Introduction

Imagine being given a gift by someone who loves you deeply. It is marked delicate & fragile' . You open it gingerly and discover planet earth and the further instructions 'Handle with care.' .............

The fragile and delicate present you have been given is not a plastic globe but the real thing!  With it is a DVD which has glorious images of the mountains, lakes, rivers, glaciers and the dazzling array of fauna and flora from the deepest seas to the highest peaks.  It also comes with a book of instructions from the Maker - The Bible - a manual on caring for the earth and all its creatures.

You browse gently through the images and towards the end you see receding glaciers dated to the 21st c. and animals - scores of them - which are marked up as likely to be extinct by 2050.  You pick up the bible and discover that every reference to the earth, the Creator, natural world, all its creatures, - creation, fall and redemption - have been highlighted, along with plentiful guidance on living lightly and justly with the earth and its people. The book is astonishingly full of highlighted passages and phrases, punctuated throughout by Sabbath rest and renewal.  The handbook has one great consistent theme - God made the world in all its splendour, power and diversity out of love.  The earth and all its creatures and humankind are bound to each other in a web of interrelationship with God. To humans God gave the responsibility to care for His created works. You close the book, gently lay down the planet, fold up the "Handle with care" paper and shut your eyes.  You feel the desolation of the planet, the pain of the natural world, and the danger to every part of the earth for if the planet suffers, we suffer and we have nowhere else to go. You know it has to be different.  You know that you are required to be involved in the change.   

Have we lost sight of ourselves as being a part of nature, part of God's creation? In our eagerness to "progress" and "develop" have we lost sight of the finite and delicate nature of the earth and humanity's place in it?  But Christ is our hope, our light into the darkness of this world.  Following Christ opens new horizons and offers alternative yardsticks to the way we live. So we return to the Instructor's manual to rediscover ways of sustainable living, to restore the balance in God's earth that we might live joyfully and simply in the garden He has lent us.

Praying and Preaching on Climate Change

Father we confess that we have been blind to how our lives impact others, and especially the poorest communities. Father, we confess that we have taken the earth for granted, using fossil fuels without a second thought and failing to recognise our part in the problem of Climate Change. Father, we turn back to you and ask you to help us to live simpler lives and to be much more careful in all the resources we use - because it is your earth.
Lord we trust that you are in charge and you can help us to change and live in a way that allows the earth to sustain life for all. Amen

The churches' calendar offes a rich variety of opportunites to bring our concern for climate change into worship. Covenant services, Rogation Sundays, Lent, Environment Day (around 5th June), Harvest Festival and One World Week are all appropriate occasions. More recently the European Christian Environmental Network -- and as of 2008 Churches Together in Britain and Ireland -- have promoted 'Creation Time' (1 September to 4 October) - as a special season to focus on creation. 

Campaigns

Many Christian organisations  are actively campaigning to raise awareness and promote action on environmental issues and especially Climate Change. Their work may take the form of rallies and petitions or may involve helping churches to grapple with scientific issues or to pray about the environment.

Latest Campaign Actions

CAFOD ("Create a climate for justice" -- contribute your "flower" to a garden of messages on climate change)

Christian Aid ("Tell Brown and Obama to go to Copenhagen")

Operation Noah (Ark Campaign -- see description below)

Tearfund ("Come on, Darling!" campaign on finance to help poor countries adapt to climate change)

Upcoming Campaigning Events

16 to 18 October: Stand Up and Take Action

This year's annual Stand-Up will have a joint poverty and climate-change theme. Participants will be asked not only to stand in solidarity with millions around the world, but also to work to persuade MPs of the need for urgent action on poverty and climate issues.

5 December: The Wave

Catch it! Join thousands of people in prayer and action just before Copenhagen. There will be an ecumenical service at 11:00 in Westminster Central Hall.  And then "The Wave," from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm. Organised by the Stop Climate Chaos coalition.

If you live in Oxfordshire, there's a meeting on 3 September to think for people to think about how they could get involved with these events. Want to come? Contact CCOW!   

Christian Organisations Working on Environmental and Climate Issues

A Rocha  is an international conservation organisation working to care for God's world. A Rocha incorporates a variety of subsidiary programmes, including Climate Stewards , which can help offset carbon emissions through projects managed by A Rocha partners, and Eco-Congregations (see below).  A member of Stop Climate Chaos, it also makes a strong contribution to churches' work by preparing resources for Environment Sunday each year.

CAFOD launched its "Climate Justice" campaign in March 2009. The campaign calls for a climate-change deal that puts the poorest at its heart by supporting developing countries' rights to sustainable development, funding adaptation, enabling technology to be transferred, and tackling emissions (with a 40% cut in developed countries by 2020). CAFOD is campaigning as part of an international consortium of Catholic agencies; you can read messages from people in many different countries on the main Climate Justice campaign page.

Christian Aid is campaigning for a fair and just deal at Copenhagen through its Countdown to Copenhagen campaign. On the "Countdown" page, you can take the "Countdown" pledge, and find out more about Christian Aid's work pressing for climate justice, the theology behind the campaign, and how Christian Aid is helping communities in developing countries to adapt to the impacts of climate change. 

Christian Ecology Link (CEL) campaigns for a greener church and a greener world.  It is a multi-denominational UK organisation that supports Christians from all traditions who wish to demonstrate their care for the environment. CEL offers a range of publications,  including ‘Green Christian’ magazine and several topic leaflets. One of its best known programmes is the "LOAF" campaign, which asks Christians to eat  local, organic, animal friendly, and fairly-traded food.  CEL has an email newsletter which is good way of keeping abreast of news, events and opportunities for prayer and action.

The John Ray Initiative (JRI) is an educational charity with a vision to bring together scientific and Christian understandings of the environment in a way that can be widely communicated and lead Christians to effective action as responsible stewards. JRI holds conferences that explore issues in depth and has a series of briefing papers about key issues that are free to download from their website.

Operation Noah is a Christian campaign focused exclusively on climate change. Its Ark Campaign has already engaged thousands of people across the country in building arks of all shapes and sizes in order to send a Climate Change message to Gordon Brown. The Arks have a serious message: Operation Noah is calling for 90% cuts in UK emissions by 2030 and a global framework for reducing emissions from the power sector by 2020 by at least one-third compared with the level of emissions from this sector in 2005.

Progressio's roots for environmental work lie in its background in community development and particularly its work with poor rural communities who are deeply at risk from climate change and environmental degradation. As a member of Live Simply and Stop Climate Chaos, Progressio offers resources for both theological reflection and campaigning action on climate.

SPEAK is a prayer and campaigns network for students and young people concerned about global injustice. Its climate campaigning pages offer information and an action postcard. Great for student and youth groups.

Tearfund asks its supporters to speak out, change their lifestyles and pray about climate and other environmental issues. Their most recent Climate Change campaign action, "Come on, Darling!" asks the Treasury to urge Europe to "pay up" the funds that developing countries need to adapt to the impacts of climate change.

Resources on Climate Change

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Some Books to Read

Policy, Science, Lifestyle Change and Theology: Books with a Christian Perspective

A Moral Climate: The Ethics of Global Warming. Michael Northcott, Christian Aid/DLT, 2007. 

Caring for Creation: Biblical and theological perspectives. Edited by Sarah Tillett, forward by John Stott - contributors include: Eugene Peterson, John Houghton, Sam Berry, Chris Wright. A valuable contribution that links theology and practical work.

Cherishing the Earth: How to Care for God's Creation. Margot and Martin Hodson, Lion 2008.  An engaging look at the theology and practice of creation care.

Christianity, Climate Change and Sustainable Living. Nick Spencer and Robert White, SPCK 2007.  A thorough look by two experts at the realities of climate change, Biblical teaching on sustainability, and how Christians might implement those teachings in a time of global warming.

Eggs and Ashes. Ruth Burgess and Chris Polhill, Wild Goose Publications 2004. Focuses on the environment over the weeks of Lent, with beautiful prayers, hymns and ideas.

Global Warming: The challenge to all of us. Sean McDonagh, Columbia Press, 2007. A good description of climate change and its predicted impacts, together with a call for leadership from the Catholic Church in response to the impending crisis.

How Many Lightbulbs Does It Take to Change a Christian? and Don't Stop at the Lights! Leading Your Church through a Changing Climate. Claire Foster and David Shreeve, Church House Publishing, 2007 and 2008.  "Lightbulbs" offers hints for small changes that can make a difference;"Don't Stop" takes the message further and encourages churches to engage wholeheartedly in response to climate change.

Jesus and the Earth. James Jones, SPCK 2003. James Jones scans the New Testament for new insights on the links between Jesus and Creation.

Planetwise: Dare to Care for God's World. Dave Bookless, IVP, 2008.

When Enough Is Enough: A Christian Framework for Environmental Sustainability. Ed R J Berry, IVP, 2007. Experts from a wide range of fields examine the concept of sustainability. Contributors include Sir John Houghton, Donald Hay, Sir Ghillean Prance, Dave Bookless, Margot Hodson, John Wibberley, Sir Brian Heap and Flavio Comin.

Policy, Science and Lifestyle Change

The Economics of Climate Change: The Stern Review. Sir Nicholas Stern, CUP, 2007. "Costs" the impact of taking action -- or not doing so -- on climate change. Highly influential.

Heat: How We Can Stop the Planet Burning. George Monbiot, Penguin, 2007. How could we cut emissions by 90% by 2030? Monbiot offers some potential answers. Passionate and principled.

How to Live a Low-Carbon Life: The Individuals Guide to Stopping Climate Change. Chris Goodall, Earthscan, 2007. Practical, challenging, thorough . . . and fun. A very useful guide to lifestyle change.

Six Degrees: Our Future on a Hotter Planet. Mark Lynas, Fourth Estate, 2007 or HarperPerennial, 2008. We've all heard of potential global warming of 1 to 6 degrees celsius. But what do those temperature increases actually mean for life on earth? Lynas offers a picture, degree by degree. . . .  

What Can I / My Church Do

God made the world in all its splendour, power and diversity out of love. The Earth and all its creatures and humankind are bound to each other in a web of interrelationship with God, who gave the responsibility to care for His created works to humans.

Testing Your Footprint

Select the link labelled 'Church Action' to download information on lighting, heating and church transport as well as 'green' energy suppliers which you may use to help reduce your church's carbon footprint.

More Information

This page gives suggested links to help you  access authoritative information on Climate Change

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change - www.ipcc.ch - assesses the scientific, technical and socio-economic information relevent to an understanding of the risks of human-induced climate change.

The DEFRA website www.defra.gov.uk/environment/climate change is authoritative and has useful links to the Climate Challenge Programme.

Introduction to Debt Issues

For several decades, the crisis of developing country debt has been a cause of crippling poverty for many of the poorest countries and people in the world. As of the end of 2005, developing countries owed around $2.8 trillion in foreign debts, and the low income countries were paying about $118 million in debt service a day. In many countries, the amounts paid in debt service dwarfed governmental education and health budgets. As a consequence, millions of people were denied access to schooling or to even the most basic health services.

The debt crisis resulted from a variety of factors. In the early 1970s, a flood of "petro-dollars" made financial institutions eager to lend. The loans -- both from banks and through sovereign governments, the World Bank and IMF -- were often characterised by a lack of concern about the nature of the borrowers (ie whether they were democratic sovereign states or dictators), how the money would actually be used, and whether the borrowers had a reasonable capacity to repay. Indeed, all too often lending by governments was designed to promote markets for their goods abroad, or, during the Cold War, was based on political considerations. The World Bank, for example, loaned large sums to Mobutu Seseko of Zaire -- a dictator who was perceived as a bulwark against communism -- despite the explicit advice of their adviser.

Developing-country governments, meanwhile, borrowed at floating interest rates on the assumption that they would soon be able to repay -- but found that their exports were declining, interest rates were rising sharply, and the dollar, the currency of repayment, was increasing in value relative to their currencies. Particularly when this combined with slow growth in their own economies -- often due largely to the crisis in commodity prices, though governments' economic policies (as in developed countries!) also sometimes played a role-- the debt mountains quickly became unsustainable. The result was that in some of the poorest countries of the world, large sums that were critically needed for human development were, instead, going to repay wealthy countries' governments, the International Financial Institutions (World Bank and IMF), and commercial lenders.

For this reason, starting in the 1980s, there began to be calls for debt cancellation. Then, in the 1990s, as John Goldingay put it "Somebody saw that the Jubilee vision in Leviticus 25 pointed to the cancelling of punitive Third World debts to Western banks and governments, and this caught the imagination of millions of believers and others." The Jubilee campaigns -- in which Churches played a major role -- were large, effective, and bold in their calls.

Initial responses by governments and financial institutions were limited. After various piecemeal initiatives in the 1980s and 1990s, in 1996, major creditors responded to the campaigns and concerns by proposing the HIPC (Heavily Indebted Poor Countries) initiative, designed to reduce the debt burden of some of the poorest countries to "sustainable" levels, with sustainability determined by a ratio of debt stock to exports. The benefits to poor countries of this initiative, however, proved small and slow, and in 1999, the "enhanced HIPC initiative" was created.

Even an enhanced HIPC, however, had many failings. One of these was the often harsh economic policy conditions which the IMF and World Bank imposed on poor countries: in order to stay "on track" with the World Bank and IMF, countries had to adopt the policies they recommended, whether or not they were the policies the countries' governments would actually have chosen. Many of these policies -- including privatisation of resources and services and trade liberalisation -- are controversial. In Zambia, for example, the consequence of trade liberalisation was the destruction of the greater part of Zambian industry.

Another primary problem with HIPC was the fact that it offered debt relief and defined "debt sustainability" in terms relating to what a country could possibly pay its creditors, rather than in terms of what that country needed in order to be able to meet the basic development needs of its citizens. The Jubilee vision, as seen in Leviticus, is not that the poor should limp along, forever poor, paying all they can. It is a vision of a new start -- a release and chance to begin again. For several years, therefore, campaigners have been arguing that countries that need 100% debt relief to meet the Millennium Development Goals, and are prepared to use the funds released by 100% debt relief for human development, should receive it.

As Saul Banda, coordinator of the Lusaka-based Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection's Provincial Outreach Programme, put it in 2006: “Jubilee Zambia has been campaigning for unconditional and total cancellation of Zambia's and other Low Income Countries' external debts for the last eight years. This was after the realization among campaigners world-wide that external debts were blocking development in the Third World, because resources meant for investment in the social sectors (particularly health and education) and for infrastructural development were being spent on servicing external debts." Banda notes: “At the end of 2004, Zambia's external debt stood at US $7. billion with annual debt service payments of between $150 million and $200 million and accounted for as high as 10% of Gross Domestic Product; health and education accounted for only 2% and 3% respectively."

In recent years, in large part thanks to the efforts of campaigners, the once unthinkable concept of "100% debt relief" has become part of the political landscape. And in 2005, at Gleneagles, the G8 proposed 100% cancellation of World Bank, IMF and African Development Bank debt for countries that reached the HIPC Completion Point. This was a triumph for campaigners -- and for people in developing countries. Thanks to debt relief from the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative (MDRI), Zambia is employing 4,500 more teachers and has abolished fees for medical care in rural areas. That makes a real difference in terms of lives saved and enriched.

But problems remain. The MDRI still pertains to only a relatively small number of countries; many more need the benefits that relief on their IMF and World Bank debts would offer. The MDRI deals only with debts to the World Bank, IMF, African Development Bank and, as of 2007, Inter-American Development Bank; it doesn't cover debts from the Asian Development Bank or various other lenders. And MDRI relief still comes with harmful conditionalities -- economic policy conditions that countries have to fulfill in order to stay "on track" with the World Bank and IMF. Indeed, generally speaking, the MDRI isn't fully transparent, and the determination of who qualifies and how the process operates still rests almost entirely with a small group of creditors. And no multilateral organisations, and almost no sovereign states and other creditors, are yet willing to take responsibility for their own part in creating the crisis through irresponsible or unfair loans.

So, rejoicing in what has been achieved, the debt campaigns continue to campaign for a true vision of Jubilee. Today their focus is on:

• including countries that are not currently part of the HIPC initiative in debt relief programmes
• expanding the number of creditors included in debt relief programmes
• ending economic policy conditionalities
• reforming the debt relief process so that it is fair and transparent
• reforming the International Financial Institutions (IMF and World Bank) so that they are more transparent and democratic
• convincing creditors to acknowledge the illegitimacy of much debt -- and the consequent need to cancel it

What keeps Christian debt campaigners going? The knowledge that millions of people -- many of them brothers and sisters in Christ -- are suffering and dying because of the effects of debt. The victories that show change can happen -- including the most recent actions by Norway, which has become the first country to renounce an illegitimate debt owed to it. And the theological truths that we are called as Christians to work for love and justice and that, as the Reverend Caroline Dick stated in a Church of England General Synod debate in 2001: our “act of witness for debt relief . . . reveals . . . the God of justice, of love and of peace at work in our world now.”

Praying and Preaching on Debt

The very name of the Jubilee campaigns indicates their Biblical origins, and many have Christian groups as founders or core members -- so worship materials in this area abound.

Prayer

Online Resources

God grant me your Spirit . . . .
That I may rest and work in the vision of a new future
Where all are linked by the bonds of humanity,
Not enslaved by the chains of debt.

Extract from "Grant me your spirit," a World Debt Day prayer by Linda Jones of CAFOD

Prayer on debt issues is appropriate at any time -- but especially on or around World Debt Day, celebrated in the UK on 16 May, the anniversary of the Birmingham G8 chain. "Grant me your spirit," a prayer for World Debt Day, can be found in full on the JDC worship resources page.

The JDC worship resources page also contains "Jubilee Worship," a compendium which includes

• materials for preparation (announcements, bulletin notes and thoughts for creating worship)
• an introduction to set the theological context
• facts and stories about the impact of debt
• an exploration of Jubilee
• a reading from Leviticus 25 with a litany to follow
• a Jubilee sermon (by Bono)
• prayers

Another JDC worship resource is a prayer pilgrimage called "Praying in Public Places: A Pilgrimage for Our Time ," put together by JDC Board member Merryn Hellier. "Praying in Public" invites Christians to walk to local places such as hospitals or surgeries, schools and banks to reflect on and pray about debt and the impact that it has on people's access to essential services. A very powerful service -- and act of witness.

Some of the materials on the JDC's worship resources page originally come from Jubilee USA, which published in 2005 its "Jubilee Congregations Handbook." This resource offered at the time everything a [US] church needed to engage with the campaign -- background information, stories about the impact of debt and debt relief, pages explaining the links between debt and other global issues, worship material (including a Roman Catholic liturgy for debt), Bible studies and more. The fact that it was written before the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative means that some of its background information is now outdated. But the liturgical material and Bible studies remain very helpful.

CAFOD offers a variety of prayers on debt relief .

Preaching

Online Resources

The Jubilee Congregations Handbook contains several suggested sermons, as well as theological reflections designed to inspire sermons. A sermon contributed by by David Golding is also on the JDC worship resources page.

Another invaluable resource is the linked lectionary entitled "Development Matters ," compiled quarterly by Dr. Elizabeth Perry and available on the Diocese of Bath and Wells' website. This resource takes the main lectionary readings for each week and links them with global-justice issues, providing facts, illustrations and quotes that preachers can use in their sermons. There are many illustrations concerning debt, and because the resource is created afresh each quarter, the examples are up to date.

Campaigns around Debt Issues

Do you remember the Birmingham Chain in 1998? The sense of excitement as churches and other groups began to recognise that their petitions and postcards were making a difference? The moment when governments and international institutions began to talk about 100% debt relief as a goal?

Campaigning on debt is one of the signal successes of the last decade. The job is far from done and dusted -- what debt cancellation is available is still offered to too few countries, covers too few forms of debt, and comes with too many conditions attached. But if anyone had said fifteen years ago that 100% debt relief would have been offered by any of the international financial institutions to any developing country, they would have been dismissed as dreamers. Jubilee 2000 and the international Jubilee campaigns helped to change the landscape of debate. As Jubilee 2000's final report said "The World Will Never Be the Same Again."

Jubilee 2000's successor campaign, Jubilee Debt Campaign, continues to call for 100% cancellation -- by fair and transparent means -- of unfair and unpayable developing country debts. Organised as a coalition of local/regional groups and national organisations, including CAFOD, Christian Aid, the United Reformed Church and World Vision, Jubilee Debt Campaign focuses its campaigning and advocacy work on UK Government policy, both internal and with respect to the International Financial Institutions (the World Bank and IMF). JDC works in partnership with two other UK-based successors to Jubilee 2000 -- Jubilee Research@nef and Jubilee Scotland -- as well as with other northern and southern debt-related campaigns.

You can find out more about JDC's goals by reading their vision statement "Breaking the Chains," sign up on their website to receive briefings and campaign materials, locate the JDC group nearest you via their listing of groups in the Southeast region), or find out how to become a Jubilee Congregation

JDC's website also has a comprehensive listing of other northern and southern campaigns around debt and economic justice. The Northern campaigns include:

The Southern campaigns include:

What Can I Do?

Some Suggestions for Personal Action

• Commit to regular prayer about the debt issue. Go to our prayer page for suggested materials.
• Investigate the Scriptures surrounding Jubilee -- either on your own or with others. Some suggested guides are in the resources section.
• Join the Jubilee Debt Campaign email list. You'll receive updates and notice of campaigning actions you can take.If there's a local JDC group near you, join it. If not, what about starting one?
• Go to the JDC "Act Now" webpage and take part in an email campaign action.
• Dig deeper! Research some particular aspects of the debt issue. (You can find resources for research on our campaigns and further information pages). The research will make you better able to campaign and lobby.
• Use your information to lobby your MP (or other politicians)
• Write to your local newspaper, reminding people that debt still IS an issue and explaining why. Or . . .
  
• Be dramatic! Debt is an issue that has a dramatic effect on the lives of people in poor countries -- show this with some drama in the streets or in a particular venue. Clear visual statements often get coverage that words alone won't.

Do you have other examples of personal action? Email us at maranda@ccow.org.uk and let us know!

What Can My Church Do?

Raising Awareness

If your church is new to debt issues -- or if it participated in Jubilee 2000 but thinks that the issue is now resolved -- it might be good to raise awareness of what the ongoing issues are, perhaps through

• including prayers about debt in theyour regular services or planning a full service around debt,
• inviting a speaker to talk during and/or after a service,
• using some Bible studies about debt in your home group,
• displaying material about debt in the church, or
• including a theological reflection or news about one of the latest campaigns in your service leaflet or church magazine

You can find the resources for all of these in our praying and preaching section or by contacting CCOW or JDC. The prayer page also has a link to Merryn Hellier's "Praying in Public Places," a prayer walk in which church groups visit local surgeries or hospitals, schools and other locations to reflect on and pray about the impacts of debt on people in developing countries. It's a powerful service -- and act of witness. 

Jubilee Congregations

If your church is ready to make a commitment to ongoing prayer and action on debt, consider becoming a Jubilee Congregation.  Jubilee Congregations agree to "affirm the aims of the Jubilee Debt Campaign in their work to free poor people and countries from the burden of unjust and unpayable debt, pray for justice for the world’s poorest communities, provide a contact person to facilitate education and action on debt, make an appropriate annual donation for the work of the Jubilee Debt Campaign, and take at least one action a year on debt as a congregation." In return, the Jubilee Debt Campaign undertakes to resource the church by sending an action pack and certificate, news updates four to six times a year, and information about worship materials on the JDC website. You can find out more and sign up at the JDC website page on Jubilee Congregations.

Whatever you do, if your church has partnership links with an area that is affected by debt, it may be particularly effective to focus on what is happening in that area. For example:

• the Wessex Synod of the United Reformed Church is linked with Zambia. Jubilee Zambia has plentiful material explaining what the impact of debt on Zambia has been, and further stories can be found through the Jubilee Congregations Handbook put together by Jubilee USA and the Anglican Diocese of Bath and Wells, which is also linked with Zambia.

  CCOW also has a more recent piece about debt, the results of debt relief, and the continuing problems with trade that was written by Saul Banda from Jubilee Zambia; portions of this were excerpted in the church materials for Stand Up Against Poverty, and you can receive the full text from CCOW.

• The Mothers' Union in the Diocese of Oxford is linked to several dioceses in Nigeria.  There is a campaign, New Start Nigeria, that focuses on Nigeria's debt.

Contact CCOW if your church has a link with a particular area and you would like information about debt in that area.

Resources on Debt

This is a selective list. More resources can be found via ELDIS and through the Choike "external debt" page as well as from individual agencies and coalitions.

Basic Introductions to Debt Issues

"The World Can't Wait for Debt Cancellation" is an accessible powerpoint presentation that reflects the status quo as of 2007.

"Top Line" information about the G8 debt deal and its implementation through 2007 (Eurodad, 2007), an accessible 2 page pdf giving a fine overview of the basics, is also a good entrance point to the present situation.

There is also a lot of good introductory material in "Jubilee Worship" and the Jubilee Congregations Handbook (see below) -- all of it compiled with specific reference to churches. Like the accessible and thorough "Rough Guide to Debt," (CAFOD, 2002) however, much of it doesn't reflect the most recent realities.

Theological and Worship Resources

• "Development Matters" Linked Lectionary -- links lectionary readings to development issues, including debt. Archive, with subject index.
• The JDC worship resources page contains
  • "Jubilee Worship," a compendium including
    • materials for preparation (announcements, bulletin notes and thoughts for creating worship)
    • an introduction to set the theological context
    • facts and stories about the impact of debt
    • an exploration of Jubilee
    • a reading from Leviticus 25 with a litany to follow
    • a Jubilee sermon (by Bono)
    • prayers
  • stories about the impact of debt and debt relief
  • pages explaining the links between debt and other global issues
  • worship material (including a Roman Catholic liturgy for debt)
  • Bible studies and more.

• "Praying in Public Places: A Pilgrimage for Our Time ," a prayer pilgrimage that invites Christians to walk to local places such as hospitals or surgeries, schools and banks to reflect on/pray about debt and the impact it has on access to essential services.
• "Jubilee Congregations Handbook" (Jubilee USA, 2005) This resource offered everything a [US] church needed to engage with the campaign in 2005. The fact that it was written before the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative means that some of its background information is now outdated. But the liturgical/theological material remains very helpful. It includes:

Church Statements Online

• Joint Letter from Seventeen Faith Leaders on Debt (2007) -- pdf of a short, clear letter urging further reform of the debt relief process from leaders including the Abp of York, Gen'l Sec'y of the Baptist Union, the Moderators of the Free Churches and the URC, and the Director of the EA.
• Church of England General Synod Misc 640 -- "Drop the Debt: Towards a New Deal on Debt" and July 2001 Synod debates on development and debt, which include some fine contributions from a variety of people.
• URC General Assembly: Address to the Throne 2002 -- on the occasion of the Queen's Jubilee reaffirms the URC's support for jubilee campaigning on debt relief and asks the government to progress the issue. To find a wide range of URC comments on the Church's commitment to debt relief, go to the United Reformed Church website and type Jubilee 2000 into the "search" box.

The MDRI

• "Top Line" information about the G8 debt deal and its implementation through 2007 (Eurodad, 2007) -- accessible 2 page pdf giving a fine overview of the basics
  
• Multilateral Debt: One Step Forward, How Many Back? (Eurodad, 2007) More detailed summary of the agreement and some of the challenges surrounding its implementation and the next stages.
  
• G8 Debt Deal One Year On: What Happened and What Next? (Eurodad, 2006)
  
• CAFOD submission to the International Development Select Committee (CAFOD, 2005) -- Brief (3 page) statement advocating a human development approach to debt sustainability and taking issue with aspects of eligibility for receiving debt relief and increased aid under the MDRI.
  
• Loose Ends (JDC and Jubilee USA, 2005) -- an analysis of what the World Bank/IMF needed to resolve at the annual meetings in order to deliver the G8 debt deal.
  
• G8 Debt Deal: What the Countries Will Really Get (Debt Relief International, 2005) -- A technical analysis of the deal's functioning and its impact on a country by country basis.
• What about Us? Debt and the Countries the G8 Left Behind (Christian Aid, 2005) -- Critiques the limited scope of the G8 deal, calls for a fairer and more transparent process for debt relief, and urges debtor governments to emphasise the illegitimate nature of many debts, be more assertive in negotiations with creditors, and reduce their reliance on loans

World Bank and IMF Conditionality

• Cut the Strings (JDC, with support from Action Aid, CAFOD, Christian Aid and WDM, 2006)
• Kicking the Habit: How the World Bank and IMF are still addicted to attaching economic policy conditions to aid (Oxfam, 2006) -- with a focus on the experience of Mali
• Tightening the Chains or Cutting the Strings (JDC with research sponsored by a broad coalition, 2006)

Debt and the MDGs

• To Pay or to Develop -- Debt Sustainability Handbook (Erlassjahr.de/Eurodad, 2006) -- argues for debt sustainability criteria to be based on capacity to meet the MDGs.
• Beyond HIPC: Debt Cancellation and the Millennium Development Goals (Oxfam, 2005) -- a post G8 analysis that calls for debt relief to be linked to capacity to meet MDGs
• In the Balance JDC, Action Aid and Christian Aid, 2005 -- why debts need to be cancelled so that countries can meet the MDGs.
• The Unbreakable Link (JDC and nef, 2002) -- an analysis as of 2002 of countries' progress through the HIPC process, together with an estimate of their likely progress on the MDGs.

Debt and Particular Regions/Countries

If not now, when? JDC and All Party Parliamentary Group on HIPCs, 2005 -- recommends debt relief as necessary for a strong, prospeous Africa

A Case for Debt Relief for Kenya (Justice and Peace Commission, St Paul's Church, Nairobi University, 2005) -- argues that Kenya's debt burden should be relieved as much of it is illegitimate, it is a major factor promoting dependence and impeding development, and most of the burden relates to interest not principal

Zambia after the HIPC "Surgery" and the Completion Point (Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection, 2006 ) -- A clear overview of the impact of the HIPC and MDRI on Zambia that also makes recommendations on the process for further debt cancellation and on the Zambian government's strategy for contracting new loans.

Comments from Antonio Gumende, Mozambique's High Commissioner to the UK (2005) -- brief statement of impact of debt relief on Mozambique

Governance

How to fit 27 elephants in a single chair (Eurodad, 2007) -- Suggests progressive positions European governments might take on reform at the World Bank and IMF.

Debt Sustainability, Transparency of Process and New Lending

• Debt Sustainability or Defensive Deterrence? (Eurodad, 2007) -- argues that the World Bank's plan to penalise countries who borrow on non-concessional terms from commercial banks or new sovereign lenders (ie China) places developing countries in a dilemma because the lack of sufficient concessional aid within the traditional system simultaneously requires them to seek new lenders
  
• Preventing New Cycles of Debt (CIDSE, 2007) -- argues that policy failures in the G7/G8 and IFI initiatives underlie the failure to find a holistic solution for debt and suggests processes that could help improve the situation and prevent future debt cycles.
• To Pay or to Develop -- Debt Sustainability Handbook (Erlassjahr.de/Eurodad, 2006) -- argues for debt sustainability criteria to be based on capacity to meet the MDGs.
• The New World Bank/IMF Debt Sustainability Framework: A Human Development Assessment (CIDSE, Center of Concern, 2006) -- comprehensive, often technical, assessment of the framework based on the experience of numerous countries, arguing on the basis of Catholic social teaching that a human development perspective is necessary
• World Bank and IMF Review of the Debt Sustainability Framework and the Implications of the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative (Eurodad, 2006) and Still Missing the Point: Unpacking the New World Bank/IMF Debt Sustainability Initiative (Eurodad, 2005) -- Eurodad's critique of the framework and the internal analysis thereof, looks at the implications of the framework for countries' ability to develop. Pre-MDRI, but the analysis of the debt sustainability framework itself remains valid.
  
• To lend or to grant: Critique of the IMF/World Bank Approach to Debt Sustainability (CAFOD, 2004)

Repudiation and other options

The Repudiation Option: Southern Government Debt Strategies (Christian Aid, 2007 ) -- argues that Southern governments should refuse to pay their debts in order to free resources for pro-poor human development

Debt Campaigning

• From Jubilee 2000 to Make Poverty History -- Building a New Future for the World's Poor (Door newspaper, 2005)

A Timeline in Reports

Debt is unusual among the issues that we cover in that there has actually been a fair amount of change over the past decade. The section below, therefore, offers some "historical" background to the more recent papers above, showing "where we have come from" . . . and where the current plans and programmes reflect (or in the case of governance, conditionality, and transparency of process, have yet to reflect) the proposals put forward in the Jubilee campaigns.

2005

Do the Deal. The G7 Must Act Now to Cancel Poor Country Debts (Action Aid UK, CAFOD, Oxfam GB, Feb 2005) -- a paper submitted before the G7 finance ministers meeting, setting out the case for debt relief and making recommendations for how it should be accomplished.

2004

Fool's Gold: The Case for 100% Multilateral Debt Cancellation for the Poorest Countries (Action Aid UK, CAFOD, Oxfam GB, 2004) -- a good summary of the case for debt relief, looking in depth at five specific reasons for debt cancellation, exploring sources for financing debt relief, and calling for an end to harmful conditionalities.

2003

Did the G8 Drop the Debt? (Jubilee Research, CAFOD, JDC) -- an analysis of what had happened in the five years since the Birmingham chain, and what needed yet to be done

2002

A Joint Submission to the World Bank and IMF Review of HIPC and Debt Sustainability (CAFOD, Christian Aid, Oxfam GB, Eurodad, 2002) -- wide-ranging discussion of debt issues as they then stood

2001

From Debt to Poverty Eradication: What Role for Poverty Reduction Strategies? (CIDSE-Caritas, 2001) -- a lengthy (but with a good summary) paper analysing the strengths and weaknesses of the PRSP from the perspective of Catholic social teaching.

2000

Still Waiting: Time for a New Deal on Third World Debt (Christian Aid, 2000)

1999

Beyond Cologne, Towards Jubilee (CIDSE-Caritas, 1999) -- The Catholic agencies' clear, succinct (4 pg) response to the Cologne G8 initiatives.

Where Can I Find More Information about Debt?

Campaigning Groups

The Jubilee Debt Campaign website offers information about the latest issues and events, including a newslettercountry reports -- at present these cover Haiti, Indonesia, Kenya and Liberia. page, worship resources, and reports. JDC is also building a series of

Many Christian and secular agencies who were and are part of the Jubilee coalitions have their own websites with materials on debt. Some of the most well-resourced are:

• CAFOD
• CIDSE
• Oxfam

The Eurodad website offers brief overviews of key areas (the debt situation as a whole, multilateral debt, bilateral debt, illegitimate debt, debt sustainability etc) . . . but is unusually helpful in that at the end of the brief articles, you get a list of the most recent news items on that particular area, coupled with a list of the latest reports on general and specific topics. If you want to keep up to date on debt and aid, you can also subscribe on the website to Eurodad's e-newsletters, which provide up-to-date news and analysis on these issues. Eurodad also has a list of its members with links to their websites, so that you can find out more about what is happening in other countries.

Jubilee USA Network is a good source of up-to-date news on the latest developments in debt and debt campaigning. The network also has a wide variety of resources, and is particularly strong on resources for churches.

The website for Afrodad, the African Forum and Network on Debt and Development, offers many resources, including recent articles from various media about current debt issues and some publications on illegitimate debt in the DRC and Malawi. Please note, however, that many areas of the site are not accessible even to the registered user.

Jubilee Zambia's website contains many country-specific resources showing the impact of debt in that country. If you are looking for up-to-date resources, however, they are not as helpful, as they are all pre-2006 and hence do not take into account the G8 debt relief programme.

The Bretton Woods Project, offers a critique of the International Financial Institutions and includes up-to-the-minute news and analysis of their actions.

Government and IFI Resources

The World Bank's Economic Policy and Debt page offers links to the large number of materials that document the Bank's involvement with debt issues. Resources range from an overview of debt relief in general, a fact sheet on the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative and the "HIPC at a Glance Guide" to full volumes on how recommendations are implemented and the implications for various countries.

The IMF's resources include a fact sheet on HIPCs which has links to publications, including "Can Debt Relief Boost Growth in Poor Countries" (while some would take issue with aspects of this paper, it points out quite clearly that debt relief can boost growth, and that debt servicing discourages public investment -- not surprising, but handy to have the confirmation from the IMF itself) and country documents for HIPC.

The UK Government's work on debt relief can be accessed on a very clear and full page on the Treasury website entitled Debt Relief for Poverty Reduction and through DFID.

Databases, Think Tanks and More . . . .

If you're looking for comprehensive coverage of a particular area, such as debt relief for a particular country, try ELDIS, the University of Sussex's magnificent database of reports from around the world on development issues. You can also sign up for ELDIS's "Aid and Debt Reporter," an email newsletter with summaries of reports in the area.

Choike, a "portal on Southern civil societies" has an "external debt" page with links to organisations, reports and resources. The focus of the coverage is on institutions themselves (IFIs, etc) and both Northern and Southern campaigns and coalitions.

Jubilee Research at nef has a very valuable archive, as well as good short articles and responses to current stories and issues.

Debt isn't one of the primary foci of the Overseas Development Institute's work, but their panel evaluating the HIPC initiative (July 2006) raises many key issues and has an interesting mix of panelists from the World Bank, Jubilee Debt Campaign, and the academy. Audio and powerpoints from the meeting are available on the website.

What is Fair Trade?

Fair Trade is an alternative to unfair systems of world trade -- a way of seeking justice for producers through right trading relationships.

One of the principles of Fair Trade is that producers are paid a fair price -- which covers sustainable production and the costs of living -- for their goods. But while that's the best known aspect of Fair Trade for consumers, it's only a small part of the whole.

A working definition agreed in 2001 by four of the largest Fair Trade networks reads:

What does this mean in practice? In their book, "Fair Trade," Dr. Alex Nicholls and Charlotte Opal list generally accepted factors in a Fair Trade relationship as including:

In a genuine Fair Trade relationship all of these factors work together for good.

• The provision of credit in advance means that producers don't start their work already in debt and facing crippling repayments.
  
• Over a period of time -- the result of the long-term partnerships -- freedom from debt, the provision of a fair price and the additional premium for development remove the primary impetus for child labour (extreme poverty within families), give producers the capital to undertake sustainable development practices and improve their products, help them to diversify their incomes, and give the means to improve the living conditions for the local area
• In addition, the improved nature of the products, the direct relationships Fair Trade encourages, the capacity-building it gives to producer organisations and the market information it offers enable producers to function better in the conventional global markets. This is very important, as few producer groups actually sell all of their goods on the Fair Trade market. With their increased awareness of how markets work, however, they can generally negotiate better contracts in the conventional markets as well -- further increasing their incomes.

So that's Fair Trade in general terms. To find out more about two specific groups of standards for Fair Trade relationships, go to the page called "How to identify fairly traded goods"

Oh, and by the way -- you may have wondered why this page refers to "Fair Trade" rather than "Fairtrade." That's because the general concept is covered by the two word term. The use of the term ‘Fairtrade' (one word) is reserved by the Fairtrade Foundation as a description of "products and transactions involving products that meet international Fairtrade standards, and of related activities such as the Fairtrade Towns campaign". . . . more about that in the page noted above.

1 Definition agreed by FLO, IFAT, NEWS and EFTA.
2 Alex Nicholls and Charlotte Opal, "Fair Trade: Market-Driven Ethical Consumption" (Sage Books, 2005) 

All photographs courtesy of the Fairtrade Foundation, www.fairtrade.org.uk.

Praying and Preaching on Fair Trade

 

Lord God,
In the fields of the poor
Even when abundant fruits ripen,
Injustice sweeps them away,
And families hunger.

Help us to share
The fruits of your bounty
So that all your family may benefit
From your gracious gifts. 

Each year, the Fairtrade Foundation produces a "Church Action Guide," which contains a wealth of prayers, Bible studies, and other helpful material. To go to the 2009 Church Action Guide, click here. If you want guides from before 2008, CCOW has copies of several available on request.

There are additional prayers on the Traidcraft and CAFOD websites (Traidcraft also has a Fair-Trade-related harvest pack), and some of CCOW's Fair Trade prayers can be downloaded at the end of this page. You'll notice some overlap with the Fairtrade Foundation resources; all four agencies are contributors to the Church Action Guide.

Fair Trade prayers can be as conventional or as innovative as you wish. If you’re from an informal tradition, why not try something new? For example, following a suggestion by Peter Graystone, hand everyone a sample tea bag as they come into church. During prayer time, ask them to hold it, to sniff the aroma of tea, to pray for all who have grown, picked and transported the tea – and for justice in the tea trade over all. Or show a powerpoint sequence of images of Fairtrade producers (the Fairtrade Foundation has photos available for download) as a focus for your prayers.

Preaching

If you’d like a sermon on trade during Fairtrade Fortnight, the “Church Action Guide” contains meditations and sermon guides based on the lectionary readings for at least one Sunday in the Fortnight.

If you’d like to preach (or suggest that someone else preach) about Fair Trade or trade issues at other times during the year, you might want to look at “Development Matters,” a week-by-week linkage of the lectionary readings to development issues. It’s put together by Dr. Elizabeth Perry and is available in hard copy from CCOW or on the Anglican Diocese of Bath and Wells’ website.

Plays

If your church is open to plays, why not try a sketch?

If you have the technology, you could even go for a film. The Fairtrade Foundation has short video clips on their website.

Fair Trade Campaigns

Like debt, Fair Trade is one of the decade's great campaigning success stories.

When the first Fairtrade products arrived on the market, it wasn't at all clear they'd succeed. The food and beverage retail industry is fiercely competitive, the early Fairtrade products cost more than conventional ones - and few thought that consumers would pay the extra for ethical consumption.

And then the till roll campaign, championed by Christian Aid, started. Were you one of the people who saved your receipts . . . helped to gather together those from your church . . . went to the supermarket to make the point -- "This is how much we spend . . . and we want Fairtrade"?

Fairtrade Towns

A second reason was the campaign begun by Bruce Crowther in Garstang, Lancashire. Bruce and the local Oxfam group got the idea of making Garstang a "Fairtrade Town." They thought through criteria that would show that their town supported Fairtrade, convinced local merchants and organisations to participate, and in May 2000 they were crowned the first Fairtrade Town with the blessing of the Fairtrade Foundation.

Today (2009)  there are over 4,000 Fairtrade towns and many more seeking the status -- each with active groups promoting Fairtrade in churches, schools, restaurants, shops and government offices. In our area alone Abingdon, Banbury, Chesham, Faringdon, Leighton/Linslade, Maidenhead and Windsor, Milton Keynes, Newbury, Oxford, Reading and Slough are all Fairtrade Towns, and Aylesbury, Beaconsfield, Bicester, Grove, Wallingford, Witney and Woodstock have active Fairtrade campaigning going on. To find out more about how to become a Fairtrade town, click here.

Fairtrade Denominational Bodies, Churches, Schools, etc.

In 2003, when Chester became a Fairtrade Town, the Anglican Diocese of Chester decided to affirm its support for the initiative also, by becoming a Fairtrade Diocese, adapting the five criteria for a Fairtrade Town to the diocesan structure. Other denominational bodies soon followed their lead. To see some sample criteria for a Fairtrade denominational body, click here.

Today there are Fairtrade Church campaigns, Fairtrade School campaigns, Fairtrade University campaigns, and more.

If you would like to join a local group -- or set up one -- and would like assistance, contact CCOW. We have worked with a number of towns and churches on their campaigns -- and would be delighted to work with you.

Pictures courtesy of the Fairtrade Foundation, www.fairtrade.org.uk 

What Can I Do?

Some suggestions for personal action . . . .

• Pray for Fair Trade. Give thanks for its successes: the benefits it has brought producers, the lives transformed and saved, the chance it offers consumers to live ethically, the inspiration given to those who would like to see a fairer world in which God's commandments of love and justice are obeyed. Pray for wisdom for those who guide the movement, strength for those who have to take hard decisions about choosing ethics over profits, strength and discernment for consumers as they make their choices, and the growth of the movement to allow more and more producers to take part.

• Make a decision that when you are purchasing goods, you will go for the fairly traded option wherever it's appropriate and you are able. With more than 2,500 FAIRTRADE-Marked products in a wide variety of categories and an ever-growing range of fairly traded clothing, home furnishings, stationery and crafts, there are more options than ever.

• Help to convert others. If your church isn't already a Fairtrade Church, encourage it to become one. Join the Fairtrade Foundation's "Fairtrade at Work" or Fairtrade Schools or Fairtrade Universities campaigns and convert your workplace/school/university. If your town is a Fairtrade Town, find out how you can join in the Fairtrade activities; if it isn't, join or form a group to further this goal. A listing of local groups with websites is in our "finding out more" section; contact us for details of other groups.

• Ask for Fair Trade. If your supermarket isn't stocking all the Fairtrade goods that their parent company carries, request that they do so. If your local shop isn't carrying Fairtrade goods, see if you can work with them to enable them to do so (contact CCOW for more details). Just make sure, though, that if you do this, you follow through by buying the products yourself and encouraging others to do so -- no store will keep stocking goods they can't sell.

• Make Fair Trade fun. Follow Fairtrade Man's challenge and eat only fairly traded products for a period of time -- and write about your experiences. Or (slightly easier!) hold a Fairtrade recipe contest, in which people submit recipes with a minimum number of fairly traded ingredients. . . . .

• Find out firsthand about the benefits of Fair Trade. Each year, the Fairtrade Foundation and various Fair Trade companies arrange producer visits during Fairtrade Fortnight. Attend one of their talks, ask questions, and find out what it's all about. Or, if you feel you could make the benefits justify the carbon involved, visit producers via Traidcraft's People to People tours.

• Make a donation to further Fair Trade. Traidcraft is a company, but it also has a charitable wing that provides services -- such as market advice -- for people who want to break into the Fair Trade market. To find out more and donate, go to the Traidcraft website.

Photographs courtesy of the Fairtrade Foundation, www.fairtrade.org.uk

What Can My Church Do?

When a church supports Fair Trade, it makes a clear statement for justice.

The Fairtrade Foundation’s “Fairtrade Churches” programme offers an official way for churches to demonstrate their commitment to Fair Trade. More than 4,000 Fairtrade Churches have already been certified.

At present you can apply for a Fairtrade Church certificate if the appropriate Council or Church meeting has agreed that your church will:

i. use Fairtrade tea and coffee for all meetings for which you have responsibility.

ii. move forward on using other Fairtrade products (such as sugar, biscuits, fruit)

iii. promote Fairtrade during Fairtrade Fortnight – and through other activities whenever possible. (Fairtrade Fortnight is generally the first two full weeks in March.)

For further information from the Fairtrade Foundation, click here .
For frequently asked questions about the Fairtrade Church criteria, click here .

Many local denominational bodies have Fairtrade campaigns that your church can join.
To find out about . . .
the Anglican Diocese of Oxford's Fairtrade Diocese campaign, click here.
the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portsmouth's Fairtrade Diocese campaign, click here.
the United Reformed Church Wessex Synod's Fairtrade campaign, click here and then click on "Our Work" and "Church in Society"

Another way of supporting and promoting Fair Trade is through participation in "The Big Brew," a series of events held over the course of one week in Fairtrade Fortnight. "The Big Brew" is co-sponsored by Traidcraft and local agencies and denominations -- and provides a wonderful opportunity to raise awareness of Fair Trade in your church and community.

Holding a Big Brew event is easy. You choose the kind of event, any beneficiaries, the location and the time. The only criteria are that your event must:

• be registered with Traidcraft
• be called "The Big Brew" and take part during the designated period
  
• involve serving Fairtrade beverages and
• be publicised with official "Big Brew" materials

Beyond that, let your imagination go! Last year's Big Brew saw Fairtrade coffee after pram services (right) and "at home" events. The "trolley dollies" of one village church decked their new tea trolley with Big Brew posters and invited the whole village into post-service refreshments.

Click on the titles for coverage of the 2007 Big Brew in The Door and Christian Today .

Big Brew 2008 was a tremendous success with around 150 events: Congratulations to all who participated! Stay tuned for plans for Big Brew 2009 . . . . .

But these are only a few ways of supporting and promoting Fair Trade . . . and churches in our area are doing so much more. To find out what they are doing, click on any of the headings under "What Can My Church Do" in the left hand column.

Top photographs courtesy of the Fairtrade Foundation, www.fairtrade.org.uk 

Some Resources on Fair Trade

Three Books to Read

50 Reasons to Buy Fair Trade. John Madeley and Miles Litvinoff, Pluto Press, 2007. To order, click here.
An accessible journey through some of the reasons why we need Fair Trade -- and how we can support it.

Fair Trade: Market-Driven Ethical Consumption. Alex Nicholls and Charlotte Opal. Sage Publications, 2005. To order, click here.
An academic consideration of Fair Trade's origins, current manifestations and future.

Markets, Fair Trade and the Kingdom of God, ed Peter Johnson and Christopher Catherwood.Traidcraft and Regnum Books, 2001.
Essays combining theological and developmental perspectives, primarily by key figures from Traidcraft.

Copies of these books may be borrowed from CCOW.

Online Resources to Download

Parish Magasine Articles

Download the Keswick and District Fairtrade Campaign's 2009 Fairtrade parish magasine article at the bottom of this page. Scroll all the way down to the end, and then click on Keswick Fairtrade Article.

Basic Introductions

• Fairtrade Explained (Fairtrade Foundation)
• Introducing Fairtrade (FLO International) -- designed for producers, so more depth
• A Better Deal: The FAIRTRADE Mark Explained (Fairtrade Foundation)
• Fifty Years of Fair Trade: A Brief History of the Fair Trade Movement (EFTA and IFAT)
• The Fair Trade Movement: Parameters, Issues and Future Research (Geoff Moore) -academic introductory paper looking at Fair Trade from a business/business ethics perspective. Comprehensive and comprehensible.
• Why Fairtrade? (FLO International) -- brief summary of aims and objectives

Bible Study, Prayer and Theology

• "Fairtrade and Faith" (Fr Rob Esdailles) -- theological reflection on Fair Trade
• Ideas for Worship (Fairtrade Fortnight -- Tea focus), Harvest Resources, and Prayers, Poems and Reflections (Traidcraft)
• Prayers (CCOW -- download below)
• Sketch ("Praying for Change") (Traidcraft)

Facts and Figures, Case Studies and Academic Papers

• Facts and Figures for Fair Trade in Europe: 1995, 1998, 2001 and 2006 (EFTA)
• Fair Trade in Europe 2005 (FLO, IFAT, NEWS, EFTA) -- facts and figures on Fair Trade in 25 countries
  
• Producer Profiles from Transfair USA -- a series of 1 page pdfs profiling different producer groups
• The background research for Oxfam's coffee report, Mugged, offers several case studies (Oxfam)
• Making Trade Work for the Producers: Fifteen Years of Fairtrade Labelled Coffee in the Netherlands (Max Havelaar Foundation) -- comprehensive overview of Fairtrade labelled coffee, with some very good producer case studies
• One Cup at a Time: Poverty Alleviation and Fair Trade in Latin America (Colorado State Fair Trade Research Group) -- case studies of Fairtrade coffee impacts in Latin America
• Thriving in a Hostile Environment: Fairtrade's Role as a Positive Mechanism for Disadvantaged Producers (Alex Nicholls)

Church Activities

• Promoting Fair Trade -- Events that Engage (CCOW -- download below)
• Promoting Fair Trade -- Making Products Available (CCOW -- download below)

Fair Trade and Environmental Issues

• Environmental Benefits of Fairtrade Coffee, Cocoa and Tea (Transfair USA) -- A4 sheet
• Environmental Benefits of Fairtrade Fruit (Transfair USA) -- A4 sheet
  
• Fair Trade and Food Miles: Should we buy food from the other side of the world? (Wokingham Fair Trade Campaign) -- A5 leaflet advocating a local first and Fairtrade if imported approach
• "Fair Miles"? The concept of "food miles" through a sustainable development lens (IIED)

Fair Trade and Wider Trade Issues

• Fairness in Trade (UK Food Group) -- report examines how one could extend the concept of fair trading throughout the retail sector

Information about Fairtrade Products and Availability

• List of Fairtrade Product Categories (CCOW -- download below)
• Fairtrade Retail Products and Availability (Fairtrade Foundation) -- the "long list" -- comprehensive, if slightly daunting
  
• Out of Home Directories of Registered Distributors for cafes etc (Fairtrade Foundation)

  For local information, go to our Where to Buy Fair Trade locally page.

Resources Focused on Specific Products

Bananas (for a far more complete listing, visit BananaLink)

• European Trade Rules and the Threat to Fairtrade Bananas (Fairtrade Foundation)
• Unpeeling the Banana Trade (Fairtrade Foundation)
  

Cocoa

• Fair Trade Cocoa Backgrounder (Transfair USA) -- Basic facts for US campaigners
• Fair Trade Cocoa Fast Facts (Transfair USA) -- Zingy facts to spice up your presentations
• Monitoring Impact of Fair Trade Initiatives: A Case Study of Kuapa Kokoo and the Day Chocolate Company (Ronchi/TWIN)
  

Coffee

• Fair Trade Coffee Backgrounder (Transfair USA) -- Basic facts for US campaigners
• Fair Trade Coffee Fast Facts (Tranfair USA) -- Zingy facts to spice up your presentations
• Making Trade Work for the Producers: Fifteen Years of Fairtrade Labelled Coffee in the Netherlands (Max Havelaar Foundation) -- comprehensive overview of Fairtrade labelled coffee, with some very good producer case studies
• Mugged : Poverty in Your Coffee Cup (Oxfam) . The background research for Mugged , including several good case studies and sets of interviews, is also available on Oxfam's website.
• One Cup at a Time: Poverty Alleviation and Fair Trade in Latin America (Colorado State Fair Trade Research Group) -- case studies of Fairtrade coffee impacts in Latin America

Cotton

• "Follow the Thread" (ft.com; if you do not have access to the FT online, contact CCOW to borrow the article)

Roses

• Fairtrade Roses -- Questions and Answers (Fairtrade Foundation)

Articles Critiquing Fair Trade or Aspects Thereof -- and Responses to Them

"Good Food?" Economist, 7 December 2006.

Alan Beattie's "Follow the Thread" not only presents a case study in cotton, but also offers a balanced assessment of some of these common criticisms of Fair Trade.

Photographs courtesy of the Fairtrade Foundation, www.fairtrade.org.uk 

Finding Out More about Fair Trade

International Fair Trade Networks

Fairtrade Labelling Organisations International (FLO) is the centre for Fairtrade internationally. Go here for information about how producers can be certified, what the Fairtrade standards and prices are and impact studies

The World Fair Trade Organisation (WFTO, formerly the International Fair Trade Association or IFAT), is the membership group for Fair Trade Organisations. Go here for information about Fair Trade Organisation standards and information about individual Fair Trade Organisations.

NEWS, the Network of European World Shops, is the umbrella organisation for Fair Trade and World Shops in Europe. Its UK member is the British Association of Fair Trade Shops (BAFTS). Go to BAFTS to find out where Fair Trade shops are located, see the BAFTS standards for Fair Trade shops and importers, and a wide variety of Fair Trade resources.

EFTA, the European Fair Trade Association, provides statistics about Fair Trade in Europe and advocates on Fair Trade issues with the EU. EFTA has a particular brief to work on issues of Fair Trade in public procurement (ie whether councils can specify that products they buy must be fairly traded)

British Fair Trade Organisations

The Fairtrade Foundation website offers a mixture of general information about Fairtrade and campaigning material focused on the UK.

Local Fair Trade Coalitions and Pages

Aylesbury Fair Trade Initiative

Chesham Fairtrade

Faringdon Fairtrade

Leighton Linslade Town Council Fairtrade Page

Milton Keynes Fair Trade Forum

Oxford Student Fair Trade Coalition

Reading Fairtrade Town Initiative

Sandhurst Fairtrade Group

Stanford in the Vale' s Fairtrade page

Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Fairtrade Group

Witney Area Fair Trade Action Group

Wokingham Fair Trade Campaign

Photographs  courtesy of the Fairtrade Foundation, www.fairtrade.org.uk

Praying and Preaching on HIV and AIDS

There are numerous fine resources for praying and preaching on AIDS. Many of them have been prepared for churches to use around World AIDS Day, which is observed on the 1st of December each year. Several local churches hold World AIDS Day services. Some offer quiet space for reflection, and focus on remembering loved friends and family members lost; others focus on the challenge of AIDS and poverty worldwide.

But praying and preaching on AIDS can be part of our worship at any time, not just on World AIDS Day. At one church, the difficulties faced by AIDS orphans formed part of the reflections on Mothering Sunday; a South African theological college did a Stations of the Cross with an HIV/AIDS theme during Lent.

CCOW has a wide range of print resources for HIV/AIDS liturgy, including the South African stations of the cross, past services from Diakonia in South Africa, USPG packs, Christian Aid liturgies (for World AIDS Day pre-2006), and more. We've included links to liturgies, sermons and theological reflections below.

You can also download below our 2008 World AIDS Day resource -- with prayers from the Anglican diocese of Kimberley and Kuruman, The United Church of Zambia, CAFOD, and the Baptist Union -- below (scroll to the end of the page).  If you would like to put together a service with a speaker, get in touch with us: we can put you in touch with people who will be glad to share their experiences, stories, thoughts and prayers. We also have materials from Christian AIDS' campaigns around the world, and CDs of Christian music related to AIDS.

World AIDS Day

The Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance has a very helpful page on how your church can get involved in World AIDS Day 

Collections of Liturgies, Worship Resources and Sermon Aids

There are dozens of liturgies and worship resources listed on the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance's HIV and AIDS Resources page.

The Christian AIDS Bureau for Southern Africa [CABSA] "aims to assist and support churches and faith communities in their involvement in the HIV and AIDS field. Their "Christians Praying about HIV and AIDS" page has a wide range of prayer resources; they also have a "Stories and Poems" page.

The World Council of Churches published Africa Praying: A Handbook on HIV/AIDS Sensitive Sermon Guidelines and Liturgy, a very rich resource.

Liturgies, Prayers and Presentations

CAFOD offers a selection of prayers.  

Each year for the past several years, Christian Aid has released a liturgy for World AIDS Day. For 2009, Christian Aid is offering some prayers written by Tony Robinson, Bishop of Pontefract, and also a service prepared by Evie Vernon, who works for Christian Aid partners Jamaican AIDS Support for Life.  As noted above, CCOW has electronic and hard copies of most previous liturgies.

The United Reformed Church's Commitment for Life programme has a "Prayer Partners" resource that includes a prayer for World AIDS Day.

Several networks of the Roman Catholic church in the US combined to provide liturgical resources for World AIDS Day 2006. These are in part linked to the common lectionary (and hence refer to different readings than those for 2009/2010), but also contain many beautiful free-standing prayers, points for meditation, and reflections. The materials will be particularly helpful for churches which also celebrate either Christ the King Sunday or First Sunday of Advent alongside World AIDS Day.

Tearfund offers prayer points for World AIDS Day.  

The United Methodist Church (US) has a responsive litany that calls the church to caring action.

Anglican mission society USPG has placed on its website a number of resources with the theme "How the World Church is tackling the HIV epidemic"

Campaigns around HIV/AIDS

In the UK, most development-related AIDS campaigning is coordinated by the Stop AIDS Campaign, an initiative  which brings together more than 80 UK development and HIV/AIDS groups, including major Christian organisations such as CAFOD, Christian Aid, Tearfund and World Vision.

Stop AIDS' current campaign is called "Access Denied" It focuses on the promise G8 leaders made at Gleneagles that there would be universal access to AIDS treatment by 2010. The campaign estimates that at present the vast majority of people who need AIDS treatment don't actually have access. Unfair trade rules and practices are discouraging or preventing the manufacture of generic medications that could help change this situation. To find out more, and to take action, go to the  Stop AIDS campaign website and click on "Access Denied"

The Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance, which is a broad ecumenical network for cooperation on AIDS and trade, is in the middle of its "Keep the Promise" campaign. It describes its campaign as:

holding individuals, religious leaders, faith organizations, governments and intergovernmental organizations accountable for the commitments they have made and advocates for further efforts and resources to fight HIV and AIDS. The campaign works to protect the rights of people living with HIV and AIDS, promote an attitude of care and solidarity which rejects all forms of stigmatization and discrimination, and advocates for access to necessary forms of treatment as well as expand efforts for education and prevention.

The "Keep the Promise" website (follow link above) has a wealth of campaigning, advocacy, educational and worship resources gathered around five broad areas:

• fighting stigma and discrimination
• promoting prevention
• mobilizing resources
• advocating universal access to treatment
• promoting accountability

Individual agencies also have their own AIDS campaigns within the wider framework. Click below to link to:

• Christian Aid
• Oxfam
• World Vision

What Can My Church Do?

CCOW has published a resource entitled "To Restore Hope,"  which you can download at the bottom of this page. It offers the stories of local churches and Christians who have become involved with HIV/AIDS work. The stories are inspiring -- and you're invited to join in! Some more suggestions for action might include . . . . 

• Pray regularly for
  • people living with HIV and AIDS and for those who care for and about them
  • wisdom for government leaders to make policies that allow universal access to AIDS treatments
  • an end to the stigma and exclusion that are so destructive
  • children who have been orphaned through AIDS and are at risk
  • success for programmes that are combatting mother-to-child transmission

Be creative in your prayers. Tearfund has suggestions for creative prayer (see our "Praying and Preaching" pages . . . or you could ask people to meditate on one of the posters from the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance (see our Resources page) . . .

• Hold a special service for World AIDS Day. Use the resources available from our "Praying and Preaching" pages, or others. Perhaps you might want to focus on using resources that come from an area with which your church has a link. Perhaps you'd like an outside speaker. CCOW can help with both . . . .

• Have an exhibition of materials from Christian AIDS campaigns around the world. CCOW has materials from Africa and Asia that you can borrow. They show what different churches are doing -- and help us to see how important it is that we join in.

• The G8 promised that there would be universal access to AIDS treatment by 2010, but we're nowhere near there yet. Take actions as a church in the "Access Denied" campaign. Write to your MP, sign postcards, hand around a petition . . . join the voices who are calling world leaders to hold to their promises (See the Campaigns around HIV and AIDS page for details)

• Support agencies in the work that they are doing to help those affected by HIV and AIDS and to prevent further infections. Ask the agencies you support what they are doing and how you can help out. If you'd like some  suggestions on agencies you can support, contact CCOW.

• Find out what your link church is doing to work on HIV and AIDS and see how you can support it. Contact CCOW for help with this.

Resources on HIV and AIDS

Basic Information on HIV and AIDS

AIDS Clock (UNFPA) -- interactive displaying showing current number of people estimated to be living with HIV and AIDS, a map which resizes countries relative to the number of people in them living with HIV and AIDS, and various videos. Graphic and sobering.

Facts and Figures (Christian Aid) -- A few basic facts and figures from the CA website.

UNAIDS website  (UNAIDS) -- masses of resources, including the definitive annual report on the epidemic, available as a whole or in smaller chapters covering individual regions

Intellectual Property and Access to Treatment

*Access to Medicines: A briefing paper for the trade campaign and the AIDS campaign (Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance, ) -- one of a number of resources on the topic of access to medicines available on this EAA page

BBC online discussion about access to HIV/AIDS medications(BBC, 2003) -- useful (if now slightly dated)  interactive forum with Dr Harvey Bale, Jr, head of Int'l Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Assn; Dr Mohga Kamal-Smith, Health Policy Adviser for Oxfam;and Dr Ernest Darkoh, head of Botswana antiretroviral drug treatment program

 Free Trade Agreement between the USA and Thailand Threatens Access to HIV/AIDS Treatment (Oxfam, 2004) -- specific case study of impact of FTAs on access to essential medicines

TRIPS, the disease burden in developing countries and the need for new drugs (Oxfam, 2002?) -- useful, but technical, briefing paper following on from the Doha Declaration about access to generic medicines

Church Action on AIDS

*Called to Care Toolkit -- includes titles "Positive Voices: Religious Leaders Living with or Personally Affected by HIV and AIDS," "Making it happen: A guide to help your congregation do HIV/AIDS work," and "Time to Talk: A Guide to Family Life in the Age of AIDS." (Strategies for Hope) --How to pick which Strategies for Hope material to include? These guides for congregations and families are invaluable.

HIV in Asia: Cultural and Theological Perspectives (Christian Aid) -- examines why HIV/AIDS poses a particular challenge to faith leaders in Asia

*Responding more effectively to HIV and AIDS (Tearfund) -- aimed at churches and local communities, this resource encourages themto respond positively to HIV and AIDS. It provides very user-friendly sections with information about the virus and its transmission, fighting stigma, avoiding infection, the role medicines can play, the role of the church and more.

Scaling Up Effective Partnerships: A guide to working with faith-based organisations in the response to HIV and AIDS (Church World Service, Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance, Norwegian Church Aid, UNAIDS, and World Conference of Religions for Peace) -- primarily aimed at secular organisations working with churches (and groups from other faiths). Offers practical advice for setting up and scaling up partnerships.

Worship Information and Materials

Action Alert : How your church can get involved in World AIDS Day (Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance. This link will take you to the 2006 version; go to the main EAA page for any updates)

Africa Praying: A Handbook on HIV/AIDS Sensitive Sermon Guidelines and Liturgy (World Council of Churches)"Christians Praying about HIV and AIDS"  and "Stories and Poems" (Christian AIDS Bureau for Southern Africa)

Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance's HIV and AIDS Resources page (Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance)

Flesh of Your Flesh (John Bell for Christian Aid, 2006), complete liturgy that includes material from Christian Aid partners in El Salvador and Ethiopia.

Going Global Advent resource (United Reformed Church's Commitment for Life, 2003) -- includes stories from Bangladesh and further thoughts, prayers and points for action.

HIV/AIDS Responsive Litany (United Methodist Church)

Liturgical resources for World AIDS Day 2006 (Several networks of the Roman Catholic Church in the US, 2006) -- These are in part linked to the common lectionary (and hence refer to different readings than those for 2007/2008), but also contain many beautiful free-standing prayers, points for meditation, and reflections.

Selection of prayers (CAFOD) 

"Voices of Women" liturgy (prepared by Rev. Terry MacArthur for the International AIDS Conference in Bangkok, 2004) 

World AIDS Day page (Franciscans International)

Where can I find more information about HIV/AIDS?

The Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance -- access to a wide range of Christian and secular information

Oxfam's AIDS page -- a panoply of press releases, research papers and case studies highlighting all aspects of work on HIV and AIDS.

UNAIDS -- critically important UN coordinating body for work on AIDS, drawing on the resources of UN programmes and the World Bank. Data, information on policies and issues, stories, and links . . a plethora of materials for everyone from young people to researchers to policy makers

The World Health Organisation (WHO) -- "As directing and coordinating authority on international health, the World Health Organization (WHO) takes the lead within the UN system in the global health sector response to HIV/AIDS. The HIV/AIDS Department provides evidence-based, technical support to WHO Member States to help them scale up treatment, care and prevention services as well as drugs and diagnostics supply to ensure a comprehensive and sustainable response to HIV/AIDS."

Praying and Preaching on Trade Issues

"I dare to pray: Lord, let the rules be changed,
for I long to see trade bring justice to the poor . . . "

Extract from the Trade Pledge Prayer by Peter Graystone, Christian Aid

Praying

There are several compilations of trade-related prayers. Three online sources are:

• The Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance in Geneva which hosts a tremendously rich gathering of worship resources -- individual prayers, litanies and complete orders of service -- from around the world
• CAFOD 's worship section which offers prayers on trade and quotable quotes to spur reflection
• Traidcraft's "Prayers, Poems and Reflections" sheet which offers a short selection of useful material

In addition, Geoffrey Duncan has produced a variety of collections for Christian Aid which contain material on trade.

Preaching

In addition to its prayers, the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance has sermon themes and sample sermons.

Another invaluable resource is the linked lectionary entitled "Development Matters ," compiled quarterly by Dr. Elizabeth Perry and available on the Diocese of Bath and Wells' website. This resource takes the main lectionary readings for each week and links them with global-justice issues, providing facts, illustrations and quotes that preachers can use in their sermons.

If you want help reflecting theologically on trade issues before you preach, you might want to look at

• Trade Justice: A Christian Response to Global Poverty , the Christian Aid/Church of England report on the Trade Justice Campaign, which contains a section on the theological background,
  
• "Lifting the Burden, Weighting the Rules" the Christian Aid report on the faith foundations for trade justice campaigning, or
  
• Prof Dr Christoph Stuckelburger's "When Trade Serves God's Justice: Biblical and Ethical Flashlights and Considerations" in the Briefing Papers section of the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance website

Campaigns about Trade Issues

Within the UK, campaigning on trade is coordinated by the Trade Justice Movement, an umbrella grouping of over 80 organisations -- including not only agencies such as CAFOD, Christian Aid, Tearfund, Action Aid, Oxfam and Save the Children but also the Baptist Union, the Church of England and the United Reformed Church.

The Trade Justice Movement operates as a coalition. Individual organisations contribute their expertise in particular areas; the Movement as a whole offers commonly-agreed foci, joint policy documents and briefings, and united campaign actions.

At present, TJM campaigning is focusing on Economic Partnership Agreements [EPAs]. These are trade agreements that the EU is negotiating with the Africa, Caribbean and Pacific [ACP] countries. The ACP countries, largely former colonies, previously enjoyed preferential trading access to the EU. This was challenged at the World Trade Organisation, however, and the EU has argued that any new preferences will have to be in the context of regional free trade agreements.

One difficulty this poses is that free trade agreements require what is called "reciprocity," that is, both sides have to open their markets to each other -- with potentially very serious consequences for ACP agriculture and industry. Other difficulties are emerging as negotiations continue: for example, the EU is pressing the ACP countries to include issues like competition and government procurement policy in the EPAs -- even though they aren't required by WTO rules and were rejected by developing countries in WTO negotiations. To find out more, visit our EPAs page.

To find out about other trade issues members of TJM are working on, click on the links below:

• Oxfam's Make Trade Fair campaign covers a wide range of trade-related issues, including their current work on regional trade agreements and access to essential medicines.
• CAFOD has been working on mining and the trade in precious metals and on the ways that developing countries can protect special products.
• Action Aid has launched the Who Pays? campaign, which looks at the ways in which supermarkets trade with developing countries.

What Can My Church Do?

• Pray

Your church can pray for justice in trade as part of its prayers for justice throughout the world. Some suggestions for prayers can be found on our "praying and preaching on trade issues" page.

• Study

Think about the theology of trade. You might want to take the Church of England report on trade justice, the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance papers on trade, or the trade section of Christian Aid's "Act Justly" resource as a starting point. Or go back a little and take a look at some Christian theologians: does what Thomas Aquinas says about just prices have any relevance for us today? Or read Wesley's sermon on the use of money, which contains much meat for discussion. Do you agree with it? Or not?  

Find out more about the practice of trade today. It is probably good to focus on a particular area, as the issues at stake are so complex that finding out about "trade" is rather a tall order! You might want to look at the EPAs negotiations, for example, or to follow the trading patterns and difficulties of a particular country. Use the resources in our "resources" page to help you, or contact CCOW for more. And don't forget the expertise within your congregation! You may well have people who have considerable understanding -- either through their work or their life experience -- of trade issues related to development. You could perhaps ask some of these people whether they would be willing to share their thoughts and reflections.

• Find out more about trade in a country where you have a church link

One very good way of immersing yourself in trade issues is to find out more about a country with which you have links. Seek out resources and news items that discuss the issues particular to that country (CCOW can help) and speak with the people in the link to find out more from them. You might even want to undertake some shared advocacy and/or prayer! The Diocese of Bath and Wells has done this very successfully with Christian partners in Zambia, and the Diocese of Oxford is looking at ways to link up with Kimberley and Kuruman.

• Take a second look at your refreshments . . .

Trade issues are complex and not always easy to understand. Some churches find it helpful to begin from something more familiar, like the Fair Trade refreshments they serve. You might, for example, use Fairtrade coffee as the launching point to discuss some of the issues around trade in commodities. Or a packet of Fairtrade sugar could help you to look at some of the problems with protectionist set-ups like the EU sugar regime. And don't forget to add the milk! That's a call to look at both some of the issues surrounding the prices farmers in this country get for their goods, the concept of food miles, the power of multiple supermarkets and also at export subsidies, seeing whom they harm and asking whom they actually help. If you'd like help making these connections, get in touch with CCOW.

•  Take a campaign action

If you feel that this is the right thing to do, ask members of your church to take a campaign action. CAFOD, Tearfund and Traidcraft have some good ideas on their campaign pages.

What Can I Do?

This Month's Action

It's still important to campaign on EPAs. Visit Tearfund's website to read a new report ("Partners under Pressure") which details some of the problems raised by the EU's negotiation strategy . . . or read the summary on Traidcraft's website. Then email your MP to raise questions about the material in the report . . . . .

General Suggestions

1. Pray for justice in international trade. Some suggestions for prayer are on our praying and preaching page . . . or send us your own!

2. Study the Scriptures on trade; you might want to look at the theological papers on the praying and preaching page to guide you.

3. We tend to know where our coffee, tea and chocolate come from . . . but what about our computers, curtains and jewelry? Look at the different ways in which you depend on international trade over the course of a single day/week/month. Then try to find out more about the people and patterns behind that trade. CAFOD has run campaigns on the working conditions behind both computers and gold; go to their website to find out more.

4. If you work for a company that has an international supply chain, try to find out more about it.

5. Visit the TJM website and see what the latest joint campaign actions are. Send an email and/or join in a particular action. Or follow the lead of whichever particular agency you support.

6. To become a more effective campaigner, try to go "wide" and "deep." Stay apprised of trade issues in general by scanning the papers (Larry Elliott in The Guardian and Alan Beattie in the Financial Times are two reporters to look for) or, if you want some more depth, reading the weekly Bridges digest from ICTSD.

Then pick a country and try to find out all you can about its particular trade situation over a period of time. You can

• search for studies about that country on ELDIS
• check out statistics from UNCTAD and the World Bank
• read documents relating to it on the WTO website
• search the TJM database for agency documents that are helpful
• search the newspapers for stories

Links to all of the above are in our "further information" section. If you have connections with a country through a church link, consider doing this work in conjunction with your link partners -- and then joining together in advocacy. Bringing in specific information and examples helps to ensure that conversations about trade stay "real" and "rooted."

Once you feel comfortable with the issues, don't hesitate to write to your MP when matters related to your country's trading situation arise. Write to the newspaper, too, if that's an option.

Some Resources on Trade

If you want to download some resources to help you understand the trade issues and campaigns, here are some suggestions.

General Trade Issues

Rigged Rules and Double Standards: Trade, Globalisation and the Fight against Poverty (Oxfam, 2002) -- the basis for the Make Trade Fair campaign. At times controversial, particularly in its emphasis on market access (read the debates, helpfully provided by Oxfam), but very influential.

Trade for Life: Making Trade Work for Poor People (Christian Aid, 2001) -- Mark Curtis' book laid the foundations for Christian Aid's trade campaigning. Again controversial, again influential. Available on loan from CCOW.

Trade Justice: A Christian Response to Global Poverty (Christian Aid/Church of England, 2004) -- briefer than the above; a summary of the rationale for the Trade Justice campaign in a Christian context

Trade and Theology

Trade Justice: A Christian Response to Global Poverty (Christian Aid/Church of England, 2004)

Lifting the Burden, Weighting the Rules (Christian Aid, 2003)

"When Trade Serves God's Justice: Biblical and Ethical Flashlights and Considerations" (Prof. Dr. Christoph Stückelberger /Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance, 2003) in the Briefing Papers section of the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance website 

Trading away Injustice: Tearfund Bible Study for home groups

Faith in the Balance is a resource that CCOW produced before the Cancun WTO Meetings in 2003. While some of the issues it presents have moved on, many are -- unfortunately -- still the same. You can download the resource below.

The Trade Justice Campaign

The TJM's Founding Statement is a helpful summary of the movement's goals.

Further updates on goals at particular times can be found on the Briefings page of the TJM website.

Specific Trade Issues:

EPAs

Introductions to EPAs

EPAs Campaign Briefing (Tearfund, 2006) -- 2 sides of A4 resume of EPAs and Tearfund's concerns

Economic Partnership Agreements: A Tearfund Policy Briefing (Tearfund, 2006) -- longer (6 page) brief giving a good basic resume of EPAs and the issues around them

The Real Costs and Benefits of Economic Partnership Agreements (Christian Aid, Tearfund, Traidcraft, 2007) -- 9 page brief describing EPAs and assessing potential costs and benefits to developing countries

UK Government position on EPAs
 

EPAs and Particular Countries/Regions

Much to Lose, Little to Gain: Assessing EPAs from the Perspective of Malawi (Tearfund, 2007)

EPAs through the Lens of Kenya (Traidcraft/ECO News Africa, 2005)

 

Trade in Agriculture

The Development Dimension of the Agriculture Negotiations (South Centre, 2007) -- good, somewhat technical 8-page summary of developing country interests and concerns. See also the list of papers in this area at http://www.southcentre.org/publications/publist_issue_area_TradeInAgric_index.htm.

A Depreciating Asset, Too High a Price (Action Aid and CAFOD, 2006) -- discussion of why the EU decided to end export subsidies by 2013, what the offer is worth, and whether developing countries should make concessions in response

Special Products in the Doha Round (CAFOD/South Centre, 2007)

Where can I find more information about trade issues?

UK Agencies and Campaigning Groups

Within the UK, many major agencies work on trade issues and their broader relation to development and poverty reduction. The Christian development agencies (and others) generally come under the umbrella of the Trade Justice Movement coalition. The TJM website gives links to the coalition's more than 80 members, as well as to some of the news stories and resources they have produced. Among the members who have done detailed work on trade policy are Action Aid , CAFOD , Christian Aid , Oxfam , Tearfund, Traidcraft and WDM; if you click on the name of the agency here, you will go through to its trade pages.

Once in an agency's trade section, you will find that each specialises in particular areas: for example:

• CAFOD, Christian Aid, Oxfam, Tearfund and Traidcraft have focused most recently on EPAs;
• WDM has produced material on GATS [General Agreement on Trade in Services];
• CAFOD has worked with developing-country negotiators on Special Products; and
• Oxfam has highlighted the consequences of Regional Trade Agreements and issues surrounding access to essential medicines.

The UK Government, the EU, the UN and the WTO

Material on the UK's positions re: trade and developing countries is available from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Department for International Development (DFID). DTI's Europe and World Trade page contains a basic overview of the UK's view on developing country issues within the WTO, with links to information about EPAs, the Generalised System of Preferences, commodities, and other trade issues. The framework for "DFID's Work in Trade and Development, 2005 - 2007" is outlined in a document of that title published in 2005. A listing of DFID's publications on a variety of trade topics, including the impact of preferences, aid for trade, EPAs and more, is also available.

EU countries negotiate trade agreements as a bloc, so EU policy is more important to developing countries than the position that any individual member takes. The EU's external trade website gives access to news and documents.

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) website offers large amounts of information, particularly in UNCTAD's focus areas: Trade in Africa, Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States; Commodities; Globalisation and Development; Investment, Technology and Enterprise Development; and Infrastructure.

The new World Trade Organisation (WTO) website provides masses of information and is well organised. If you want to understand the official WTO line, there is a very clear introduction which covers the basic principles and terms of trade liberalisation, a chart outlining the WTO's structure, and access to the foundational legal texts. There's even a distance learning course, with modules on some aspects of the WTO of particular interest to developing countries. The site also offers space to its critics; on the right hand side, click on the "Public Forum" links if you want to hear what some NGOs have said at the annual meeting between the WTO and Civil Society Organisations.

Further Agencies, Organisations, Think-Tanks and Databases

If you want to be kept up to date on trade issues across the board, the best resources are the weekly and monthly editions of Bridges, put out by the Geneva-based International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development. The weekly email bulletin covers the latest trade news, events and resources. The monthly bulletin has more in-depth articles on particular topics. You can browse both -- as well as ICTSD's other materials -- on the ICTSD website.

Also based in Geneva is The South Centre, an intergovernmental organisation of developing countries.  The South Centre's Trade for Development programme is a key source of briefing papers, analytical notes and other resources on various topics in trade in agriculture, services, commodities, and non-agricultural goods, as well as cross-cutting issues.

TRALAC, the Trade Law Centre for Southern Africa (located in Stellenbosch), offers another weekly bulletin, which contains a useful compendium of trade-related articles from African and other media, as well as discussion of "hot topics" and information about AGOA, the trade agreement between Africa and the US. You can sign up for the bulletin, or browse TRALAC's other publications, at their website.

The African Economic Research Consortium has a strong trade component, with a series of Trade Working Papers and bulletins about trade in the regular newsletter.

Among the UK think tanks, ODI (Overseas Development Institute) has an International Economic Development Programme that covers a wide variety of trade issues, including developing country negotiation strategies, the impact of preferences, trade in commodities, trade for aid and regional trade agreements. ODI has excellent conferences that bring together participants from NGOs, the academy, governments and business: presentation documents and audio recordings of the sessions are often on their website. ODI also produces briefing papers on specific trade topics.

The Global Economic Governance Programme at Oxford University offers lectures and research papers on a variety of governance-related topics. The new trade programme will have details of trade-related events and research; it already has a very good "resources" page with links to different groups working on trade policy, primarily in an academic or high-level NGO context. The Harvard University Global Trade Negotiations Home Page also has excellent links to a variety of trade-focused NGOs, organisations, schools and institutions, etc. Its other materials, however, need updating.

If you want to find the most recent research on trade topics, or to locate information written over a period of time about a particular trade topic, the ELDIS website is a good first stop. ELDIS has a searchable database of articles on development-related topics produced by organisations around the world.

What are the Millennium Development Goals?

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are eight goals to be achieved by 2015. They offer a way of responding to -- and evaluating our response to -- some of the many, often closely linked development challenges that the world faces. The MDGs are drawn from the actions and targets contained in the Millennium Declaration, a document which was adopted by 189 nations-and signed by 147 heads of state and governments during the UN Millennium Summit in September 2000.

The 8 MDGs are:

* Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger

* Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education

* Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women

* Goal 4: Reduce child mortality

* Goal 5: Improve maternal health

* Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases

* Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability

* Goal 8: Develop a Global Partnership for Development

The 8 MDGs break down into 18 quantifiable targets that are measured by 48 indicators. You can find these listed in the "The MDGs in More Detail" section of this website.

Praying and Preaching on the MDGs

There are abundant resources available for praying and preaching on the Millennium Development Goals.

Weekly Prayer Reflections from Micah Challenge

Each week the Micah Challenge campaign sends out a prayer reflection, containing a short reflection, prayer points for the week, and a statistic relating to the MDGs with suggestions for meditation. You can sign up to receive this on the Micah website.

Prayers about the MDGs

There is a specific MDG prayer, which can be found on the School Sisters of Notre Dame's very helpful page on the MDGs and the order's response to them. 

The Episcopal Public Policy Network also has a fine bidding prayer touching on each of the goals. You might also like to take a look a litany of penance based around the MDGs.

Complete Liturgies around the MDGs

• There is a fine prayer service from the Sisters of Mercy.
• CAFOD has a school assembly on the MDGs, including a dramatic reading (for multiple readers), prayers and a reflection. While the assembly is designed for children at Key Stage 4, it could be used in many different church contexts.
• The Episcopal Public Policy network has a shortened form of evening prayer for Advent with prayers for the end of global poverty.
  
• If you're looking for something to do with a youth group, you might want to look at Episcopalians for Global Reconciliation's U2charist , which combines liturgy, U2 lyrics and the MDGs. . . .

Sermons and Sermon Aids around the MDGs

If you're preparing a sermon and would like some background, there are many resources.

On the web, have a look at Micah Challenge UK's introduction to praying on the MDGs, which offers Biblical bases for action on the goals. Micah also has a resource page that could help inspire a sermon . . . or, if your church uses multimedia presentations, offers powerpoints and video clips to use. In print, Sabina Alkire and Ed Newell's "What Can One Person Do?" [Darton Longman, Todd, 2005] is a treasure trove of information, reflection and prayers.

Activities for Sunday School or Children's Groups

World Vision Australia has produced a wonderful guide with activities for each of the MDGs.

Do you have a prayer or a sermon on this topic you would like to share? Please email it to us at maranda@ccow.org.uk.

Campaigns around the MDGs

Because 189 governments have signed on to the MDGs, they offer a strong platform for work on development. Recognising this, a number of international campaigns are monitoring where we are in accomplishing them -- and are working to hold the world's governments accountable for progress made, or not made. The three largest campaigns are the Global Call to Action against Poverty, Micah Challenge, and the UN Millennium Campaign.

Global Call to Action against Poverty

The Global Call to Action against Poverty or the "White Band" campaign brings together more than 100 national campaigning "platforms" -- coalitions of campaigning groups, churches, faith groups, unions and others -- around a set of core demands

In the UK, this campaign is probably best known by the name of the 2005 coalition which was its platform in the UK -- Make Poverty History. Today many of the same agencies that were part of Make Poverty History continue to participate in GCAP campaigning through a broad coalition coordinated by BOND (British Overseas NGOs for Development).  The main GCAP event each year is "Stand Up Against Poverty," which takes place in October, though there are also other events, such as 2007's "Your Voice Against Poverty," at which the images above were taken.

Micah Challenge

Micah Challenge UK is part of Micah Challenge International, a Christian campaign located in over 30 countries, from Australia to Zambia. Micah UK, in parallel with its other national counterparts, has two main objectives:

Micah UK's main means of campaigning is through "Take Five." Micah offers a briefing pack on the Millennium Development Goals and a range of Christian reflections on the need to act against poverty. Micah International sends a weekly email giving a fact about poverty for reflection, one or two prayer suggestions, and a brief reflection. Many find this a very helpful resource; you can sign up by sending a blank email to regine.nagel@micahchallenge.org with the words 'subscribe prayer' in the subject line.

UN Millennium Campaign

Resources on the Millennium Development Goals

Basic Introductions to the MDGs

• Briefing pack on the Millennium Development Goals (Micah UK, 2007)

Worship resources on the MDGs

• Weekly reflections from the Micah campaign
• Millennium prayer (Center of Concern)
• Prayer service (Sisters of Mercy)
• Evening prayer for Advent with prayers for the end of global poverty (Episcopal Public Policy Network)

Assessing progress on the MDGs

• Indicators for Monitoring the MDGs -- Definitions, rationale, concepts and sources (UNDP)
• Progress Reports (UNSTATS, 2005, 2006)
• Reports of the Secretary General (UN)

More coming soon!

What Can My Church Do?

Supporting the MDGs can be part of the Church's broader response to the challenges of global poverty. Here are some suggestions for how your church might get involved:

• Pray. Bringing our concerns about global poverty before God is an essential part of our Christian response.
  • Micah Challenge sends out a weekly prayer email, which offers a statistic related to the MDGs as a particular point for prayer and reflection. Why not use that as a part of your weekly prayers in church? Or, if you already use another agency's prayer diary, try to link the specific projects or people that you are asked to pray for to action on the MDGs.
  • A special service can be a good way of really highlighting global poverty, our response to it generally, and the need to pray and campaign for implementation of the MDGs. Micah Challenge has special Sundays (the last was on 20 May) with liturgical materials prepared for them -- you can use these at other times, too! This October 17, too, there will be another chance to "stand up against poverty" -- could you perhaps schedule a service on that day (a Wednesday) or on the following Sunday? Or check out the "U2charist" and other suggestions in our "praying and preaching" website.

• Study and Reflect together. There are many fine Lent courses, Bible studies and books that deal with the Christian response to global poverty, some of which include material about the Millennium Development Goals. Why not try one with your house group? Some suggestions include:
  • Act Justly, from Christian Aid
  • reflections from the worship material for Live Simply
  • "What does the Bible say about poverty" from Methodist Relief and Development Fund
  • the Micah Challenge reflections or the "Half-Time" reflections originally written to cover the seven weeks from Pentecost 2007 to 07/07/07.
  • Edward Newell and Sabina Alkire's What Can One Person Do? (which focuses precisely on the Christian response to poverty through the MDGs)
  • Graham Gordon's "What If You Got Involved? Taking a Stand against Social Injustice"
  • Steve de Gruchy "Introducing the United Nations Millennium Declaration"

• Campaign alongside other Christians worldwide by joining the Micah Challenge and supporting GCAP and the UN Millennium Campaign.
  • To see how your church can join the Micah Challenge, go to Micah UK's "how to join" page.
  • To see what the UK GCAP coalition is doing and to get involved, go to the page for "Your Voice Against Poverty"
  • To see the latest news on the UN Millennium Campaign and 2007's "Stand Up and Speak Out!" go to the webpage for the Millennium Campaign.

• Adopt a goal, and make research, prayer and action on it part of your church's mission.
  • One city church went through the goals and felt particularly called to respond to #2 -- universal primary education. They decided to donate to a church agency that helps buy school uniforms and supplies for girls. It's a practical contribution to making the goals happen. The combination of prayer, research, advocacy and practical action is a powerful one!

• Raise awareness in imaginative ways! Fran Chandler, the Anglican World Development Adviser for Kensington, has done prayer stations and flower festival displays on MDG-related themes. . . . a great way to reach people who might not otherwise become involved. The Diocese of Leicester is planning a special performance of the Poverty Requiem on 17 October. What could you do?

Where can I find more information about the MDGs?

Information about the MDGs as a Whole

The two best places to start for basic background are the UN Millennium Development Goals website and The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) MDGs section.

The former contains a list of the Goals; the Millennium Declaration and background to the Goals; the annual Development Goals report,  which indicates the level of progress towards the targets;  links to the indicator database and more.  The beautifully organised and arranged UNDP site offers basic information and resources, news and speeches, details of advocacy and strategies for meeting the MDGs, help tracking progress (links to general indicators, country reports etc), links to country offices and regional resources. 

Church Responses to the MDGs

The Anglican Communion held a conference -- Towards Effective Anglican Mission [TEAM] -- in March 2007 to consider how Anglicans should respond to the MDGs and the crisis posed by HIV/AIDS, especially in Africa. The TEAM website and the Episcopal News Service website contain links to theological reflections on the MDGs and the Church's response by South African theologian Steve de Gruchy and the Archbishop of Canterbury, myriad discussions of projects in which churches are already engaging, and a fascinating talk and response in which Salil Shetty, director of the UN Millennium Campaign, introduced the Goals and the campaign, and Hellen Wangusa, Anglican Observer at the United Nations critiqued the MDGs as a framework for church work in development.  

Southern Responses to the MDGs 

Choike, the portal for Southern civil society, gives both the UN background to the formulation of the goals and a wide range of Southern responses -- some positive, some critical, many suggesting a widening of the terms of discussion.  The website also has considerable material on gender and the MDGs and health and the MDGs. 

Campaigning Perspectives on the MDGs

The three large campaigns -- Global Call to Action against Poverty , Micah Challenge , and the UN Millennium Campaign --  all offer campaigning perspectives on the MDGs and their relations to the goal of economic justice.