encouraging young people to become better global citizens

Being good with money - general resources

One section of the Award programme is headed “Being good with money” and concerns the ways in which we can influence the world around us by what we do with our money – giving it away, considering whether we need to spend money by reducing consumption, and, if we are spending money, how we spend it.

For more information, please see the Information for Centres (http://ebasic.easily.co.uk/02903F/016037/IGCAinfo4%20school%20Feb%2...) and the Award website, in the section The Award.

There are a number of schemes that are relevant here. These are mentioned because the websites are available in Spanish, English, and in some cases other languages too.

Fairtrade

The simple idea behind fair trade is that producers, particularly those earning small amounts only, are given a fair reward for their efforts. There are fair trade initiatives in a number of countries, and a central overseeing organisation, Fairtrade International, that sets out and monitors criteria for fair trade and coordinates work by fair trade organisations in different countries.

Goods that are produced as part of schemes where producers are fairly rewarded, certified by the relevant fair trade organisation, carry a logo similar to that above.

There is plenty of scope for Award participants to

find out more about fair trade policies and practices
find out about fair trade goods available in their country
tell other people about fair trade
buy fair trade goods where possible.

While fair trade is well established in some countries, for instance in the UK, in many other countries fair trade goods are less readily available and awareness is much lower. Award participants have opportunities to change things for the good, and in previous years participants at The English Academy, Kuwait, Park House Academy, Qatar and the British International School, Budapest, Hungary have arranged fair trade events locally. These have been significant because they brought awareness of fair trade to people in countries where fair trade practice is not well established.

The Fairtrade International website (http://www.fairtrade.net/?id=361&L=0) is available in English, French and Spanish and links to fair-trade organisations in specific countries or regions, including

Latin America http://www.clac-comerciojusto.org/ and

Asia http://www.fairtradenap.net/

In the UK, schools are encouraged to become Fairtrade schools, and there are many materials which help them to become more aware of fair trade issues, and how to buy fair trade products. Some of these materials may be helpful to schools in other countries. Visit http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/schools/default.aspx

For more general information on ethics of international trade, visit http://www.oxfam.org/en/campaigns/trade (in English, Spanish, French).

Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC)

FSC is an independent, non-governmental, not-for-profit organization established to promote the responsible management of the world’s forests. There are many national organizations which are part of the FSC network, including in Central America, Africa, Europe and Asia. Certified suppliers of timber and other forest products from sustainable plantations may use the FSC logo.

For further information about the FSC and for links to national organisations, visit http://www.fsc.org/77.html (available in Spanish and English)

Marine Stewardship Council

MSC works with partners to transform the world's seafood markets and promote sustainable fishing practices. The website http://www.msc.org/ (in 13 languages) gives information on sources of sustainable seafood in 74 countries, and information on restaurants serving MSC-certified products.

There are many other aspects of ethical spending, including:

Purchasing “green” or renewable energy

Ethical tourism – considering the impact of tourism on local communities

(There is a good short overview at http://www.roughguide-betterworld.com/?page_id=28)

For each of these it is best to search for websites and organisations relevant to your own country. There are quite a number of relevant websites for countries such as the US and UK, if you cannot find ones specific to your own context.

There are a number of websites of relevance to particular countries, but with resources which are of more general interest:

The Center for a New American Dream

The Center for a New American Dream helps Americans consume responsibly to protect the environment, enhance quality of life, and promote social justice. “Helping people live consciously, buy wisely, and make a difference.”

http://www.newdream.org/

Better World Shopper

A US-focused website which evaluates companies on

Set up by Ellis Jones, an early supporter of the IGC Award.

http://www.betterworldshopper.com/

Ethical Consumer

A UK website researching ethical aspects of many products and goods.

http://www.ethicalconsumer.org/

A copy of this is attached as a Word document, with images

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