This article may relate to a different subject or has undue weight on an aspect of the subject. (July 2008) |
The Trade Justice Movement is a British coalition, founded in 2000, of more than 80 organizations campaigning for trade justice.
The coalition has a particular focus on UK and EU trade policies. This includes the removal of the European Union's agricultural export and other subsidies that result in dumping, and the right of national governments to follow protectionist trade policies in the pursuit of social and environmental goals. Members of the Trade Justice Movement have had a major focus, working with allies internationally, on negotiations at the World Trade Organization (WTO) since its first public event ahead of the WTO Ministerial Conference in Doha, Qatar, in November 2001.
The Trade Justice Movement has a present priority campaign on the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs), the European Union (EU) is negotiating with its former colonies in Africa, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries.
The coalition also campaigns for effective regulation of the corporations that make up 70% of world trade. In 2006 this included one of the largest UK campaigns of that year with over 100,000 UK voters contacting their MP, resulting in changes to UK company law in the Companies Act 2006.
The Trade Justice Movement includes development and environment NGOs, trade unions, human rights campaigns, Fairtrade organizations, and faith and consumer groups. Current members include: ActionAid ACTSA African Initiatives Article 12 in Scotland Baby Milk Action Banana Link BECTU Breathing Space Arts British Association for Fair Trade Shops CAFOD Christian Aid Church in Wales Church of England Church of Scotland, Board of World Mission Columban Faith and Justice Office CRED Foundation Equal Exchange Trading Ltd The Fairtrade Foundation Find Your Feet Friends of the Earth Greenbelt Festival Greenpeace Herne Hill and Dulwich Trade Justice Campaign International Muslim Association of Scientists and Engineers Labour Behind the Label MAYC World Action Methodist Relief & Development Fund National Board of Catholic Women National Federation of Women's Institutes National Justice and Peace Network National Union of Students National Union of Teachers (NUT) One World Week PCS People & Planet Peru Support Group Progressio (formerly CIIR) Quaker Peace and Social Witness Reading International Solidarity Centre (RISC) Rugmark UK SCIAF Scottish Catholic Justice & Peace Commission Scottish Episcopal Church Justice Peace & Creation Network Shared Interest Skillshare International (UK) Soroptimist International of Great Britain and Ireland SPEAK Student Christian Movement Teach A Man To Fish Tearfund Tools for Self Reliance Tourism Concern Trading Visions Traidcraft Trocaire TUC Unitarian Office of Social Responsibility UNISON United Nations Association of the UK United Reformed Church VSO War on Want Women's Environmental Network Women's International League for Peace and Freedom The Woodcraft Folk World Development Movement World Vision UK Zomba Action Project
The Trade Justice Movement has established a reputation for public mobilization in support of its goals. Its Mass Lobby of Parliament in November 2005 was the largest such event in the history of modern British democracy with 375 MPs lobbied in one day. This surpassed the previous record of 346 MPs lobbied in June 2002, which had also been set by the Trade Justice Movement. In 2003 the coalition staged the biggest national lobby of MPs when more than 500 parliamentarians were lobbied in their constituencies ahead of the WTO Ministerial Conference in Cancún, Mexico, when talks collapsed. In April 2005 the coalition staged the biggest mass protest of the UK election campaign when over 25,000 people filled Whitehall at an all-night vigil.
The Trade Justice Movement secretariat shares the Ibex House,42-47 Minories premises in London with the Fairtrade Foundation, which advocates for Fair trade labeling in Britain. The coalition's current coordinator is Glen Tarman, formerly publicity manager at OneWorld.net.
In 2005 the Trade Justice Movement was one of the networks at the core of Make Poverty History, a UK coalition of more than 500 organizations lobbying for the trade justice movement, debt relief, and increased foreign aid.