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Making all trade Fair Trade - Simultaneous Policy forum

Mike Brady | 09.02.2004 12:33 | Globalisation | Cambridge

Event: The Diamond, Selwyn College, 7.30 pm Friday 13 February
As part of Cambridge University students’ One World Week, a group with links to the town is discussing how an international campaign could make all trade Fair Trade. The Simultaneous Policy campaign brings together people around the world to develop policies to tackle global problems, such as the unfair trading system.

Simultaneous Policy Adopters use their votes to compel politicians to support the policy package and to pledge to implement it alongside other governments. This is the latest of a series of events being organised by the Cambridge Simultaneous Policy Adopters Group (CAMSPAG) in the build up to the European Parliament elections in June. The Simultaneous Policy campaign gives those disillusioned with voting a reason to do so.

The policy forum will take place at The Diamond, Selywn College, Grange Road, Cambridge from 7.30 pm on Friday 13 February.

Speakers are:

* John Bunzl, director of the International Simultaneous Policy Organisation.
* Francis Irving, from the Cambridge Fair Trade City Initiative
* Mike Brady, coordinator of the Cambridge Simultaneous Policy Adopters Group (CAMSPAG)

With music from the Sagar Quartet.

The policy forum will address the following questions:

* What is the Simultaneous Policy Campaign?
* What are the Fair Trade criteria and the Cambridge Fair Trade City Initiative?
* Should SP require all companies to abide by Fair Trade criteria?
* How would this be enforced and what would the implications be?

Jon Galton, who coordinates CAMSPAG-students, said: "It's great that there is already such a lot of interest in Fair Trade in the university. Now its time to open people's eyes to the Simultaneous Policy."

For further information contact Jon Galton on 07732 571685 or Mike Brady on 07986 736179.

CAMPAG website  http://spdev.gn.apc.org/

Note: Half of the people in the world are trying to survive on an income of less than £1.10 per day. At the same time transnational coffee companies are paying less than cost price for coffee beans. Nestlé reportedly makes 26% profit on its processed coffee (reference: Food Inc. UK Food Group, 2003). Fair Trade criteria include a guarantee of a living income to producers.

Mike Brady
- e-mail: mikebrady@babymilkaction.org
- Homepage: http://spdev.gn.apc.org/