Action Briefing Apr 2005 - May 2005
	The Newsletter of Birmingham Friends of the Earth

Green Trade Justice

The first ever Global Week of Action for Trade Justice runs from 10th-16th April this year. Ten million people in eighty countries are expected to take part, calling on politicians to respect the rights of poor countries to pursue on trade policies which help them end poverty and protect their environment.

On Monday 11th April, Birmingham Trade Justice Movement held a mock 'wedding' where guests pelted the bride and groom with rice as they left the Birmingham Cathedral. Traditionally, throwing rice at newly weds is a way of wishing the couple happiness and prosperity, but TJM were using it to highlight the practice of agricultural dumping. The action coincided with the release of an Oxfam paper, 'Kicking Down the Door', which uses the example of rice to illustrate the effects of unfair trade rules on poor countries.

Friends of the Earth will be promoting the concept of 'green trade justice' and inviting the public to ‘turn Peter Mandelson green' at the Wake Up to Trade Justice Vigil on Friday 15th April, Methodist Central Hall, London (the Birmingham vigil will be at St. Michael's Church, Moor Street, 7.30pm).

Mandelson, who is on record as saying that environmental and social considerations should only be taken into account in trade policy if they bolster competitiveness, has been dogged by protesters ever since his appointment to the position of the EU Trade Commissioner in November 2004. The former Labour minister has drawn fire from development and environmental campaigners recently for his championing of a controversial set of regional economic partnership agreements (EPAs) currently being negotiated with the 77 developing countries that make up the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) bloc.

For more information about the Global Week of Action and the Wake Up to Trade Justice Vigil, visit www.april2005.org and www.tjm.org.uk/wakeup/ respectively.

James Botham

Take Action

Everyone has the right to be able to feed their families, make a decent living and have their environment protected. Friends of the Earth is campaigning for new trade rules that rebalance global trade in favour of local communities and the environment. Tell the Prime Minister that Peter Mandelson must incorporate social and environmental concerns in the development of EU trade policy - take action at www.foe.co.uk/campaigns/global_trade/press_for_change/trade_justice/index.html