How can members of a community take back control of the resources that shape their lives? Join us on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, 7:00-8:30pm ET, for a free webinar with co-op developer and community organizer Jonathan Welle to explore this question.
to register click here
Join us for the screening of "Yanuni" with the Cleveland International Film Festival on april 17th at Playhouse Square
to purchase tickets for the creening click here
Promo Code: IRTF
$1 off any ticket, with the exception of Opening Night, 7x7 Retrospective and Day Pass purchases.
IRTF initiated our annual Social Justice Teach-In (aka Liberation Lab) in 1999. This spring we feel a great need to call together justice-minded folks who are committed to human rights, liberation, and respect and dignity for all people.
Every year for the past 26 years, this event has been an informative and inter-generational day of community building and education for high school and college students and other community members seeking ways to take positive action for social justice.
To buy tickets or become a sponsor, click here. To sign up for a volunteer shift, click here.
learn about small scale banana and cacao farms
learn about small scale banana and cacao farms
This Equal Exhange article tells the story of two women who found hope in cooperatives
This Equal exchange article examines how Fair Trade profits are reinvested into bio-fertilizers to tackle disease and climate change conditions on co-op run farms in peru.
The history of bananas makes many people uncomfortable.
The industry is rooted in power imbalance. Whether it was tax-free land in Costa Rica (for United Fruit/Chiquita in 1884), forced labor by financing paramilitaries (2024 verdict for Colombian victims1), or chemicals like DBCP sold for use abroad even after having its production shut down in the U.S. for causing sterility2 (e.g. to Standard Fruit/Dole in Nicaragua3), there’s no shortage of examples of abuse of power and control.
This article by Equal Exchange gives insight into what is possible when farmers are granted land and form co-ops unraveling power dynamics .
Equal Exchange maintains long-term, direct partnerships with three Bolivian farmer co-ops in the Caranavi region to source rare, high-quality arabica coffee while supporting sustainable agriculture. These collaborations prioritize direct relationship-building and shared cooperative values, fostering local innovations in farm management, youth involvement, community-driven research, and indigenous practices of mutual aid.
The tensions between the U.S and Venezuela have only intensified as the U.S. uses political, economic, and escalating military strategies to target the Venezuelan government, who they accuse of corruption and drug trafficking into the U.S. This has caused immense hardships against the Venezuelan people; however they continue to stand strong and urge for just and lasting peace.
