Campaigning

Tzedek is a member of the Jewish Social Action Forum, and is actively involved in the Fairtrade campaign and the Climate campaign.

Climate Change
We know that climate change will hit the poorest and marginalised communities the hardest, and that we have a responsibility to address this issue if we are to be successful in eradicating global poverty.

Tzedek has produced a new resource to educate and explain issues in the lead up to the UN Climate talks in Copenhagen in Dec 2009. This resource can be downloaded here.

We are also supporting the Big Green Jewish website, where you can make a Green Promise, test how green you are, and find sources that link Judaism and environmental issues.

Ethical Trading & the High Street
We recently ran a session at Limmud 2009 called 'Blood on your Clothes?', which included a very animated discussion about ethical trading and the high street.

With a charity called Homeworkers Worldwide, we put together a letter to send to the CEO of Primark, Mr Marchant, to campaign for fairer working conditions for producers, especially those in South Asia. In particular, we looked at the role of some of the most vulnerable - those working from home who are often not given the same rights and recognition as other workers.

Download the letter here, and send to Mr Marchant at the address included.

Jubilee Debt Campaign: Vulture Funds
On February 26^th, the Debt Relief (Developing Countries) Bill will receive its second reading in parliament. The Bill aims to ban the activities of vulture funds – investment funds which seek to profiteer by buying up the debts of indebted poor countries at a cheap price, and then suing those countries for the full amount through court.

The Jubilee Debt Campaign fights for the cancellation of third world debt owed to developed countries. Much of this debt is left over from the 1970’s because of irresponsible lending from richer nations. Today millions of poor people are trapped in a worsening cycle of poverty as a result.

Tzedek is a member of the Jubilee Debt Campaign and is calling on all its supporters to encourage their MP’s to push this Bill through.

To help end this appalling activity, download this letter here and send it to your MP before February 26th 2010.

Fairtrade
When you buy Fairtrade, you are ensuring that the producers of that product have been paid a decent wage for their work. Producers also receive a "Fairtrade premium", which is a sum on top of the agreed price, that producers can invest in social and community projects. So far, hundreds of thousands of pounds have been invested into schools, healthcare initiatives, and farming improvements in this way.

The following resources can be used to support your campaign:

Adult powerpoint & presentation
Fairtrade chocolate assembly powerpoint & presentation
A guide to presenting on a global issue
Fairtrade FAQs
Speakers feedback form

Please keep us informed if you are speaking about Fairtrade in the community, so that we can track the impact of the campaign.

Find out more about Fairtrade from the Fairtrade Foundation website. Or click here to download a copy of The Jewish Guide to Fairtrade.
You can also click here to download a Hebrew version produced in Israel by B'Magalei Tzedek.

Why not make your simcha Fairtrade? You can purchase Fairtrade kippot here, as well as sourcing fairly-traded food goods.

If you're a student, there are loads of fun ways to promote Fairtrade at your J-Soc! Click here for for more ideas, including Booze 4 Jews, bagel brunches and Football comps.

Campaigning

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