In our ever evolving globalized society, we have all become constant – instant gratification consumers. Bombarded by advertisements through every medium possible, we are always searching for the next best thing. Yet, we rarely reflect on the impact of our purchases after we swipe our credit card.
With every dollar, euro or pound spent, it is connected to a long chain of commerce, stretched over seas and continents. And the longer the stretch, the smaller the distribution of value of the item purchased.
We have often heard the saying “you vote with your dollars.” It’s powerful how true this is, as consumers we rarely realize how powerful our purchases can be. We show the world with our spending habits where are values and priorities lie. As conscious consumers we can use the force of our purchases to support causes that are important to us, but also improve the lives of countless people. We can support products made from artisans globally using locally sourced materials, which are not only economically important to artisan communities but also perpetuate cultural heritage and traditions.
Global artisanal craftsmanship is important in several ways. First, their pieces tell a story. It represents regenerations of savoir-faire and the identity of the people who made them. It gives us a glimpse into their lives and lifestyles. It is a source of pride, characters and of rich traditions.
Second, global artisanal craftsmanship pieces are made of indigenous locally sourced raw materials. Not only is it exotic because of the resource that is found only in a limited geographical area, but also because of their unique properties and attributes. The demand for these materials help a secondary local market economically grow.
The struggle for many of these artisans is to grow outside of their local communities. Small businesses are an integral part of the communities and society, creating employment for generations. If these communities get overrun by large corporations and mass produced items, fewer people will be committed to this type of work, younger generations will leave their “mom and pop” shops and seek other types of employment. With them goes their cultures and way of life.
With the rise in demand for authentic, handcrafted items Galiatea is committed to showcasing the extraordinary and unique work of these artisans and facilitate the ease of purchasing from artisans from all around the world.
By combining contemporary design, international quality standards, with the artisans traditional handcrafting techniques and use of exotic raw materials- we are able to create some truly unique pieces.
Alone it would be very challenging for these artisans to sell large quantities outside of their region, but with e-commerce we are connecting them to consumers from all around the world, who value their unique hand-crafted quality and want to support artisans.
This is how we can use our purchasing power to make a real and lasting positive change in the world.
Being a socially conscious consumer is not just about charitably helping communities, it’s about appreciating culture and tradition. A handcrafted item has more character and depicts a story than a mass produced item.
Let’s use our purchasing power to empower your values. This not only keeps traditions alive, create sustainable communities but also allows you to discover new cultures.
We believe in doing business but more importantly we believe in doing good while doing business.
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