area, creating job opportunities and changing the lives of direct and indirect beneficiaries.  We are the first in Palestine working to improve this sector.

Your support is essential to success with our goals and to turn our dreams into reality

Preserving Heritage:  We aim to preserve the handicraft traditions of our area for the benefit of future generations of Palestinians, especially the olivewood tradition which was first developed because of the local availability of the raw material and the demand by pilgrims for religious icons.

Mission: We strive to alleviate local poverty and unemployment, decrease emigration, and sustain Palestinian handicraft workmanship traditions by effectively marketing our products, obtaining raw materials at a reasonable cost, and developing our technical and managerial capabilities.  The Holy Land Handicraft Cooperative Society has a dream of peace in the Holy Land, and we believe that Fair Trade is a tool to reach our aspirations.

From the Birthplace of Jesus Christ, the Holy Land Handicraft Cooperative Society, a Guaranteed World Fair Trade Organization in Palestine, Welcomes You

We combine an integral passion for ethical values with high-quality handmade products

Who We Are

The Holy Land Handicraft Cooperative Society (HLHCS), founded in 1981, represents 35 members: Owners of workshops of olivewood and mother-of-pearl.

In addition to marketing handicrafts produced by our members, we also sell products produced by select, non-member producers such as: Ceramics, glass, embroidery (from many local women’s groups or individual women), olive soap, stationary (made from recycled paper), candles, wool and recycled glass (made by centers or organizations that work with people with special needs and many other artisans).

Approximately 2000 individuals benefit from the Cooperative’s activities. As a guaranteed World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO) member, we sell our products mainly through Fair Trade channels to customers all over the world. In addition to our export sales, we also sell our products to tourists and pilgrims through our local souvenir /Fair trade shop.

La Cooperativa para la artesanía en Tierra Santa es una organización que representa a 36 talleres de madera de olivo y de nácar. Son mas de 2000 cristianos los que se benefician de sus actividades, junto a otras personas que trabajan el vidrio, el jabón, la aceituna, o grupos de mujeres que bordan.