The global Fair Trade community has long recognized the critical nature of kindness & fairness; the potential in even the most disadvantaged family; the importance of transparency in our actions and transactions; and the need to treat each other as neighbors and as equals.

For us, these are the fundamentals of a healthy global community. Mr Obama, in his run for the Presidency of the USA, has reminded all of us of these important values and beliefs. Without them we'd be... where we are today.

So it is immensely satisfying to experience the support for these ideals expressed by all segments of our society in last night's historic election. There is no question that the under 20's, the under 30's and the under 45's have bought into this dream. They, plus many others of us, now own it and are committed to making it real.

An acquaintance of mine from the slums of Nairobi says: "We believe God has good things in mind for us just around the corner."

Today is indeed a new day for the world and for the World Fair Trade Organization. This election and the promise of strong, visionary, responsible global leadership, means promoting Fair Trade and creating market access for artisans and farmers will become easier and more attractive.

I am confident that we can make trading practice increasingly fair and sustainable, be that in medium or large businesses, or the World Trade Organization itself. Thank you President-elect Obama.

Though our commitment to Fair Trade as a solution to poor practice and environmental degradation has always been unflinching, today our hope of delivering that solution just got stronger.

Now it is time to get to work. The expectations of the millions of small disadvantaged producers are urgent. The optimism of yesterday has to transform the realities of tomorrow.

Paul Myers,
President, World Fair Trade Organization.

[...]

Conventional wisdom is bearing vicous fruit.  

We should not be surprised. Regulatory matters have been severely diluted in the pursuit of wealth and power.

An example is short selling. Regulations set the ceiling at 12:1. Yet at the peak some were leveraging 37:1, a criminal offence with no penalty until, finally, the system collapsed last week. Accountability left the room some years before and no one batted an eyelid or raised their voice in concern.

We have become the "me first" generation, with little or no collective responsibility, weakened rules, scant accountability, no surprise the system fails and people lose confidence. Today the Financial Times announced “We are watching the disintegration of the financial system” on its front page but the truth is, it’s been going on for years, we just chose not to see it.

Of course, these crises weaken economic activity, markets and currency values, making it extremely difficult for the some members of the International Fair Trade Association to sustain sales, let alone strengthen them. "When the elephants play, the grass gets trampled."

The global bailout may even-out the risks over the coming weeks, or months, but it is too early to judge the true scale of this inevitable calamity. The $700bn down-payment may or may not be enough to see us through. But it could be enough to save the world’s fast disappearing Rainforest ($200bn) and score the Millennium Development Goals by 2015 ($500bn).

If we truly believe that Fair Trade is both sustainable and effective, then it is the solution to the world's financial crisis. And it is our job to let people know.

Paul Myers,
President, World Fair Trade Organization.

[...]

 The impact you make is immense

A simple thing like buying a product has consequences far beyond feeding your family, making you feel good or giving you something new to talk about. Buying a product, whether it's the fruit of one person's labour or the result of super-efficient mechanization is a vote for the organization that provided you with the product.

To you. It's just a banana, just a T-shirt or just a bar of soap; to a business it's a response to consumer demand, and money in the bank for investors. But poverty and climate change are the result of the products we buy  and the businesses we choose to support.

If you buy Fair Trade products, change becomes inevitable. It's not complicated - if it was there wouldn't be so many powerful businesses in the world.  You are powerful. You are the change. You already knew that, didn't you?

World Fair Trade Day 2009 is a salute to the people and organizations who have dedicated themselves to making Fair Trade what it is today, a solution not an issue. Fair Trade is not just about poverty - it's a solution to poverty, Fair Trade is not just about climate change - it's a solution to environmental degradation and bad practice. Fair Trade is not just about protest, it's about change. And change is long overdue.

World Fair Trade Day 2009 is dedicated to you and the positive impact you can make in your community, through local and global events, that unite people and opinion, in a voice that can be heard wherever you are, whoever you are. Grassroots to G8.

Unite with millions of people and be the powerful voice of positive change. Tell the world you want an end to poverty, an end to climate change, tell the world it's time to kick-start thef sustainable economy. Make World Fair Trade Day your global stage.
 
BIG BANG!! 09 MAY 09 A wake-up call for the planet.

Paul Myers,
President, World Fair Trade Organization.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Earlier this year the IFAT Board agreed to take full responsibility for the direction and coordination of future World Fair Trade Day development and promotion. We have asked HOST Universal, an organization with considerable Fair Trade experience and understanding to assist us with this for the first year.

We are grateful to NEWS in Europe and to People Tree of Japan and the UK for the rich experience, vision and legacy of the past 10 years. Many others have also contributed to the growing interest and success of this program. We will build on this experience and ensure that work in all parts of the world will reenforce the work done by others. We all learned from the success of the Global Journey the impact of a single focus.

We are presenting you with a framework, a WFTDay website, in which we want each of you to create within your own contexts, events, activities, etc. We intend to promote a single strong message during the days around WFTDay 2009.  The theme of environment continues for a second year.

Today August 8, 2008 we launch this website and the beginning preparations for May 2009. Please spend time within the website; review it carefully as you decide how to participate and encourage others to participate. This is the beginning. Additional work is being done to drive the world to this site. If you have questions, please be in contact with Allison our communications officer: communications@ifat.org.

I introduce the new website to you with the following observations:

Today is a big day. It's a big day for consumers, producers, buyers and sellers, all of whom have different needs, motivations and solutions.

It's a big day for interdependence. Our new model sits well with worldwide demand for a new paradigm - a new vision, a more sustainable more prosperous future. We can contribute to each other, and learn from each other. So we need each other.

It's a big day for risk taking. We need NEW because OLD doesn't work. We need to demonstrate our difference and people need to know we are different. If people can see, touch and feel our difference, they'll create the change we all want to see.

It's a big day for transparency. The whole world needs to know who we are, what we are about, why it is important, why we do it. And then demand that same transparency from all others.

It's a big day for Fair Trade. Our dreams, our vision, our strategy must translate swiftly into quantity and quality orders. We need focus, and integrity. If how I trade makes a positive impact, then how I trade should run through all my trading practices.

It's a big day for participation. Everyone: Our family. Our community. Our business. Our organization. Everyone can, in many ways and at various levels, take action. Positively, creatively, inclusively and single-mindedly meet the need for change.

It's a big day for World Fair Trade Day. World Fair Trade Day 2009 is our big day. It will, like a strong magnifying glass, with the sun behind it, focus the world's attention on the significance of trading fairly with millions of producers, who also happen to be the custodians of our ecology.

It's a big day for the planet. Poverty and climate change are inextricably linked, and Fair Trade has the potential to impact both. Conventional wisdom has got us where we are today. It's time to change. If we don't act, and act now, we cannot expect anyone else to act for us, or to create a world fit for our families to live in.

Register on the site (if you haven’t already) network through it, talk to your people, create an event and promote it like there is no tomorrow - which may not be so very far from the truth. www.WorldFairTradeDay09.org

Paul Myers,
President, World Fair Trade Organization.