Pants To Poverty

Could anyone in the NGO world please tell us which of the mercenaries behind Make Poverty History has initiated this?

It says that it is the 'student group' of Make Poverty History - Oxfam?

Ok, so it is a fair trade product - great. But the whole thing smacks once again of the NGO industry creating its own branded goods to sell to keep their own turnover going and keep lots of v nice middle class people in ethical jobs while NOTHING is done about the actual world trade system. Niche-based fair trade consumerism does not make poverty history and it doesn't challenge that system - it becomes a fashion item just like any other with its own market. You can't have fair trade and capitalism. They are complete opposites.

This is the deluded crap that OXFAM and others continually spout to their own enrichment and increased power - people, please stop jumping on their white band-wagons and get involved with Pan-African campaigners in the UK who are making genuine attempts to get their voices and solutions heard.

OK so where do I go? Is there a website?

Yes, please tell people how to get involved with Pan-African campaigners in the UK? Rant if you will but unless you help people find that connection it’ll not be very productive. Also, outline the solutions you allude to. Are they so very different to what Northern NGOs are campaigning for in the UK? And which ones do not work with UK NGOs at present already? Then Indymedia readers can make a judgement. Yes, you are absolutely right, African voices are not heard enough in the UK in relation to trade.

The NGO ‘industry’ in the UK is doing a great deal of work about the ‘actual’ world trade system (see a recent quote from an African trade negotiator below on what he thinks about that). A lot of NGOs work fairly closely with African campaign groups in various countries.

Who is arguing that ‘niche-based fair trade consumerism’ will make poverty history? NGOs, trade unions and other campaign groups, including fair trade organisations, do not make that case. They acknowledge that we need Trade Justice. Make Poverty History set out this case – check the 2005 manifesto trade demands (all based on what African groups were asking UK campaign groups to take forward in Europe). NGOs simply posit that Fairtrade shows that trade can be a means out of poverty. The British public have supported that. So much so that 5 million marginalised producers and their families gain. Yet they and millions more still remain at the mercy of unfair trade rules. That’s why we should be both buying Fairtrade products and campaigning for Trade Justice, not free trade. Fairtrade is often a first step for people who then taking political action directed at government(s).

This pants stunt was not an NGO initiative. It was volunteers. Good luck to them for getting off their fair trade pants-covered arses. The same weekend NGOs were active too, campaigning against what is going on at the WTO, and that African voices were being ignored. Check out the communications from Oxfam, WDM, ActionAid, CAFOD, Friends of the Earth and others:

London trade talks end without breakthrough (12 March 2006)
 http://www.foeeurope.org/press/2006/AW_12_March_london.htm
Africa left out in the cold on trade talks (10 March 2006)
 http://www.cafod.org.uk/news_and_events/news/africa_left_out_2006_03_10
Oxfam calls on UK government to drive a trade deal that works for the poor (9 March 2006)  http://www.oxfam.org.uk/press/releases/wto_london090306.htm
Hopes dwindling for trade deal that helps poor people (9 March 2006)  http://www.maketradefair.com/en/index.php?file=wto_pr24.htm
Campaigners condemn secret London trade talks (9 March 2006)
 http://www.waronwant.org/?lid=11748
Make trade fair - not fixed (9 March 2006)  http://www.actionaid.org.uk/100340/make_trade_fair___not_fixed.html
London trade talks will offer nothing for world's poor (9 March 2006)  http://www.wdm.org.uk/news/presrel/current/g6talks.htm
Trade ministers must not sell out world's poorest people (8 March 2006)  http://www.actionaid.org.uk/100335/trade_ministers_must_not_sell_out_worlds_poorest_people.html
'Stand firm' trade call to Lula (7 March 2006)  http://www.actionaid.org.uk/100334/stand_firm_trade_call_to_lula.html

“We have to engage at the WTO but not at any cost… In Hong Kong we ended up with the G110. The message was a political statement – 110 countries out of 149 at the WTO were saying 'No'. We too have learned to play politics at that level. Before, we used to shy away from it because we were the poor countries who were are asking for things but now we don't shy away from it, because public opinion is with us.
We would never have been able to bring this to the attention of the world had it not been for the Oxfams, the Christian Aids, the Make Poverty History and Trade Justice movements, all of that, because we don't have the capacity to finance a global campaign. But the campaigns brought it to the attention of the countries that matter.
It's not easy, but without that support we are absolutely weak and all our work would come to zero for us, because we don't have the clout.”
Dipak Patel, Zambian Minister of Commerce, Trade & Industry is the chair of the World Trade Organisation's (WTO) Least Developed Country Group.

"But the whole thing smacks once again of the NGO industry creating its own branded goods to sell to keep their own turnover going and keep lots of v nice middle class people in ethical jobs while NOTHING is done about the actual world trade system."

Yeah well sorry mate, but this is a STUNT to draw attention to the issues. It's also a small volunteer based ethical fair trade outfit that makes pants, again to draw attention to the issues of trade and the problems with it, while supporting some cotton growers and campaigning in the fashion industry.

Yep sure its a frivolous stunt, but it has a serious message. No one claims this will solve all the problems. But it's setting up an ethical direct link between workers abroad and the clothing industry and showing people look, these are the problems - trying to educate people in this country about the problems their consumerism causes in other countries.

This was also part of Fairtrade Fortnight awareness raising - there have been dozens of fairtrade / ethical charity shows up and down the country, it's not just growers but sweatshop labour conditions tied up in this. Some have added a more eco message by holding recycled fashion shows. Sure the fashion industry is pretty disgusting, but the textile industy is one with a major impact globally - anything people do to raise awareness of the problems gets a thumbs up from me.

I'm pissed off with many of the major charities and NGOs for their whole G8 campaign, but like the war with iraq many members and workers in those organisations now listen when you say 'told you so'. Still not holding my breath for a radical stance shift though - at least some are more radical than others.

Thought this demo rather contradictory. I went along to give support, but did not strip down. Like the other young women ,I felt somewhat nervous at displaying my body to sell a product, like underwear, be it fair-trade or not. The women were pressurised by the men who also seemed a bit nervous, and the whole thing, though well meaning seemed to defeat the point, somewhat. Sex to sell anything is exploitation not liberation. If you are not part of the solution to that one, then you are part of the problem, are you not?

The photographers were sympathetic but amused rather then impressed by the demo. The event also presented the photoshop experts with a field day for abuse of the women who were photographed. Photos can be airbrushed these days.

So I would suggest you think again before doing another stunt like that, as the connection to any art installations was completely lost on me, and any onlookers, who all found it highly amusing without knowing what it was about at all. One tourist even asked me where the beach was?