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[ 26/1/13
CHARITIES
IN EASTBOURNE HELP LAUNCH NATIONAL CAMPAIGN TO
TACKLE HUNGER
Hunger and
malnutrition in childhood will trap almost a
billion young people in poverty by 2025, according
to a major new campaign, launched by
Britain’s leading development charities and faith
groups.
On 26 January
the EASTBOURNE coalition of charities including
Christian Aid, CAFOD, Tearfund, Fairtrade
Foundation and Churches Together in Eastbourne
held a launch of the ‘Enough Food for Everyone IF’
campaign, the largest coalition of its kind in the
UK since Make Poverty History in 2005.
The
IF Campaign group warns that in a world where
there is enough food for everyone, the scandal of
children growing up hungry also imposes a grave
economic burden on the developing world,
threatening to cost £78 billion over the
next 15 years.
Canon Geoff
Daintree chaired the meeting on Saturday, and the
Hall was full with people from across Eastbourne.
The event included a practical demonstration of
what the unfair distribution of food in our world
looks like – using a pizza cut into ‘unfair’
portions. The children and people who represented
different countries each had a piece of pizza
appropriate to the country (see photos).
A presentation
of the facts underpinning the campaign was then
shared followed by questions from the supportive
and interested audience.
Stephen
Lloyd MP said :"This
is an issue which is very close to my heart
and I am absolutely delighted to be supporting
your campaign."
"Highlighting
the
appalling reality that so many millions of
people across the globe still lack enough food
to barely survive in the 21st Century is a
vital campaign initiative. Your efforts and
the cause need to be constantly publicised so
pressure can be brought on politicians,
Governments and corporations worldwide."
"Please rest assured that I will be a
strong advocate of the issue in Parliament."
The campaign
calls on Prime Minister David Cameron to use the
UK’s G8 presidency in 2013 to take action on the
root causes of the hunger crisis in the poorest
countries.
The ‘IF’
movement challenges the Prime Minister to
tackle 4 big IFs to ensure there is enough food
for everyone:
- IF we
stop poor farmers being forced off their land,
and use the available agricultural land to
grow food for people, not biofuels for cars.
- IF
governments keep their promises on aid, invest
to stop children dying from malnutrition and
help the poorest people feed themselves
through investment in small farmers.
- IF
governments stop big companies dodging tax in
poor countries, so that millions of people can
free themselves from hunger.
- IF we
force governments and investors to be honest
and open about the deals they make in the
poorest countries that stop people getting
enough food.
IF enough
people join us in showing support for ending
hunger, world leaders will be forced to act. Join
at www.enoughfoodif.org
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[1/4/12] We
won! 
We are delighted to have won the 'Most Creative
Campaign' national Fairtrade award.
We were presented with the award by Fairtrade
International Chief Executive Officer Harriet Lamb
CBE, at this year's Fairtrade Foundation Supporters
conference.
The Fairtrade
Campaign Awards, sponsored by the Co-operative
Group, recognise the achievements and creativity of
Fairtrade campaigners and supporters during the
first half of 2012, including the annual Fairtrade
Fortnight campaign.
We also scooped £600 to be reinvested in our
campaign to bring a fair wage to farmers and
workers, through purchasing products with the
Fairtrade Mark and campaigning against unfair trade
rules.
Joanna Milis, competition judge and Head of
Campaigns at the Fairtrade Foundation said "It’s
a tough task picking winners from the vast amount
of inspiring community action for Fairtrade across
the UK. Each entry demonstrated the creativity,
hard work and vision that epitomises the Fairtrade
movement, and continues to bring about a better
deal for more farmers and workers through selling
their products as Fairtrade. The winners
demonstrated these qualities in abundance, and we
are looking forward already to see how they and
other groups continue to build the movement for
fairer trade in their communities in the coming
year and beyond." |
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 [1/4/12] Fairtrade Maltesers on
the seafront
Maltesers have been spotted with the
Fairtrade Mark on the packets, giving a guarantee
that the farmers growing the cocoa beans are getting
a fair deal.
To celebrate the new status Fairtrade Eastbourne
joined Eastbourne mascot Barnaby the Bee and MP
Stephen Lloyd on the seafront to enjoy some of the
sweets.
Maltesers are the first Fairtrade product from the
Mars company. The cocoa will come from cooperatives
in West Africa and this move will contribute over $1
million in annual Fairtrade premiums for investment
in community, business and environmental projects.
"Over 5 billion Maltesers are eaten in the UK
each year and I know some chocolate lovers will be
worried about any changes to the Maltesers taste,
but it's still the same. The only difference is that
the producers are now assured sustainable
development from a more reliable price." said Matt
Wilkinson from Fairtrade Eastbourne. |
[1/4/12] Festival Fairtrade
photo exhibition finished
For Eastbourne
Festival 2012 Fairtrade Eastbourne are
presented a photography exhibition in Urban Ground
café on Bolton Road for the full 3
weeks.
We've taken over the big wall in this new and
popular café to show a selection of prints
from Simon Rawles, a photo-journalist who has
travelled to meet a wide range of Fairtrade
producers, such as tea and vanilla farmers in India,
cotton pickers in Mali, coffee workers in Uganda and
olive growers in Palestine.
Simon's work has appeared in the Observer Magazine,
the Guardian, the Times and the Daily Mirror. His
film documentaries have appeared on the BBC and
Channel 4 and some can be viewed here on the Guardian
website.
His website
contains a huge collection of beautiful and
remarkable photos from which we chose those in the
exhibition. |
[1/3/12] '1.4 BILLION REASONS'
Presentation
We enjoyed
 an
excellent presentation at the Town Hall this
Fairtrade Fortnight (and had a great turn out
too!). Thanks to our presenter Graeme
Codrington.
1.4 billion people on our planet live in extreme
poverty, living on less than £1 a day for
food, water, education, shelter and medical care.
The Global Poverty Project's mission is to increase
the number and effectiveness of people taking action
to see an end to extreme poverty.
 Originating
in Australia this presentation is traveling the
world, inspiring and empowering audiences in its
path. Already delivered to over 100,000 people, The
Global Poverty Project is not after your money. The
presentation explains how your everyday actions - in
what you learn, say, buy, give and do - can be
connected to the ending of extreme poverty. Small
actions in your life can create big opportunities
for the world's poorest people - see HERE. |
[1/3/11] Bogolan Art coming to
Eastbourne Festival
 Fairtrade
Eastbourne
have teamed up with Green's Café, Fairly
Covered from Brighton and Eastbourne Festival to
bring a installation of 'Bogolan' art to the town.
Bogolan is a traditional West African mud dying
technique. Each artwork is handmade from pure cotton
coloured with dyes made from the soil, bark and
leaves according to traditional recipes.
 Promoting
Bogolan
art in Eastbourne will help to support economic
development of Malian villages and West African art.
The Bogolan work was brought to the UK and Sussex by
Christine Gent from Fairly Covered. Christine is a
Brighton based Fairtrade activist and social
enterpriser.
Don't miss the exhibition during Eastbourne Festival
on Saturday 30th April at Greens
Café, 25 Seaside Road. The exhibition is from
10am to 4pm and Christine will give talks about her
work and travels at 12pm and 2pm.
Read more about Fairly Covered here.
And visit Greens Café website here. |
[1/3/11] Town Hall flies the
Flag for Fairtrade!
 Over
Fairtrade Fortnight Eastbourne is 'Showing Off its
Label' by flaying a Fairtrade cotton flag over the
Town Hall, replacing the regular Union Jack.
The Flag is approximately 1 x 2 metres and was made
by Fairtrade Eastbourne members using Fairtrade
cotton sourced from the Fair Trade Fabric company (www.fairtradefabric.co.uk).
Leader of Eastbourne Borough Council, Councillor
David Tutt says, “purchasing fairly traded
goods really can make a major difference to some
of the worlds poorest communities.”
Matt Wilkinson, Group Chair of Fairtrade
Eastbourne says, “I was thrilled when the Town
Hall agreed to fly a Fairtrade cotton flag."
"Cotton could have an enormous positive impact
if poor farmers could get a fair price for their
produce on the international market.
However, European and American subsidies to
their own cotton farmers are squeezing out 10
million West African farmers who rely on cotton
as one of their principle exports. That's why
the role of Fairtrade is so important."
 "Choosing
Fairtrade cotton ensures that farmers in India
and Africa get a fair deal. If Eastbourne
shoppers choose to wear more Fairtrade cotton it
would make a real difference to the lives of
poor farmers, their families and communities.”
Meeting the campaigners Stephen Lloyd MP said
"Fairtrade is a retail phenomenon that shows no
sign of letting up in increasing consumer
awareness or trying to make international trade
work for the disadvantaged poor."
"We can all make a difference by looking for the
Mark and choosing Fairtrade."
Photos of the flag flying and the making of the flag
and a short video are uploaded to the Fairtrade
Eastbourne
Facebook page. |
[7/10/10] Calling all coffee
lovers!
Which is the BEST Fairtrade instant coffee? We were
sitting in a meeting and discussion moved on to the
question of who drinks Fairtrade instant coffee? and
which do they recommend? We couldn't agree and
thought why don't we try to find out?
And so on 11th Sept in the Enterprise Centre in the
'Good and Fair' shop we servd up samples of
Fairtrade instant coffee from Cafe Direct, Clipper,
Percol, Co-op and Traidcraft and we asked passersby
to vote for their favourite.
Fairtrade
coffee gets local approval
 "We
spend a lot of our time encouraging businesses,
churches and organisations to switch to Fairtrade,
but we didn't agree on which instant coffee was the
best." said Fairtrade Eastbourne Chair Matt
Wilkinson.
"Instants may not get the coffee lovers all excited
but they do serve a purpose in the morning or when
you fancy a quick break at work" said Peter Watts
from Good and Fair. "If we can make a
difference to Fairtrade producers and get a good
tasting coffee then both sides win!"
And the winner on the day was Percol Americano.
"I'm currently in discussions with my suppliers and
hope to add this Fairtrade coffee to my shelves in
the near future." said Peter.
See more photos on our Facebook
page
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 [6/3/10] Fairtrade
Flaskmob
Eastbourne shoppers were greeted by the town's first
ever 'Flaskmob' as Fairtrade supporters gathered
together in the town centre to toast the end of
Fairtrade Fortnight.
Along with two giant inflatable tea mugs with 'Swap
your cuppa!' printed on the side, the campaigners
handed out samples of Fairtrade tea and each brought
a flask of a Fairtrade hot drink to enjoy.
"We wanted to do something eyecatching and out of
the ordinary to remind shoppers to look for the
Fairtrade Mark." said Matt Wilkinson from Fairtrade
Eastbourne.
"We promoted this gathering using our new Facebook
Fan page, which is a great way to keep in touch with
our supporters."
Fairtrade Eastbourne are campaigning to make
Eastbourne a Fairtrade Town and regularly put on
stalls, speakers, films and events to raise public
and business awareness to the positive impact of
Fairtrade.
For more information on this local campaign visit www.fairtradeeastbourne.org.uk
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