The average age of members in Tynwald was reduced quite significantly last week when students attending the Fairtrade Primary Conference descended on the Tynwald buildings for a day of learning about fair trade, which included holding a debate in Tynwald Court.
Teams of Year 5 and Year 6 students from 16 different primary schools around the Island took part in the event, the third conference of its kind and the first to be run since it was awarded Outstanding Fairtrade Campaign by the Fairtrade Foundation late last year.
Pupils were treated to a keynote speech by Tom Allen of Trading Visions, an educational charity that works with the Divine Chocolate business and their producers, a Ghanaian farmers’ co-operative. The talk focussed on why we should consider buying fairly traded goods and what benefit they can have for others. Tom also hosted the ever popular chocolate workshop which included an all-important sampling session.
Other workshops included poetry writing and the story of Fairtrade bananas. All the children had the chance to participate in the conference debate where they were asked to argue the case for and against the motion that organisations on the Isle of Man should only use fairly traded tea, coffee and sugar. This encouraged some lively discussion around freedom of choice versus inequality and some good points were well-made on each side.
The conference was organised by the One World Centre in conjunction with the Isle of Man Fairtrade Group and was kindly supported by the Manx Co-operative Society.
One World Centre Director Rosemary Clarke said: “Once again the conference was such an enjoyable event with all the students really engaging in the issues around fair trade. Often the children have never realised before how much we depend on food and other produce that is grown and produced in the developing world and how the way we trade can have such a positive or negative impact in those countries.
“The children were full of ideas for how they could support fair trade in their schools and we hope they will help raise awareness among their fellow students during Fairtrade Fortnight which takes place this year between 23rd February and 8th March.
“We are very grateful to the Manx Co-operative Society, who themselves are great champions of Fairtrade, for their support in helping the conference to happen and to all the helpers at the event as well as President of Tynwald Mrs Clare Christian who allowed us to use the Tynwald buildings and welcomed the students so warmly.”
Photo - The students were undaunted by debating in Tynwald Court.
