Making Free Trade Fair
Published January 06, 2009 @ 08:45AM PT
The second round of voting for Change.org's Ideas for Change in America competition is underway and currently the top idea under the Fair Trade category is asking the Obama administration to make Free Trade Fair Trade. In order for reform to happen, Free Trade Agreements need to be re-negotiated where people and planet are considered before profit.
Fair Trade pioneers, Equal Exchange are making the same call, along with a large number of organizations asking President-elect Barack Obama to make the re-negotiation of NAFTA a top priority in his administration. Obama and Biden have already stated that the
[B]elieve that NAFTA and its potential were oversold to the American people. They will work with the leaders of Canada and Mexico to fix NAFTA so that it works for American workers.
Also stating that they
[W]ill use trade agreements to spread good labor and environmental standards around the world and stand firm against agreements like the Central American Free Trade Agreement that fail to live up to those important benchmarks.
Equal Exchange and other civil society organizations have come together and are appealing to Mr. Obama to follow up with his promises of reform.
We firmly believe that future agreements between our countries must work for the people of every country. Hence, a new model for trade that supports widely recognized international development, human rights and environmental goals is greatly needed.
Earlier in the year, these organizations came together to put forward a policy proposal called, "NAFTA Must be Renegotiated; A Proposal from North America Civil Society Networks" envisioning "new relationships between our countries that establish economic relations based on social justice within a paradigm of sustainable development.”
Now is the time to call out to the Obama Administration to show that a reform in trade policy in order to make human rights and environmental justice a top priority. Join in letting your voice be heard by voting for the idea of making Free Trade Fair Trade.
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Comments (2)
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Author
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Zarah is the Operations Manager for the Global Exchange Fair Trade Online Store, a project of the international human rights organization, Global Exchange. Alongside her work with marginalized communities from all over the world to get their products into the international market, Zarah serves to educate and inform the public about a more just and sustainable trading system.
Hi Zarah,
Two things, one important and the other just interesting.
First, the important one: Just as a note of solidarity, I wanted to say that I am spearheading a campaign in my religious organization (the United Church of Christ) to get Obama to live up to his commitment to renegotiate NAFTA. We will be voting on a resolution on that, that I wrote, at our summer national convention. I'm not a part of the 61 organizations that signed the petition and wrote the letter to him, but I support the idea and hope to work with them.
Incidentally, I'm also the sponsor of the "Coffee Project" for our churches to serve Equal Exchange's fair trade coffee at the Sunday "coffee hours" each week, which means that a gazillion gallons of fair trade coffee is now being consumed all across the country. Easiest good thing I've ever done.
Now, the interesting, but not of great importance, thing: You are the second person I have ever run across in my life with the name of Zarah. The other is my grand daughter, who is Arabic. Great name. Small world.
Best,
Stan Duncan
Posted by Stan Duncan on 01/07/2009 @ 05:22PM PT
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I'm reallly happy to hear about your support for the resolution and even more happy to hear about your "Coffee Project". The fact that Equal Exchange will be served at your church across the country is very uplifting. Way to go!
Funny to hear about the name occurrence. I've met a handful of Zarah's in my life, granted they usually spell it differently than me. My mother wanted to give me a name that started with a Z and Zarah it was. The Z's in the world need to stick together. :)
Thanks for reading, Stan and for your support for Fair Trade!
Zarah
Posted by Zarah Patriana on 01/18/2009 @ 07:52PM PT
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