Fair Trade Youth Resources
There is a thirst in schools and among young people to know that their goods have come from ethically sourced places. A feeling of powerlessness in this world that seems too often to make decisions that we would otherwise not agree with also fuels this fire of discontent.
In the followiing pages we would love to share with you some of the sites we have found that bring justice to the fore and gives you ways or expalinign and actiiong justly that youth can understand.
If you would like to add some good information here, please send it to us in the same format (title, description and audience) and if it is of good quality we will include it.
Please e-mail or call if you notice any links that are broken.
Tear is a Christian development agency that specialise in grass roots projects. They aim to bring long term results to communities and educate Australians as to how they can be involved. They have plenty of youth resources on their site to help understand what poverty is and how we can act against it.
JustAct offers information and ways to work towards transforming situations of injustice in local communities, across the country and around the world. Their campaigns have made progress against people like Nestle and others who have used dubious ethics in their campaigns and actions.
Ever wondered what those white 'Make Poverty History' wrist bands were all about? They're brought to you by Micah Challenge, a group that seeks to mobolise Christian youth across the globe to kept their governments accountable to the Millenium Development Goals and as a result, to finally make poverty history.
Audience: Aimed primarily at youth and young adults.
If you're young and keen to speak out against injustice, the youth section of World Vision is perfect for you! The site contains oppurtunities to be involved and a stack of resources to use in your own communtities.
Audience: Aimed primarily at youth and young adults.
Title:
Fair Trade For All - education kit A fantastic resource of education material focusing on world trade, fair trade certification, the coffee and cocoa industries, sweatshops and avenues of empowerment. The six modules can be used individually or as a set curriculum and are easy adaptable for different learning environments. They contain a range of information, work sheets and activities ideas.
Audience: Designed primarily to be used with people 10-13 years old.
A fantastic hive of resources and ideas about how to get involved in issues ranging from 'Aid & Debt', 'Child Exploitation' and 'Co-operatives'
Audience: Anyone wanting to find about a bit more about the realities of the world we live in and what they can do about it!
FTAANZ is the go-to place for all things Fair Trade in Australia & New Zealand - great place to find local retailers of fair trade goods as well as upcoming events in your own community. It provides a stack of educational resources and background on the growing Fair Trade wave thats finally hitting out shores
Audience: Any shopper, consumer with an ethical bone.
London sets the bar high as a fair trade city and gives us lots of examples of what we can try here in Australia. Sift through their web site and see what you can find.
Audience: Those wanting to get some great ideas on how to kick start the campaign here
Videos
"What's the materials economy?" Excellent question! Find out how the current market system works and what needs to change so we can move towards being a sustainable global network of consumers.
Audience: Anyone wanting a simple heads up on whats wrong with the current trade system??
Title:
Free Trade vs Fair TradeRecent studies by the World Bank conclude that the benefits of free trade and economic liberalization have failed to reach the world's poorest people. Rice notes that many of these victims of globalization are small farmers in the developing world. Fair trade is a market-based approach to solving global poverty, he explains one that helps make free trade work for the poor."
"Paul Rice talks about how fair trade can help align the interests of corporations and small farmers without sacrificing profitability. As companies look to reduce costs in an increasingly competitive world, the welfare of small producers can be marginalized. Rice describes how fair trade can empower poor farmers by giving them the opportunity to trade directly with buyers and earn a better price for their produce."
Paul Rice illustrates the power of fair trade with a story about a young woman from Nicaragua. Yolanda was born into a family of coffee farmers. Ten years ago her father joined a fair trade cooperative. They set up a scholarship fund that would allow keep their children in school. With the additional income from fair trade coffee sales, Yolanda became the first woman in her community to finish high school and go on to college.
Audience: All these Paul Rice films are for anyone wanting to learn more about why free trade is failing most of the world and what fair trade hopes to, and is, doing about it.
Other Great Information and Groups
* A Fairer World - Accessible information on a range of global issueshttp://youth.afairerworld.org/global/issues.html
* What do the MDGs mean for the Coffee Trade
http://www.un.org/Pubs/chronicle/2007/webArticles/111407_coffee_trade.html
* The Otesha Project - Offers bicycle tours and educational programs to engage youth about sustainable consumption.http://otesha.org.au/aboutus
Want to volunteer overseas? World Youth offers you that oppurtunity.
http://www.worldyouth.org.au/servlet/Web?s=1818150&p=Disclaimer_Pedal