Fair Trade Celebrates Human Rights Day on December 10th, 2011!!!

As a global movement we all agree Fair Trade aims to Empower disadvantaged producers and their communities. Our shared principles reflect business practices which are free from exploitation and based on respect for universal human rights, women's rights, child rights, minority and migrant rights, rights of the disabled, and labour rights. When we examine Fair Trade closely it becomes evident the underpinnings of our global movement are the United Nations Conventions on Human Rights and the internationally recognized conventions of the International Labour Organization (Read A Rights-Based Approach to Fair Trade: Human Rights Framework). Succinctly stated, without these international conventions, there would be no solid foundation for Fair Trade.

Over the past several posts I have been emphasizing the importance of integrating a Rights-Based Approach to Fair Trade as a means of empowerment. When an organization utilizes a Rights-Based Approach they recognize poverty as injustice and includes marginalization, discrimination, and exploitation as central causes of poverty. To integrate a Rights-Based Approach is to strengthen our trade partners not only in trade relations, but in their quality of life; to enjoy the freedoms internationally recognized as inherent to all human beings.  

Longwe's Women's Empowerment Framework
Read: Women's Empowerment and Fair Trade

The crucial step towards empowerment is raising awareness of these rights, to include women's rights. Unfortunately, the fact remains that for many of our producers their rights are not well known; the Universal Declaration of Human Rights remains an abstract idea, an international convention far from their immediate reality. Admittedly, the same is true for many Fair Trade supporters, retailers, importers, buyers and consumers. It is time for change. 

On Saturday, December 10, 2011 the world celebrates Human Rights Day. Considering the strong ties to our global movement, Fair Trade should be leading the way in recognizing the importance of this day! Regardless if you are a Fair Trade producer group, an importer, a coffee roaster, or a retailer, let's celebrate this day of international recognition of our human rights! 

http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/
Day2011/Pages/HRD2011.aspx

Here are a few suggestions to celebrate Human Rights day locally. These suggestions are for all Fair Traders regardless of where you reside! 

Decorate! Click here to download UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights visual designs for Human Rights day in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish! 

Display! Click here for videos on human rights from the UN!!! 

Provide a copy of Universal Declaration of Human Rights! Click here for over 300 translations of this pivotal document!!!!! 

Share stories of Human Rights! Click here for a list of stories to share from the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights!

http://www.amnesty.org/

Join with Amnesty International in your country!!! Click here to unite with Amnesty International's efforts in your country. And click here to view Amnesty International's information related to Human Rights issues in every country or by topic! As Fair Trade organizations, retailers, supporters, activists and consumers we need to unite with their voice to ensure everyone's human rights are respected and upheld regardless of where they reside!!

Fair Trade Retailers, everyone in the Fair Trade supply chain truly understands and deeply appreciates that you are busy with the Christmas rush and the last thing you want is to have one more thing to add to the already busy day for retail, ...but the least we can do is make an effort to recognize the global importance of Human Rights Day. Here are some ideas to make this as interesting yet as painless as possible while dealing with the masses of ethically minded consumers making Fair Trade purchases for the holidays. Keep in mind this is a one day event, so make it simple yet prominent - let the conscientious consumers see that Fair Trade is more than simply purchasing products, but about putting people before profits. 

For Fair Trader producers, supporters and activists not preoccupied with the Christmas holiday, set up a special family event for Saturday, December 10th. Keep in mind, children are the future of Fair Trade so let them know how valued they are in our movement. Put up a large poster of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. UNICEF has this document translated into 58 languages at their child-friendly page: http://www.unicef.org/magic/briefing/uncorc.html. For your convenience, here is a downloadable pdf file of UNICEF's child-friendly English version:
Convention on the Rights of the Child Easy Language Poster

Children of all ages like to take on fun challenges - provide them with poster paper, crayons, color pencils and markers and ask them to draw a poster for their favorite Article in the CRC! The purpose is to have children do more than read their rights, that is boring. Make the CRC come alive and reflect on how it is relevant in their lives! Then vote for the best poster from your young artists... 

Send photos of your winning posters on Child Rights to be published on the Journey for Fair Trade!!!! 

When you have some really great entries select the best, take a photo of the winners and send it to me: journer (at) gmail.com and I will feature your young Fair Trade artists on my blog! Make sure you send me information about the featured artists as well!! Try to limit the number to one to three winners in your event. Entries from anywhere in the world are welcome.  

Retailers, show solidarity with your trade partners! You can do the same here by having a corner dedicated to children so the adults can do some shopping. The adults will appreciate the temporary relief and the kids would love a corner committed to them. I am certain you can find high school and college students interested in volunteering to help with a child-centered activity! Add steaming cups of Fair Trade hot chocolate, face painting as well as other creative activities and have fun! The more you provide for the kids, the longer the adults can shop - Retailers, you can't lose here!!!  And don't forget to provide each child with their own color copy of the CRC to post up in their home... Make Child Rights a reality to our Fair Trade consumers! 

For young adults, host a ten minute game show - make it a competition between groups of men and  women and see which team can list the most articles in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights! My bet is the women are able to list more!!! Fortunately the United Nations has translated the UDHR into 131 languages so this activity can be done anywhere: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/UDHR/Pages/SearchByLang.aspx. To help, my lovely partner Chou has used her creative talents to provide an English copy of the UDHR here:
Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Follow this competition with an introduction to the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). Begin with inquiring why they think this convention is necessary when the UDHR already exists - it is a great opportunity to dispel a lot of misunderstandings. For help in discussing this convention read A Rights-Based Approach to Fair Trade: Understanding CEDAW.  

"Human rights are rights inherent to all human beings, whatever our nationality, place of residence, sex, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, language, or any other status. We are all equally entitled to our human rights without discrimination. These rights are all interrelated, interdependent and indivisible" 

             - UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights

This Human Rights Day, let's make a stand as a global movement! Recognize the importance of this day by raising awareness of our shared human rights locally. Fair Trade is founded upon these rights, and it is time Fair Trade unites with the global recognition of Human Rights Day.

Join Chou, Little Journey, and I in making the future a better place for all of us; join in the global celebration of Human Rights Day on Saturday, December 10th!

Mitch Teberg, MA 

International Consultant

Sustainable Development / Fair Trade

Researcher / Trainer / Consultant 

Feel free to add your comments, suggestions, and ideas below; or commit to holding a special event on December 10th. 

For those who prefer reading black on white, here is the downloadable version of this post on pdf:

Fair Trade Celebrates Human Rights Day on December 10th, 2011

A Rights-Based Approach to Fair Trade: The Onus of Responsibility

Globally, Fair Trade is a movement for international trade justice. For producers, artisans, weavers, farmers, and craftswomen and men around the world it is an ethical business model which empowers disadvantaged communities with practices that are free from exploitation; is based on respect for universal human rights, women's rights, child rights, migrant rights, rights of the disabled and labour rights; embraces gender equity; and which incorporates environmentally sound practices. 

Fair Trade has been established as a means to alleviate poverty by providing economic opportunities for disadvantaged communities. The cause for most groups to be economically disadvantaged often starts with various forms of discrimination, hence the importance of addressing these communities. Discrimination can be based on:

• Gender 
• Race or Ethnicity 
• Religion 
• Disability 
• Age 
• Class 
• Sexuality

Human Rights Day:
December 10, 2011

A Rights-Based Approach

In the field of International Development, programs and projects are often designed to target root causes. When an organization utilizes a Rights-Based Approach they recognize poverty as injustice and includes marginalization, discrimination, and exploitation as central causes of poverty.

As Fair Trade buyers of handicrafts, textiles and consumable products such as coffee or chocolate, it is nice to believe that we are leading the way in making ethical consumer choices a reality in the global marketplace. However, for producers, artisans, weavers, farmers, and craftswomen and men without a concrete understanding of these principles, rights and practices it is not possible for them to fulfill their role as Catalysts for Social Change in their communities. Simply stated, they are not empowered with an understanding of what Fair Trade is; how it is intended to benefit them and their communities; or the rationale for introducing ethical business practices. For Fair Trade to be ensured throughout the supply chain, producers must be brought into the fold.

But to integrate a Rights-Based Approach seems a near impossible task when admittedly, there is a low level of awareness amongst the artisans, weavers, farmers, and craftswomen and men engaged in Fair Trade. This must change if Fair Trade is to be sustainable well into the future! 

The first issue to be addressed is to inquire as to why a low level of awareness exists amongst those whom Fair Trade is intended to benefit.

As I wrote in January of 2011, Upon initiating this Journey for Fair Trade I had an email correspondence with Rodney North, the “Answer Man” of Equal Exchange. For over two decades this organization has been empowering farmers and producers through fairly traded coffee, tea, bananas and chocolate. He wrote of their experience in relation to my travels; “for what it’s worth – in our 24 yrs in the Fair Trade movement we’ve found that, by & large, individual farmers who are members of co-ops that export Fair Trade coffee or tea or sugar often have very little awareness of Fair Trade, and that this actually makes sense upon closer inspection. Conversely the professional staff of those same co-ops (the managers & other paid staff who process, market, export the coffee etc or do quality control and have regular contact with foreign buyers) often know much more about Fair Trade (as well about the other certification schemes their co-op uses – Rainforest Alliance, UTZ, Ethical Tea Partnership, etc).

This lack of awareness by the co-op members will be lowest when their co-op only sells a small portion of its production to Fair Trade buyers and will be higher – usually – if the co-op sells a lot to Fair Trade buyers. Other variables will be how long the co-op has been selling to the Fair Trade market, how much of a price difference those Fair Trade sales make, and how much direct contact the co-op members have w/ Fair Trade buyers. E.g. at a very remote/unvisited co-op the farmers/workers will generally have that much less awareness of Fair Trade.

To help increase the level of awareness of Fair Trade amongst coffee farmers in Guatemala we’ve given two grants to a non-profit, Cultural Survival, in recent years to produce radio programs on Fair Trade (& other topics) to be broadcast in multiple languages across a network of micro-radio stations in that country. To our knowledge this is a rare effort. 

I have to admit that before and during the Journey for Fair Trade, I encountered the same obstacles Rodney North listed and generally for the same reasons. However, this is inexcusable. 

Fair Trade cannot be a northern concept for northern markets – it has to be localized in the local communities of southern markets if Fair Trade is to be sustainable, and to do that requires a concerted and unified effort with the producers!

Look at this from the perspective of utilizing the established Principles:

Principle 1: Creating Opportunities for Economically Disadvantaged Producers.

Poverty reduction through trade forms a key part of the organization's aims. The organization supports marginalized small producers, whether these are independent family businesses, or grouped in associations or co-operatives. It seeks to enable them to move from income insecurity and poverty to economic self-sufficiency and ownership. The organization has a plan of action to carry this out. 

My question here is simple: 

Unless the producers comprehend the cornerstones of Fair Trade, how are they enabled to move to economic self-sufficiency? Change can only occur when Fair Trade producers are empowered to bring change locally.

To empower producers they must have full knowledge of Fair Trade principles, understand their rights, and able to implement ethical business practices. However, for many producer groups there needs to be a well planned, comprehensive training program provided to facilitate this empowerment process.  

But who is responsible to sponsor or provide a training program in Fair Trade principles for producers?

Principle 4: Fair Trading Practices states, “The organization maintains long term relationships based on solidarity, trust and mutual respect that contribute to the promotion and growth of Fair Trade.”

Understandably, long-term relationships which contribute to the expansion of Fair Trade must include Capacity Building of trade partners. 

Principle 8: Providing Capacity Building states, “Organizations working directly with small producers develop specific activities to help these producers improve their management skills, production capabilities and access to markets local / regional / international / Fair Trade and mainstream as appropriate. Organizations which buy Fair Trade products through Fair Trade intermediaries in the South assist these organizations to develop their capacity to support the marginalized producer groups that they work with."

Clearly the onus for ensuring producers are empowered through knowledge of Fair Trade is on their trade partners: importers, buyers, wholesalers and retailers all share this responsibility!!! 

For producers Fair Trade is a partnership, not a charity. It is the responsibility of Fair Trade importers, wholesalers, buyers, and retailers to provide for the development of producer groups in order that they are empowered, self-sufficient trade partners capable of conducting international trade in ways which are beneficial to them and their community free from any form of exploitation! 

However, simply emailing a copy of the ten principles of Fair Trade in their language is not fulfilling the requirement to conduct, sponsor or facilitate a well planned, comprehensive training program. More needs to be included.... much more if Fair Trade is to be sustainable. Remember, our trade partners are coming from disadvantaged communities and for many the concepts embraced in Fair Trade are not only new and unfamiliar, but in some cases may be very foreign. The same goes for common business practices in a community.

In rural communities where many of the world's Fair Trade producers reside, I have found that local government officials are influential in establishing a social norm through their actions. For example, in localities where government corruption is a major impediment to national development, the concepts of Transparency and Accountability can be viewed as a threat and needs to be explained clearly and able to convey why this is important in Fair Trade.  

With the responsibility of providing capacity building clearly established in our shared Fair Trade Principles, the next question is: What does in mean to integrate a Rights-Based Approach? This will be the subject of the next blog post...

Mitch Teberg, MA 

International Consultant

Sustainable Development / Fair Trade

Researcher / Trainer / Consultant 

For those who prefer reading black on white, here is the downloadable version of this post on pdf: 

A Rights-Based Approach to Fair Trade - The Onus of Responsibility

Check out World Fair Trade Day 2011: Official Events Site

Join the Celebration on Saturday, May 14th! 

Fair Trade is a Social Movement for Global Trade Justice 

Fair Trade is an ethical business model designed to empower disadvantaged and marginalized communities around the world. 

Fair Trade is free from exploitation; based on respect for Universal Human Rights, Women's Rights, Child Rights, Labour Rights, Migrant Rights, and the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; and incorporates environmentally sound practices.  

Check out the World Fair Trade Day 2011: Official Events Site