World Fair Trade Day 09

World Fair Trade Day is on the imminent horizon. The day to celebrate and applaud Fairtrade is Saturday 9th May. The theme is Big Bang and fairtrade supporters will be beating their drums all round the world with the message that fairtrade can help us beat poverty, beat climate change and beat economic crisis.

The World Fair Trade Organization (previously known as IFAT, but not in that Prince kind of way) is, they tell us, “THE SOURCE OF AUTHENTIC FAIRTRADE -THE 100% WORLD CHANGE VARIETY”. (An important distinction because as we all sadly know there are a handful or so of dodgy fairtrade masqueraders out there who aren’t really in it for the people, or the world, or the change. 100% or otherwise).

Anyway the WFTO is all about the people, so much so that they say they are not ‘The Global Authority on Fairtrade’ because they say they are. It’s because their members make it so.

And who are these illustrious members?

Well they’re a raggletaggle mix from all over the globe. They are the people who make up the organizations who demonstrate a 100% Fairtrade commitment and fully apply the 10 Principles of Fairtrade. They are the kids with the gold star plusses in the classroom of Fairtrade.

And incidentally they don’t get to have the honour of the accolade bestowed upon them and then sneak out back for a chat and a cheeky fag. Oh no they don’t. Rather, they are consistently monitored because these committed few have the mantle on their shoulders of being not just the pioneers of the Fairtrade movement but also its robust and brave innovators.

You can look them up. They are listed in the FT100 list of world-leading Fairtrade brands, businesses and organisations.

The bibico producers from Mumbai and Nepal are in there, a testament to their hard work and commitment. From poverty and hardship they have successfully created organizations which respect people and the earth. And, because of their efforts we can pick out pretty dresses for ourselves that weren’t sweated over in soulless health-damaging factories.

So, join us in celebrating World Fair Trade Day. Champion the successes that have been made. Get involved. Take this baby forwards. Check out the WFTO website to see if there are any events going on in your area. Get online and learn a bit more about Fairtrade and why so many people think it’s a good place to start for changing the world. Spread the word.

Big Bang!!! Annie Lennox launches World Fair Trade Day 09

It’s all about bibico. Well, not really.

This is an announcement in the interests of freedom, bi-partisanship, fairtrade, fashion and mutual loving. Whilst the author of this blog is related by blood to a bibico company member, she doesn’t want to make this blog all about bibico. Obviously she’ll mention it quite a bit, put up images from the collections, say what the bibico news is, and no doubt say that bibico is generally great (unless of course she has some sort of major fallout with her brother, which isn’t unlikely, and in that case she might out of spite say that bibico is rubbish). But the point is that this little bibico blog will also talk about other things. So you don’t get bibico boredom.