Let's Take Our KIDS Along With Us FOR the Still Long March For a FAIR TRADE In Life!

While going around I often wish that I could see all the children in the street smiling. I have carried the dream along with me for the last four decades. The dream introduced me to Fair Trade in the early sixties - at that time is was called alternative trade or trade with a difference.  I realised that hundreds of people across the globe have a similar dream, the dream of healthy women and men, of a healthy environment as well as a beautiful world of "fairness", which would ultimately be led by the YOUNG ONES BLOOM !!!  Then, in the decades that followed, I saw the "fair dreamers" and of course "fair actors," growing into thousands, lakhs and crores. 

But still we realize a huge number of children in the world are
suffering from unrestricted and exploitative trade practices. Sometimes I cannot stop the tears, like you, when I see young lives hounded by poverty, diseases and exploitation and the resultant conflicts!

So, like you, I couldn't stop dreaming. about a larger fairer world. So, let me request of all of you to strive for more small-innocent smiles. Why don't we start with the young ones in our neighborhood. our community! There shall be fairness in dealing with children. Because Fair Trade can do away with the exploitation of children, save them from labour hazards.
There are very good examples created by Fair Trade in fighting the curse of child labour as can be seen at Tara and several other such organisations.

There is an alternative to the horror created by vested interests, there can be a future for the children liberated from servitude, FairTrade supports and encourages children to learn their family skills including crafts and other traditional elements. But they must go to school to equip themselves for a better future in a far better way. Time division between education and training is important.  They should get nutritional food and they should have opportunities for further
development. At present only Fair Trade has been successful in showing that the liberated children are soon absorbed back into society without posing any criminal threat which might have been created by their experience.

The trade mantra of cheaper resources and larger profit margins has made children suffer, so only trade with a Fair element has the strength to relieve the underprivileged children from exploitation and suffering. Trade made them suffer and, I am sure, that trade will be the most effective means to saving them from the misery of child labour. Therefore we have chosen Fair Trade to save children from the poison of trade and stop them from jumping to  old age right from their miserable chidhood without having known youth at all. 

Let's take our KIDS along with us FOR the still long march for a FAIR TRADE in life! I am sure that you will all join us!

Shyam