To my International Fairtrade Friends of past and present, I have some exciting news for you!

Tomorrow (TUESDAY 14th JULY) will see the launch of the new International Fairtrade Towns Website at :
www.fairtradetowns.org 

With over 680 Fairtrade Towns in 18 countries worldwide Fairtrade Towns are truly an international campaign.

There will now be a chance for all Fairtrade Town stakeholders to come together at an international level, emphasizing the fact that we are all part of a global movement working towards a fairer and better world.

Not only will the website provide best tools, materials, reports, films and other Fairtrade Town specific information and resources but it will also include an online social networking forum, offering activists and others from around the world a space to share ideas and inspiration.

This online community will allow members to post and share photos and videos, start a forum or discussion, publicise events and invite others to take part and what’s more this online community is already available at: 
http://fairtradetowns.ning.com/ 

So why not become a member now, start posting and spread the word?

We have reached another historic milestone for Fairtrade Towns. It is perhaps appropriate that this historic moment should take place on Bastille Day that marks the onset of the French Revolution in 1789.

The launch of the International Fairtrade Towns website may not be quite so dramatic and certainly is less violent, but let’s hope it will ignite the spark that brings people together from all over the world for a peaceful revolution that will bring about a change to our society just as great as that of 220 years ago.

Vive la change!

Bruce Crowther
Fairtrade Towns Coordinator
Fairtrade Foundation, UK

The SFTF office is a buzz of activity as we prepare for our AGM and Board elections in Perth on 31 January and for Fairtrade Fortnight February 23-March 7.

It’s been a huge year for the Scottish Fair Trade Forum since our last AGM in February 2008 and we’re excited about all that 2009 will hold as we work to help Scotland become a Fair Trade Nation.

Many of you will have met Julius Ethang’atha, the Kenyan Fairtrade tea producer the Scottish Fair Trade Forum brought to Scotland for Fairtrade Fortnight 2008. Julius was warmly welcomed everywhere he went on his tour of Scotland and was completely overwhelmed by the Fair Trade activism and commitment he encountered here. In his words, he ‘did not expect this.’ He returned to Kenya to tell other tea producers in Michimikuru about how important Fair Trade is in Scotland and that we are even working to become a Fair Trade Nation. When I went to visit Michimikuru last May, I was greeted warmly by people already familiar with Scotland’s relationship with Fair Trade.

UK International Development Minister Douglas Alexander MP, Julius Ethang'atha, Betsy Reed

This year, for Fairtrade Fortnight 2009 the Scottish Fair Trade Forum are hosting female Malawian Fair Trade consultant, Towera Jalakasi, for a two-week tour of Scotland. This will be jam-packed with events from Edinburgh to Stirling, Oban to Ullapool, Ellon to St Andrews. Towera has been involved in building the capacity of Fair Trade producer groups and products from Malawi and has worked closely with several Scottish organisations operating there. She and I will be driving around at full-tilt, taking part in school, community, university, local council and Scottish Government events. The full itinerary will be posted online in early February, once all local groups have finalised the events they’re planning to include Towera and the Scottish Fair Trade Forum.

The Fairtrade Foundation are bringing a Fairtrade banana producer to the West Coast of Scotland to participate in events down the West Coast and in Dumfries and Galloway and we are helping Equal Exchange bring a producer to Scotland to visit the Scottish Borders and the Fairtrade Experience in Glasgow. We are truly excited that much of Scotland will have a visit from someone directly involved in Fair Trade in a producer country for the first time ever!

Just a few things coming for Fairtrade Fortnight…
* some Scotland-specific Fair Trade figures - how many people buy Fair Trade products regularly and how the current economic climate will impact Fair Trade shopping in Scotland
* local and national media coverage of Fairtrade Fortnight events and interviews with Towera Jalakasi
* the Fairtrade Foundation ‘Great Debate Tour’ stop in Edinburgh on 4 March, which the Scottish Fair Trade Forum will be chairing
* goodies, giveaways and competitions for Fairtrade, Fair Trade and fairly traded goods

Let us know what Fairtrade Fortnight events are going on in your area and we’ll put them on our Events section. Send details to our Fairtrade Fortnight volunteer, Jeanne, at ‘Jeanne.Evans’ at ’sftf.org.uk.’

To make your Christmas Fair Trade, click here for ideas!

It has been a busy, busy few weeks since I last wrote.

First of all, our first ever Scottish Fairtrade Campaign Day in Dundee on 29 November was attended by over 90 activists from around Scotland. Highlights included workshops on ‘The Future of Fairtrade’ by Veronica Pasteur of the Fairtrade Foundation, feedback from Scottish Fair Trade activists on what they want to do locally and how the Forum can help them (given in my workshop), and a closing address by Andy Good of Equal Exchange.

On 5 December, Scottish Government Minister for EU, External Affairs and Culture, Linda Fabiani MSP, announced the Scottish Government was giving us a funding boost to help us better spread the word about Scotland’s Fair Trade Nation campaign and raise awareness and understanding of Fair Trade in general. To see the full press release, click here. We look forward to the capacity this now gives us to produce promotional materials and reach a broader audience over the next few months.

Aileen Campbell MSP last week introduced a motion in Scottish Parliament (S3M-3040) supporting our joint statement with the National Farmers Union Scotland. The Wales Fair Trade Forum has subsequently followed our lead to work with its own local farmers union to issue a statement agreeing to work together to recognise that farmers everywhere deserve a ’fair deal.’

And, last but not least, today the award letters and cheques for our Small Grant Scheme go out in the post. We received over 20 applications and are giving away over £10,000 in this first round to groups from Arran to Linlithgow to Inverness to boost the Fair Trade projects they would like to carry out. Our second round of grant applications will be open until January 14; applications and guidelines can be found here.