Aberfoyle Park High VGen’s “Fair-trade Forum”

Vision Generation gives young Aussies the tools and resources to be able to educate and empower their local communities. Aberfoyle Park High VGenners decided to pass on that feeling of motivation and empowerment to their local community in SA by hosting a “Fair-trade Forum” enlightened about the ins and outs of the Fair-trade issue.

April 7^th brought with it four amazing speakers to the Southern Adelaide community. Kieran Johnson, World Vision Youth Rep, kicked things off with an easy to understand explanation of Fair-trade Policy and the importance of Fair versus Free trade. Dr. Bob Such, State Member of Parliament for Fisher, continued with some reflections about labelling and how we should demand to be told what goes into our products so that we can make ethical and informed choices as consumers. Jamie Briggs, Federal MP for Mayo, implored the group to see the merit in Free trade before Martyn Smith, owner of Fair-trade Café, The Difference Coffeehouse, concluded with a brilliant analogy of human beings’ innate desire to help out those in need. He explained with beautiful clarity that human beings are essentially really generous; when they understand a specific need, an inbuilt response to give selflessly is unleashed, just as we saw after the bushfires when Australians appeared as though they couldn’t get enough of giving. He explained that this innate desire to meet a need that spurred him and wife, Anne, on to begin their very own educational coffeehouse. For fair trading and the abolishment of poverty and injustice to be achieved in our lifetimes we need to really hone in on the idea of ‘empowerment through education’, making sure that our communities understand the need for companies to switch to Fair-trade certification and the important role we have in that process as consumers. That is the objective of the Smith’s inspiring business, just as it was the aim of the community forum.

The forum was attended by students, members of our Brighton High School VGen ‘sister’ group, teachers, and general community members alike who all responded positively - lapping up the Don’t Trade Lives resources and the aromatic Fair-trade coffee we had brewing.

The event was so successful that discussions about another, bigger and better forum have already taken place with feedback duly noted. Aberfoyle Park High School’s Vision Generation group is really starting to build momentum with plans to make the school Fair-trade, as well as surrounding churches already in action and now thanks to the beauty of the internet, Aberfoyle VGen is forging bonds with the Sydney Uni VGen folk via the ‘5,000 for Fair Trade Chocolate Photo Petition.’

Watch this space, Aberfoyle VGen is a force to be reckoned with – join us ‘coz we’re cookin’ with gas!

By Ashlee Randell