‘Be an Agent for Change’
Fair Trade is an agent for change. It is a vehicle to the positive changes we want to see in the world: social justice, sustainable development and economy, and decent livelihoods for the communities, especially in the South.
From 2015 until 2017, WFTO developed an overarching theme for World Fair Trade Day celebrations: ‘Be an Agent for Change’
Download theme rationale and ideas for WFTDay events and products.
Rationale:
Be is an invitation for participation in the day and not a strident demand for attention. It is not an instruction.
The dictionary defines an agent as a person or thing that takes an active role or produces a specified effect - the doer of an action. Agentcan be an individual - a consumer, a producer, a lobbyist, an event organiser. An agent can also be a company, a retailer, a community, a town. Importantly an agent can also be a product - a shawl or a bag of coffee for example - and this should be addressed in the communications as these ‘agents’ can play a critical role in raising awareness of the issues and providing a solution through the product itself.
Agent for and not of change. An important distinction - for means the agent can support change, and throughout their actions encourage change but they are not themselves the change.
Positive change in livelihoods of producers, in attitudes of consumers, in trade policies, in the approach of business and retailers.
About the World Fair Trade Day
The World Fair Trade Day, started since 2001 by WFTO members, is an initiative of WFTO that falls on the second Saturday of May of each year. It is an inclusive worldwide festival of events celebrating Fair Trade as a tangible contribution to the fight against poverty and exploitation, climate change and the economic crises that has the greatest impact on the world’s most vulnerable populations. Trade must benefit the most vulnerable and deliver sustainable livelihoods by developing opportunities for small and disadvantaged producers. Millions of producers and traders, businesses and policy-makers, supporting organizations and volunteers have contributed to the substantial growth of Fair Trade globally.
Support Fair Trade. Join the celebration. Organise a Fair Trade event in your community.
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