As part of Article 13’s United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) and Millennium Development Goal (MDG) commitment to respect ‘human rights’ (principle 1) and contribute to the ‘alleviation of poverty and Hunger’ (MDG 1) we have chosen Care International as a regional charity that we would like to support. Our strategy is driven by one of our 12 KPIs for our 2009 UNGC commitments, which is as follows:

• Target 1: Donate our annual donation to an organisation working towards poverty alleviation (charity to be decided as a team).

• Target 2: Make a difference to one poverty stricken region and assist in access to basic necessities.

Who is Care International:

Care International’s ‘mission is to create lasting change in poor communities and put money where it is needed most: more than 90 pence in every pound goes towards our poverty-fighting programmes. That’s one of the highest rates among all the UK aid agencies’.

 Article 13 Actions:

Article 13 will give (through an established CARE project) a range of different ‘gifts’ which cover different areas in an aim to target those who need the ‘gifts’ most. Article 13 will receive a detailed explanation of where the ‘gifts’ have gone and towards what project goals. By donating a range of ‘gifts’ we could provide a range of support covering education, health, education, human rights, and others. This would also allow us control over what and how much we support over a period of time, in-keeping with our aim as well as in collaboration with CARE.

 A small selection of Article 13 resources includes:

• Poverty, governance and individual action

Article 13 case studies:

• Centrica: HELP programme

• Diageo plc: A long standing commitment to Tomorrow’s People 

For more information please contact Fiona Banyard on fionab@article13.com or call 020 8840 4450. Please also see Article 13’s website www.article13.com

The proposed takeover of
Cadbury’s by Kraft could be a setback for human rights campaigners
according to Ethical Consumer magazine. Cadbury’s has recently adopted
the Fairtrade standard across its high profile Dairy Milk chocolate
range. Kraft foods has however hitched its wagon to the less stringent
Rainforest Alliance ethical certification scheme, with some Kenco
coffees already bearing the mark.

According to Rob Harrison, editor of the magazine, “whilst
both schemes offer genuine assurances to consumers concerned about
human rights in their supply chains, it is widely accepted amongst
campaigners that the Fairtrade standard is more demanding. Perhaps the
key difference is that the Fairtrade mark sets minimum acceptable
prices for its agricultural commodities. This can make a substantial
difference to endemic poverty in producer communities.

Ethical Consumer’s ethiscore website also gives companies a
score out of twenty across a much wider range of social and
environmental issues. A takeover of Cadbury’s by Kraft would see its
score fall from 5.5 to 2.5.

According to Harrison, “Both companies are large
multinationals attracting criticism from a wide range of civil society
groups, but a fall of three points in our score is probably
significant. Cadbury’s likes to talk up its Quaker heritage and claims
that this leads to a deeper understanding of its corporate social
responsibilities, but evidence of this is now slight. Kraft has also
made some significant progress on ethics since its period as part of
the Philip Morris tobacco group.

Despite this, we are concerned about the potential this
takeover has for an erosion of some of the gains made by ethical
consumers. Perhaps one day regulatory authorities looking at mergers
and acquisitions will be tasked to consider wider societal impacts when
considering approval for major takeovers of this kind.”

For more information call Rob Harrison on 0161 226 2929

Dartington Schumacher College is an international centre for
education, demonstration and thought leadership in sustainability. We are
seeking to make this new appointment to enable us to address more effectively
the urgent imperatives of climate change, economic crisis and social upheaval.

Living Classroom Educator (part time)

£23,000 (pro rata) – Initially fixed term one year post 0.5

To develop and support the integration of innovative and
sustainable land practices into the learning experience of students and
participants at the college.

For more information, visit www.dartington.org/jobs
or call 01803 847021.

Closing date for all applications: 12noon, Wednesday, 18 May 2009.

Dartington Hall Trust is striving to be an equal opportunities
employer.

BURMA
VJ

REPORTING FROM A CLOSED COUNTRY

Premiere
date: July 14^th

Release
date: July 17^th

Directed
by acclaimed filmmaker Anders Østergaard, this award winning,
powerful and shocking documentary provides a unique glimpse into life
on the streets of Burma’s capital – Rangoon. The vast majority of
the film consists of illegal footage using concealed cameras. “Burma
VJ – Reporting from a Closed Country”,
reveals this hidden world, seen through the eyes of the undercover
VJs (Video Journalists) who document everyday life under a military
regime.

Filmed
over a number of days, the VJs by chance end up recording the
appalling treatment of the Burmese citizens and monks – which
caused a global uproar, after their peaceful protests resulted in
violent opposition by their government.

The
Burmese VJs risk torture, imprisonment and even death in their quest
to report honestly what is going on in their closed country. The
material in this film has been made possible through illegal
smuggling and broadcast to international media (whom the government
accuses of lying) and into Burma via satellite.

The
film not only exposes the threat the government faces from the camera
wielding VJs but also the day-to-day hardships faced by the Burmese.

Independent
film distributor Dogwoof has teamed up with The Co-operative to
release Burma VJ in the UK. Paul Monaghan, Head of Social Goals and
Sustainability, explains The Co-operative’s motivation for
supporting this film:

“People
put their lives on the line to get this footage out of Burma in the
hope that the world would take notice. News stories come and go, but
the oppression in Burma is as bad as anywhere on the planet, and we
mustn’t turn a blind eye”.

For
further information or materials on Burma VJ – Reporting From a
Closed Country, please contact Rogers & Cowan:

Alex
Sayer – asayer@rogersandcowan.com
- 020 3048 0485 or

Jenny
Innes – jinnes@rogersandcowan.com
- 020 3048 0483

For
information about The Co-operative’s involvement, please contact
Dave Smith: 0161 827 5614 or 07702 152771.

www.burmavjmovie.com

Burma
VJ – Reporting from a Closed Country will be previewed nationwide
on 14 July and released on the 17 July by Dogwoof and
The Co-operative.

Notes:

While
there are many oppressive regimes across the world, Burma presents a
combination of circumstances that makes a particularly compelling
case for action. As such, The Co-operative has been trying to keep
Burma in the public eye for a number of years. Since 2000, The
Co-operative Bank has declined to provide financial services to any
company with a significant presence in Burma. In 2005, The
Co-operative Financial Services supported the Burma Campaign UK in a
campaign that argued the case for the withdrawal from Burma of Total.
The Co-operative Travel has also delisted the country as a tourist
destination.

Firewinder® – The stunning original windlight, launches at Ecotopia.co.uk

Ecotopia announces the launch of the Firewinder -  a 100% wind-powered decorative outdoor light that magically breathes with the wind. Firewinder is an innovative outdoor light, which harnesses the power of the wind from whichever direction it blows, to create a simple yet stunning visual effect with universal appeal.

Firewinder requires no power supply or batteries, magically and elegantly transforming wind into light, enabling the abundant and free energy in the wind to be seen as an endless upward spiralling helix of light. From wind speeds of 3mph the lights begin to gently glow, and as the wind speed increases the faster the Firewinder twists and the brighter it shines, creating a pulsing mesmeric glow.

The product makes maximum use of recyclable materials, is designed for disassembly and recycling after life as a Firewinder and is available to pre-order now for £98.95 at www.ecotopia.co.uk

Fairtrade is a subject that has been extensively discussed and this article will examine some of the wider issues of ethics and organic cotton. Twenty years ago Organic cotton pioneers built their own supply chains from scratch and created a new model which was based on a concept of partnership. Farmers made a commitment to supply organically certified cotton and retailers bought at a reasonable price, because the crop had to have organic field certification to qualify for the final label on the garment a link between the farmer and consumer is established.

Farmers who have converted to organic cotton are seeing benefits in terms of their health and the environment and for the first time enjoying a closer relationship with retailers. But this relationship is now facing challenges as mainstream retailers are placing huge orders, whilst this can bring opportunities to expand and benefit farmers, it will depend upon whether the major companies continue to use the ethical and equitable trading practices set up by the pioneers who are mainly relatively small businesses.

Sometimes it pays to look behind the advertising. For example a well known high street retailer was recently having a huge marketing campaign based on their tee shirts being made from Fairtrade cotton but this did not extend to the garment manufacturing. So it is very easy to put a ‘spin’ on things with clever marketing and things are not always what they seem.

Production of cotton is a crucial part of the economy of many third world countries with millions of people dependent on it for their livelihood. Fifty years ago ‘white gold’ was seen as the great hope for developing countries but these dreams have faltered with cotton farmers barely able to make a living and in debt to pesticide suppliers. Chemically intensive cotton production and mono culture has contaminated soil and water resources and reduced fertility of the soil. Effects on the environment and workers health has been devastating. There is very little known about the chronic effects of being continually exposed to pesticides. It has been suggested that deaths as a result are underestimated as few workers have access to medical diagnosis and treatment.

Only over about the last twenty years have the social, environmental and health impacts of cotton begun to be considered. This is due to the complexities of the supply chain for conventionally grown cotton which makes it difficult for consumers to be aware of the beginnings of the chain. We have now been made aware of the issues faced by traders who buy from spinning mills who deal with traders worldwide. Fibres are blended and are not traceable to their point of origin. In the case of organic cotton the fibre needs to be separate from conventional cotton fibre and cannot therefore enter the same supply chain. With conventional cotton there is such a long chain of buyers and manufacturers clothing retailers shop around for the cheapest fabric and the growers at the end of the chain are squeezed to the maximum so that the price of their product falls. They see the only way forward as increasing their yield with increased use of chemicals; eventually pests begin to develop resistance and the yield decreases. American and European subsidies push the price down even further and this way third world countries are kept poor and in debt to the Agrochemical giants who maintain a healthy profit.

Benefits of organic cotton to the environment and growers are well documented but what is not so often recognized is the fairer supply chain due to the work done by the organic cotton pioneers. Pioneering cotton companies have also undertaken to share the risks which are daunting. Agriculture is subject to forces which we are not able to control in terms of adverse weather and climate. There is no safety net for third world cotton farmers and banks that see them as high risk charge exorbitant interest rates for loans and overdrafts. Pre financing by arranging input advances during the growing is a central aspect of a Fair trading model.

Now that the high street giants have seen the marketing potential of organic cotton there are new challenges to be faced. Will these giants continue with the trading standards set up by the organic cotton pioneers or will they expect to continue with the practices they have always imposed on their suppliers such as making them wait 90 days for payment? It is imperative that they set up new ways of working and do not rely on their size and power to impose unfair conditions. It is also important that they continue to uphold the pre finance support, listen to what farmers say and understand and develop the principles of the organic agricultural model. It is critical to fair and ethical practice that we continue to have clarity throughout the supply chain.

By Linda Sones, Sones UK

Britain’s coffee and tea drinkers have been alerted today their cuppas could be under threat. The warning from the UK’s leading Fairtrade company, Cafédirect, comes after G8 leaders ignored the plight of smallholder farmers in developing countries this week.

"Climate change is threatening the livelihoods of these farmers now, but, instead of making sure there is funding and support available for them, the G8 leaders passed the buck," said Wolfgang Weinmann, the head of Cafédirect’s Producer Partnership Programme, which invests 60% of the company’s profits directly into the businesses and communities of its farmers.

The G8’s final communiqué failed to deliver real, much needed help for smallholder farmers to adapt to climate change. Instead the leaders called on the private sector, governments in developing countries, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, multi-lateral development banks, and development agencies to act.

"Unless the world’s richest countries take more responsibility for people who are being effected by climate change today, the British cuppa may be a thing of the past", Mr Weinmann said. "Erratic weather conditions are causing serious problems for our farmers across Africa and Latin America."

To date G8 members have pledged just US$6 billion to adaptation, yet the United Nations Development Programme said rich countries needed to transfer

$US86 billion to poor countries to help adapt to climate change and "prevent post-2015 reversals in human development".

Willington Wamayeye, Managing Director of Cafédirect’s coffee partner Gumutindo Coffee Co-operative in Uganda, said: "The coffee plants are badly affected – flowering is stopping. Last year alone we lost about 40% of our coffee production because of climate change. As a result our people struggle for everything ? food is getting more expensive and key food crops, like bananas, are being threatened as well. I have seen some crops completely wiped out."

"Fighting climate change and poverty go hand-in-hand, and it was good to see the G8 leaders acknowledged this publically, but urgent action is needed now and that is why Cafédirect is pioneering work to help smallholder farmers adapt to their already rapidly changing climate," Mr Weinmann said.

"We’ve teamed up with the German Technical Cooperation and several of our grower partners to develop farmers’ capabilities for coping with the impacts and risks of climate change and improve their access to financial and technical support. Farmers have ideas about how to cope with climate change, and many are working to protect their environment and adapt. But overall there remains a lack of financial and technical support to put these ideas into practice – a situation the world’s richest countries have the power to change.

The UK wind industry gave an enthusiastic welcome to today’s publication of the Renewable Energy Strategy (RES) by Prime Minister, Gordon Brown. The ambitious target of generating 15% of all the UK’s energy from renewables by 2020 means that 35-40% of electricity will have to come from green sources.  The lion’s share of those renewables will have to be wind, some 33GW of capacity, delivering over £60billion of investment and creating 160,000 green collar jobs.

Maria McCaffery, BWEA Chief Executive said "The measures outlined today could transform the UK’s energy supply, with wind leading the way. This could be a routemap for a green energy revolution" However, she added "Time is running out to take real action on climate change and to plug the UK’s looming energy gap – only swift action to unblock the planning regime and fix the grid will allow us to reach the targets on time."

BWEA welcomes the series of measures in the RES designed to tackle the issues that are currently threatening to prevent the needed expansion of large scale wind energy generation. Specifically the RES proposes to:

Introduce new binding regional targets for the delivery of local renewable energy schemes.

• Initiate action to upgrade the ageing national grid network to allow for the speedy connection of new wind farms.
• Extend the life of the Renewables Obligation, the support system that guarantees a long term market for renewable energy.
• Support measures to resolve a range of aviation issues currently holding up determinations of wind farm applications in the planning system.

The strategy will provide fresh impetus to the industry’s investment plans, with 19GW worth of schemes already in the system at one stage or another of development, including nearly 7GW either already approved or actually under construction. Industry analysis of wind schemes already within the system shows that by 2013 installed wind capacity should overtake installed nuclear capacity in the UK with over 8.5GW operational. By 2015 there will be 6GW of wind operational offshore alone. From 2015 onwards the next generation of offshore wind farms will start to become operational delivering up to 20GW of offshore wind schemes by 2020.

The strategy also highlighted the economic potential of expanded wind power, with a new Government study accompanying the strategy indicating that 160,000 new green collar manufacturing jobs would be created by having 33GW of offshore wind.

McCaffery commented "Government and industry now need to work together to ensure that the majority of these new jobs are based in the UK."

She added "getting this strategy has been a hard won victory for the wind industry but at last the Government has woken up to the potential represented by renewables. This is a big step forward -" she further commented "The Government is saying ‘Yes to wind’ and we give the strategy a thumbs-up, however words will not be enough – now we have to deliver this strategy with decisive action.

Panorama puts Primark’s claims that it can deliver cheap, fast fashion without breaking ethical guidelines to the test. Posing as industry buyers in India, the programme’s reporter Tom Heap and his team find some of India’s poorest people working long, gruelling hours on Primark clothes in slum workshops and refugee camps far away from the Primark approved and inspected factories; breaking promises on child labour, working hours and wages. When presented with the results of the investigation Primark sacked 3 suppliers and announced it was setting up a children’s foundation.
Primark said it was unaware of the actions of its suppliers. They say they represent a tiny proportion of their supply chain and that its reinforcing its stringent ethical standards in meetings with suppliers. Primark statement released June 16th 2008 below:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/18_06_08_primark.pdf

Their direct response to the Panorama programme will be on the Panorama
website after the programme airs on BBC1: http://www.bbc.co.uk/panorama

Our Ethical Network has been set up by EJ member Ethical Weddings to give ethical businesses in the Brighton & Hove area (and a bit beyond!) the chance to get together for a chinwag, to spread ethical love and maybe stumble across some mutually beneficial business opportunities at the same time…

Ethical Junction have joined together with Our Ethical Network to create the most inspiring, useful, informative and active network for you that we possibly can.  The next event planned is at The Lord Nelson, 26 Trafalgar Street, Brighton on Wednesday 23 July and will be an informal get-together, a chance to meet some new and old faces, share ideas and advice, and generally support each other in developing a more ethical way of doing business.  

Come and join us for an evening of ethical business networking… and general mingling with some good local Harveys ales to wash it all down!  All you need to do is confirm that you can make the event and turn up on the night!  To register go to – www.ethicalnetwork.eventbrite.com  or email katie@ethicalweddings.com.