broadening the fair trade towns campaing in Latin American and the Caribbean

broadening the fair trade towns campaing in Latin American and the Caribbean

PROGRESSES IN LATIN AMERICA a) Local campaigns started in: Riobamba (Ecuador) and Boa Esperança (Brazil). b) New first steps in: Grecia (Costa Rica) and Quito (Ecuador). c) National producers Networks leading the campaign in Costa Rica and Ecuador. d) First example of an international bridge between an European Fair Trade Town (Saarbruecken-Germany) and possible Fair Trade Town in the Latin America: Marcala (Honduras) and Jinotega (Nicaragua). e) HOW CAN WE IMPROVE TWINNINGS?

PROGRESSES IN LATIN AMERICA f) A recognized web page and good visibility through the facebook page of the campaign. g) More fair trade producers organizations are knowing about the campaign and start thinking about a possible local campaign. h) JUNE 2016: SPP (Small Producers Symbol) joined the campaign. + +

PROGRESSES IN LATIN AMERICA In Latin America the 3 continental fair trade networks (CLAC, WFTO-LA and SPP) unite their efforts to promote the movement in the different countries of the continent. They are demonstrating that, beyond the different work approaches, the three 3 want to work together and not separately to advocate for fair trade in the region, to build the movement, and involve society, public and private institutions, youth and future generations of our Latin American countries.

LEADING ROLE OF THE PRODUCERS 1) Fair trade producers, artisans and their Fair trade Organizations leading the campaign in the South. A direct relation between fair trade producers, local authorities and civil society is needed. 2) Local authorities recognize the producers as local development actors and leaders of the campaign; other actors and activists can accompany the producers and help them during the process but they should not forget them or develop the campaign in a certain city without the leading role of fair trade producers, their organizations and national platforms. 3) To spread the campaign in the South, we need to help our producers organizations by giving them the right tools, and information. 4) Promote REGIONAL or CONTINENTAL campaigns.

WE RECOMMEND 5) 10 ambassadors representing the different continents 2 from Europe 1 from North America (USA and Canada) 2 from Africa 2 from Asia 1 from Oceania and Japan 2 from Latin America

WE RECOMMEND THIS COORDINATION 6) A rotating coordination of the IFTTSC; every 4 years a regional campaign assumes the coordination of the committee. For example: the next 4 years Europe, then North America, then Oceania and Japan, then Latin America, and so on. In this way we include participation of all regions and we start creating a sustainable and decentralized structure, still demonstrating the global sense of the campaign, and also its grassroots approach. In this way, we also increase the exchange of experiences and approaches among the different regional (and national) campaigns.

REPRESENTATIVE AND INCLUSIVENESS 7) To achieve real representation and inclusiveness, the members of the IFTTSC should be active members of the regional campaigns. A continental or international view of the campaign in order to participate in the IFTTSC is important; SC members should be really involved in the development of the global campaign. A commitment to the IFTTSC with practical work and achieving results is fundamental.

WE NEED ALL RESOURCES TO GO TO THE FAIR TRADE TOWNS 8) Since our mayor goal is to invest resources in our own campaigns and all of our organizations are having economic problems, resources that come to our movement should go to Fair Trade Towns should invest their budget in new local activities, in order to better stimulate relations among fair trade producers, local authorities and civil society organizations, and develop the campaign at local level.

LOOKING AT THE FUTURE.. 9) The future How can we manage the campaign in the next 15 or 20 years? How can we manage it if we want the movement to spread also in the South? Please, image 500 more fair trade towns in the South. Is the current Fair Trade Towns structure sustainable for so many towns in the South? From our point of view it s not; that s why we think that we need to create regional campaigns with the leading role of the Fair Trade Producers Networks in the South.

Contact in CLAC: Marco Coscione Fundraising and Advocacy Coordinator marco.coscione@gmail.com Contact in WFTO-LA: Zulma Brítez Regional Secretary secretaria@wfto-la.org Contact in FUNDEPPO: Ángel Gutiérrez Zalazar Responsable for Communication com@spp.coop