Thank you to all participants of the Fair Trade Honduras Conference in Ludwigsburg!
On January 11, 2017, the presentation of the Honduras project of Fair Trade Minerals e.V., an important initiative of Michael Gienger, the idea generator and co-founder, took place in Ludwigsburg as part of the first Fair Trade Honduras Conference. In cooperation with Fair Trade Minerals e.V. and Michael Gienger GmbH, we are pleased to have been able to present a project that was and is dear to the hearts of Michael Gienger and also Marco Schreier at the start of the celebrations for the 20th anniversary of the Im Osterholz seminar center:
Help for self-help and the development of fair structures in the gemstone trade, while safeguarding opportunities for the local communities. Starting in 2008 with the establishment of the opal mining cooperatives in Honduras, the jointly supported and promoted project developed rapidly. Also through numerous donations from you, the customers of Marco Schreier Mineralienhandlung GmbH and other additions of the company, the project was successfully advanced. For the first time, customers and other interested parties now had the opportunity to get first-hand information about the use of the donations directly.
His studies in Germany led not only to the fact that Antonio Portillo speaks fluent German, but he was from the beginning the suitable link between the Fair Trade Minerals & Gems e.V. and the Koorperativen in Honduras. During the Honduras conference in Ludwigsburg, he reported in detail on the progress of the project, the successes already achieved, but also did not conceal the one or other setback that occurred, for example, due to extreme rainfall. After the official part of the conference, Mr. Portillo stood interested
participants speech and answer and reported enthusiastically from his home country.
Unlike the colorful Boulder Opals from Australia or the pastel-colored Andean Opals from Peru, the Honduras Opal, despite its beauty, does not yet enjoy such a high profile in the mineral and gemstone world as its "big brothers". Since the colorful opal is scattered in the black rock, the Honduras opals at first glance sometimes seem somewhat inconspicuous. But nevertheless numerous pieces found new owners in the course of the day - and that to particularly good conditions!
The Honduras project was also many years ago the "nucleus" of the Fair Trade Minerals & Gems e.V., whose managing director Dagmar Fleck and 2nd chairwoman Dr. Uta Ritsert reported on the extensive work of the association, which goes beyond the Honduras project. Anja Gienger, the widow of the association initiator Michael Gienger, reported on her family's commitment to the opal project in Honduras.
The stone healing effect of the black Honduras opal was also a topic at the event: with the biopulsar from Aura Med, sometimes significant changes could be detected - depending on whether the bare hand was measured or whether there was still a Honduras opal on the hand. The analytical stone medicine according to Michael Gienger uses the mineral to promote vitality, confidence and will to live; Honduras opal is considered a strong spiritual protective stone.
After many interesting lectures and information it went also with the physical well-being into the homeland of the black opal: From beans and spices brought along particularly for the evening an original Honduran bean stew was cooked. So the evening ended in a convivial round with interesting conversations on many different topics.
The Honduras conference was also worth a visit to Osterholz by the local press and a subsequent report in the Ludwigsburger Kreiszeitung.
The program items of the event were:
* Welcome by Marco Schreier of Marco Schreier Mineralienhandlung GmbH and report on the philosophy of the company.
* Anja Gienger reported on the commitment of her husband Michael Gienger and his family.
* Andreas Markovic of Michael Gienger GmbH gave an outlook on the work of Michael Gienger GmbH to preserve the legacy of Michael Gienger.
* Antonio Portillo of Centro de Negocios Hondureno-Aleman reported for the first time in Germany from the Honduras project, one of the largest fair trade projects with gemstones worldwide.
* Michael Vogt of company Geo Expert, which accompanied the project scientifically and training for mining and processing of opals on site, told of his experiences in Honduras.
* Managing Director Dagmar Fleck and the 2nd Chairwoman Dr. Uta Ritsert of Fair Trade Minerals & Gems e.V. presented the association's work and gave an exciting insight into the naturopathic aspects of the Honduran opal
* Opal special show with a large selection of Honduran precious opals.
* Measurements with the Auramed Biopulsar with Michael Vogt. The participants of the conference could experience and see by testing how strongly the opal can influence their well-being.
* Visitation and meditation at the largest gemstone mandala in the world, the symbol of the desire for healing and recovery for all beings of this world. To kick off the conference, there was a small ceremony and chanting of the mantra to the Buddha of Healing at the mandala.
* End of the evening with an original Honduran dinner, prepared by our Honduran guest chef, directly freshly prepared for the participants of the conference in the seminar and guest house of Marco Schreier Mineralienhandlung GmbH.
The entrance and participation in all lectures was free of charge; instead donations were collected for the Honduras project. A total of € 389 was collected, which was doubled by Marco Schreier Mineralienhandlung GmbH.