South Lakeland World Development Movement member Pilar Valera and her
son at the Scale up for Trade Justice Action, June 2003
The Kendal Fairtrade
Town Steering Group is part of the South Lakeland World Development
Movement (a local group of the World Development Movement). We aim
to campaign for justice for the world’s poor. The group recognises that rich countries, international
institutions and big business knowingly make decisions that are
leading to injustice and inequality on a massive scale. It does
not have to be like this. We have both the wealth and the means
to end poverty.
When you purchase products with the Fairtrade
mark you directly help producers in the developing world. Fairtrade
mean that some of the most marginalised farmers in our world can
benefit from international trade. Trade can be a way out of poverty.
The level of inequality and poverty in our world is enormous: millions
live on less than a $1 a day while some individuals command more
wealth than entire nations.
Although Fairtrade benefits over 4.5 million poor
producers and their families, it only accounts for a small proportion
of global trade. All international trade needs to be fairer. We
need to campaign for Trade Justice. This call for Trade Justice
is one of South Lakeland World Development Movement’s key
campaigns for 2003. Our main campaign themes are as follows:
- The promotion of Fairtrade
- Trade Justice. Making
the global trading system work for the poor
- Campaigning against the World Trade Organisation’s
(WTO) General Agreement Against Trade
in Services (GATS) and the potentially devastating effects
it will have on the world’s poor
- Supporting the national WDM’s Dirty Aid Dirty Water campaign, which draws attention to the large amounts of British aid money being paid to rich consultancy companies whose aim is to advise the governments of less developed countries to privatise their water supply.
We also concerned with the debt crisis and the fact
that only 15% has been cancelled. |
