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Riding up the green-lit escalator to the lobby of the Hudson Hotel in New York City, I arrived at the WorldofGood.com by eBay launch event.  The small room was filled with people, each engaged in their own conversations and WorldofGood.com products lined the walls of the room.  After making my way through all of the display products, I was introduced to Cecilia Appianim, a farmer in Ghana.  Her farm is a part of the Kuapa Kokoo cooperative which owns Divine Chocolate USA.  Kuapa Kokoo, defined as “good cocoa growers,” has a mission to empower farmers in their efforts to gain a dignified livelihood, to increase women's participation in all of Kuapa's activities, and to develop environmentally friendly cultivation of cocoa.  Cecilia told me that she has been part of the cooperative since 1993 and that joining the coop had impacted her life and community immensely.  Divine Chocolate is just one of the many fair trade products that you can purchase on the WorldofGood.com by eBay website.  

So what is WorldofGood.com, anyway?  Priya Haji, a 1993 Echoing Green Fellow and Founder of Free At Last, is also the co-founder of WorldofGood.   WorldofGood.com is the result of a collaboration between eBay, the world’s largest online marketplace, and WorldofGood, Inc., a purpose-driven start-up dedicated to building ethical consumer experiences, by bringing its deep knowledge of the global ethical supply chain to mainstream retail partners.  This partnership has created an online marketplace to offer products that have a positive impact on people and empower consumers to align their social values with their purchases.

I encourage anyone who aspires to be a socially responsible consumer to check out this website.  It has great gift ideas for any event, including jewelry, accessories, apparel, and home & garden items.  Some of my favorite items included a purse made out of soda pop tops, and a chess set made from old car parts. This is a wonderful opportunity for consumers to take a stand and support making positive change around the globe!