New Trade Justice Site

February 20th, 2008

Activist Notes is a new blog to discuss issues relating to socially just and environmentally sustainable trade. Trade justice! It is coordinated by a few Canadian community organizers. Here is your invite, you obviously decide your level of involvement - read the blog, comment, write a post, affiliate, or take off…eh

At the recent Activist School of the Canadian Student Fair Trade Network, students said it would be cool to have a place to send affiliate information so a ‘map’ of the student trade justice community in Canada could be produced. Well, here is your chance…but this isn’t just for students. If you’re involved in a student or community group, NGO, union, coop, mission-based business, etc working on socially just and/or environmentally sustainable trade and want your info posted in a common e-space with a bunch of other groups from across Canada, then send whatever contact info you’re comfortable with (email address, website, phone, etc) and a BRIEF description of your group to activistnotes@gmail.com.

We’ll build the broad-based affiliate section as groups send us their info. We reserve the right to not post your info if we are uncomfortable with it as organizers.

We hope that coalitions or events or campaigns come out of this grassroots networking format. In the least, there will be some great discussions. Trade justice activists, Patrick Clark and Ian Hussey are writing a piece right now comparing and contrasting United Students for Fair Trade and United Students Against Sweatshops - the organizing styles of the groups, the messaging, etc. To quote Pat and Ian, “we hope it agitates someone and we hope they do something about it”

For now, the first post is on the garment industry and where to find just clothing. We get asked this question all the time, here is the answer. Tell us if you know of more ethical apparel groups.

We’ll be blogging every 3 - 7 days depending on the week. If you want to discuss a certain topic, then drop us a line by email or on the blog. Like, is Fair Trade fair for women? How to work in solidarity with indigenous group and not be tokenistic, and so on

As we build the blog, event listings, campaign info, etc will be posted.

The revised Ethical Purchasing Policy Action Guide of the CSFTN will be posted on the blog within a month. The basis of the revised guide will be the action guide the CSFTN e-published this past August and recent research done by two Trent University student (hi Steve and Hayley!) which include 9 case studies of various policy developments in schools across Canada. The summary, next steps and full notes from the CSFTN Activist School will be posted within a week or two.

activist notes
http://activistnotes.wordpress.com/

Entry Filed under: Ethical Trading Initiatives