The aim: To show the journey of a Fairtrade product in a fun and interesting way.

• Watch the mini film example uploaded on LeedsDEC’s Facebook page www.facebook.com/LeedsDEC
• Choose a Fairtrade product to research
• Find out about the people who grow/make it. What work do they do? How does selling Fairtrade goods benefit them and their communities? How do their lives differ from people who make goods not sold on fair trade terms?
• Find out about who else is involved in bringing us the product
• Decide how you are going to tell the story of the product: puppets telling the story? A story book read out by the product? An animation?
• Do your preparation (make props, draw your pictures etc) and practice (or not in the case of the Fairtrade Yorkshire rose example!)

Record your story and upload it to Youtube (no longer than 2 minutes please!)

Send the link to Hannah@leedsdec.org.uk by Friday March 16th. The best 5 will be chosen and uploaded onto www.fairtradeyorkshire.org.uk

There will be a week for you to vote for your favourite.

The winner(s) will be presented with a Fairtrade hamper and a Fairtrade Yorkshire schools certificate.

Good luck!

Download the competition flyer (PDF).

York’s Centre for Global Education & Fairtrade Yorkshire held a North Yorkshire schools event on 24th January entitled Take A Step for Fairtrade.

Pictured here are pupils from Canon Lee School with the Lord Mayor of York, Councillor David Horton, who presented the Fairtrade Yorkshire school awards.  The event looked forward to Fairtrade Fortnight (27th February to 11th March).

Everyone is encouraged to Take A Step for Fairtrade by buying an extra Fairtrade product or asking their local shop to stock more Fairtrade goods.

You too can take a step for Fairtrade by clicking here.

The goal is to reach a target of 1.5 million steps by the end of 2012.

Karen, pictured here with the founding father of Fairtrade towns & cities, Bruce Crowther, plans to help activists throughout the county extend the Fair Trade Way across Yorkshire.

The Way will start at the Fair Trade visitor centre in the world’s first Fairtrade town of Garstang.  Centuries of enmity between ourselves and the aud enemy have been brought to an end as the hiking route will link the Lancashire town with a network of paths across Yorkshire.  Thus enabling those unfortunate enough to live on the wrong side of the Pennines to witness the paradise that is the Yorkshire countryside.

LATEST NEWS – The first part of the Yorkshire Fair Trade Way has been established linking all the Fairtrade towns in the Bradford Metropolitan District.  Click here for details on this scenic circular walking route.

Greg, pictured here with Joan Machin of Fairtrade Leeds, has already asked a question in Parliament in support of Fairtrade Yorkshire & will call on his Yorkshire colleagues to back the campaign by signing an Early Day Motion.

Fairtrade Yorkshire ran the event in conjunction with the Leeds Development Education Centre.  Gary Craig from the Wilberforce Institute gave a speech on present day child slavery, encouraging us all to ask questions about where the goods we use are made.

The pupils who took part all enjoyed the bite sized workshops, which included the making of puppets for a Fairtrade video and the up-cycling of unwanted items to create a fetching pair of flip flops (fitting with this year’s Fairtrade Fortnight theme – Take A Step).

At an event at York’s Manor School they spoke with pupils who are taking part in the Archbishop of York’s Young Leaders Award.  This was followed by a Dragons’ Den exercise with Mark, Harriet Lamb (CEO of the Fairtrade Foundation) & Wouter from Nestle as the fearsome dragons.

The 2012 Fairtrade Campaign

The York Festival of Fairtrade 2012 will take place from 27th February to 11^th March.

During the Festival there will be over a hundred events including sales, tastings and events at churches, schools, community groups and at the city’s universities.

The highlight of the Festival will be the three day York Fair Trade Market, held in partnership with City of York Council, which will take place on Friday 9^th, Saturday 10^th and Sunday 11^th March.  Parliament Street will be filled with a wide variety of colourful stalls selling Fairtrade food & drink, crafts, clothes, bags, jewellery and fashion accessories.

At the market on Saturday 10^th March there will be a day of entertainment including the infectious sound of samba and music and dancing from around the world.

The Fairtrade Foundation are running a ‘Take a Step for Fairtrade’ campaign for 2012. Read more about this – and record your steps – on their website.

Keep watching this space for more Fairtrade Fortnight events in Yorkshire!

Demand for Fairtrade Coffee is certainly rising as retailers are becoming more aware of the positive benefits that being part of this friendlier supply chain can have on the world. You can see more information on our Fairtrade Coffee here (http://www.casaespresso.co.uk/espresso-coffee/espresso-coffee-beans/).

Organised by Leeds Development Education Centre. See Education for Social Justice competition poster for more information.

Contact Lesley to register your interest – Phone: 0113 380 5657 or email: Lesley@leedsdec.org.uk
Closing date for entries is 9th December 2011

Mama Fairtrade shows her support

Mama Fairtrade, Patricia Mutangili, has given her backing to the campaign for Fairtrade Yorkshire.  On a recent visit to God’s own county, she spoke to supporters about the difference Fairtrade has made to the lives of tea farmers in Kenya.

Mama Fairtrade has earned her title because she spreads the message of Fairtrade wherever she goes.  Patricia is part of a cooperative of tea farmers who sell their tea to Ndima, which supplies tea used in the Traidcraft range.