Madison, WI. 1 February 2016. Canaan Fair Trade, a mission based company dedicated to artisan quality products that seeks to sustain the livelihood of Palestinian producer communities, is pleased to announce that Ann Hafften has joined Canaan as US Outreach Coordinator starting in February 2016.
Ann joins Canaan with an extensive background in journalism and communication with national agencies of the Lutheran church. Since first visiting the Middle East as a pilgrim in 1977, she has returned to Palestine and Israel at least 25 times, most recently leading groups to the region for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). She developed travel seminars for Augsburg College in Minneapolis and was the US Coordinator for the World Council of Churches' Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI). Ann also served on the Board of Trustees the Friends of Sabeel-North America (FOSNA).
Dr. Nasser Abufarha, Canaan Founder and Director, says “Ann has just the needed combination of a national level network in the interfaith and solidarity movements and the ability to connect personally with people who work at the intersection of faith and justice in the world. Her writing ability, vision, and activity are most welcome at Canaan as we go into our next ten years.”
Ann says, “I appreciate the way Canaan Fair Trade is both steadfast in support of the Palestinian farm families and striding forward into the future with excellent products and an ambitious attitude.”
Ann will be based in the mid-south and will work directly with Canaan's extensive and loyal interfaith, solidarity and website customer base in the US.
Canaan Fair Trade, a Palestinian company with a social mission, was founded in 2004 to empower thousands of small farmers caught in conflict to sustain their livelihood, build hope for a better future, and promote economic and cultural interaction towards a peaceful tomorrow. Canaan produces and distributes the organic, Fair trade and Extra Virgin olive oil and traditional foods cultivated by 2000 small farmer members and 200 women producers joined in the 50 cooperatives of the Palestine Fair Trade Association.
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