Green Liberty: Sixth Six Months of M4D (2)

Fairtrade Friendly

Since 2013 Green Liberty is actively involved in awareness raising about Fair Trade movement. The last six months of M4D were dedicated to refreshing our activities connected to Fair Trade Friendly recognition, organizing an outdoor campaign in Riga about Fair Trade and Fair Trade Friendly recognition, organizing an international meeting of representatives of Baltic region CSOs that deal with Fair Trade issues in their countries, organizing the official opening of the Fair Trade Friendly recognition, and planning national level cooperation with the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) to connect individual initiatives for youth – Fair Trade Ambassador – to its Young Reporters for the Environment program that empowers young people to take a stand on environmental issues and gives them a platform to articulate their observations through the media of writing, photography or video. 

Label “WE CHOOSE FAIR TRADE”

The label “We choose Fair Trade” gives recognition and support for Fair Trade friendly organizations, companies, institutions, communities or groups of people. The goal of refreshing Fair Trade Friendly recognition process and criteria is to be rather ambitions – we strive to create common Baltic area of Fair Trade Friendly recognition. To do it we have agreed with our EST colleagues from Mondo to use their logo with Latvian translation. The logo has already been used to award the Estonian Fair Trade friendly organizations, producers, supermarkets, stores and schools since 2014.

According to the current revisions Green Liberty provides the label “We choose Fair Trade” in six categories: (1) cafes, restaurants and hotels, (2) shops, including booths, confectionery and drinks vending machines and online shops, (3) business and shared offices, communities, (4) producers of goods, (5) educational institutions, (6) individual initiatives for youth: Fair Trade Ambassador. For each category, we have set the minimum requirements and additional recommendations for employee and customer awareness raising.

To apply for the label “We choose Fair Trade”, a representative of an organization, a company, an institution, a community or a group of people should fill out an application that will be available in Green Liberty webpage since mid-January 2018.

Info about the label in Latvian is available here: http://www.zalabriviba.lv/jaunumi/kustibas-mes-izvelamies-godigo-tirdzniecibu-kriteriji/

Outdoor Campaign

Our outdoor campaign to raise society’s awareness about Fair Trade is organized in two sections. In the first section banners were displayed in Riga: in outdoor advertising stands from September 11 to September 24, 2017 and in several shopping centres from September 8 to October 1, 2017. The second section is going on from November 22, 2017, and is located not only in Riga but also in several other biggest towns.

Outdoor banners invite everyone to think about the beginning of the supply chain of our favourite global products that we use every day – coffee, chocolate, bananas, to purchase Fair Trade products, and to engage in the movement of Fair Trade friends.

The banners are developed in cooperation with the agency "Armadillo". Campaign posters in bus or tram stops and shopping centers are hosted in partnership with JCDecaux and Clear Channel, see here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/r1q1yyxip9zg59g/IMG_2914.MOV?dl=0

Info about outdoor campaign in Latvian is available here: http://www.zalabriviba.lv/par-godigu-tirdzniecibu/zala-briviba-aicina-iesaistities-godigas-tirdzniecibas-kustiba/

Baltic meeting of Fair Trade promoters  

On November 27, 2017 we invited our colleagues who deal with Fair Trade issues and organize Fair Trade Friendly recognitions in other Baltic countries to come to an informal meeting. The aim pf the meeting was strengthen joint Baltic Fair Trade Friendly space: to share national success stories, to learn form colleagues, and to plan further cooperation. Seven participants: Jaanus Välja representing Mondo from Estonia, Tomas Kurapkaitis and Milda Lukoseviciute representing Litdea from Lithuania, Andrzej Żwawa representing Fairtrade Polska from Poland, Valters Kinna, Sanita Rībena and Inga Belousa representing Green Liberty from Latvia took place in this meeting. 

Opening of the Fair Trade Friendly recognition 

After the informal Baltic meeting of Fair Trade promoters, we organized the official opening event Why to choose Fair Trade products? of the campaign “We choose Fair Trade” in Birojnica, Dzirnavu street 84 k-2, Riga. We organized this event to meet Fair Trade friendly organizations, enterprises, institutions, schools and non-formal groups from Latvia who provide and use Fair Trade products in their daily life and to encourage them to apply for the labelling “We choose Fair Trade”. For all 20 participants it was a great success to meet Fair Trade Friendly promoters from other Baltic countries.

In the opening event of the campaign “We choose Fair Trade” we heard and shared four stories of different Fair Trade stakeholders:

1. To buy or not to buy cheap products produced in developing countries? – shared by a Teacher Naw Kham from Myanmar
2. What is the production of fair and unfair products in developing countries? – shared by Lāsma Ozola, a Latvian journalist who has traveled to banana plantations in Costa Rica
3. How to recognize a Fair Trade friendly company? – shared by representatives of Fair Trade passionate CSOs: Jaanus Välja, ex-MONDO, EST; Andrzej Żwawa, ​Fairtrade Polska, PT; Tomas Kurapkaitis, Milda Lukoseviciute, LITDEA, LT; Valters Kinna, Zaļā brīvība, LV
4. What are benefits for the company from the use of Fair Trade products? – a joint discussion about Fair Trade and Fair Trade Friendly recognition. 

Green Liberty: Fourth Six Months of M4D

Opinion Pool

Latvian society is very poorly informed about sustainable global development. Space of people’s thoughts and activities is limited to national scale, and the world in their perception is fragmented.  Latvian inhabitants consider that Latvia in comparison with other countries is much poor than it is in reality. About poor conditions people blame country and international structures, and do not take responsibility on them. Majority of society is not ready for any practical action to support global development, and their active civil position is weak: responsibility and involvement are not priorities. Lack of awareness about development processes in the world encourages formation of false assumptions about global development that creates formation of different misconceptions and social myths.

These are some of the general conclusions based on the opinion pool “Sustainable global development: Awareness and action of Latvian society” (Līdzsvarota globālā attīstība: Latvijas sabiedrības informētība un rīcība) that we implemented in collaboration with the marketing and public opinion research centre SKDS.

Data have been obtained from Latvian residents in the survey through direct interviews. Fieldwork was on April 9, 2016 to April 20 and from May 21 to June 1. With stratified random sampling method in whole country 1,005 respondents aged 18 to 74 years have been surveyed. Respondents’ sample represents a larger population. Study statistical error does not exceed the total responses distributions + / - 3% limit.

Detailed description of the results of this survey is published in the information bulletin Development Cooperation News 4^th issue “Global Development Myths”. 

International conference Bratislava Roundtable 

Bratislava Roundtable conference “Sustainable Development Goals - Opportunities and Challenges” was organised by the Slovak NGDO Platform under the auspice of the Slovak Presidency in the Council of the European Union and took place in Bratislava on September 5th 2016. 

Among around 60 participants, including policy makers, media representatives, civil society representatives, private sector representatives and academics from the Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Lithuania, Slovakia,  United Kingdome and other countries were seven participants who represented Green Liberty: Inese Vaivare, Director of Latvian Platform for Development cooperation (LAPAS), Madara Siliņa, Third Secretary of Development Cooperation Policy Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia, Māra Sīmane, Adviser of Cross-Sectoral Coordination Centre, Sanita Kalnača, Adviser of Cross-Sectoral Coordination Centre, Āris Ādlers, Board Member of Latvian Green Movement / CEE Bankwatch, Līva Stade, Green Liberty and Inga Belousa, Green Liberty.

This was the second international conference as one of the activities of the project Media for Development. The first conference - Riga Roundtable “Financing for Development: Role of EU Member States” was organized by Green Liberty, Latvian Green Movement and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia in Riga on June 11-12, 2015. 

Joint Study Trip to Nepal

Two journalists, Santa Logina from regional newspaper Zemgales Ziņas and Iveta Sondore from the magazine Vides Vēstis represented Green Liberty in the joint study trip to Nepal on the September 4-11, 2016. 

This study trip was organized by project’s Finnish partner organization VIKES. During the trip Santa Logina and Iveta Sondore together with her colleagues from other M4D partner organizations – Estonia, Lithuania, Czech Republic and Slovakia met with CIJ staff, Nepali editors, NGO actors, journalists, editors, European actors (including Nordic Embassy representatives) in the country, local community and local authorities in their visits to Kathmandu, Sindhupalchowk and Dolakha districts.

Reflections on situations and experience have been published in several proceeding articles and are available here: 

• Sondore, Iveta (2016). Nepāla. Dzīve pēc zemestrīces [Nepal. Life after the earthquake]. Magazine Vides Vēstis, 6 (163), pp.38-41. 
• Logina, Santa and Sondore, Iveta (October 24, 2016). Kontrastu zeme Nepāla [Land of contrasts – Nepal].
• Logina, Santa, (September 29, 2016). Skaistums un posts – Nepāla. [Beauty and misery - Nepal]. Zemgales Ziņas [regional newspaper Zemgale News].
• Logina, Santa, (October 20, 2016). Skaistums un posts – Nepāla. [Beauty and misery - Nepal]. Zemgales Ziņas [regional newspaper Zemgale News].
• Logina, Santa, (November 17, 2016). Skaistums un posts – Nepāla. [Beauty and misery - Nepal]. Zemgales Ziņas [regional newspaper Zemgale News].
• Logina, Santa. (November 20, 2016). Nepāla– valsts, kurā pārdomāt vērtības. [Nepal – the country where to reflect on your values]. Zemgales Ziņas [regional newspaper Zemgale News].

Focusgroup discussion about global education 

In November 4 we organized a focusgroup discussion about global education and global citizenship. To share their experience we invited 10 different stakeholders of global education:

1. Liene Baltmane, teacher of English at Mārupe Secondary school – represents teachers who implement global education at school;
2. Edgars Bērziņš, teacher of history and development projects at Andreja Upīša Skrīveri Secondary school  – represents teachers who implement global education at school;
3. Ilze Dalbiņa, coordinator of UNESCO Associated School project and Education department – represents UNESCO LNK;
4. Ligita Grigule, head of the Practice and global partnership centre of Faculty of Education, Psychology and Art at Latvia University – represents higher education and academic sector that provides teacher education;  
5. Valters Kinna, Green Liberty – represents non-governmental sector that implements projects and teacher education courses and seminars;
6. Zane Oliņa, National Centre for Education – represents project “Competence based approach in education curriculum” at the National Centre for Education;
7. Elita Opincāne, expert of education and life-long learning of Education department at Rēzekne municipality – represents municipalities that implement global education projects;
8. Sintija Šmite, head of international cooperation programs department at State Education Development Agency – represents State Education Development Agency;
9. Līva Šteinberga, senior referent of Development cooperation policy department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia – represents Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia;
10. Iveta Vērse, head of the Education development centre – represents non-governmental sector that implements projects and teacher education courses and seminars. 

Global education week in Latvia this year was organized in November 1 – 12. It was coordinated by the Latvian Platform of Development Cooperation (LAPAS) in collaboration with Green Liberty, UNESCO Latvian National Commission, Faculty of Education, Psychology and Art at Latvia University, Latvian Association for Cooperation in Education (LACE), and other civil society organizations. This year’s GEW motto in Latvia – what you sow, that you reap – highlights that active participation is the way how we all together can shape our community, country and development of the planet.

The focusgroup discussion about global education was organized during the Global Education Week (GEW) that is a Europe-wide awareness-raising event that takes place annually in formal and non-formal educational settings across the continent. The GEW’s aim is to encourage educators and learners to explore educational activities for global citizenship. The GEW addresses issues related to diversity and inequality at the local and global levels, and tries to foster: awareness of the wider world and of our own role as world citizens, attitudes of respect for diversity and intercultural communication skills, responsibility for our own actions, and the ability to take action to make the world a more equitable and sustainable place.

TV/Movie Producers’ Meeting in Finland

Five producers: Elizabete Palasiosa from Juris Podnieks Studio, Zane Kalnina and Laura Cīrule from film studio "Woodpecker Pictures", Ieva Goba from Elm Media, and Danuta Juste from TVNET represented Green Liberty and took part in the TV and movie producers’ meeting in Helsinki and Tampere on November 10-11, 2016.

The producers’ meeting was organized by project’s Finnish partner organization VIKES. Its focus was several meetings (with representatives of the Finnish Film Foundation, Yle Red Nose Day Show Producers, Tampere International Film Festival Executive Director Juhani Alanen, journalist and director Laura Satimus from the Finnish Broadcasting Company YLE, Yle producer and development reporter Pasi Toivonen), networking and participating in the Yle Red Nose Day Show.

For representatives of Green Liberty this meeting was a great success, especially discussions and experience exchange with producers from Gimmeyawallet Production, Docventures, Madventures and Soundtracker about changing the way of watching documentary films. The GL representatives shared that it was inspiring to observe five hours long the Yle Red Nose Day Show online that had been prepared during the whole year. They expressed their initiative to cooperate with Green Liberty in order to organize similar campaigns in Latvia. Also, the GL representatives were challenged to think about the role of public TV, its competitiveness with commercial channels, and possibilities to attract youth as target audience. Their reflections were directed to communicating meaningful content in an attractive way not losing its value. 

Fair Trade day: What is the real price of sports equipment?

Sports equipment – clothes and accessories – is essential element of sport. The quality of sports equipment significantly influences our wellbeing when we take a part in sports activities and achieve results. But what do we mean by the quality of sports equipment? Those who have been interested to find answers on questions – how fair is sports equipment and what is its real price and impact – participated in the Fair Trade day organized in the Latvia Academy of Sport Education (LASE) on November 10, 2016.

This event invited different stakeholders connected to reflect on how the local and the global contexts are integrated in sport, to clarify the real price of t-shirt, to participate in focusgroup discussion about fairness of sports equipment, to watch two short documentaries about industry of Nike goods and production of football balls in Pakistan, and to discuss about sport and sustainable development.

More info about the event here.

E-bulletin “Development Cooperation News”

To enrich awareness of society and policymakers in Latvia about global interconnection, challenges and initiatives to solve them both globally and locally we publish electronic information bulletin Development Cooperation News (DCN).

The 4^th issue is Global Development Myths is looking for answers on the following questions: Is it truth or not that “we should not help other countries, because we ourselves are poor”, “poverty results from too high birth rate”, “help makes a receiver to become lazy”, “financial assistance is the most needed help for poor countries”, “climate change is not connected to increase of poverty”? Stories that provide different answers on these questions are published in five sections – POSITIONS, EVENTS, EXPERIENCE, OPINIONS, and RESOURCES that shape the structure of DCN.

DCN is published electronically twice a year and features current development cooperation topics from the perspective of practitioners, opinion leaders and policy-makers.

Read and download the bulletin Development Cooperation News here. 

Green Liberty: Fair Trade day - What is the real price of sports equipment?

Sports equipment – clothes and accessories – is essential element of sport. The quality of sports equipment significantly influences our well-being when we take a part in sports activities and achieve results. But what do we mean by the quality of sports equipment? The context of sustainable development expands understanding of quality and suggests examining sports industry from a global perspective, introducing new quality indicators - impact of sports equipment on social field and environment beside personal well-being and effectiveness, and its price – economic aspect.

Those who have been interested to find answers on questions – how fair is sports equipment and what is its real price and impact – participated in the Fair Trade day organized in the Latvian Academy of Sport Education (LASE) on November 10, 2016. This event invited different stakeholders connected with sport to reflect on how the local and the global contexts are integrated in sport, to clarify the real price of t-shirt, to participate in focus-group discussion about fairness of sports equipment, to watch two short documentaries about industry of Nike goods and production of football balls in Pakistan, and to discuss about sport and sustainable development. The Fair Trade day provided integration of academic and practical achievements of sports field, and was based on transdisciplinary approach, multi-stakeholder approach and glocalization methodology.

Seven different stakeholders were represented in the focus-group discussion:  Agnese Alksne, director of the platform of Latvian Corporate Social Responsibility who represented enterprises, organizations and professionals who introduce questions about sustainability (including good governance, business rights, supply chains, etc.) into professional and public agenda; Ilvis Ābeļkalns, lecturer at the Centre of Health and sport education, Faculty of Pedagogy, Psychology and Art, Latvia University who represented academics who provide sports teachers’ qualification and education;  Inese Bautre, sports curriculum specialist at National Centre for Education (NCE who represented NCE; Jānis Brizga, organization Green Liberty who represented non-governmental sector that implements projects and organizes activities to inform society about Fair Trade; Juris Grants, vice-rector of science of LACE who represented academia that supports sustainable development of sports science and practice; Liene Kukule, sport instructor of Ropaži Sport Centre who represented educators of sports interest education; Valda Kursa, director of LASE who represented contracting authorities of state institutions that are responsible for sports equipment purchasing. The main issues of focus-group discussion were about connection of Fair Trade and sport, awareness of the represented stakeholder group of Fair Trade issues, cooperation of the represented stakeholder group with other stakeholders in supporting Fair Trade.

Info about the event in homepage of Green Liberty and Latvian Academy of Sport Education.