GLC Week in the Sunshine State!

From Monday 18^th to Thursday 21^st May, QLD had GLC week and VGen members had the opportunity to volunteer at the conventions and meet many Vision Groups who attended with their school delegations. We were sharing the VGroup love from the Sunny Coast down to the Gold Coast! The GLCs were a great way to kick off the global food crisis and everyone enjoyed the workshops and loved our international speaker from Kenya, Alex. Thanks to the flooding and terrible weather we had to cancel the Gold Coast GLC but gained much interest in Vision Groups from the Sunny Coast and Brisbane conventions. Our Coolum SHS VGroup even held a fundraiser BBQ for World Vision at the Sunshine Coast GLC, warming us all up on a cold and wet day. The Gold Coast GLC has since been rescheduled so watch this space!

Ipswich Girls Grammar School- fair trade bonanza in QLD!

The Ippie Girls Grammar VGroup held their Fair Trade Picnic on Sunday 17^th May and it was a huge success! The all gal group held their picnic at the park opposite their school and had 50 people attend, a mixture of school students, families and community members. They held a BBQ, handed out samples of fair trade chocolate and chatted to community members about the importance of purchasing ethically and raised $350 on the day for VGen and World Vision. The group had some fun as well and ran a soccer game using a fair trade soccer ball and held sack races amongst other things.

Ferny Grove SHS and Fair Trade Fortnight

This group, led by a former Trek delegate and long term VGen QLD member Tahlia Hays, also held a Fair Trade Picnic despite the flooding that caused their school to become somewhat of an island surrounded by swampland (aka their flooded oval). The group held their picnic in their school hall and had about 20 students attend, where they spoke about fair trade and where you can purchase it in Brisbane- sharing a range of fair trade chocolate baked goods of course! One of the Vision Group members also had the opportunity to speak with the group’s local MP member Geoff Wilson earlier that day about what their Vision Group is up to. Some teachers attended their picnic also.

Time to get ethical at QLD's National Stir Session

Ethical consumerism was the topic of the day when VGen QLD held its National Stir Session on Tuesday evening, 5^th May at the University of Queensland. The forum was a collaborative event between the national VGen team and the University of Queensland Vision Group and was a success, with 60 people attending. The audience was a mixture of university and high school students and some of the QLD Vision Groups came along to get educated and knowledged up about Don’t Trade Lives and fair trade- just in time for Fair Trade Fortnight! With some great guest speakers including Susan Mizrahi (head of the Don’t Trade Lives campaign), Alana Smith (VGen’s National Director) and some local fair trade retailers, we had some great feedback from the night and sparked some attention with the University of Queensland Radio who want to follow us up with an interview about the campaign and about the importance of consuming ethically.

Wallabies Star Spreads Fairtrade Message in WA

On the 13th of May Volunteers from World Vision and Dave Pocock from the Wallabies headed to Lake Joondalup Baptist College to get the word out there about Fairtrade products.

'Dave joined a group of year 12 students to take on the teachers in a game of touch rugby that finished in a 2 all draw. The game was played with a Fairtrade ball which Dave signed and was then donated to the school.

During a break in the game Alyce interviewed Dave and asked him why he bought Fairtrade products such as chocolate. He gave a moving response about our responsibilities as first world consumers and encouraged kids to think about the bigger world picture when purchasing products made outside of Australia.

Throughout the game Fairtrade chocolate was given out and students were asked to think about Fairtrade sporting equipment in their school and why it is necessary for us to do our bit to put an end to sweat shop production in Asian countries.

The next step in the school is for students to ask their teachers to purchase Fairtrade sporting equipment and for the school to become a Fairtrade school.'

Alyce in WA



While Dave was helping spread the Fairtrade message to schools, the Murdoch Uni Vision Group was spreading the Fairtrade message to fellow students!


'On Thursday, the 23rd of April we, Murdoch's Vision Generation Group, held our second stall at the Social Justice Market Day. Our stall focused on spreading awareness and educating other fellow university students in regards to Fairtrade products and Ethical Consumerism with faith that soon enough Murdoch will become completely Fairtrade. Our aim is for cafes to switch to Fairtrade products and eventually sports teams, dance teams and other teams to use Etiko Fairtrade equipment (soccer balls) and clothing. Many people signed our petition to stop child labour and have a Fairtrade Murdoch and sampled some Fairtrade chocolate, we were also able to expand our Vision Generation Group. All in all it was a great day of fun!'

Ash in WA

Killara High School's VGEN Forum puts their pollies on the spot!

Maths, Science and ... Human Trafficking


Killara High School was honoured with the opportunity to host NSW’s first Vision Generation Sydney Region Schools Forum on Thursday 30th of April. The event had over 230 students participate from Killara High School and 13 other schools in the Sydney Region.
The forum centred around World Vision‘s ‘Don’t Trade Lives’ campaign, raising issues with the participating students about the modern slave trade and how they could become young advocates against it.


A focus of the day was a political discussion panel, which featured Mr O’Farrell - MP for Ku-ring-gai and Opposition Leader, Dr Nelson - MP for Bradfield and Cr Keays - Ku-ring-gai councillor for the Gordon Ward. This facilitated discussion amongst the politicians about slavery in our world and the intrinsic part each of us can play in it. The politicians actively engaged in conversation about ethical consumerism and the actions they planned to take in their communities to promote the Fair Trade movement.


The day also included a host of inspiring guest speakers, including Tim Costello (CEO of World Vision Australia), Natasha Lewis (Director of Organic Trader) and Scott Sanders (2008 World Vision Youth Ambassador). Afterwards, the students actively brainstormed ways they could empower their peers through taking the raised issues back to their schools and getting active, whether it be by starting up a Vision Group or holding a Fair Trade Fortnight event.


This forum combined the commendable leadership and initiative of the Killara High School Vision Group with a host of informative speakers, lively discussion and a passionate atmosphere, achieving a truly successful event and one to remember.


Thank you to all the students, Vgen and World Vision Staff who made the day and forum possible and enjoyable for all participants.


Drew McIntosh (Yr 11) – KHS Vision Generation Leader

Fair trade Fortnight...and ethical netball

The fortnight we have all been waiting for has finally arrived! Fair trade Fortnight, a 2 week period designed to promote awareness of ethical consumerism began this weekend. I'm celebrating this week by packing my bags and heading to Adelaide and Brisbane to meet with VGenners and attend their STIR sessions on ethical consumerism. I can't wait! VGenners across the country have been running events and initiatives in their community to raise awareness of ethical consumerism and human trafficking - the successes of the campaign indicate that local action by VGenners across Australia is having a positive impact - and therefore there really are glimmers of hope from the grassroots in regards to the Don't Trade Lives campaign!

I've been working with my Vision Group (which consists of some of

my best mates who I happen to play netball with) on Fair-trading the supply chain at our local netball association. You may recall that we approached them late last year about ordering their next lot of netballs from Etiko, a company that specialises in fair trade balls. They agreed!! The official launch of the Etiko balls was last night - and the netball ladies were not only impressed with the ethics behind the balls, but the balls' ability to bounce! Apparently these balls have great grip too. haha I must ring Etiko and let them know!!

Did you know that your local council could be part of the fair trade campaign too? You may have met with your local federal MP already - but have you contacted your council? I hadn't until just recently...and after being inspired by the efforts of VGenners in Adelaide and Sydney to fair trade their councils, I was very inspired! Check out the Fair Trade Association to find out how you can influence your council to be part of the campaign. I'm only just beginning to meet with councillors...but so far, so good!!

There have been some very exciting developments as far as World Vision's Don't Trade Lives campaign is concerned. Susan Mizrahi, the campaign leader for the Don’t Trade Lives campaign said that many of these recent developments can be attributed both directly and indirectly to the committed and ongoing campaign efforts of VGen/World Vision campaigners….

Rainforest Alliance with Mars - your favourite chocolate bar is getting ethical!
Like Fairtrade certification, Rainforest Alliance has a "do not harm" philosophy and certifies against child labour. Fairtrade is a stronger scheme as it pays farmers a premium for their commodity and uses democratic structures, like cooperatives, to empower the farmers. Still, we classify Rainforest Alliance certified chocolate as "ethical chocolate" so it's a very positive development. Check it out here.

Coles & Cocolo
In early April, Cocolo advised that Coles have requested stock of Cocolo Fairtrade Chocolate for all their stores. With Coles being the only retail member of the CMA and a target of the DTL campaign in recent months, this is excellent news! Coles will stock two varieties in all 750 stores and four varieties in 400 of its stores. For a small Fairtrade company like Cocolo, this is a massive deal and one which they seek to meet by May/June 2009. Cocolo attributed Coles’ decision directly to the DTL campaign.

Cadbury Australia (update)
Cadbury Australia has been sending out the message that "it’s a matter of when and not if" they will transition their products here to the Fairtrade system.

City of Adelaide – fair trade council!
Adelaide City Council has become the first Fairtrade Council in South Australia and the first Capital City Council in Australia to officially embrace Fairtrade principals as a direct result of lobbying through the Don't Trade Lives campaign.

What is your story? Share with everyone your fair trade story!

cheers,

Alana @ VGen HQ