09 20 er ob ct O
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)