U.S.
Interfaith Trade Justice Campaign:
Trade Serving People; Not People Serving Trade
Mission
Statement: The U.S. Interfaith Trade
Justice Campaign, in partnership with religious institutions, mobilizes
and facilitates an active
engagement of faith communities in educational activities, policy advocacy
and Fair Trade efforts, so that global trade and investment policies
promote economic and social justice, human development and ecological
sustainability.
The U.S.
Interfaith Trade Justice Campaign is part of a larger international
and ecumenical effort to engage people of
faith in working for greater justice in the world trading system.
Moral values arising from faith commitments compel people of faith to
seek just and equitable economic relationships in all dimensions of
life. In an age of economic integration and globalization, this imperative
includes how nations relate to each other in their trade and investment
policies and practices. The moral and spiritual principles of our religious
traditions can provide practical guidance to address the profound and
complicated ethical issues raised by current directions of trade and
investment. To this end, the Interfaith Working Group on Trade and Investment
invites communities of faith to join the Campaign.
The U.S.
Interfaith Trade Justice Campaign is a U.S. national partner in an emerging
international trade justice campaign and part of the Ecumenical Advocacy
Alliance (EAA) “Trade for People Campaign.” The EAA, initiated by the
World Council of Churches, is based in Geneva, Switzerland.
The U.S.
Interfaith Trade Justice Campaign addresses four major trade policy
areas, advocating for:
-
Trade
rules that further the right to food, food security for all, sustainable
agriculture and greater self-reliance in developing countries;
-
Global
and national trade policies and rules that guarantee access to essential
services to all;
-
Democratic
processes of participation, transparency and accountability in trade
negotiations;
-
Regulation
of transnational corporations to ensure that they contribute to
poverty eradication, promotion of human rights and the protection
of the environment.
Campaign Objectives
-
To
mobilize and assist national, regional and local faith communities
to engage actively in education and advocacy for global trade justice;
-
To
maintain a web-based resource center featuring educational and worship
materials, informational updates and action alerts on trade justice
concerns;
-
To
develop a communication network allowing people of faith and conscience
to easily access the resources and participate in the activities
of existing organizations working to bring more economic and social
justice and ecological sustainability to global economic relationships;
-
To
encourage advocacy on vital current policy struggles such as greater
openness and democratic accountability of trade negotiations, access
of impoverished countries to generic versions of essential medicines,
global agricultural rules that are fair and small farmer-friendly,
preservation of affordable water services, and promotion of fairly
traded coffee and other products.
Campaign Organization
The
Interfaith Working Group on Trade and Investment is a network
of Washington, DC-based offices of religious institutions. It will act
as a coordinating body for the U.S. Interfaith Trade Justice Campaign.
A coordinator will facilitate Campaign committees on education, advocacy
and Fair Trade, moderate the web site and coordinate outreach.
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