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Faiths and Fairtrade
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Sehdev Bismal MBE, from Wolverhampton Inter-faith Council, explains how his group is working with Wolverhapmton Fairtrade Partnership to spread the Fairtrade message.
How did this start?
Since more than 22 per cent of Wolverhampton’s population comes from minority ethnic backgrounds, we decided to take the core message of Fairtrade to different faith communities. We began a programme of visits to gurdwaras and mandirs to speak to the congregations there. Our message resonated with the core beliefs of all faiths that we visited. We are now visiting all the mosques in the city.
How do you make sure you reach everyone?
Since a significant number of people visiting gurdwaras are not confident speakers of English, we have produced an information sheet in Panjabi, which is a major minority language in the city. We organise exhibitions and displays topromote Fairtrade at various public events. Recently we launched a brochure with the City Council, which contains details of what has been achieved so far and information about outlets offering Fairtrade products.
Do you have any tips for other campaigners?
It is very important to take the core message of Fairtrade in simple, jargon-free language to faith communities and offer engaging activities to students in schools. Partnership with other agencies such as the local authority, schools, colleges, university, local media and faith communities is not only desirable but also imperative.
© Winter 2008 Fair Comment