One World Centre Isle of Man

This year’s Fairtrade Fortnight highlights cocoa farmers in West Africa, and especially women cocoa farmers, who often struggle to earn a living income.

By supporting Fairtrade you can help give farmers and workers a safety net that protects them from low prices for their crops and also pass on the Fairtrade Premium, an extra amount that allows them to make their farms and communities stronger or invest in climate resilience and adaptation.

Fairtrade is also supporting more women cocoa farmers by making sure they have a voice in their community and are represented in decision-making.

To mark this year’s Fairtrade Fortnight, we were asked, along with representatives of the Isle of Man Fairtrade Group, to contribute to Manx Radio’s Perspective programme, broadcast on Sunday 1st March. You can catch it again on demand on manxradio.com.

In the meantime don’t forget to check the Fairtrade Isle of Man Facebook page for all the latest on Fairtrade on the Island.

We’re delighted to be co-hosting with GRIN an evening with Rob Greenfield, an activist and humanitarian dedicated to leading the way to a more sustainable and just world. Rob embarks on extreme projects (which have included wearing all his rubbish for a month, feeding himself from grocery store rubbish bins, living off-grid and foraging for 100% of his food) to bring attention to important global issues and inspire positive change. Rob believes our actions really do matter and that as individuals and communities we have the power to improve the world around us.

He is currently travelling (as sustainably and responsibly as possible) on the 2020 World Solutions Tour and will be speaking in the Isle of Man at Ballakermeen Studio Theatre on Monday 27th April. Tickets are available now through this link here. Admission will be free but there will be an opportunity for donations on the night with any surplus going to indigenous and women-led grassroots environmental organisations of Rob’s choice.

We are expecting this event to be very popular so advise booking early if you wish to come along.

We’re looking forward to our 8th Fairtrade Primary Conference this Thursday when 68 young students from local primary schools will be joining us to learn about the difference Fairtrade can make to small farmers and producers in developing countries. This year we have Heather Thompson from Traidcraft as our guest speaker – and she will also be running one of the workshops where students will find out what life is like for a family of coffee farmers in Tanzania.

The Fairtrade Conference is one of the annual events we run with our funding from the Isle of Man Government’s Development Education and Awareness Raising Grant and we are also grateful to Tynwald President Steve Rodan MHK who graciously allows us to use Legislative Buildings as a venue.

The Isle of Man Government has now published Professor James Curran’s report on climate change action for the Isle of Man. The Government has also published the Council of Ministers response draft action plan.

Climate change is one of the most pressing issues of the moment – and its impact is likely to affect the most vulnerable and marginalised communites around the world disproportionately hard. Please take some time to read the report and action plan and let your MHK know what you want them to support. Links to the report and the plan are: http://www.tynwald.org.im/…/sitti…/20182021/2019-GD-0102.pdf http://www.tynwald.org.im/…/sitti…/20182021/2019-GD-0101.pdf

As we wait to hear the details of Prof. Curran’s report to the Isle of Man Government on the action required around climate change, the Climate Change Coalition Isle of Man is marking its first anniversary on Friday 22nd November with a night of music and discussion at the Manx Legion Club.

The One World Centre was a founding member of the CCC, which exists to encourage and support our Government to address climate change by working in three areas: reducing emissions (measured against interim targets), investing in renewables and keeping our sustainability promises to UNESCO re our Biosphere status.

The CCC now has 30 member organisations, drawn from all parts of Manx society, as well as individual supporters – all focused on ensuring the Isle of Man plays its part in providing climate justice for everyone, including generations to come. For more information on the first anniversary celebration please click here

Just a reminder it’is our AGM tonight Wednesday 11th September from 7pm at St John’s Mill, Tynwald Mills. Please note we have a last minute change of speaker. We will now be welcoming Paul Craine who will talk about: ‘Climate change – the Climate Reality perspective’.

Paul has recently returned from a three-day Climate Reality training course, led by Vice President Al Gore no less, and is sure to have some important information about this very topical subject. We hope to see as many of our members and supporters as possible.

We’ll be holding our AGM at St John’s Mill, Tynwald Mills, from 7pm on Wednesday 11th September. All members and supporters are welcome. After a short formal meeting, we will look forward to hearing from OWC committee member Becky Crease who will give a talk on her time travelling and volunteering in Nepal. Tea and coffee will be available on arrival. See you then!