Recently, quite by accident, I came upon a definition of the term bottom line that surprised me. Up until now, I’d only heard it as referring to money - the bottom line is profit. Who will make the most money out of this venture? How will it affect the economy? The GNP is the deciding factor because, after all, the bottom line is money. Its meaning and importance are pretty much taken for granted and often stops conversations or inhibits questions about the validity of that meaning. 

But here’s a new outlook. I discovered that the term Bottom Line also refers to Essence or Meaning. In other words - that which makes a thing what it is. If you’ve ever asked questions such as - Why am I here? What’s this life all about? Is this all there is? - it would probably seem ludicrous that money would be the answer to any or all of them. 

I have been involved in the fair trade movement for almost twenty years. My first involvement was with the establishment of the Plowshare Peace Center, the umbrella organization for Plowshare Gifts in Waukesha. The Store, established in 1989 was one of the first of its kind in Wisconsin. This was at a time when few people knew about Fair Trade and the work of the Mennonite Central Committee, who essentially started the Fair Trade movement. Since that time, Plowshare Gifts has established itself as a model store with a unique shopping experience. The Board of Directors had a wonderful vision and worked together to fulfill that vision of creating peace through fair trade. As Executive Director as well as Store Manager, I was proud to be part of a committed group of people who believed in what they were doing and were willing to put their time and energy into making it the success it is today. As a result of that experience, I am able to educate the students that I teach at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee of the benefits of Fair Trade and the relationship it has to creating peace at all levels of society.