Major Churches in Britain Fight for Global Trade Justice

A call from major churches in Britain has urged the Government to set up fairer global trading practices.

The Mission and Public Affairs Council of the Church of England and Christian Aid has jointly produced a report entitled “Trade Justice: a Christian response to global poverty”. It investigates the impact of international trade rules on the world’s poorest countries and communities, offers a vision of trade justice and issues a challenge to the church to campaign for change.

During a meeting of the General Synod of the Church of England which took place in York on 7-13 July, Global Trade Justice become one of the hot discussion topics on the schedule for 13 July. The Bishop of Southwark Rev Tom Butler, Chairman of the Mission and Public Affairs Council referred to the mentioned report, “US, the European Union and other wealthy countries have used trade negotiations to promote their own interests while continuing to discriminate against many imports from developing countries.”

According to the findings from Christian Aid, some Third World countries are forced to open their market by the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. As the heavily subsidised European agricultural products enter the markets in Africa, the locally grown vegetables have become priced out and uncompetitive, and this has threatened the livelihood of Africans to whom the trading of agricultural products is the only source of living.

Bishop Butler explained the importance of restoring Trade Justice, “Aid may well be a temporary safety net and debt cancellation a necessary condition, but trade is the vehicle by which lives can be improved, provided that trade is fair and equitable.”

A press release issued on 12 July from the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rev Rowan Williams draws attention to Appendix One of the Trade Justice Report on “how to communicate this report to your parish or synod”. It suggested that parishes should encourage their congregations to pray and campaign for trade justice. It also encouraged the Church to play a key role in building international support for the campaign within the Anglican Communion, and through contacts mediated by mission agencies, development agencies and diocesan links.

The Roman Catholic Church has also shown its support for Trade Justice. On 16 July, the National Justice and Peace Network (NJPN) in collaboration with the Catholic Diocese of Arundel and Brighton, will hold its 25th annual meeting at Swanwick in Derbyshire. The conference entitled “Bringing forth the Kingdom: Love and Justice in a Broken World" will last for three days. More than 300 justice and peace activists are expected to gather. The NJPN network is composed of representatives from the 22 Catholic dioceses of England and Wales plus mainly Catholic agencies, missionary groups and Bishops' Conference committees involved with issues of Justice and Peace. They will look at the role of the Catholic Church in tackling injustice and violence.

In Britain, increasing the contribution towards the fight against world poverty continues to be one of the most important agendas under the forces of major churches and Christian charities. The year 2005 is a very vital year for the UK with its Presidencies of the European Union and G8 summit. This gives the Government the opportunity to shape the international agenda; hence the reason why the churches and faith groups are trying their best to influence the UK Government on this aspect, and make Britain truly be in a pole position to make a difference to global poverty.

So far, the Jubilee 2000 campaign has successfully changed the government policies on world debt; the '0.7% Campaign' also reported victory as the British government finally vowed to gradually raise its overseas aid from 0.3% up to 0.7% of its GNI (Gross National Income) by 2013.

The Week of Action for trade justice, 10-16 April 2005, has been set by Christian Aid. It will provide an opportunity for activities in support of the campaign, locally and internationally, in advance of the UK Presidency of the G8 and the EU. The Church of England warmly invites all parishes to participate in the event.