London Fairtrade Capital: The world's largest Fairtrade city.

Congratulations to Fran Chandler and all who have worked towards the significant achievement of Fairtrade status for the Diocese of London (which covers much of north London and a few pockets of south-west too). See a full list and map of the parish churches  which have gained individual Fairtrade Church status – over 50% of all churches within the Diocese. London joins Southwark as having gained Fairtrade Diocese status.

There will be a special Fairtrade Diocese service of celebration & thanksgiving at the end of Fairtrade Fortnight. Details below. Please RSVP to Nina Tweddle

St Paul’s Cathedral
Sunday 11th March 2012 6.00pm

A special service for all our parishes

The Fairtrade Diocese Certificate will be presented
by the Fairtrade Foundation to the Bishop of London

Every Fairtrade parish will receive its own diocesan certificate

A time to celebrate Fairtrade
and our own contribution towards a fairer world

Good music, lots to join in with, and plenty to give thanks for

Make sure that your own parish is represented! An invitation has been sent to every parish. Please ask your church leader what the plans are!

A successful global trade symphony or Monty Python’s dead parrot: should the World Trade Organisation be scrapped?

Occupy St Paul’s and TJM event:

Friday 16^th December, 5.30-8.30pm.

The eighth ministerial of the World Trade Organisation takes place in Geneva from the 15^th-18^th December. The Doha round of negotiations was supposed to make sure global trade worked in everybody’s interests. With no sign of a deal on the table, the co-chair of the High-Level Expert Group on Trade earlier this year likened the negotiations to Monty Python’s dead parrot (the pet shop owner insists it is ‘just sleeping’). Yet WTO Director General Pascal Lamy continues to insist that the WTO is ‘an institution that delivers’, helping to avoid protectionism and a slide into an even worse global recession.

Occupy St Paul’s and the Trade Justice Movement invite you to discuss what role, if any, there is for the WTO in the 21^st century.

Adrian Wood of Oxford University will argue that the WTO is beneficial to poor countries.

John Hilary of War On Want will make the case for scrapping the WTO and looking to new, genuinely democratic multilateral trade institutions.

Paul Spray of Traidcraft will argue that it is time developed countries nipped cotton subsidies in the bud.

Aurelie Walker of the Fairtrade Foundation will look at how multilateral trade impacts on small producers.

Ruth Bergan of the Trade Justice Movement will facilitate the discussion.

The discussion is planned to take place at the Bank of Ideas, UBS building on Sun Street (near Liverpool Street station). If UBS are successful in their move to evict Occupy from the building before the 16th, we will be at the tent city university, near the steps of St. Paul’s.

A Tower Hamlets secondary has launched a bid to be the borough’s first official Fairtrade school, thanks to campaigning students and local charity Otesha. It could mean children will wear sweatshop-free school uniforms and will see Fairtrade sports equipment used in PE lessons and ethical food in the canteen and staff room.

The initiative was championed by Year 9 girls determined to make sure Bishop Challoner Catholic Collegiate school buys products that give workers in poorer countries a better deal for the products they grow and sell. A meeting of the governors and head teacher agreed to adopt the students’ proposals after the student campaigners made the case for the ambitious plan.

Local charity the  Otesha Project worked with the school through the Otesha ‘Change Projects’ programme, supporting the girls as they explored Fairtrade issues and then as they created the policy and prepared to persuade the governors.

A student Fairtrade Action Group was formed, which held meetings with staff, surveyed local shops and created displays to enthuse other pupils, as well as holding Fairtrade cake bakes and ordering Fairtrade sports equipment, including the world’s first Fairtrade basketball.

The decision means the governors agreed to a whole-school Fairtrade policy. They made commitments including:

• Making Fairtrade tea, coffee and sugar available in staff rooms and meetings, and Fairtrade products in vending machines  Buying Fairtrade sports balls
• Using Fairtrade ingredients in all cooking
• Exploring the use of uniforms made from Fairtrade cotton
• Teaching Fairtrade issues in class

To achieve full Fairtrade status the school will have to hold further events and engage the wider community beyond the school itself.

The student campaign group’s next action is to meet school uniform suppliers to talk about how to ensure school clothing is not made in sweatshops.

They also plan at least one Fairtrade-themed event each term, including a cake bake sale using Fairtrade ingredients, with proceeds going to a charity of the girls’ choice. The message will be taken to mums and dads, too, when the girls run a stall at parents’ evening serving Fairtrade refreshments.

Edd Bell, Otesha’s Change Projects Co-ordinator, said:

“This is a huge achievement by these students. They really developed a passion for Fairtrade as we explored how it helps farmers and workers in poorer countries.

“Their leadership and creativity has made the whole school and wider community more aware and has changed school policy. We’re so proud of them, and we’d really like to help other London schools go down this path, too.”

Bishop Challoner student Skye was one of the young campaigners who persuaded head teacher Jackie Johnson and the governors to adopt the policy.

Skye said:

“It was scary at first but they liked our presentation and took on our ideas. I would like to achieve Fairtrade School status from this.”

Fellow student Caitlin added:

“My experience presenting to Mrs Johnson made me feel like I was really making a change to our school. I think Fairtrade is important because it helps people have a better life by being paid correctly for the hard work they do. It helps poverty and health because people are able to afford housing, food and medicine.”

Student Ellie said:

“Working on Fairtrade is such an eye-opener. It has shown me how to help the world, which is what I really want.”

Rhiannon Scutt, Head of Geography at Bishop Challoner, said:

“The enthusiasm of the girls to help the school achieve Fairtrade status is infectious. They have so many good ideas and are willing to give up their own time in order to change the lives of the producers, who we all rely on to produce our tea, coffee and more every day.

“We wouldn’t have kick started this fantastic work on becoming a Fairtrade school without Otesha. Their involvements really gave us some structure and a focus, importantly it helped train the students to run it. Empowering the students like this is definitely the way forward as it is the students who want to lead this change.”

To contact Otesha call 020 7377 2109. To find out more, visit www.otesha.org.uk

The Otesha ProjectUKis an environmental education charity based in Tower Hamlets, and works in fun, creative ways with young people to allow them to explore sustainability issues and develop leadership and employment skills, using cycle tours, theatre, workshops and its Change Projects programme

See the Fairtrade Bishop Challoner video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Lo-V2723Uw&feature=player_embedded

Fair Christmas Fayre, an ethical Christmas festival, is back for it’s 4th year on Oxford Street.

This year is due to be the biggest Fayre yet with over 30 stalls selling a variety of beautiful products. Fair Trade cupcakes and organic Christmas cakes, Fair Trade fashion, upcycled homewares, eco gadgets, ethical toys, organic health and beauty, eco-candles and handmade Christmas decorations are just some of the items on sale.

As the baton is passed from New Zealand to Rugby World Cup 2015 (RWC2015) hosts England, citizens in both nations have come together to call for the 2011 tournament to be “the last ever unfair Rugby World Cup”.

Supporters of the Fairtrade London and Fairtrade Auckland initiatives are calling upon the organisers of RWC15 and the English Rugby Football Union (RFU) commit to ensuring that as many products as possible used at the tournament are sustainable and fairly traded. Such a move would benefit small-scale producers and their families in developing countries, and allow rugby fans to make positive purchasing choices.

Kirsten Morrell, singer and ambassador for the Fairtrade Auckland campaign, said:

“Our city has loved hosting many of the top matches in the Rugby World Cup, and of course the right team won! However, our celebrations would have been even sweeter if we could be sure that the tournament had been a fair trade one: fair for players, fair for officials, fair for spectators … and most importantly fair for the people who produce the merchandise, the catering and the sports equipment.”

“Like the Olympics in London, the Rugby World Cup tournament organisers should insist that suppliers and venues source Fairtrade certified products, so that farmers and workers in developing countries are not exploited or cheated in producing the goods for our finals. I challenge England to rise to the occasion in the Rugby World Cup 2015 and make it a fair tournament.”

London, home of Twickenham and several other grounds confirmed as hosting Rugby World Cup matches, is already leading the way. The organisers of the London 2012 Olympic Games have made a pioneering commitment that all tea, coffee, sugar and bananas served at official Olympic venues will be Fairtrade. Athletes, officials, the media and spectators will all be consuming Fairtrade-certified drinks and snacks at the Games in London in July-August 2012.

Malcolm Clark, Campaign Co-ordinator of Fairtrade London, urged the World Cup organisers and the RFU to make a similar commitment. He said:

“It’s a fair cop, the best rugby team at the World Cup won, and that was the hosts. Congratulations to New Zealand, and to cities like Auckland for putting on such a show. As a keen rugby fan I’d love England to be able to emulate the All Blacks’ achievement and in four years time win as host nation.”

“However, there are also four years for the organisers to match the best practice example set by the Olympics and put in place sustainable sourcing commitments.   If the Olympics – with its 14 million meals, served across 40 locations – can do it, so can the Rugby World Cup. And we’d like to see the RWC2015 organisers go further: widening out the sourcing standards to include Fairtrade rugby balls, Fairtrade cotton in uniforms and kits, and more Fairtrade food and drink products being served. Let’s make Rugby World Cup 2015 in England a fair tournament for all.”

Notes: 

1. With the New Zealand general election approaching, Make Auckland a Fair Trade City (MAFT) is working hard to make Aucklanders’ votes count, by supporting local Fair Trade business, putting people first, fostering sustainable business relationships with their neighbours in the Pacific. www.fairtradeauckland.org
2. For details about the London 2012 Food Vision standard, go to http://www.sustainweb.org/foodlegacy/london_2012_food_vision/
3. For details of the new Food Legacy programme, inspired by the healthy and sustainable food standards adopted for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, go to: www.foodlegacy.org
4. The Mayor has already committed City Hall to adopting the London 2012 Food Vision standards, as have the Metropolitan Police, LFEPA (London Fire) and Transport for London.

Let this be the last unfair Rugby World Cup.

Let’s make RWC2015 in England a fair tournament …..

fair for players; fair for officials; fair for spectators; … and fair for the people behind the merchandise, the catering and the sports equipment.

We would like to see the organisers of RWC11 and the English Rugby Football Union (RFU) commit to sourcing as many products as possible sustainably and fairly traded – for the benefit of millions of small-scale producers and their families in developing countries, and for a better environment for everyone.

London is already leading the way. The organisers of the London 2012 Olympic Games have made a pioneering commitment that all bananas, tea, coffee, chocolate and sugar served at official venues will be Fairtrade. The contracts are now in place; the supply chains are primed, the menus are being finalised … and athletes, officials, the media and spectators will will all be consuming Fairtrade-certified drinks and snacks come July-August 2012.  That is a huge step forward: for sales, for visibility to a global audience, and for setting a recognised sustainable catering standard for others to follow.

If the Olympics – with its 14 million meals served during the Olympic and Paralympic Games, across 40 locations – can do it, so can the Rugby World Cup.

England (and Wales – as the Millennium Stadium will be hosting some matches) now has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to make Fairtrade the standard for all rugby world cups … and continue the best practice example set by the Olympics.  And there are 4 years for them to go further: to widen out the sourcing standards to include Fairtrade rugby balls, Fairtrade cotton in uniforms and kits, and more Fairtrade food and drink products being served.

Next weekend, as the Webb Ellis trophy is held aloft by the winners and the baton is passed to the 2015 tournament hosts, Fairtrade campaigns in Auckland and London will be making a joint action to kickstart this campaign.

You can get in on the act now, by co-signing the letter we will be sending to the RFU at the end of this tournament.

Tell RFU to run with a fair finals for all ……

Together with Tower Hamlets Fairtrade activist Glenn Power, we’ve collated all the information you need regarding Fairtrade school uniforms and the contact details for suppliers in one handy document.

Download the Fairtrade Uniforms guide here.

In addition, we bring you details of a special offer from one of the suppliers:

School uniform suppliers Koolskools has entered into alliance with Traidcraft. This is a unique opportunity for schools to introduce Fairtrade cotton into their school uniforms for the 2012/13 school year. First 100 schools to order get a special offer, so London schools, get in their quick! Minimum order is only 100 garments per school.

For more details and to register your interest, see the Traidcraft site.

Also, have a look at our new Fairtrade London Schools guide.