What does it take to bring a smile in someones face? Answer to this question will vary from person to person, and will depend on their needs and demands too. For some people a meal for a day might be more than anything to make the happy, whereas some people might not even care about such treat!
Having completed a workshop on 'Fairtrade' after an extensive research on the topic, I have learned a lot about fairtrade. I am sure all my fellow Masters level classmates have also gained an extensive knowledge on the topic in question. I guess we all know that the justifications behind the arguments for and against fairtrade are equally strong. There has also been a detailed discussion on this in my assignment. Today I will not be going into that debate. I want to simply share a feeling that I have had in my mind since I finished my research on fairtrade.
As like everyone, I also know very well that the criticisms against fairtrade are very strong and justified, but yet I strongly believe that we being the economically solvent citizens of this world owe a duty towards our society's neglected class of people, although not legally but at least on the grounds of humanity. This is something that we should never forget. A pound or two might not make a big difference in our life, but it definitely does make a very big difference in the livelihood of the poor people.
The extremely lower class people who survives on harvesting agricultural products needs to be paid a decent amount of wage or price for their products and labour on at least moral grounds. Due to the unfair practises in the global trade the poor producers from the third world countries are even deprived of the basic essentials needed to survive. In this increasingly economically expensive world it is getting difficult for the marginalised producers to survive if the global trade continues to takes place in an unfair manner.
These producers from the third world countries have a very low standard of living, and survive hand to mouth only. A small initiative of ours can make a big difference in their life, and bring a smile on their face.
So I urge everyone to please take a step forward to bring a change in the present global trade. Please let us all get together with a changed attitude to make our world a happier place to live in, without poverty.
