United Students for Fair Trade Convergence, “Fair Trade: Taking It Forward”
University of Washington HUB, Seattle
November 7-10, 2008
About the Convergence:
The Convergence will include workshops on Fair Trade that range from Fair Trade basics to in-depth workshops on specific aspects of Fair Trade. Representatives of different companies, cooperatives, and organizations will demonstrate the various directions in which Fair Trade is expanding, and share with student activists their knowledge of different Fair Trade products, markets, producers, and logistics. Participants will also get the opportunity to actively engage in discussions about Fair Trade and how the system and movement can move forward to become more effective and powerful. These discussions will inspire and mobilize activists to be a central component of that movement forward. These discussions will focus on Fair Trade as a movement, as a solution, and how it can continue to evolve to embody these goals.
Register, and get more info here (you may attend sessions for free – payment is required for housing and meals): http://www.usft.org/convergence
Join CAGJ in tabling! Look for us in the HUB, or email: [email protected]
CAGJ wants to highlight the following two workshops!
Saturday Nov 8 2-3:45, From the Fields to the Table: Fighting for Farmworker Justice in the USA
Tomato pickers in Florida and other US states face sweatshop conditions every day, including sub-poverty wages and no right to organize. In the most extreme cases, farmworkers in the US face conditions of modern-day slavery. The Coalition of Immokalee Workers, together with its youth and student allies, has established four groundbreaking agreements to improve conditions in the fields with food retail giants Yum Brands, McDonald’s, Burger King and Whole Foods. Today, the campaign for justice continues with an eye toward sandwich chain Subway, “sustainable food” leader Chipotle, and campus foodservice providers such as Aramark and Sodexho. As young people, we have a vital role to play in this worker-led movement for dignity and justice. Come to this dynamic workshop to hear about the CIW, the Student/Farmworker Alliance, and how you can get involved. SFA is a national network of students and youth organizing in solidarity with farmworkers to eliminate sweatshop conditions and modern-day slavery in the fields. We work in partnership with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW), a membership-led organization of mostly Latino, Haitian, and Mayan low-wage workers based in Southwest Florida. ~Gerardo Reyes Chavez, Coalition of Immokolee Workers, Marc Rodriguez, Student Farmworker Alliance
Sunday 2:45-4:30, Food Sovereignty and the Future of Fair Trade
What is the meaning of food sovereignty and how it can inform the future of our movement? We will explore the intersections between Fair Trade and the emerging global call for food sovereignty. We will create a “road map” to the future of fair trade, where we develop goals together as youth leaders for advancing the fair trade movement. ~Annie Shattuck and Karie Boone, Community Agroecology Network
Hello,
I attended the USFT Convergence in Seattle. I was representing the students at the University of Idaho. I went to the Workshop for From the fields to the Table Workshop. I met with Gerardo Reyes one of the speakers and I was interested in him coming to the University of Idaho for our Annual Cesar Chavez Day on March 31st. I believe that the students would be very interested in hearing Gerardo Reye’s speech. If there is any possible way I could get his email that would be great on behalf of the College Assistance Migrant Program.
Thank You!