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Visit the site

www.oxfam.org.au   and check out the Fairtrade news.

What is Fairtrade?

“Fairtrade provides a labelling system to ensure minimum standards are met and that farmers rights and their families’ welfare is respected. Purchasing fairtrade products has short and long term benefits. importantly, your Fairtrade purchase means:

1. A fair minimum price for farmers - that enables them to have food, shelter, health care and education for them and their families.

2. Coffee farmers receive a Fairtrade premium of 28 cents a kg that is spent on community development projects - such things as improved health services, schools and training.

3. Improvements in sustainable farming practices

4. Access to low-cost credit and technical assistance.”

OxFam Australia - 132 Leicester St. Carlton, Victoria

 Add your thoughts.

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Farmers from all over the world, are being underpaid for their produce. Most of these farmers use traditional methods to grow their products. Fairtrade means that the farmers get a fair price for their products. The extra money covers the cost of production and allows them to develop their farms and update equipment. It also allows the communities to build better roads, pay school fees and generally make their lives more sustainable. The farmers can’t live a good life with unfair prices and they deserve to live a little easier. The farmers want to reinvest their money and be happy like everyone else. So all you companies out there - please pay THE FAIR PRICE!

George (12 years old)

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On Thursday the 8th of May, staff at our school held a Fairtrade morning tea. The staff drank Fairtrade tea and coffee and showed the 4 minute DVD about Fairtrade, to their classes. Some students in our class made posters advertising the Fairtrade brand and these are on display in our canteen. Other students, like George (above) wrote their thoughts about Fairtrade and the great work it does. We enjoyed the smell of the coffee brewing so much, that we now have a permanent couple of plungers in our staff room, so thanks Oxfam - what a great idea it was to run a Fairtrade fortnight!

www.icanw.org

Check out this website and add your thoughts. The motto for the Ican organisation is

I can…you can, we can abolish nuclear weapons.

Dear world leaders,

Nuclear weapons are very dangerous. The uranium can get into the skin and do serious damage to your blood, cells and organs. Even worse it can kill you. \

The detonation of a nuclear weapon would totally wipe out entire countries and hundreds of thousands of people would die, in only a few seconds.

Surprisingly, even though we know all the facts, nine countries still have nuclear weapons. Those countries are France, Pakistan, Israel, Russia, China, USA, North Korea, UK and India.

Today’s Nuclear weapons are 20,000 times stronger then the Hiroshima A bomb. The death toll from the explosion and the fallout of that bomb was 200,000 deaths over a number of weeks and months. The black acid rain killed people weeks after the explosion.

I’m only 11 and I want to live my life to the full. We need to abolish nuclear weapons for us to be able to do that safely. As a beginning point, we need to get the nuclear weapons off high alert. At least then, there is less likelihood of an accidental bombing. After that, the countries need to get together and discuss abolishing these devastating weapons altogether.

If kids can think like this, why can’t world leaders?

If you would like to learn more about this subject, visit the website www.ican.w.org

From Bailey        

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Dear World Leaders

I am twelve years old and when I grow up I don’t want to drink out of disgusting water, get sick from the nuclear fallout, or be killed in the event of a nuclear war.

These Nuclear Weapons have affected many places and countries in the world, and killed many thousands of human beings.

Nine countries including Russia, China, USA, North Korea, France, Pakistan, UK, Israel and India still have nuclear weapons. The weapons are twenty thousand times more powerful than years ago in 1945, when the A Bomb called “the boy” killed around two hundred thousand people in Japan.

It would be a miserable world to live in if any of the countries let the nuclear bombs off. So please, for this generation and for generations to come, get the bombs off high alert. At least then the risk of a nuclear accident is reduced. 

Sincerely

Rachael

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Dear World Leaders, 

I’m 11 years old.

These nuclear weapons have affected land, water, air and human life. Thousands of people have died terrible deaths because of these nuclear bombs. Millions have suffered.   It’s got to stop now!

There are only nine countries still involved or who own nuclear weapons including Russia, France, China, USA, Israel, Pakistan, U.K, Nth. Korea and India.

You owe it to the world to get the weapons off high alert. It would be the start of peace process that will lead to the abolishment of nuclear weapons.

I want my future looking positive. I don’t want to grow up living with the threat of nuclear war: no food and crops, water sources, air pollution and death and disease threatening my future. I don’t want this for my generation or for future generations.

There are only 27000 nuclear weapons left in the world. There should be zero!

Make peace. Stop Nuclear weapons. Everyone can make a difference.

 Sincerely,

Georgia

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I would like world leaders to abolish the nuclear bombs! If we still have the nuclear bombs I see that in a few years, the whole world is in more danger than we are now.  You could just get them off high alert, and then the countries still have a chance to talk about the matter.

While the weapons are on high alert, accidents can happen. Countries can misinterpret each other and accidentally set off a bomb. And why even dare to send one into outer space, putting toxins into the world and its surroundings? What kind of leaders would do that? 

Cody. (11 years old)

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Our Thoughts on ANZAC day

A is for Australians, all brave, young and old,
N is for Nights, spent in the cold.
Z is for Zany young men, happily joining the throng,
A is for All of the wiling ones being proved wrong.
C is for Crying for all the lost souls,

ANZAC will be remembered all over the world.

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April 25th 1915
ANZACS landing in Gallipoli
A terrible mistake by allies alike
As dawn breaks to end the night
Turkish soldiers waiting up top
Letting off  their guns with a defining pop
Anzacs falling by the dozens
And weeks later grieving cousins
     

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I feel the soldiers being brave
As they fight the good and bad,
They fought so well,
They saw the dead right next to them - they looked so sad, 
We feel as happy for the Australia and the New Zealand soldiers as we should.  

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The brave Anzacs went to war at a young age, Fighting for our country’s reputation.
ANZAC day is a time for remembrance for our brave, courageous young men.
Not many survived the war at Gallipoli against the Turkish solders at the top of the cliff.
Some people remember it like it was still happening today.
ANZAC day means to me that I respect the brave young men and women that fought in all wars and conflicts. To me it also means that I thank the men and women that created Australia’s reputation of courage, mateship and larrikanism which has become known as the ANZAC spirit.

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Anzac day  is a day to remember,
The tough, strong solders,
That died a terrible frightening death,
And those worried families,
Waiting for  their young digger, son, brother, husband or father
To open the door,
And say that the war is over.
But only a very few did.

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ANZAC day is a day to remember those brave, courageous, young men who gave our country a great reputation. The war told everyone that the ANZACs were brave, tenacious, courageous and loyal men.
The soldiers had a terrible time when landing in an area with steep cliffs. The second they walked onto land they were under attack.
The ANZAC soldiers fought all those years ago but for some it feels like yesterday.
You might never really understand what the soldiers went through but how would you like to see your friends die in front of you. It’s not a pleasant feeling.
Not many of those came home to their families so let’s remember them who went to war and fought for our country.