Report from events across the
UK
During the Global Week of Action, tens of thousands of you joined together up and down the country to add your voices to those around the world calling out for trade justice, not free trade. You gathered in high streets, churches, town squares, concert halls and schools across the nation. Local groups and networks organised more than 130 events, from Aberdeen to Arundel, Bury St Edmunds to Belfast and Jersey to Jarrow.
Thousands of you cast your Vote for Trade Justice, others signed petitions and spent time with your prospective parliamentary candidates stressing the fundamental importance of our aims. A number of your towns warmly welcomed campaigners from the south and listened and learnt from their experiences.
Activities of all shapes, sizes and scale took place. You've been making a lot of noise to wake people up, whether with bellringing, dancing, drumming, drama, comedy, singing or debate. But you've also been observing silences and quietly reflecting and praying.
You've been marching, bucket-carrying, and making mountains out of grain. You've participated in unfair games, tugs-of-war and football matches. You've been wrapping any number of buildings and monuments with white bands, from churches and fountains, to Lady Godiva and Jersey cows. And you've been joining hands with each other (and footballers!) to form human white bands against global poverty around the Angel of the North and Preston Town Hall.
You've been dressing up as chickens in the northwest, and running around town in your pyjamas, waking up Patricia Hewitt in Leicester and pillow-fighting outside the Bank of England in London. You've been 'dumped on' with sugar and other goods in Northampton, and you've formed human 'trade barriers' in Brighton. You've thrown rice at a wedding in Birmingham to highlight US dumping. And in Reading, you've deposited "POVERTY" in the museum, where it belongs.
With all this activity and creativity, it's not surprising you've generated a huge appetite for fairtrade breakfasts, feasts and coffee mornings. Unless, of course, you've been fasting in Glasgow or Northampton. And you've been holding several local vigils all over the UK, staying up all night in solidarity with those in Whitehall on the Friday night.
You've appeared on local radio, news and on the worldwide web. In short, you've been fantastic. All your events, big and small, have made a difference. Together, they made a crescendo of action marking the UK's contribution to this Global Week of Action where over 10 million people have taken part in 80 countries. On behalf of the Trade Justice Movement, thank you very much.
