SECRET DIARY WRITER: Rapping Nestles knuckles with wrappers

Hi everybody!
It’s CHOCOLATE WEEK!

We are being encouraged to eat and bath and rub ourselves with chocolate this week.

I say, YEEEHA, sounds like fun. Let’s do it but make sure it’s FAIR TRADE.

I have an idea though that you should save your fair trade wrappers, write a little note on the back and send them to Nestle. You can write about human rights, child trafficking, them not knowing where their beans come from, transparency in supply chains, them not living up to promises, the ICI… you have a heap of things to pick from! For inspiration check out our chocolate pages on the website and this blog post

Please let me know if you post stuff and if you hear anything in repsonse!

Let’s sock it to Nestle!
GRRRRRR.

The MARCH is working (already!)

STOP THE TRAFFIK is thrilled to announce that the global campaign to MARCH ON MARS is already beginning to work!

 

Mars have JUST announced that ALL their cocoa will be certified by the Rainforest Alliance as free from trafficked and exploited labour by 2020. As a first step, Galaxy bars in the UK and Ireland will be certified by 2010.

 

Following Cadbury’s announcement that Dairy Milk will be Fairtrade this summer, Mars’s first step is proof that the tide is turning and that the chocolate industry is beginning to take your views and concerns seriously.

 

BUT WE CAN’T STOP NOW…

 

There is a long way to go – 2020 is eleven years away. Also, let’s not forget that we’ve heard commitments and promises like this before. In 2001 Mars, with the rest of industry committed to end forced child labour by 2005…

 

WE’RE STILL WAITING

 

 

While we warmly welcome this announcement, we want to see real change and ask everyone that while we congratulate Mars, we still have to let them know the world is watching to make sure that (this time) promises are kept and life will actually become better for the cocoa farmers and the children of West Africa.

 

The MARCH has to keep on MARCHING!

 

(But let’s just quickly take a second to say WOOHOOO everybody! Together we are making it happen and that rocks my world!)

NEWS FLASH: STOP THE TRAFFIK’s first book goes on sale

 

‘I was trafficked, I survived. What would you do if it was your daughter, son, brother or sister? Read this book, it will answer some of your questions’        UK Trafficking Survivor and friend of STOP THE TRAFFIK

 

 

The world is just acknowledging trafficking as the world’s fastest growing crime with an increase in hard hitting headlines and challenging debates.  Sometimes just understanding the causes, issues and statistics can seem like a scary and challenging task. STOP THE TRAFFIK’s new book: STOP THE TRAFFIK: People Shouldn’t be Bought or Sold has been written to help you understand this hidden world.

 

STOP THE TRAFFIK: People Shouldn’t be Bought or Sold is a story of the human suffering, pain and abuse affecting millions of men, women and children all around the world. It is a story relevant to every community, every second of every day. It is the story of people without human rights.

 

It is also a story of hope.

 

Around the world, together we have shown that

small actions

on a big scale

make a huge difference.

 

To help you continue your fight against trafficking, this book gives you plenty of ideas so you can make traffik free choices and learn how as communities and individuals, to ACT and help STOP THE TRAFFIK

 

‘It is important that society does not turn a blind eye to this issue. It can be happening on the street where you live, work or socialize.  Law enforcement agencies across the world are focusing on this on-going tragedy and they need the help of friends, neighbours and people in agencies. Don’t turn a blind eye’   

Andy Baker (2009) Deputy Director UK. Serious Organised Crime Agency

 

       

Using an engaging mix of real-life stories and bite-size factoids, this thought-provoking book successfully transforms a complicated, horrific global problem into an understandable local fight.

 

As Emma Thompson says ‘make no mistake about it, trafficking is torture. It must not be allowed to continue – this book will help you to do your part, so please, please buy it and join the fight’   

 

Please click here to buy your copy http://www.stopthetraffik.org/shop/book.aspx  

 

If you cannot buy the book, why not ask your local library – in your school, university, town, or place of work to stock it.

Easter is approaching and it’s a time for…. err… CHOCOLATE!

This Easter when you’re looking for Easter eggs starry eyed and dazzled by colourful packaging and special offers, take 30 seconds to think about who you support when you spend your money.

 

STOP THE TRAFFIK’s new book asks if chocolate is a harmless treat or something that encourages human trafficking and human rights abuses?

 

We know the answer to that question

We know you know the answer to that question

 

Do you want to put money into an industry which cannot sell you traffik free, slave free chocolate? Do you want to financially support an industry doing little to change the situation and prosperity for farmers in the Cote d’Ivoire?

 

Make a choice this Easter.

Make a choice for the thousands of children suffering to make the world’s Easter eggs.

Make your choice traffik free

 

You can do this by buying fair and ethically traded eggs and chocolate bars. If you cannot find them in supermarkets have a look online.

 

You can even make your own eggs using fair trade chocolate. It is after all the thought that counts. Just remember to spare a thought for those who are without choice.

What Planet Is Mars On?

Did you know that Mars, a leading global chocolate company, cannot guarantee that their chocolate is ‘traffik free’?

FACT: the ILO (International Labour Organisation) state it is highly likely slave labour is used in Mars’s cocoa production chain.

FACT: a significant proportion of these slaves are trafficked children.

35% of the world’s cocoa comes from the Ivory Coast, a nation in West Africa. Research supported by the ILO suggests that in the Ivory Coast alone there are at least 200,000 children working in slave conditions on cocoa farms. Thousands of these children have been trafficked into the Ivory Coast, originally from neighbouring countries such as Mali, Togo and Burkina Faso.

Children working on these farms are forced to do dangerous tasks. They spray pesticide onto cocoa plants without protective clothing. They carry sacks that are excessively heavy and use machetes without supervision or guidance.

Children are severely undernourished and overworked. They are separated from their families by force. They are denied education.

According to Mars, there is no way to trace the origins of their cocoa beans. This is because they are bought from middle-men who buy their beans from different farms.

Can Mars really claim ignorance of this situation?

The answer is clearly NO.

Mars is powerful and rich enough to dictate the terms on which it buys cocoa beans and has the money to check farming conditions and pay a better price for their beans.

It is difficult to understand why chocolate companies haven’t really tried to eradicate the worst forms of chid labour. Perhaps these companies are trying to keep the cost of chocolate low for their consumer, or to increase profits? Either way, this situation is not good enough.

Mars is losing its credibility, especially in the face of Cadbury’s recent decision to make Dairy Milk (the UK’s favourite chocolate bar) a fairtrade product by the end of summer 2009.

If Cadbury can do it, why not Mars? What planet is Mars on?

www.marchonmars.org 

And the award goes to…

This week, STOP THE TRAFFIK would like to extend a warm HUGE thank you to the amazing, fantastic and inspirational Red River Theatre group run by Nigel Roberts based in Hinckley, Leicester.

Directed by Mr. Roberts, a number of budding actors and actresses produced a film called STRANDED. This thought provoking drama highlighted different challenges facing three teenage girls.  

The stories which revolved around bullying, family abuse and trafficking intertwined as the girls shared their experiences after finding themselves washed up in childhood wasteland – a space where robbed youth is lost and found.

I was fortunate enough to sit with three of the young stars and asked them about their experiences.

Monika, played by Cassie Shilladay is a normal girl who falls for a nice boy with a nasty brother. She was eventually tricked by the promise of a modeling career and trafficked overseas. 

“I didn’t know much about trafficking’ said Cassie ‘it was incredible to learn how big the problem was and that Britain is involved. It really bought home that it [trafficking] happened to people our age”

I asked whether it was hard playing such challenging roles by day and then slotting into normal mode at night.

“It was definitely a challenge to get in the role of being bullied” replied Sophie Wightman Who played Abi – the bullied ‘new girl’ at school. “It was alright during filming – it was when you got home that it hit and touched you”.

Zoe Grain who played Lisa – a girl abused by her father, very honestly admitted “it was a totally different mindset; I was almost scared to play it”.

The emotional and psychological journey the entire cast went on must have been demanding but the final production was incredibly touching and something everyone involved in the project should feel immensely proud of.

As a result of their hard work and with the support of Mr. Roberts, the Red River theatre group have toured local schools with assemblies, Zoe has given presentations focusing on trafficking into the cocoa industry , their first production ‘Girl in the Photograph’ has been viewed over 16,000 times and Stranded was downloaded at a rate of 40 a day.

In addition to these awareness raising successes, as a result of the film one audience member made a donation to the youth group who then presented a cheque for over £1000 to STOP THE TRAFFIK. This money is vital for us to continue our projects and directly adds to the fight against the horrific crime of people trafficking.

As Mr. Roberts said  ‘a life can be transformed by experiencing someone else’s”

Coulsdon is STOPPING TRAFFIK. Are you?

HERE’S TO COULSDON!

 

Our day began outside a wet Herne Hill train station.  Victoria and I (Rich) were on our way to meet students and teachers from the Oasis Academy in Coulsdon, Surrey.  The school’s students had successfully hosted a number of chocolate fondue parties (much to the despair of the PE teacher and delight of the Home Economics teacher!). 

As well as hosting fondue parties to raise money and awareness, some students organised unique fundraising activities.  These included a sponsored silence (must have been bliss for the teachers!) and (despite strange worried looks from local residents) a sponsored pyjama day.   

In total a staggering £575.39 was raised for STOP THE TRAFFIK.  This simply had to be congratulated in person. 

After arriving at Coulsdon South train station, we made the 40 minute UPHILL journey by foot, to the school.   The school is located in a leafy suburb of Surrey, what a great teaching environment, lucky kids!  Lots of green open spaces to work off all the chocolate! 

We were shown around the school by the excellent Mrs Butcher.   We were mightily impressed by all the facilities the school had on offer and the politeness of the students, especially the year 9 students who raised the most money. 

The cheque was presented to us at the end of the year 9 assembly, this gave us a chance to thank everyone involved and express our deepest gratitude. A special mention must go out to year 9 student Bethany Frost, who single handedly raised over £100.

The school also recently held a sponsored swimathon – the aim was for 10 students and 4 teachers to swim as many lengths as humanly possible.  If they swam as well as they ate chocolate STOP THE TRAFFIK are in for a real treat!  Watch this space.

We left the school with the realisation that STOP THE TRAFFIK are equipped with a vast array of talented individuals.  An inspiration to us all.

A huge thank you to EVERYONE who took part and the three fabulous girls (Anneka Nevin, Sophie Williams and Rochelle Reid) who are driving STOP THE TRAFFIK into the future.

The Original Dipper Winner…

STOP THE TRAFFIK would like to thank all those who dipped peculiar things in chocolate in the name of freedom! We would especially like to thank you all for the pictures which were wonderful – if not a bit disgusting at times!

Despite the wacky combinations that included cold hot dogs, roasted garlic and an entire small child the WINNER has to be a Lebanese Youth Group who dipped (and ate) GOAT’s TESTICLES and COW’s TONGUE in chocolate! You don’t believe me…… check out the photos!

The prize of a whopping amount of chocolate will be winging its way to you in the new year.

20% increase in fair-trade chocolate worldwide

STOP PRESS …. CHOCOLATE CAMPAIGN SUCCESS

This month, one member of the Chocolate Industry took a landmark decision that will result in a 20% increase in fair-trade – Traffik Free – chocolate worldwide.

Royal Verkade, a Dutch household name and subsidiary of United Biscuits, announced that they will be using 100% Fair Trade cocoa and sugar in their products from the autumn onwards. This is the first A-list chocolate producer worldwide to make the transition to Fair Trade production on a large scale and STOP THE TRAFFIK congratulates Royal Verkade for taking this decision.

Though many players were involved, a major turning point occurred during STOP THE TRAFFIK Netherlands and local NGO Fairfood’s ‘naming and shaming’ campaign, linking Verkade with the worst forms of child labour in Ivory Coast. “Within a day we had a phone call from Fair Trade”, states Antonie Fountain of STOP THE TRAFFIK Holland, “saying that Verkade had just called them to talk about the possibility of Fair Trade sourcing for their cocoa”.

THIS IS BIG NEWS but It is critical we keep pressure up on this issue.  We are making a difference.  We will not stop until the trafficking has been STOPPED.

www.stopthetraffik.org/chocolatecampaign

Bitter sweet news

 

STOP THE TRAFFIK Netherlands & Fairfood held a demonstration against the worst forms of child labour in the cocoa-industry outside the Dutch parliament. Two parliamentarians joined the demonstration, which marked the end of a competition inviting major producers of chocolate to commit to significant improvement. None of the companies approached were willing to make significant changes and therefore there was no winner to the competition.

Many people in your local community still don’t know that children are trafficked to work on cocoa plantations in the Ivory Coast where nearly half the worlds chocolate is produced.

Even more people don’t know that the chocolate industry promised in 2001 to end the trafficking of children onto cocoa farms by July 1^st 2008.  Next week this deadline passes, yet still children are trafficked to work on these farms.

We can use our local papers, radio, community newsletters, our blogs to let people know the shocking reality behind the chocolate we eat.

For the local press and media to listen we need to do something that draws attention to the story.

Click here and find out how

Act together for those who can’t

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