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THE FAIR TRADE ISSUE ONE person: Lo Chi Kin Fair Trade in Hong Kong: just 0.1% Mainland China: iFAIR What is a cup of coffee worth in Taiwan?

Fair Trade in the Schools

• ONE PERSON Lo Chi Kin Lo Chi Kin wants to make Hong Kong a Fair Trade city and to end poverty in the world. The newly elected Chairperson of Oxfam Hong Kong discusses Fair Trade, his 17 years with the agency, and his student years, on HK$7 a day.

• Just 0.1% in Hong Kong Trade is an everyday business in Hong Kong, and Fair Trade is expanding fast.

What would happen if Fair Trade constituted just 0.1% of food sales?

• iFAIR in Mainland China Fair Trade is starting from zero, says iFAIR. The Shanghai-based NGO views this as an opportunity, as a lot of space for the imagination.

• What is a cup of coffee worth in Taiwan?

The first café to serve Fair Trade certified coffee in Taiwan does not have a price for it. At ökogreen, people pay what they believe it is worth.

• In the Schools The world is not fair!’ and ‘we can make a difference!’ At Ho Tung and King George V schools, students are empowering themselves.

• And more...

- The UN Climate Change Summit in New York - The G20 in Pittsburgh - Where does Hong Kong get its water?

- CHINAVOICES

At the Fair Trade Pavilion, Hong Kong Food Expo 2009, with (left to right) Constantina Koliou, Consul General, Greece; Miranda Yip, of Oxfam Hong Kong; and Vigneswaran Kandiah, of Ceylon Organic Spice Exports (third from left) At a meeting with village representatives and Oxfam Hong Kong colleagues, Guizhou, China, 2007

Lo Chi Kin Lo Chi Kin at his office

As a member of Oxfam Hong

Besides, leveraging its strong consumer

poverty in the world!

came when I entered the University of

Kong Council for the past 17 years, I

power, Hong Kong can be a hub for

One of the strategic goals for the

Hong Kong in 1976. [He went on to

have been learning from the agency

promoting development of Fair Trade

current agency strategic plan (2007-

earn his Ph.D. at the London School of

the relationship between Fair Trade

producer communities in the region.

12) is to become one of the most

Economics and Political Sciences.]

and poverty alleviation. In early 2008,

C.K. Lo & S. Lam Ltd., the public

influential international development

I was determined not to use money

Miranda Yip [the policy officer who

affairs firm which I co-founded in 1994

and relief agencies in China. I hope

from the family anymore, and because

handles Fair Trade advocacy for Oxfam

and where I am Managing Director,

that Oxfam Hong Kong can achieve

of active involvement in the student

Hong Kong] gave a presentation to

has joined Fair Trade Workplace

this goal, if not in this strategic plan,

movement, I did not have time to earn

the Council on how Oxfam works on

Societ y, as have a couple of our

then in the next.

money from part-time jobs. So I had to

Fair Trade and on the overall situation

associated companies. We took part in

To become an influential agency

rely on loans from Government and

of the movement in Hong Kong; this

activities during Fair Trade Week 2009

in China is not only for China's sake.

modest savings from some scholarship

inspired me to think that there would

in May, and in August, I also attended

Oxfam Hong Kong should contribute

money earned in the secondary school

be good potential for bringing Fair

the Fair Trade Pavilion at the Hong

to the international Oxfam family

stage. That gave me on average HK$7

Trade to the mainstream corporate

Kong Food Expo.

by adding a major voice and sharing

a day to survive. I still don't know how

Fair Trade Workplace Society has

invaluable experience from the largest

I managed.

Then I became involved in a Fair

been steadily spreading the message

developing country in the world,

Trade of fice projec t initiated by

around in the corporate world. This is

China.

Fair Trade Hong Kong (FTHK). The

a long journey, but the awareness of

In 2007, Council members and

management is to focus on a few key

project later evolved into Fair Trade

Fair Trade in the corporate world in

I travelled to project sites in the

things at any point of time, have fewer

Workplace Society, formally launched

Hong Kong is definitely higher today

southwest China province of Guizhou.

meetings, and delegate tasks.

on 10 May 2008, the World Fair Trade

as compared to one year ago.

We met a number of villagers about a

sector in Hong Kong.

Day. By the end of 2008, I joined the

Oxfam Hong Kong is a key player in

new school project in the village. The

Board of FTHK, and I am also the Chair

the Fair Trade movement. I see Oxfam

villagers are members of a committee

of Fair Trade Workplace Society.

Hong Kong as a pro-poor, global,

formed to supervise the project. They

just, passionate and participatory

were all male! Culture takes a long

organisation.

time to change.

My long term vision of the Fair Trade movement in Hong Kong is to transform it into a mainstream

The vision of the agency remains

I have been lucky. While my family

consumer movement and that Hong

the same, even though I am the new

was always tight on money when I

Kong will become a Fair Trade city in

Chairperson. The vision of Oxfam

was young, I never lived in absolute

due course, on the model of London.

Hong Kong is of course the end of

poverty. Money wise, my toughest days

N owa day s , i t i s tim e I n e e d to mana g e. M y a d v i ce o n tim e

L o C h i K i n , P h . D . , J P (盧子健博士) , w a s elected Chairperson of the Council, Oxfam Hong Kong’s major governance body, at the Council Meeting of Oxfam Hong Kong on 19 September 2009. “C. K.” Lo joined the Council in 1992 and succeeds Tse Kam Keung, who served for two three-year terms. C.K. sits on the board/council of at least five organisations, governmental and non-governmental (Oxfam Hong Kong, Fair Trade Hong Kong, Hong Kong Council of Social Service, Hong Kong Policy Research Institute and the Advisory Council on Food and Environmental Hygiene).

He was in conversation with Madeleine Marie Slavick, editor of O.N.E.

O.N.E October 2009

Hong Kong

IN HONG KONG, WE JUST NEED

By Leung Puifung

0.1%

Five years ago, few people knew

There was daily media coverage

T he impac t la s te d. Re s earch

A recent feasibility study by Oxfam

the meaning of Fair Trade, even

about trade issues. Hong Kong learned

conducted by AC Nielsen in August

Hong Kong indicates that if Fair Trade

though Hong Kong is a huge trading

more about the plight of impoverished

2006 indicated that 73 per cent of the

constituted 0.1 per cent of food sales in

centre, with world-class shipping and

farmers and workers around the

public knew of Fair Trade. I have been

Hong Kong, it would represent HK$120

import-export infrastructure. Then,

world. We empathised with the

involved in the trade justice movement

million per year – a significant increase

in December 2005, Hong Kong hosted

rice farmers from South Korea who

for eight years now, and I can say that

from the HK$8.4 million generated in

the World Trade Organization’s Sixth

demonstrated for better trade policy

nowadays, I only need a few minutes

2006/07. If every household purchased

Ministerial Conference, and it was if

right in our streets. Everybody was

to present the concept. In 2002, it

one item a month at an average price

a revolution had begun. In a matter

talking about trade, fair or unfair.

took me about an hour to explain it,

of HK$25, this would mean HK$300

of days, people’s awareness had

(Contrast that with an Oxfam Hong

and then there were a lot of debates

million per year.

changed.

Kong survey two months before the

about its validity.

WTO Conference: 92 per cent of the population did not know what would

FAIR TRADE, GLOBALLY

be discussed at the talks.)

FAIR TRADE IN HONG KONG

• More than 1 million farmers and workers make a good, sustainable living through Fair Trade

• 110 outlets/cafes sell/serve Fair Trade – there were only about 30 outlets in 2005

• About 2,700 companies are licensed to use the Fairtrade Certification Mark

• About 260 products available – there were only about 25 in 2005

• Annual sales grew an average of 40% from 2004-2007

• New brands have been developed to meet the Hong Kong market

• Cotton and tea sales doubled from 2007 to 2008

• The non-profit alliance Fair Trade Hong Kong has 15 partners • Fair Trade Workplace Society, primarily for corporations, has 27 members • Hong Kong Food Expo 2008 and 2009 featured Fair Trade suppliers

Anthony Wong and At17 performing for Fair Trade Week 2009

FigTree International co-founder Ross Li (right) with a child in Rwanda / Courtesy of FigTree

O.N.E October 2009

The grow th of the movement

I am optimistic! Already, three

Beijing, Singapore and Taiwan, all of

is not just due to concerns about

large supermarkets stock Fair Trade.

which are strong consumer markets,

the inef fec tual W TO system and

ThreeSix t y, Hong Kong’s largest

and all of which are Chinese-speaking.

ba sic human right s . I t i s ab ou t

organic and natural food store, offers

Hong Kong also has links to Fair Trade

the environment, food safety and

the widest range and puts the Fair

producers around A sia. Yes, the

the economic system, too. In the

Trade certification mark right on

movement has had a great start, and

financial crisis, which has had many

the price information strip along the

there is still a long way we can go.

repercussions in Hong Kong, issues

shelves. Park’n Shop stocks more than

Everyone can be part of it – NGOs

of sustainability have come to the

it has in the past, and Wellcome sells it

and fair traders can join Fair Trade

forefront – people are seeing that if

at selected shops. Marks and Spencer’s

Hong Kong and corporations can join

someone has been winning, someone

stocks Fair Trade cotton items as well

the Fair Trade Workplace Society.

else is losing.

as food items. Fair Trade coffee is at

(Both groups were set up in 2008 – see

many cafes, including at the biggest

www.fairtradehk.org.) Educational

chains, Starbucks and Pacific Coffee.

institutions can look out for the

The social enterprise I co-founded,

new Bring Fair Trade to your School

FAIRTASTE, roasts our coffee right

programme, being developed by Fair Trade Hong Kong, Oxfam and others as I type this article.

To me, everyone gets their share in Fair Trade. Consumers have access to safe, healthy and high-quality products. Farmers and workers earn

Craig AuYeung cooking rice and spices in olive oil, all Fair Trade ingredients

a liveable and sustainable income in

Ye t , a s Fair Tra d e d evelo p s ,

here in Hong Kong, and packages it

a safe work setting. Intermediaries

expectations need to be kept in check.

here too; we are also looking into

and retailers practise corporate social

To me, Fair Trade is no different from

importing Fair Trade ingredients and

responsibility. Natural resources are

any other new product: it takes time to

making new products locally.

not polluted or depleted.

build up visibility, especially since most

Right now, the price of Fair Trade

Yes, we have achieved a lot since

fair traders have very small budgets.

products in Hong Kong is not the

that major kick-start of the 2005 WTO

Look at the organic food movement

most competitive, mainly due to

meeting. The past two months alone

which has been active for about 20

the scale of operations. We need to

have been furiously busy. Fair traders

years; finally, we are seeing more of

build up sales before we can enjoy

exhibited their products at the Hong

the products now. These movements

the full economy of scale. Also, most

Kong Food Expo, Fair Circle opened

are no longer only about how ‘fair’

products now are foreign brands and

a new shop, Pacific Coffee launched

and ‘right’ they are. Fair Trade is an

are shipped around the world. To

a new expresso, Towngas hosted a

ethical movement, yes, but it needs

avoid excessive transportation and to

celebrity cooking event with Fair

to be practical to survive. It is trade,

reduce carbon emissions, it is practical

Trade ingredients, and weekend after

after all, and business questions need

to develop more products regionally,

weekend, Fair-and-Healthy meets the

to be sorted out, the customer base

if not locally. Hong Kong is in a unique

public at fairs. FigTree International

sustained, the suppliers reliable and

position. It has close links to Shanghai,

also set up their trading platform here

etcetera.

this year. To mark the Mid-Autumn Festival on 3 October, and to celebrate Christmas, there are many special

For a full list of products and suppliers in Hong Kong, please visit: www.fairtradehk.org

offers, just like in any business.

Leung Puifung (second from left) with Chinese trade negotiators in Geneva in 2004. Leung is chairperson of Fair Trade Hong Kong and cofounder of FAIRTASTE, (www.fairtaste.org).

A former colleague of Oxfam Hong Kong, she advocated pro-poor trade policy at the Wo r l d Tr a d e O r g a n i z a t i o n M i n i s t e r i a l Conferences in Mexico (2003) and in Hong Kong (2005), and in 2004, was based in Beijing as part of the Make Trade Fair campaign ( w w w. m a k e t r a d e f a i r. c o m ) . S h e w a s i n conversation with Madeleine Marie Slavick, editor of O.N.E.

Students at a Fair Trade football game organised by Oxfam Hong Kong

Hong Kong

O.N.E October 2009

I started my career as a public relations consultant, mostly with businesses around The Bund Center and Xintiandi, in Shanghai. Yet, whatever work I might do, what I want remains the same: I want to enjoy it.

Two years ago, in 2007, I joined iMART, a trade fair which promotes original and innovative de sign.

Through this platform, some of the top artists and designers around China – most of them are young and independent – display their creations to a huge number of potential buyers.

The fair is held in more than ten cities across China. iMART found that however good

FaIr TraDe IN MaINlaND CHINA There are four tea producers with certification from FLO (Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International, the main standards and certification body), and one producer in the FLO category of nuts, oilseeds, soybeans and pulses. The first FLO-certified group, Dazhangshan Organic Tea Farmer Association, supplies to both FAIRTASTE and Fair Circle in Hong Kong.

Threads of Yunnan is the first member of World Fair Trade Organisation in mainland China. (O.N.E profiled the group here.) (link to http://www.oxfam.org.hk/one//200805/index.html) Threads of Yunnan supplies handicrafts to Hong Kong through Crossroads International.

INBAR (International Network of Bamboo and Rattan) is also a WFTO member, and maybe iFAIR will be the third.

the design might be, the orders were usually too small for most factories to accept. So, we needed to find our

profit groups while promoting Fair

should not only care about good

own production teams. We wanted

Trade. We also sell the goods at two

design, quality and practicality, but

a win-win situation. We had the

shops, but by August 2010, we plan to

also care about the individuals who

idea to contract the work to poorer,

be at 50 shops. We are ambitious!

make the products.

di s a d va n t a g e d wo r ke r s a ro u n d

At HAUS, a shop in Guangzhou, we

Price is our biggest obstacle.

China who had the skills, but not

sell handicrafts. At The Green Room in

People usually want to buy the least

the opportunity. We shared the idea

Suzhou, we sell products from various

expensive product, but because iFAIR

with someone we know at Non-Profit

non-profit groups in Guizhou, Henan

wants to make sure that workers are

Incubator, a Pudong-based group that

and Sichuan, such as Fire Phoenix,

paid properly, the price must not

provides critical support to NGOs,

Qiangxiu, Unconstrained Art and

be low.

social enterprises and alternative

Xingeng. The Green Room is mostly

As I said, we are ambitious: iFAIR

entrepreneurships in China.

a coffee shop, and it serves Fair Trade

wants to be the first fully mainland-

coffee, of course.

owned organisation with the WFTO

NPI said that we wanted to do is very similar to Fair Trade. That was

iFAIR also tries to promote designers

my first introduction to the concept.

to use Fair Trade materials. There are

In May 2009, I came to Hong

Over time, we learned more and

efforts in Shanxi and Xinjiang, two big

Kong for the World Fair Trade Day

more about it. One useful resource

cotton producing provinces, to have

activities which Fair Trade Hong Kong

was Oxfam Hong Kong’s Fair Trade

their cotton certified as Fair Trade.

helped coordinate. There is a bigger

Resources Kit, which is easy to read

Some iFAIR designers are already

movement there than here, and I think

and on-line. iMART realised that we

sourcing cotton from Shanxi.

one reason is that many celebrities join

These lips, designed by a Shanghai-based designer named Liu Yu and sewn by workers in Sichuan through a non-profit group called Fire Phoenix, will hold a mobile telephone / Courtesy of iFAIR

(World Fair Trade Organisation).

really believed in the Fair Trade system,

Most iFAIR customers in China are

the cause. We are trying to generate

in ‘Trade, not Aid’, and in August

young, well-educated professionals.

this support too. One success is that

2008, we set up iFAIR, which is now

They like handicrafts. I have to say

May 2009 edition of City Pictorial

registered as a non-profit organisation

that most of them have no idea about

magazine ran a 20-page profile of Fair

with the Bureau of Civil Affairs. We are

Fair Trade! It's still very new here on

Trade and iFAIR.

based in Jing’an district of Shanghai.

the mainland! So, we are more or less

iFAIR also marked World Fair Trade

B a s i c a l l y, i FA I R f i n d s s a l e s

starting from zero. This means that

Day 2009. We invited people to write

opportunities within China for non-

there is a lot of room for growth and

their ideas about trade right in a public

imagination. iFAIR is trying to make

square in Shanghai, and about 5,000

Fair Trade be the new mainstream

people came by. We want to make the

way in mainland China: that customers

event even bigger in 2010.

China

The Green Room in Suzhou sells IFAIR products and serves FAIRTASTE coffee from Hong Kong / Courtesy of The Green Room

iFAIR founder, Liu Qiongxiong (in black), with handicrafts producers and customers at HAUS, a shop in Guangzhou / Courtesy of iFAIR

Chen Lecong (second from right) is the Director General of iFAIR China (www.iFAIRchina.org).

Here, Chen and her iFAIR colleagues are in front of a panel covered with what the Shanghai public thinks about Fair Trade. Take a look at this short video (http://v.youku.com/ v_show/id_XOTMzMjY4Mjg=.html). Chen was in conversation with Madeleine Marie Slavick, editor of O.N.E.

O.N.E October 2009

ÖKOGREEN IN TAIWAN: WHat Is a CUp COFFee WORTH ?

Hsu Wenyen

There are no beautiful decorations,

the lack of Chinese-language materials

only cosy furniture, and if you walk

on Fair Trade hampered people’s

by too quickly, you may not notice

awareness, so in 2006 he and his

a coffee shop at all. Yet, despite its

friends started to take steps to bring

unassuming nature, ökogreen has

the movement closer to home. They

created a milestone in the ethical

began by translating Fair Trade-related

consumption movement: the café

entries in Wikipedia into Chinese and

serves Taiwan’s first and only coffee

designing a website to take the

certified as Fair Trade by the world’s

Fair Trade message beyond physical

leading certification body, Fairtrade

borders. They were hoping that

Labelling Organization International,

products bearing Chinese labels would

or FLO for short. Another unique

soon become available in Taiwan. Hsu

feature is that at this café, it is the

took a further step: applying for the

customer who decides what to pay.

International Fairtrade Certification

NT$1,500 (about US$45) for a cup of

Gambia and other African countries to

Mark from FLO. The application

coffee, others only NT$20 (US$0.60).

climb the world’s tallest building, Taipei

process turned out to be a long one.

They say that people who pay too

101, and perform. The international

much or too little usually do not come

day also coincided with Photographic

to the café again.

Exhibition of World News, at which

Hsu Wenyen and Karen Yu, the founders and managers of ökogreen,

ökogreen coffee shop in Taipei /Courtesy of ökogreen

feel they are not just selling coffee,

While waiting for certification,

but an ideology, a way of life. The

Wenyen and Karen researched and

coffee shop is drawing ‘pilgrims’

read every book and academic thesis

“Almost every item in the market

singer-songwriter Sandee Chan

from everywhere – its ten seats are

available in Taiwan about coffee, and

has a price tag. While the consumer

recorded a video on Fair Trade. The

almost always taken, there is plenty

they tested the market. Finally, in 2007,

and retailer continue to play the game

venue – a leading bookshop called Eslite

of spirited conversation, and people

they obtained the certification, but

of bargaining and cut-throat pricing,

– was jam-packed. Both celebrations

seem genuinely satisfied. Wenyen

it was just the beginning of another

it is the producer and the land that

drew a lot of attention and raised a lot

and Karen, also partners in their

challenge : their market research

usually suffer,” Wenyen says.

of awareness about Fair Trade.

personal lives, spend a lot of their time

had indicated that the vast majority

In 2008, Wenyen and Karen gave

Ever since the coffee shop opened,

discussing and promoting the concept

of Taiwanese had hardly heard of

more than fifty talks on Fair Trade

the two founders have not received

of Fair Trade. ökogreen is more than

Fair Trade.

around Taiwan. Visibility started to

any salary, yet they have received huge

a coffee shop, a Taiwanese netizen

To make some noise, they made

grow. In just a year’s time, ökogreen

amounts of joy and satisfaction. They

has said, “it is a social movement”.

the daring move of not fixing their

ranked among the Top 30 coffee shops

feel their efforts to help others have

As a movement, and as a business,

prices. When a customer asks ‘how

in Taipei, and the Global Chinese Blog

been worthwhile: like the autumn

ökogreen has faced all kinds of

much’, they have the chance to talk

Awards named ökogreen as the Best

breeze, Fair Trade is slowly blowing

obstacles.

with their customers and get them to

Enterprise/Organisation.

across the Taiwanese market. Just

Wenyen was first exposed to

think about the relationship between

For World Fair Trade Day 2009,

recently, for instance, the National

Fair Trade in 2003, when he was

price and value. Some customers pay

ökogreen invited drummers from

Museum of Natural Science, the

studying environmental sociology in

National Mu s eum of Taiwane s e

the U.K. After returning to Taiwan, he

Literature and the Panda House Café

learned more about the movement, with a view of promoting ethical consumption and helping lowerincome farmers in Taiwan at the same time, through Fair Trade. Hsu felt that

Taiwan

Fair Trade in Taiwan

at the Taipei Zoo all started to supply ökogreen’s Fair Trade coffee.

Their network now extends from

There are three main players in the Fair Trade movement in Taiwan: ökogreen, Homemakers’ Union and Foundation, and EarthTree.

the north to the south of Taiwan. ökogreen also cuts across the business

Founded in 1986, Homemaker’s Union and Foundation is a 28,000-strong cooperative and consumer network that promotes green, ethical, health-conscious and Fair Trade products. In 2003, a representative visited Oxfam Hong Kong and discussed the Make Trade Fair campaign, and in 2007, they joined an Oxfam seminar on Fair Trade.

spectrum, from the import of coffee

EarthTree is a shop in Taipei that offers various Fair Trade handicrafts products, as well clothing from People Tree, a Fair Trade organisation founded in Japan.

Hsu Wenyen is a co-founder of ökogreen (www.okogreen.com.tw), with Karen Yu. In 2007, before they set up their Taipei coffee shop, they attended an Oxfam Hong Kong seminar on Fair Trade certification standards, led by representatives from FLO and the WFTO, or World Fair Trade Organization, formerly called IFAT.

beans to the roasting, from retail to wholesale, and they also offer advice on how to open a business. They are overturning all the usual ‘rules’ of Taiwan’s consumer market!

O.N.E October 2009

Hong Kong

StUDeNts + TeaCHers + SCHOOls + FaIr TraDe

By Stephanie Cheung

What did you learn from promoting

boxes. Most people did not seem to

a smaller scale. With the enthusiastic

Five student teams moved at

care, and they were even shouted at

students ready to participate again, I

lightning speed after that day and

"That the world is

by other people also trying to promote

look forward to seeing what they will

looked into the school stocking Fair

products. Yet, there were also some

do this year.

Trade products, starting with the

not fair!" exclaimed Margaret,

positive responses and those were

a Year 9 student from Ho Tung School,

encouraging.

Fair Trade, I ask.

"Student s C AN

Staff Room; they did questionnaires with students to find out what they

referring to the injustices that farmers

Did these complications deter

make a difference" was

think about Fair Trade ; and they

and workers in the developing world

them from participating further?

the response I got from Audrey, a Year

made presentations to principals and

face. She wonders why Hong Kong can

No! All three of them said they will

8 student at King George V School,

teachers for KGV to become a Fair

have good infrastructure, but many

continue participating if there are

colloquially called KGV. Her geography

Trade school. In KGV’s supportive

African countries do not. Last year,

other Fair Trade ac tivities going

class spent a day to explore the topic

environment, they were empowered

as part of her Liberal Studies subject,

on. It also made them reflect that

of Fair Trade to echo Fair Trade Week

to start this campaign from scratch.

Margaret realised that Fair Trade could

perhaps offering food tasting alone

in May. The first half was learning

In just three months, excluding the

be a tool to improve the situation. Not

is not the best way to engage the

about trade injustices, the poverty of

summer holidays, Fair Trade products

only was the class taught the concepts

crowds, and they want to think of

the producers in developing countries,

were available in the Staff Room,

of Fair Trade and the injustices of the

something more interactive next time.

and that Fair Trade could be a solution.

and they had convinced much of the

current international trading system,

Man Wai and Margaret described

In the second half of the day, after a

school community about the benefits

they organised activities on and off

their experience as ‘enjoyable’ and

yummy snack of Fair Trade chocolate

of Fair Trade.

campus to raise awareness.

‘awesome’, because they learned a

cookies, they looked into turning

Aika is a KGV student on the policy

Margaret, Hoi Lam and Man Wai

lot about planning events and it was

KGV into a Fair Trade School, based

team, which is responsible for liaising

and their team decided to offer a free

fun, despite the many rejections. The

on guidelines set by the Fairtrade

with other groups to incorporate all

supply of cookies, tea and coffee,

girls also mentioned that they are not

Foundation in England.

the different elements into the KGV

all Fair Trade, to the busy crowds

as shy as before.

of Causeway Bay during Fair Trade

T h ey fe e l a s tro n g s e n s e of

Week in May 2009. (World Fair Trade

solidarity with the team and with

Day is always the second Saturday

the wider school community. They

of May, and Hong Kong extended

experienced and dealt with challenges

the celebrations into a week.) They

together, be it rude pedestrians or

thought it would be a good way to

missing necessary items for the event.

lure people in to find out more about

Their teachers and schoolmates came

Fair Trade. Yet, not everything goes

by to show support. All of this was

according to plan. First, they were

very welcomed and helped build that

missing a table that should have been

common experience.

there, so they made a make-shift one

Although Ho Tung’s full scale

out of foam board that in the end

Fair Trade programme had to be

was easier to transport. Then, they

suspended for a year due to changes in

found that it was no easy task to

the education system, the teacher-in-

engage passersby who had already

charge, Mr. Leung, said they will start

seen too many flyers and donation

a Fair Trade focus group to continue on

Schools adopt different ways of exposing students to Fair Trade, but regardless of the format, when students are asked to run events and be the managers of their own projects, they become empowered and acquire many other ‘soft skills’ such as communication and organisational skills. I find this just as important, if not more so, as having them learn about Fair Trade.

Besides, which social movement has happened without the support of youth? Oxfam Hong Kong is inspired by the fact that of the 11 schools that participated in Fair Trade Week activities back in May 2009, some of them – including Ho Tung and KGV – are continuing on with their own Fair Trade plans. Oxfam, Fair Trade Hong Kong and teachers are currently working on a ‘Bring Fair Trade to your School Programme’ to systematically promote Fair Trade in schools. We will test the Programme at a few schools this month.

Fair Trade School Policy. The biggest challenges she has faced so far have been the preparation work, getting more people to become aware of Fair Trade, and communicating well.

Stephanie Cheung campaigns for Fair Trade as a member of the Policy, Campaigns and Communications Unit of Oxfam Hong Kong.

Her connection to the agency began in 2005, when she was selected to be a Youth Campaign Partner. As part of that youth outreach programme, she studied how unfair trade was devastating rice farmers in Iloilo, Philippines.

Ho Tung School students giving away Fair Trade snacks for free / Courtesy of Ho Tung

King George V students enjoying Fair Trade snacks / Courtesy of KGV

O.N.E October 2009

OXFAM IN THE NEWS

In this edition of O.N.E, we highlight

CLIMATE CHANGE TCK, TCK, TCK - Wake Up!

the Hong Kong - ba s e d organis ation , Globalization Monitor, which we are suppor ting for a seven-month public education programme on the relationship

On 20 September, two days before

between water rights and poverty: we want

the opening of the UN Summit on

the programme to build up a movement for

Climate Change in New York, 1,200

ethical consumption, not only of water, but

people came to Central Park to create

Every day, Oxfam Hong

also of other resources.

an installation of the Earth falling

Oxfam International staged the

Kong work s alongside

There are many hidden costs to Hong

through an hourglass, and to spell

event as a creative way to call on the

hundreds of groups around

Kong’s water supply, much of which comes

out 'tck tck tck'. Time is running out to

100 heads of state at the Summit to

the world, from small NGOs

from the Dong River in southern China.

fight climate change. It is time for the

get prepared to deliver a pro-poor

to international bodies, from

world to wake up. It is time for world

climate deal when the UN meets again

govern - ment depar tment s

Many residents along the upper course of

leaders to get to work and be ready

in Copenhagen in December.

of developing countries to

to sign a fair, binding and pro-poor

Climate change is threatening the

treaty that will stop climate change

lives and the livelihoods of millions of

and stop poverty.

people around the developing world.

community groups based in

economic activities reduced or stopped.

organisations’ that we are

With the construction of a new dam and

supporting for the first time.

the further development of the bottled

Urgent action is needed to reduce

Oxfam campaign suppor ters,

greenhouse gas emissions and to help

CHINA (MAINLAND)

volunteers, and a handful of Oxfam

people on the frontlines adapt to, and

Gansu

colleagues.

survive, the crisis.

Oxfam campaigners dressed as

struggling in the recession : jobs

G20 leaders played a football game

are being cut , incomes slashed.

against poverty on 24 September,

Meanwhile, food prices remain high,

the day before the G20 Summit in

and the floods, droughts and food

Pittsburgh.

shortages linked to climate change

The score was 100:0: the economic crisis is pushing 100 people into poverty every minute.

are worsening. More than one billion people face hunger.

A giant HELP WANTED sign was

World leaders need to change

visible throughout the Summit. The

their strategy and take urgent action,

installation, measuring 100 by 50 yards

now. The world needs to win the

(91x45 metres), was created by Sarah

global fight against poverty.

Ceurvorst, a first year art student at

Developing countries are

Carnegie Mellon University.

for development, their farming and other

Hong Kong. Here are 7 ‘partner

The 1,200 people were mostly

GLOBAL POVERTY and the G20 100 to 0 – HELP WANTED!

the river have been denied opportunities

water industry, many residents have had to surrender their farmland and have been

• Poverty Alleviation and

relocated.

Shaanxi

site research with people living along the

Development Office of Liangdang County

• Poverty Alleviation and

Development Office of Chencang District, Baoji City

Sichuan

The first phase of the new project is onDongjiang River, the second is education through the internet and in the public,

• Poverty Alleviation Office of Langzhong City • Poverty Alleviation Office of

and the third is Hong Kong Water Forum,

Yunnan

org.hk) is an activist organisation comprised

Chaotian County, Guangyuan Prefecture

• Kunming Relief Station HONG KONG • Globalization Monitor VIETNAM • Dak Nong Province District Management Team

to coincide with World Water Day 2010 (22 March).

Globalization Monitor (www.globalmon. of people involved in the trade union, environmental and women’s movements. It raises awareness about the adverse effects of globalisation and works towards a fair distribution of social resources.

Oxfam Books

OXFAM BOOKS, OXFAM VOICES Oxfam Hong Kong’s forthcoming book is titled CHINA VOICES, which will look at poverty and inequity in Mainland China, through the experiences of women, farmers, migrant workers, ethnic minorities, young people, elderly people and NGO workers.

The book follows on PHOTO VOICES: Shenzhen Workers Speak, published in Chinese in 2004, and in English in 2005. Twenty migrant workers, mostly in their twenties and thirties, were provided an automatic camera and basic photographic training. The book presents their writing and their images.

Please visit www.oxfam.org.hk/public/bookstore/

MOKUNG

ONE

Oxfam Hong Kong publishes this bi-monthly magazine in Traditional Chinese. Mokung,

O.N.E – Oxfam News E-magazine – is uploaded monthly at www.oxfam.org.hk/one.

which means both "no poverty" and "infinity", highlights a different aspect of development

To receive a copy in your inbox, please subscribe – it is FREE.

in each issue. The Editor is Tung Tsz-kwan. The August edition was on farming and alternative

To subscribe: www.oxfam.org.hk/one/subscribe.html

community development planning and development in Hong Kong. The October edition will focus on youth unemployment and the minimum wage.

To subscribe: www.oxfam.org.hk/public/bookstore/?lang=big5 Mokung is online at www.oxfam.org.hk/public/contents/category?cid=1017&lang=big5

www.oxfam.org.hk Hong Kong

O.N.E (Oxfam News E-magazine) is published monthly by Oxfam Hong Kong, 17th Floor, China United Centre, 28 Marble Road, North Point, Hong Kong. The publisher does not necessarily endorse views expressed by contributors. For permission to reprint articles, please contact us; normally, we grant permission provided the source is clearly acknowledged. O.N.E is available free to all, in both an HTML and PDF version, and in Chinese and English.

Oxfam Hong Kong 17th Floor, 28 Marble Road, Northpoint, Hong Kong O.N.E is also on-line: www.oxfam.org.hk/one Editor: Madeleine Marie Slavick (emagazine@oxfam.org.hk)